Like most Americans, I'm a football fan first and foremost. That means that, along with the rest of Baltimore, I'll be faithfully watching the Ravens play the Broncos in just under one hour. But, while football is my favorite sport, my favorite athletes are those who compete in sports that fly under the radar. I've always admired athletes who push themselves to be the best at something just because -- not because their achievements hold the promise of fame or fortune. So, I'm a fan of the Nordic combined athletes, the cross-country skiers, the lugers, the lonely long distance runners, and cyclists.
That brings me to Lance Armstrong. He was at the top of my list when he was winning all those Tour de France's. Other than Greg LeMond before him, there'd never been any great American cyclist. Europeans dominated the sport. Then, Lance came along and captivated the entire country. He pushed himself to perform at a level that seemed almost impossible. The fact that he was a cancer survivor made him seem even more heroic. Add in that he was so dominant for so long, and he became almost mythic. There'd never be another one like him, we were told. I believed it.
During his career there were always the accusations that Lance must be using performance-enhancing drugs. How else could he have such success? And, weren't all the others at the top of the sport already doing it? He always denied it, doing so both forcefully and with disdain. He even went so far as to sue -- and win -- several years back when a London paper wrote a story claiming he was a cheat. All the more reason for me to believe in him and put him on a pedestal. Not only was he dominating the field year after year, but he was clean while doing it.
Now, I realize it's all been a lie. I'm reading that, this week, Lance is going to finally admit to being a cheat -- during a sitdown with Oprah, of course. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. You see, unlike Alice McKennis (that would be today's World Cup downhill winner) or Kikkan Randall (who's won more World Cup cross-country ski races this year than any other American has ever won in their entire career), Lance did get his fame and fortune. Maybe that's all he was ever after in the first place.
This is where the magic happens.
