Everybody, including Lance Armstrong, always wondered who was responsible for turning the beloved athlete into the USADA. By now everyone is aware that Armstrong has given up his long fight with the USADA about the use of performance enhancing drugs and was banned from cycling for life. Those names have now been released and they are quite scandalous.
Apparently, out of the eleven names given some included Armstrong’s former teammates George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, and Floyd Landis are responsible for handing over evidence to the USADA. Wow, if a man can’t trust his teammates who can he trust? Isn’t there some kind of athlete code like don’t rat out the superstar when we are all reaping the benefits from it? This must be devastating to Armstrong who is still dealing with the end of his career and the loss of all the accolades he achieved throughout it. This guy really can’t catch a break right now. It seems karma has come around for Lance Armstrong.
Hmm counter point here. I’ve detailed my own thoughts about Lance on my blog. Think for a moment how the team actually co-existed. There are numerous stories of Lance treating his teammates with disrespect. And then there was this story about an injured ex-teammate. http://deadspin.com/5938095/an-all+time-great-lance-armstrong-being-a-dick-story?tag=lance-armstrong .. My point is, most athletes are self-interested (especially the elite). Team building isn’t quite what motivates them. As for the behaviour of his teammates, by the time USADA got through with them, they were acting to protect their own self-interest (to Tyler Hamilton, that would be survival mode).
With many athletes across different sports constantly being charged with allegations of PED abuse, it makes me wonder that we as fans have become desensitized by all of these stories. When I first found out about Armstrong giving up his fight with USADA, it didn’t really change my opinion of him because I have already seen so many great athletes fall from grace that the only thing I really feel is disappointment.
I watched ESPN’s 30 for 30 last night about the The 100-meter men’s final at the 1988 Seoul Games, and I was shocked to see how many of those athletes were banned , year’s later, from the sport because of PEDs. Maybe at this point, we should just be skeptical all the time?