For anybody that follows sports - more specifically cycling - you will have heard of the name Lance Armstrong.
This man has lived a legendary life and has accomplished some incredible feats, but he is probably most famous for beating testicular cancer and then coming back to win the Tour de France a whopping SEVEN consecutive times! On top of all this he is a tremendous competitor and die-hard athlete capable of sub-human feats of endurance and will-power.
Although this is what was public opinion...
Recently Lance, as near all the other top endurance athletes, has been accused of doping to improve his performance. Worst of all is that this has been going on since before his diagnoses it appears some evidence would suggest.
Dr. Ross Tucker has written a very provoking article asking some questions that most people would rather choose to ignore. His main question thus: "do we care that he may be a cheat, given that he's inspired millions?"
It is an interesting thought to ponder, but would have some far-reaching repercussions as he suggests at the end of his article:
"Finally, the pointed question: do we care? Should be pursue a man for cheating when he has inspired and possibly saved millions from cancer? To me, this is asking whether a good deed cancels out a bad one. If the Mafia reinvests some money into the community it runs/terrorises, then does it matter that they maim and kill many on the way?
If gang leaders build community centres adjacent to the streets where they kill and sell crack cocaine, would it make them acceptable?
We simply cannot allow ourselves to create a balance sheet, where we “debit” certain actions and “credit” others. The balance sheet cannot count up what we do right and ignore what we do wrong, provided it is in the minority.
And if a sportsman has inspired many, but has done so through illegal means, then with the greatest of sympathy and without wishing to trivialise anything, we cannot simply turn away from the ever-mounting evidence of cheating."
Some of the questions and accusations are from former team-mates and members of his crew so most people are dismissing this as bitter former members and employees etc. There is some evidence slowly coming forward that indicates that scientists have found some banned substances in his blood, but at the time of the tests there was no way to identify it.
It is a well written and well researched piece so I shall not delve into too much detail.
I am one of those that would like to think it is not the case, however I am really starting to wonder hey...
WB
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