Comments about ‘Amy Donaldson: Despite Lance Armstrong's lies and the Manti Te'o situation, I believe we need inspiring stories more than ever’

It is devastating to lose a loved one. That said books like especially for mormons can be especailly morbid. Someone dying to get poing across. The guy that sacrifices son for strangers on train, Bill saving siblings from fire and dying, someone dies because of hunting or gossip. What is the redeeming value in morbid fiction?

Singers, actors, politicians and athletes generally have huge egos that require attention.
It behooves reporters to verify any backstories they are supplied. Ink-hungry celebrities have been known to embellish their biographies for personal gain.
Swing down to Lee Benson's cubicle and have a chat.

Here is someone who continued telling his "narrative" even after (supposedly) finding out that his "girlfriend" was fake. Why? Because he is, like so many in the world today, starved for attention. I have gotten to the point where if I see another feel good story I wonder "why tell this?" I would much rather read where an athlete just walked away from the microphone/tape recorder. I miss John Stockton.

I'd love to see more inspiring stories, but from different places. From people of science, philosophy, or service. They're out there, those stories, but we ignore them. We prefer our celebrities and pro 'athletes'. People who, essentially, entertain us. They're distractions. It may be a mistake to expect them to be inspirational on a genuine level.

One drop of tar can ruin a bucket of honey. Armstrong still had to work very hard to achieve what he did. Drugs can only do so much. Guessing about 1-2% above what you could get naturally. It is good, though, that we hold athletes to a high standard of fairness and honesty in competition. The standards are very strict. When you start a serious race, the officials make sure your foot is not even an inch beyond the starting line. A woman in a competitive marathon is not allowed to have a man take water from the aid station and give it to her. Drug-test urination into a cup with an observer present is a frequent ritual.

I do wish, however, that the same standards applied to other occupations. In business and law, for example, doing an equivalent of grabbing your fast competitor's shirt as he begins to pull away from you is considered perfectly acceptable.

I agree with Hutterite,

There are so many interesting people it baffles me why so much of society spends so many hours arguing and discussing the other people that play sports. When did we become a country of voyeurism? Play your own sports man!

I loved playing football, baseball and basketball as a kid. I never watch professional sports. I'm kinda busy with my own interaction with the world.

These two athletes are nothing alike! O e duped everyone and one got duped. I believe Manti Teo. We have been through a similar experience. If heis guilty of anything it is humiliation. That is what drove him to keep playing the "game" if that is indeed what he did.