HGH Stands for Hypocrisy Growth Hormone

I was on the road again this weekend making the drive from Madison to Minneapolis and back again and as such listened to a lot of ESPN Radio.  I was surprised on Friday to night to tune in and find the fellas discussing Lance Armstrong.  I could have sworn the all American, cancer surviving, record breaking, ESPY hosting, ex- Mr. Sheryl Crow, had hung up his wheels after winning his 7th straight Tour De France last year.  Well it seems the French newspaper Le Monde is continuing to pursue allegations of doping by Armstrong even in retirement.  Armstrong was dogged by claims that he took human growth hormone (HGH) throughout each of his historic victories and each year he had to deny the charges.  The latest allegation comes from a former teammate who says Armstrong confided in him.  Honestly I could give two shakes about cycling and Lance Armstrong but because the story is being brought to the front burner I began thinking about all the hypocritical idiots these latest charges expose.
 
Hypocritical Idiot #1- Le Monde
It seems that the main motivation for Le Monde’s constant confrontational approach to Armstrong lies in their resentment of an American dominating their national race.  Besides their continued attacks on Armstrong  for doping the paper has a record of decrying everything from his team’s tactics to Lance’s off the “field” behavior.  Wake up call Le Monde, Lance is gone and you’ve got your race back.  Why focus the attention back on him, when you can cover the event and discover a new eurocentric rider to focus your praise on? By covering and promoting this story you continue to detract from the race and the riders which you claim the focus should be on.

Hypocritical Idiot #2- The American Sports Media
Today’s sports media loves steroids. After ignoring them in baseball during Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa’s drive to 61, the media has spent the better part of 3 years making sure we care about steroid use. Barry Bonds, a man who has a lot of hear say and circumstantial evidence stacked against him has been branded a cheater and an embarrassment to the game of baseball despite never having tested positive for an illegal substance. Bonds is not a likable guy in the media and certainly that hasn’t made the coverage any more balanced. However you take Lance Armstrong who has gone through many similar accusations and he is portrayed as a victim. The man is not only likable but is a true hero to many and thus has been given the innocent until proven guilty card while Bonds is stuck with the opposite. Do I think both men cheated at some point? Probably but until there is proof it certainly seems like the Armstrong treatment should spread to all athletes under suspicion.

Hypocritical Idiot #3- The American Sports Fan
Lastly this has exposed a belief I’ve held for a long time about sports fans and steroids and that’s simply that we just don’t care depending on what we can get out of it. Sure we want to clean up all the sports. We want cheating eliminated but we don’t care enough to go back and punish people. Most fans just wish Armstrong, Bonds, and other men under suspicion would either fade into the background but only after we get to bask in their accomplishments. People cheered across the US when Armstrong won a bike race, (a BIKE RACE!), even though he had a cloud of suspicion over him and yes people cheered when Bonds caught and passed Babe Ruth. We all like to feel like we’re watching history and for that moment we are willing to put the causes or reasons for that history out of mind and out of sight.