Doug Robinson: Lance Armstrong's big lies do matter

It's against the rules, and others who were caught for drug use were punished. The next time someone uses the everyone-was-doing-it defense, ask him what he will tell his kids when they use that argument to justify alcohol, cocaine or wearing their pants backwards. If we're supposed to believe that hiding the truth will inspire kids to overcome cancer and create fake heroes, then we might also reason it will inspire them to justify other habits because "everyone is doing it." Oh, and it will also tell them that lying is acceptable if it's the means to an end.

It's a health hazard. Steroids and human growth hormone can cause a long array of serious health problems too long to list here, but it is believed cancer and premature death are two of them. The drugs are also controlled substances and therefore illegal. Consider this: WHAT IF LANCE ARMSTRONG, celebrated for overcoming testicular cancer before he won his first Tour de France, CAUSED HIS OWN CANCER? Betsy Andreu, wife of a former Armstrong teammate, testified years ago about a conversation she overheard in Armstrong's hospital room during his cancer fight. She testified that when a doctor asked Armstrong if he had ever used performance-enhancing drugs, he said, yes, and named five of them. If he caused his own cancer, and then was celebrated for beating it and starting a cancer charity, well, that's messed up.

He lied. He not only lied for 15 years, he took his accusers, former teammates among them, to court and won. He was mean and vindictive and trampled over people to maintain his lie and his dominance. He used people to tell his lies and enrich himself, and one suspects he is using them still, making his Oprah confession to win sympathy and an audience eager to read another one of his books and hear his "motivational" speeches and buy whatever else he is selling these days.

email: drob@desnews.com