I am always saying that nobody likes any team or person that dominates a sport (other than the people who are cleared to be legitimate fans–e.g. residents of the place the team or person represents). Usually when I say this, I’m talking about the New England Patriots who have won 3 of the last 4 superbowls. And, being from Chicago, I was fully licensed to be a Bulls/Michael Jordan fan in the 90s but I know they made plenty of enemies, such as fans of the Utah Jazz/New York Knicks/Indiana Pacers etc.
But who is a better example of this phenomenon than 7-time Tour de France winner and eternal victor of the sour grapes, Lance Armstrong? In recent news, Mr. Armstrong is standing trial for 1) chasing an Italian tour rider during a stage in the 2004 tour that he says was whining and not doing any work during a breakaway (this makes little sense until you learn that cycling is actually a team sport and requires cyclists to work together–both with members of their team and others, at times) and 2) for libel against the same Italian for saying that he was a liar when he testified that a doctor affiliated with Armstrong suggested he use performance enhancing drugs.
I don’t know what this mess is about, but I do know that for an athlete who has accomplished what he has accomplished and overcome what he has had to overcome, Armstrong has had to deal with a disproportionate amount of animosity and had to fight off those whose mission in life seems to be to see him destroyed. Even the director of the Tour, Jean-Marie Leblanc, says that the sport is relieved that Armstrong will not be returning to the race next year.
While I usually understand the desire to unseat a dominant athletic figure from his throne, I don’t understand the desire to totally obliterate him. This man is superhuman. The extent of the metastasis of his cancer would have killed anyone. He survived it and accomplished what elite athletes only dream of. . . 7 times. His body is a machine that that functions at a level far beyond our own. He’s practically another species.
If we want to take away his ability to live his life in peace, we should be doing it so scientists can poke and prod him to find out what specifically about his far superior physical conditioning allowed him to survive his fight with this rampant cancer. . not so we can dig until we find something worthy of saying “phew! . . .see, i knew he wasn’t a hero and an inspiration . ..what a relief!”
So hate him if you want . . .he deserves it for being so damn good at what he does. But for God’s sake, don’t take away the best reason for hating him.