I agree with both of you and your thoughts on Armstrong. The whole thing is a disaster, and it sucks all around. I don't mean to make this all about me, but it has ruined my favorite moment in sports: "The Look".
Every time something like this happens we all lose a little bit of faith in humanity. Yes, it's partially our own fault. We build people up as infallible, perfect people, and then it's that much harder when we watch them fall. It's not just professional athletes, but movie stars, business leaders, even relatives. I know it's cliche, but it's a reminder to me that people are people. Regardless of what social or economic strata people are in, they are tempted by the same evils and grapple with the same difficulties that we all do. And they can fail, just like we do.
As you pointed out Brad, the unforgivable part in this Armstrong deal is the path of destruction that he left in his doping denials. I don't know, maybe he just got so deep in the lie that he felt like he couldn't get out. Maybe he looked around and saw the good that was coming out of his success on the bike and convinced himself that he could do whatever it took to cover the lies. But lies to cover up lies never make it better. Leaders who succumb to the Bathsheba Syndrome have an inflated belief in personal ability to control outcomes. It sounds like that was Lance Armstrong, and he DID try to control the outcomes for a long time, successfully might I add. Look at some of the "lessons learned" from the Bathsheba Syndrome article in the context of Lance Armstrong:
- Perpetrating an unethical act is a personal, conscious choice on the part of the leader that frequently places a greater emphasis on personal gratification rather than on the organization's needs.
- It is difficult if not impossible to partake in unethical behavior without implicating and/or involving others in the organization.
- Attempts to cover-up unethical practices can have dire organizational consequences including innocent people getting hurt, power being abused, trust being violated, other individuals being corrupted, and the diversion of needed resources.
- No getting caught initially can produce self-delusion and increase the likelihood of future unethical behavior.
- Getting caught can destroy the leader, the organization, innocent people, and everything the leader has spent his/her life working for.
Sound about right?
And now the scrutiny and the lawsuits will begin. Livestrong is going to be picked over with a fine-tooth comb. And it won't survive. Lance will spend more time in court in the next 10 years than he's spent on the bike in the last 20. Within three years he'll be broke.
And one more thing… you think it can't get any worse for cycling, but it will. Armstrong's only hope for income now is his OWN tell-all book. He's gonna dime out every doctor, urine collector, dope runner, coach, teammate, sponsor… that ever was aware of his doping. If they haven't come clean already, everyone who is dirty better do it quickly, because the whole shebang is about ready to be unveiled.
The end does NOT justify the means. I'll have to write later about the concept of sacrificing for the greater good. That's a doozy.
January is off to a good start. Our numbers dropped in 2012. Don't let it happen again punks.
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