September Blog Challenge Day 2 - Lance Armstrong

Day 2
Share your thoughts and feelings about Lance Armstrong’s lifetime ban and loss of title.

This is a weird one. I haven't followed this at all until Armstrong's decision to stop fighting, so my knowledge of it is recent and peripheral. I feel about as qualified making a judgement on this as I would if you asked me to put together a good cricket team.

Do I think he was actually doing something? Yeah, probably.
I have few illusions about the state of modern sports competition.

Do I think this was a bit of a witch hunt regardless? Yeah, probably.
There's a certain point at which persevering in accusations for which you have no physical proof just becomes utterly ridiculous.

There are no smoking guns or admissions of guilt and there isn't anywhere further to go from here. There is no vindication for either side now that Armstrong is retired. Based on the bits and bobs I'm seeing around the net Armstrong is coming off as a Robin Hood character (even the people I've read who are sure he was doping admit straight out that they can't ignore or minimize his other accomplishments) and the USADA is coming off like the Sheriff of Nottingham.

...but with none of the mellifluous Alan Rickman goodness

I'd understand if he was still competing but at this point what exactly is achieved by continuing to go after him? I don't expect the people with their newly minted first place medals/jackets/whatever feel particularly happy about their new-found titles. No matter what goes in the books you can't erase the feelings of the day or retake the finish line pictures.

Do you have a stand on the Lance Armstrong situation?


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What active things did I do today?

Does getting a cat into a carrier for the vet count as active? It probably should.