Lance Armstrong: Images of a Champion

Rating:
Summary: Sir Lance-a-little Rides Alone -- Abandons His Family Values
Review: This is just one more boring representation of the most hedonistic athlete in America today -- unfortunately he does not represent the heart and soul and strength of a true champion. This book details over and over again the drive and determination of someone with extreme tunnel vision -- who abandons all genuine values that we attribute to great male and female athletes. The genuine athlete is more than one-dimensional -- a great and genuine athlete is a person of courage and strength physically, mentally, and morally -- a person you would want your children to admire and emulate. This book demonstrates Lance's extreme self-centered drives and his departure from genuine family values of love, loyalty, and sacrifice. He sacrifices for no one -- except himself. For me, this book defines the antithesis of what stellar athletic performance represents -- it is a bold insult to the field of professional cycling and all professional or amateur athletics to call this man a champion.


Since Lance Armstrong has abandoned his lovely wife and his three beautiful children -- and he is now publicly flaunting his cheap romance with a grade D rock singer, I not only have no interest in Lance Armstrong, but I feel that he is an abominable example for the next generation. He has forsaken his family values in exchange for self-indulgence -- basically, he is nobody that I recognize as outstanding in any field -- except the field of hedonism and self-centered indulgence. He is a classic example of selling one's soul to achieve money and fame. Perhaps someone should write a sequel to Damn Yankees! -- the famed Broadway musical about Joe Hardy selling his soul to the devil in order to succeed as a baseball player -- with the intent only to help his team, the Washington Senators, win the pennant. Instead we could have Damn US Postal! -- starring none other than Lance Armstrong. Only we already know how the story ends. Unlike Joe Hardy, who reclaims his soul from the devil and resurrects his genuine values -- leaving in the middle of a World Series Game to return to his loyal and loving wife and family, Lance has charged ahead into the glitter and glamour and superficial world of success. He has ignored the needs of his beloved wife and family - admittedly not having seen his own family for over six months during training, and thus he has irreversibly bought countless acres of property in that grand inferno that we all know to be hell. Sir Lance-a-little has become quite the devil's benefactor and co-signer. Lance-a-little should watch Damn Yankees! to see what a genuine champion is really made of.

Whereas before I admired this man who valiantly battled cancer and, with his lovely former wife's love, faith, sacrifice, and encouragement, again climbed the ladder of success in cycling. But he did not learn the most valuable lessons of all from his life-threatening battle with cancer and his many trials with the cycling world -- loyalty, sacrifice, dedication to sport and family -- he still fails to understand that these are the underlying ingredients which comprise all true champions. Instead, he has taken a new turn in life -- he has become no more than a pathetic, one-dimensional coward - using his sport to substitute for true character and genuine family values. Please do take me off your list for any future publications regarding Lance Armstrong -- he could never represent even a decent person in my eyes, and most certainly he therefore could not be anything remotely resembling a success or a hero. He has failed the exam over and over again to be an admirable and worthy human being. My wish is that his lovely former wife, Kristin Armstrong, and the three beautiful children that she bore for Lance-a-little, can find happiness and fulfillment in the future with a real champion -- a champion and silent hero who loves and cherishes her and her beautiful children for all time -- a champion and silent hero who puts their welfare above his own. This is my wish for Kristin Armstrong -- a battered survivor and a silent hero and champion in her own right. This book should have been about Kristin Armstrong -- the biggest champion of all -- devoting herself faithfully to her children while her coward husband is indulging in the glitter of his sport and the cheap thrills of his equally pathetic rocker co-hort.

Sincerely, A Genuine Athlete who has sacrificed and excelled with Courage, Wisdom, and Genuine Family Values still in place




Rating:
Summary: Another Lance Fan
Review: Yeah, I guess the mark of a true champion (Greg LeMond??) is dumping on the reigning champion of the sport because he has won twice as many tours as you did. I guess the mark of a true champion is making unsubstantiated allegations about drug use to further your own financial objectives and to try to prop up your own fragile ego. If Greg believes that Lance couldn't have done what he did without drugs, then Greg must be admitting that he couldn't have either. Greg LeMond, a champion? NOT!

Lance is nothing if not a true champion. He is one of the most dedicated, hard working, team oriented people in the sport. Lance takes great care in choosing, mentoring and developing his teammates, and in nearly every interview I've seen, he gives his team a large share of the credit for his success. He knows he can't win without his team, and so he builds the world's best cycling team, year after year. But in the end, the team supports the man, but the man has to do the rest. Look at the struggles that Roberto Heras has had in leading his own teams after leaving Lance's, or the struggles that Jan Ullrich or Tyler Hamilton have had in hanging on to his wheel. Yes, this is a team sport, no doubt, and without a great team, you can't win. But even with a great team, you can't win if you aren't up to the challenge.

Lance has overcome unspeakable obstacles to get where he is, and has worked harder than any man in the sport to reach this level of success. I think this book is a fitting tribute to a true champion, who is not only an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of cyclists around the world, but an even greater number cancer patients and their families. Perhaps it's trendy to take cheap shots at whoever is in the limelight. But perhaps we shouldn't just stand back and accept it. Petty jealousy can't tarnish the record of a true champion, and certainly can't improve the standing of a has-been.

If you are like me and believe that there is still such a thing as just rewards for hard work, teamwork and perseverance, buy this book, and be inspired for years to come. If not, don't.