C is for Citizen, D is for Dope

It's old news and I don't even hear that much about Lance Armstrong -- although that could be because I can't stand to have the news from any source on for more than a millisecond what with all the campaign b.s. underway. I mean, I know Lance has been booted down the stairs by Nike. And stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles. And had to resign as head of his charity foundation. But, really, does he deserve all that? Does he deserve to loose lucrative endorsements? Does he deserve to suffer public humiliation? Should he really loose his place in cycling history?

Mostly yes. He does deserve all that. The really amazing thing is that the whole episode has become an indictment of a man. What's lost in that is the indictment of organized sports at large. The fact that winning and money have become the sole objective in so many competitive sports, from high school to the pros, is an indictment of who we are, what we value, and how we live.  College scholarships, professional contracts, commercial endorsements; the purpose in pursuing the game has become the pursuit of money for far too many.

Steve Miller was a feisty little SOB gym teacher I had back in the day at Emerson Jr. High. He was beyond an enthusiast and well liked by most. Mr. Miller was a competent teacher, loved all sports, but most of all taught sportsmanship. The lesson learned was that if you don't do it honestly than you haven't done it at all. He taught us that there was honor in honesty. If you're out of bounds, admit it. If you touched the net in volleyball, you're honor bound to call it. You remain a good citizen at all times. Today when I watch football I am disappointed at how infrequently a member of one team helps a competitor up after a tackle. I am equally disappointed about how frequently a competitor gives some showy demonstration after blasting an opponent to the ground. Poor citizenship.

As for our fallen hero Lance? He hasn't lost his place in cycling history. He will be remembered as a liar and cheater, a poor citizen of epic proportions.