The Truth Nobody Wants to Hear

Lance Armstrong gave us a little glimpse, but it was a comfortable truth that gives us the welcome illusion of an otherwise squeaky-clean professional sport.

How is it possible that an athlete could inject himself with practically everything he could get his hands on, yet never get caught by the doping control officials? Who discovered he was using? Who got him to start using in the first place? That’s something Lance Armstrong didn’t reveal in his well-scripted confession. The former cycling hero didn’t break the unspoken code of silence among professional sports figures. He did exactly what any unmasked sinner would be expected to do: Admit the sins that could no longer be denied, put the blame on himself and plead for forgiveness. But above all, he named no names. He not only protected his old professional colleagues and business partners who now publicly abandon him in mock indignation, he also protects a practice in sports medicine that isn’t limited to cycling alone.

So the greatest doping scandal in history can be consigned to the past as an isolated incident. And isn’t that what we want, after all? We love to celebrate new records and exceptional achievements, but who really wants to know what substances were used and which were abused to bring us such rapture? Lance Armstrong gave us a little glimpse, but it was a comfortable truth that gave us the welcome illusion of an otherwise squeaky-clean professional sport.

Until the next isolated incident happens.