An official announcement re Lance Armstrong: yello is now a 'hater'

[yello]

First, a public service announcement to all Armstrong fans. I am happy to accept your liking for Armstrong. His achievements speak for themselves and I make no attempt to diminish them. If you continue to read please remember I am not being critical of you personally. Please try not to be offended. What follows are only my opinions, quite easy for you to ignore, based on my interpretation of events.

I'm coming out.

After last Sunday's stunt on the final day of the TdF, I have lost all respect for Lance Armstrong. I previously considered myself as having anti leanings but not a fully fledged hater. That's now changed. The disrespect he showed on Sunday, both to the organisers of the Tour and his fellow riders, has illustrated to me with an absolute clarity his over inflated self belief and staggering arrogance. These are qualities I'd loath in any human being.

Previously, I'd only read of such things or heard of them on forums etc. I'd always tried to think there was another side to the story, something to mitigate, and given a benefit of the doubt. I can find no such (acceptable) interpretation for the actions of last Sunday. I have thought a great deal about it since then and still can find nothing to excuse the actions of Radioshack. I hold Armstrong personally responsible for those actions; I can not but interpret it any other way.

Should the House of Armstrong fall as a result of Landisgate, I want a ringside seat. I shall applaud warmly at the final curtain (to mix me metaphors!).

Thank you for reading.

 

[zimzum42]

 

[darkstar]

What's funny is the fact you waste your time thinking about this subject, if you don't like someone, fine, just get over it and don't spend time going on about it.

 

[gavintc]

Very balanced - chip on both shoulders.

Take a chill pill and relax. He rode a bike well, he is now ageing and will retire soon. Get over yourself.

 

[steve52]

as you say its ur opinon, and i have no probs with it, i tend to fall on the other side of the fence , but to want to spectate and watch the house armstrong fall ect ,reeks of renenge on the masses for the actions on one man? hardley a balenced thing? and so devalues your opionon, its a complicated issue , my feelings are that the last stage is more or less a parade so its the right place if there is one to do sutch things, and as it was his farwell action , i have no problem with it. lets not overeact and condem the livestong chaps because we have issues with one mans behaviour?

 

[Arch]

Blimey what did he do - murder someone? Or was it one of those things that only matters if you care about sport, but is completely inexplicable to anyone who doesn't...

I read half of one of his books once (it was froma charity shop and had been misbound, so that it got half way through and repeated). Thought he seemed a bit big headed myself.

 

[moggsy100]

As Steve says the last stage going into Paris is more or less a joke anyway. They don't race and its just one big procession until they arrive in the Capital. We all know that the TDF officials are pompus old fuddy duddies that are living in the dark ages with inconsistent punishments and decisions made.
At the end of the day as much as some people hate Armstrong no one can take away and condem the good he does to highlight and publicise the cancer side to raise awareness and save lives. On the cycling side its also my opinion that Lance has brought many new people into not only watching cycling but also getting out on their bikes themselves. Every sport needs an Armstrong character or the the sport would just die. He's a rare breed and people should see the positives he has brought into cycling.
So what he wore a different cycling jersey ( which most people would admit looks bloody brilliant ) It wasn't offensive or causing harm to anyone in anyway. I say they should of been allowed to wear them for the full stage and i fully endorse their decision to put 2 fingers up to the organizers by wearing them on the podium. I hardly think any of the other cyclist in the tour de france would of gotten upset or lost any sleep over this action.
At the end of the day its only a bike race... No more no less.. Theres more important things going on in life to worry about..

 

[walker]

If I'd achieved everything he has, Won the tour 7 times, Beaten cancer 3 times and now a abasador for cancer research, I think I'm better than everyone else to to be Honest.

 

[gb155]

Without question if it wasnt for Lance showing that there is hope in adversity then I wouldnt have come as far as I have, yes he is big headed, as are MOST people at the top of there game, and thats not just cycling, to beat caner like he did, to fight cancer like he does etc.... but I think those Black Shack/Livestrong Jerseys were AMAZING !

Lance is a LEGEND, if you dont like, him, dont think about him, I dont like Soap's on TV, I dont post on a forum telling people how much I hate then adnwant them pulling from air, I simply dont watch them !

Gaz, Riding Hard "N" Liv'in Strong

 

[Noodley]

Very good yello, but can you endure the weight of being a Hater of Lance and a Lover of Cancer cos that's what you are now - if you don't like him it means you love cancer you know....

 

[Noodley]

....people should see the positives he has brought into cycling.

Oh they have, but only after they have left his team - oh, I am so funny

 

[lanternerouge]

Very good yello, but can you endure the weight of being a Hater of Lance and a Lover of Cancer cos that's what you are now - if you don't like him it means you love cancer you know....

Good call Noodley. A lot of people are going to have their illusions about LA shattered by the current investigation in the States...

 

[darkstar]

Good call Noodley. A lot of people are going to have their illusions about LA shattered by the current investigation in the States...

Thousands of people look up to him, many of which have suffered Cancer, or been close to someone who has. Why would you want their 'illusions' to be 'shattered'?

 

[Tim Bennet.]

At the end of the day as much as some people hate Armstrong no one can take away and condem the good he does to highlight and publicise the cancer side to raise awareness and save lives.

Well even that is not 100% true.

Armstrong survived a curable form of cancer. In his mind he is convinced that this was due to the way he took control of his illness and its treatment. It was a process that clearly worked for him, but since then, he has sought to promote 'his way' of tackling cancer as 'THE way'. Unfortunately there are many different cancers, including lots with almost 100% terminal outcomes. There is also a huge spectrum of cancer patients, many of whom neither wish or are even capable of following in his footsteps. For those who don't connect with the 'LiveStrong' message they can be left feeling inadequate and stripped of the confidence they need to tackle their own cancer in their own way.

Some of his slogans are also crass and can contribute to feelings of guilt and betrayal. One year at his Ride of the Roses event in Austin Tx, I noticed the place was plastered iwith billboards proclaiming: "Lance Armstrong - Living proof that everyone deserves a second chance". Well, what about those who get an incurable form of cancer and just die? Why didn't they deserve a second chance? Was it that they didn't take 'control' of their cancer? Didn't they LiveStrong? I've met families and loved one's racked with guilt wondering what they could have done to help their lost loved ones follow LA's path to salvation. But there was never going to be any 'salvation'; they had terminal cancer.

There are also doctors who feel his message has made their job of treating terminal cancer patients that much harder. Despite all the advances in cancer treatment, there are still many, many cancer patients who have to be told 'there is nothing more that can be done'. But when delivering such a difficult message, they now have to be ready to counter the accusation that 'you are exactly the defeatist type of doctor that Lance warned us about'. They then have to watch powerless as patients vainly try to follow 'his way', using up time and resources that would be better utilised enhancing the quality of life for both them and their families in those final days.

Effective support for those with cancer must recognise the very individual nature of not only the disease but also people's reaction to it. It's important to work with that and enhance whatever they want to do. No ones experience is transferable to anyone else and to promote 'a way' risks alienating and demotivating those for whom it does not work. As with conventional medicine, if you want to support someone with cancer; first - do no harm.

 

[redddraggon]

I don't get how Lance bullying and cheating his way to the top is a good role model or motivation for cancer sufferers?