The Lance Armstrong saga is just sad. Because even if he did dope, cycling is a sport that’s riddled with doping, and winning seven consecutive Tours de France is therefore, no matter how you slice it, a fantastic feat. Add to that the fact that he accomplished that after beating the odds to survive cancer, and it’s a mythical achievement. So it’s a shame that his legend might forever be tainted by this scandal.
If Armstrong didn’t dope, these recent events are tragic.
No matter the case, this whole thing made me think of the saying: The cover-up is worse than the crime.
Nixon. Clinton. Rose. Bonds. Clemens. McGwire.
If each of these guys had fessed up right when they were caught, wouldn’t our perception of them be much more positive? Or, short of positive, at least more mixed? Wouldn’t they have earned more sympathy than scorn?
And it’s true on a smaller scale, too.
How often do we get caught by a loved one, or a colleague, in a little lie, then compound the problem by piling white lies on top of that? They never fully believe us, but because of pride, or fear, or whatever, we keep at it.
While the truth is, other people are much more forgiving than we like to give them credit for. They’re forgiving because they understand. Because everyone’s been there.
But we lose faith in other people, so we try to pull the wool over their eyes. And they rightfully resent us for that - for the deception, the second breach of trust - more than for the relatably human crime.
Besides - do we really think we get away with this crap?
