I don't write this blog because I'm an avid sports fan (although I'm partial to a spot of netball and watch lots of sport on TV for more reasons than London 2012). This is simply a blog written by a medical student who you may think is particularly over-opinionated. Touché. However, having watched the Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah, I think that I join the rest of the world in being truly disappointed and disgusted by a plethora of lies that not only has repercussions for cycling but for the entire sporting world. I'm sorry if I appear to lack empathy (a skill that is simply a must for a medical student) but this is one occasion in which I'm really, really struggling to see it from his point of view.
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| (Source: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/01/lance-armstrongs-oprah-interview-watch-the-live-stream-online.html)
What struck me most was Armstrong's response to watching recordings of himself lying to his fans, to the public, to his sponsors, to himself. I can't tell if the man sitting opposite Oprah was the same man who told all those lies. I'm not sure that I sensed the existence of a remorseful individual in between those nervous chuckles. What he did show us though, is that he was still defensive. What was he expecting from his claim that he hadn't taken performance enhancing drugs since 2005 - a standing ovation? Why did he sidestep around the questions we wanted answers to? And what about the other individuals who assisted Armstrong in the deceit? I'm appalled that those individuals included doctors - the professionals expected to practice Medicine 'with conscience and dignity' (Declaration of Geneva 1948, Physician's Oath).
Coincidentally, this interview brings into question a topic that I'm currently researching - the value of conscience. Having concluded that mankind values moral integrity, I'm left reeling at the thought that it might be possible that there are individuals out there that really don't have a conscience. At the time Armstrong was doping, he genuinely didn't consider himself to be cheating. To quote Mr Armstrong himself, taking banned substances was akin to saying that 'we have to have air in our tyres or we have to have water in our bottles. That was, in my view, part of the job.' A damning quote which, for once, leaves me speechless.
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Hey Chantal, I didn't watch the interview, but I saw him say the last quote you put down there. I agree that he doesn't seem to have a conscience or any remorse, but I thought the point he was trying to make to was that it was necessary to dope in order to compete at that time; It was so prolific in the 90s and early 21st century that it was as necessary as 'water in our bottles'. Indeed, cycling has got slower since they cracked down on doping! But that's of course a good thing. I suppose sometimes its difficult to see 'outside' the box when immersed in these things, in the same way bankers and financial regulators couldn't see the carnage unfolding during the financial crisis. Or maybe they did? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for another interesting post!
Jeremy, thank you for your comment and I'm glad you found the post interesting!
DeleteI agree with the comparison you've drawn to the individuals in the banking world during the financial crisis. I realise that the quote was somewhat taken out of context but I believe that his attempt to justify his actions remains poor whether (or not) his fellows competitors were also doping. As Oprah points out during the interview, Armstrong was placed in a different league to other cyclists during that era and with that privilege comes responsibility. I'm not saying that he shouldn't be forgiven, I simply think that very few people will find it easy to understand the reasons for his deceit.
Thanks again for your thoughts!