The Dogs Are Loose

So, the second post is already a tangent, but what the heck.

I'm of the age, and the experience where I don't really believe in sports heroes anymore. I don't expect much from athletes except some minor decorum (no coke off hookers' asses outside of clubs), demonstration of esprit de corp (don't rip your mates and coaches in pre-season because your $6MM/yr. is disrespectful -- itself worthy of a post), and clutch performance (which is rare in a day of eroding fundamentals, too-large-contracts, and general lack of love for the game so why be clutch?).

That said, it took no time for me to feel the sickness of a fan whose hero is taking a fall when the charges of L'Equipe came out this week. Something truly stinks in Denmark, or Paris, as the case may be. The French media is shredding Lance for seven wins, for being American, for their inability to win their own race, for their own untenable political, social and economic predicament (see the WSJ, 8/26/05 Op-ed piece by Geoffrey Wheatcroft) etc. etc. Even if he is clean (which I believe, and want to believe) this pall will always hang over his head, and always taint his victories and his legacy. The dogs are loose and the steak is around Lance's neck.

The Cycling News has some great articles over the past couple of days, particularly this one about the ethics of the recent finding.