Walking the Line: The world is a better place because Lance Armstrong cheated

Wednesday, October, 24, 2012; 10:00 PM | 21 | | Print

by Nick Cafferky, Managing Editor

It was an unlimited supply of ammo for every ugly American, and boy did we milk it.

Their confusion as to how he was so much better than them made it all the better. At one point, there were people trying to suggest that him having one testicle was a competitive advantage because it made him more aerodynamic.

That seriously happened.

But jokes about mocking the French aside, I’ll give you one real reason why none of his cheating matters — in fact, I’ll give you 470 million reasons.

In 1997, Armstrong founded Livestrong, his foundation which forever changed how people raised money for research and has raised $470 million since its inception.

Livestrong made donating money more than something to do for charity; it made it cool.

I bet every single person reading this had one of its yellow arm bands, and I bet most of you had about a dozen others comprising every color of the rainbow, with each representing a different cause that realized it could raise money the same way.

We’ve all cheated before — whether it be on a test, or homework or in Monopoly because the game has been going on for five hours and as the banker, you hold the power to end everyone’s pain — but how many can say that it positively impacted anyone but themselves?

I know Armstrong didn’t cheat to raise money — he did it to win — but at some point, the ends justify the means. Simply put, the world is a better place because he cheated.

And while I’m not necessarily saying the “everybody’s doing it defense” is a good one, it is notable that Armstrong’s only two adversaries, Jan Ulrich and Alberto Contador, have also been banned for life. They all cheated … he was just the best at it.

If Pat McQuaid, president of the cycling union (an organization that I’m sure has far more power than it should), really wants Armstrong to be “forgotten in cycling,” that’s fine.

I’ll just go back to forgetting the Tour de France exists. Come to think of it, I already have.

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A version of this article appeared in the Oct 25 issue of the Collegiate Times.

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Kendall | # October 24, 2012 @ 10:47 PM — Flag Comment

Incredibly short-sighted. You look at only the benefits of his charity to justify the 'means' (cheating). What about the criminal activity? The fraudulent lawsuits to the tune of MILLIONS of dollars that others paid Armstrong for telling the truth about HIS behavior? What about their rights and their opportunities to make a living in the sport that disappeared thanks to Armstrong while he raked in personal millions (Forbes estimates his net worth at $70 million plus)?

No, this is complete silliness. There's no arguing Livestrong did good things and that it benefitted from Armstrong's personal success - no matter how he got there. But to compare the criminal acts that Armstrong committed to cheating on a test or homework (or Monopoly?! lol) completely misses the point that while Armstrong was building a charity that helped people, he was creating a legacy that destroyed others.

You've got a lot of living left to do, kid, but trust me on this one - Lance Armstrong isn't just a cheater. He's a criminal.

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