Cycling Crimes

If one was of a religious persuasion the route to forgiveness or absolution maybe your Priest, Rabbi, Imam or local hair stylist.

For celebrities it is the TV screen or the cellular screen for such acts of atonement or admission.

Celebrities whether worthy or not have a number of gods they can turn to for salvation. 

One such God or Goddess in this case is Oprah. Oprah’s confessional couch has a large viewership whereby one, might have a fair hearing. 

Next week it’s to be Lance ‘Louse’ Armstrong's declaration of guilt to cycling crimes.

This is indicative of the garish world we inhabit, a world where many bare themselves like a Bergdorf window display, every nuance exposed for mass consumption. 

Cameras and social media in some conspiratorial cement have afforded us instant replay of our daily minutia.

Narcissism in overdrive.

But back to Armstrong; what can we expect from a serial deceiver, some form of soft landing onto Oprah’s cushions that will airbrush away the fact millions of people were fooled into years of delusion?

Perhaps it’s premature to voice what could transpire from such a spectacle. Much chatter and suspicion has emerged 

to how godly Oprah could handle such a event. 

Rather like interviewing Bernie Maddof minus the suicides.

Oprah needs ratings for her new show which has not fared to well unlike her former network show. 

To have the scoop on Armstrong’s potential atonement might serve her needs, but will do little in way of convincing the general public that Armstrong should be forgiven. 

If Saint Oprah has any influence this could be a genuine moment to declare ‘do people really care if their sports heroes are taking drugs? ‘

The stadiums are full, season tickets are snapped up, and concessions fill our belly's with expansive joy. Clearly the public have voted with their pocket books with bums in seats.

If that modicum of truth was realized then at least we would have some honestly in a dishonest world.

The Needle And The Damage Done

Lance Armstrong’s decent into the bowels of ignominy was as quick as Felix Baumgartner’s free fall to earth, and about as stable 

as the US Postal Service, the teams sponsor.

To quote the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency there is "overwhelming" evidence Armstrong was involved as a professional cyclist in "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program." 

Armstrong has persistently maintained his innocence but the blockade of lies just could hold no more. 

The once impenetrable dam has broken and all conspirators are awash in confessions. The suspicious have been vindicated and the sports future once again thrown into disarray.

The great casualty in all this is the power of truth, that the triumphant endeavors are a mirage and done with deliberate dishonestly. There is a wonder and marvel at someone winning seven Tour de France. 

We have an awe-inspiring desire for it to be true. And yet it was all a sham, a mafia like syndicated group to keep the gravy train rolling and create myth.

The damage done erodes trust and that trust implicates future young riders and charities.

So when you see Lance whizzing down 5^th avenue as a bike messenger spare a thought for all those he let down.

The same could be said of Jimmy Savile, now dead who was the golden untouchable icon of British entertainment. Over three hundred charges of child abuse over several decades have come forward. 

While he raised millions for charity and worked in a hospital he also found it a playground for exploitation. 

The BBC knew all along, but turned a blind eye. One always had a high regard of the BBC’s legitimacy but that too has been eroded.

It’s not the scandal that kills you, it’s the cover up. 

The English punk band The Stranglers had a wonderful song called ‘No More Heroes’ maybe heroes aren’t what we need but a shred of veracity would be nice.