By Matt Anderson
Lance Armstrong dropped his defense against the latest doping allegations, providing the firmest evidence yet that he cheated. But will it be enough to change anyone's mind?
Seven years after his last Tour de France win and two after his final Tour, Lance Armstrong suddenly has nothing.
Let’s start with those who think he's innocent. They have a lot of hard facts to back up their beliefs. Armstrong never failed a drug test, and he endured perhaps the toughest testing regimen in sports. While USADA contends that good dopers know how to beat those tests, its case isn't bulletproof without a positive result. Therefore, those who believe Armstrong is innocent will dismiss the ban and title-stripping as nothing more than ceremonial. After all, is someone going to show up at Armstrong's house and repossess his seven trophies and Olympic gold?
For those on the other side of the fence, USADA's actions carry just as little significance. But that's because these accusations are seven years old, and those who believe he's guilty made their minds up and moved on far before this latest news. This is a post-PED world, one where we acknowledge that doping was, and continues to be, just part of the game. So while Armstrong may have cheated, so did rival Jan Ullrich, and nearly everyone else he raced against. Maybe he didn't overcome the odds and win through sheer heart and determination like we originally thought, but Armstrong still competed on a level playing field and won seven times.
Seven years after his last Tour de France win and two after his final Tour, Lance Armstrong suddenly has nothing.
Armstrong on Aug. 23 surrendered in his fight against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's charges, allowing the organization to declare him guilty of using performance enhancing drugs. The most famous cyclist in the world is banned for life and stripped of his record seven consecutive Tour de France victories.
This is a fascinating story, down to its most basic level. Armstrong is the only worldwide star of a dying sport. He's passed more than 500 drug tests. Much of the USADA's case was driven by guilt by association (teammates admitting to doping, competitors beaten testing positive). And the public reaction has fallen into two camps: Those who believe Armstrong is innocent and just doesn't want to waste money on a he-said, she-said feud, and those who think this confirms a long history of doping.
This is a fascinating story, down to its most basic level. Armstrong is the only worldwide star of a dying sport. He's passed more than 500 drug tests. Much of the USADA's case was driven by guilt by association (teammates admitting to doping, competitors beaten testing positive). And the public reaction has fallen into two camps: Those who believe Armstrong is innocent and just doesn't want to waste money on a he-said, she-said feud, and those who think this confirms a long history of doping.
The weird thing is, both sides generally don't believe this taints his legacy.
Let’s start with those who think he's innocent. They have a lot of hard facts to back up their beliefs. Armstrong never failed a drug test, and he endured perhaps the toughest testing regimen in sports. While USADA contends that good dopers know how to beat those tests, its case isn't bulletproof without a positive result. Therefore, those who believe Armstrong is innocent will dismiss the ban and title-stripping as nothing more than ceremonial. After all, is someone going to show up at Armstrong's house and repossess his seven trophies and Olympic gold?
They will say that Armstrong is making the smart choice, saving money and sparing his family from another lengthy legal process. They will say that USADA has no authority to take away titles won in other organization's races. Armstrong is a champion and a hero, no matter what some obscure regulatory agency claims.
For those on the other side of the fence, USADA's actions carry just as little significance. But that's because these accusations are seven years old, and those who believe he's guilty made their minds up and moved on far before this latest news. This is a post-PED world, one where we acknowledge that doping was, and continues to be, just part of the game. So while Armstrong may have cheated, so did rival Jan Ullrich, and nearly everyone else he raced against. Maybe he didn't overcome the odds and win through sheer heart and determination like we originally thought, but Armstrong still competed on a level playing field and won seven times.
The simple point is that times change. If this happened seven years ago, it would have been the lead story for weeks. Now, all it gets is a quiet release late on a Thursday, mixed in amongst the fellow doping revelations of Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon and the preseason coverage of hundreds of freakish athletes who go unquestioned. Through it all, America shrugs.
The public might be divided on Lance Armstrong's guilt, but there is still a consensus when it comes to the man himself. He is a great cyclist, an inspirational cancer survivor and an individual who used his status for the benefit of others. Doping or no doping, that's not going to change.
Matt Anderson is Began in '96's Richmond correspondent. Find more of his writing at First and Den.
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