For some reason this story has always intrigued me. I suppose its because hypocrisy never sits well with me, and I've found this entire thing very hypocritical. I should be clear that obviously I don't agree with the lies he made for so many years to protect his doping. Nor is it okay how he slammed publicly those who spoke about his doping over the years. Having said that, the bigger issue to me is the hypocrisy of the sporting industry (and it is a industry through and through) as well as even the hypocrisy of those who testified in different forums about his doping since most/many of those person themselves doped. The fact is, that unfortunately there is a culture that begins to surround pro athletes when they get to this level. It is a marketing stroke of genius that makes many a corporation millions and even hundreds of millions of dollars in the lifetime of the "sports greats". As soon as that type of money is involved, pressure ensues on the athlete, their entire team, their managers and coaches. The fact has long been known that many sports have had doping issues with their athletes. First it was steroids, then it morphed into these other forms of improving performance in ways which violated bans on them. From a public point of view, I am sure most viewers/fans wish that athletes would ALL just compete on their natural talents, without aid of any banned practice. There was a statement made by Lance about him at the time feeling he was "leveling the playing field". It is exactly what I always have thought, not just for him but for ALL athletes in high levels of sports that have doping problems. If your competitors are doping, they have a leg up. When your sponsors insist upon and promote win at all costs, and your competitors and even team mates dope, it seems sort of standard to me that most athletes end up with the "can't beat em so join em" attitude. It's probably pretty clear to us average joes that a culture like that isn't healthy, and I think it's probably even not much argued that indeed athletes at that level of fame and competition probably do develop large egos and huge competitive demands that they place on themselves to be the best at any cost etc. Sadly, even if that cost is doing as the competition next to you is doing, which has been doping. The irony and the hypocrisy is very apparent to me that those testifying against him also participated in doping. Yes, they came clean, after the fact, during the investigation into Lance. How nice to come clean, take a ban on competing for a period of time, and get no public backlash for YOUR doping, so long as you participate in taking down the "great" Lance. They were all no better nor any worse than Lance in terms of doping, hiding it, beating drug tests, lying if questioned about it, and not feeling guilt at the time of offense because it was what everyone was doing and it WAS seen (wrongly of course) as leveling the playing field, thereby, justifying the acts.
To me, Lance was just the big "Face" of the cycling industry. He was also the one with the campaign to expose him so publicly and hang him to dry, which must have been very hard to swallow when his teammates and competition all THEN admitted THEIR doping and were applauded for THEN coming clean. Meanwhile, everyone wanted his head on a stake. I don't see his offenses as ANY worse than all of the rest. They were all wrong. He just was in the position to have to deny it more publicly, make more enemies by claiming they were lying to protect himself. Well I don't agree with the lying obviously. I also though can see how he probably had a huge inner conflict. Knowing he was wrong wrong wrong in denials and in labeling those who spoke about his doping as liars. At the same time, those persons gained protection from any real public ridicule and did not have as much to lose for outing him as he had to lose (Think Livestrong) as Lance did. Even if he did as they did, admitted, took his punishments, sponsors aren't suing the rest for return of their investments and endorsements. The others weren't facing the public backlash to Livestrong which is a wonderful, amazing organization and would be so damaged by him admitting the truth of his history of doping.
I can't exactly "Justify" his lies, his arrogant appearing denials, his horrible treatment of those who spoke about his doping. It isn't justifiable. I know I couldn't do it to others. Yet I think there is a difference between knowing something was wrong and not condoning it, but being able to see how this all must have been extremely difficult to navigate and more so for someone with such a public entity.
I also think on a different note, that since ALL were doping at the level he was it, it probably did (Even though it was wrong) level the playing field because ALL were doping. Likely if all had NOT doped, that their skills/talents would have remained on the same scale. Likely he could have won his tours etc honestly without doping, if he wasn't competing against others of his caliber that were doping. Maybe not of course, in which case oh well. The fact is, that wasn't an option for anybody at that level. Doping was happening at that level long before Lance hit the scene at that level, was deeply entrenched and frankly Nike and all sponsors, coaches, managers, ALL involved were ALL aware that they ALL were doping. Lance is a great public whipping boy. I've seen nobody else whipped like this despite them all doing it.
He should be banned. So should all of the rest. The fact is, regardless of this, absolutely the doping game continues in the sport and all the parties lashing him are well aware and promoting the continued practice, while publicly lashing out about the practice. It's a messed up world. His tour winner titles being stripped is fair, as I believe also all of those years competitors who placed highly should be stripped, most have admitted their doping, some have been stripped. Returning money? No way, not one of them should be made to. Everyone involved made bank on these athletes, most especially massive amounts from Lance's performances. They all knew doping was going on, it was quite public for so many years despite denials but it isn't exactly an industry secret anyhow. They paid endorsements etc knowing this and chose to ignore it. They profited for years and years off it. Sure Lance did too. As did the other athletes involved. I hope if he is sued that the jurors realize that the corporations with the billions invested in these athletes WANT the doping, WANT the mega athletes with mega feats like Lance, and pay heavily in order to profit heavily. If THAT stopped, doping wouldn't be such a huge culture and might just return to sportsmanship. Those corporations in fact should be sued for their profits at the hands of their encouragement behind the scenes of win at all costs, lie about doping at all costs, so long as the athletes win and can make those companies hundreds of millions in profits for their investors.
I do hope Lance just quietly goes back to living a regular guys life. He is the face of the scandal, but he isn't the only face. All were as wrong as he was. He came to the admission table later than the rest, and he has to live with that as does Livestrong. I hope he just lets go and relearns how to be a regular guy, a husband, a father, without competition. With nothing to prove but to himself and his family. Without ego, arrogance, and with some humility and a bit of humble pie. He made huge mistakes. Many do including us, just not so publicly really with so much to lose.
Funny, I never have watched a single cycling event but the entire mess with the cycling/doping thing always struck me as hypocrisy and ludicrous so I tend to pay attention to the news on the topic. I don't even know a thing about him except his fame, his wins, his cancer story.
Whatever he chooses for his future, I do hope that Livestrong survives this and goes on to continue to do great things and spread information and hope and inspiration without him. There is something just inspiring on a scale never known before Livestrong about the rise of the organization and the passion it inspires for cancer survivors and their families. We have enough ugly in the world, something doing such good for our world is important and invaluable.