Reports are swirling that Lance Armstrong will finally announce to the world that yes, he’s been a drug user, cheater, and benefactor of cycling victories throughout his career because of his performance enhancement usage. Formerly the poster boy for excellence in sports and his humanitarian efforts leading the charge against cancer, Armstrong has lost all his credibility – as well as the respect of many Americans.
Assuming Armstrong does finally come clean, many will argue that he is only doing so because:
A.) The doping evidence against him is simply overwhelming and he had no choice but to admit
B.) He wants to compete again, as well as quickly restore his image for future business ventures
C.) The “X” variable is his ego, a psychological construct that first allowed him to cheat and believe he was above the competition, and now pushes him to do whatever he needs to once again be the center of attention post-scandal.
Sports stars like Armstrong cause us to experience what the sport psychology world calls cognitive dissonance – on one hand we like and remember him for his remarkable mental toughness and accomplishments in cycling, but on the other hand we have to somehow make sense of the fact that this is the same guy who was as big of a cheater as the sports world has ever known. Armstrong was the face of Live Strong, and he was an articulate and likeable celebrity while winning all those championships. He is also the same guy that allegedly threatened former teammates if they ever told about his drug usage, and intimidated anyone who dare try and say that his championships were not earned fair and square.
To me, Armstrong is no more of a hero than anyone else who cheats. I don’t have a “cut out” for cheaters who are really good as a result of their cheating, speak well, or stand for good causes. When I speak with kids I don’t have a point in my presentation where I try to minimize and offset cheating by things like winning or success, as I feel it sends a terrible message. Instead, I try and spend more time talking about good role models who compete fairly — even if they don’t always end up winning.
Yes, it appears Lance Armstrong is finally going to come clean, something other professional athletes of his generation haven’t been able to do (i.e. Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds will always be seen as cheaters). Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this story right now has to do with Armstrong’s timing of admitting to guilt, and the real reasons why he is going to apparently do it now instead of anytime in the past when allegations against him mounted on a weekly basis? While there are countless theories to entertain when weighing this question, the most likely answer has to do with Armstrong’s superiority complex — something that helped him develop confidence while competing, yet now holds him back from admitting to mistakes and looking just as “human” as the rest of us.
How will you react assuming Armstrong admits to using? Will it change your opinion of him? Will you remember him more for winning and fighting against cancer, or cheating and denying usage until he had his back against the wall?
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