The Naked Truth

In Armstrong's interview with Oprah where he admitted to doping, he told Oprah that he had a 'flawed character.' Not only did he just surrender and say I did it once, but in a two-part interview with her he admitted to doping TWELVE times. As if that wasn't shocking enough to sports fans nation-wide, he admitted to being the ring leader of an extensive doping scheme on a US Postal Service team that enabled him to victory multiple times at Tour De France. As a previous fan and admirer of Armstrong, I once admired him for his perseverance and courage. While it is disheartening to learn of his dishonest wins, his brutal honestly in the Oprah interview was impressive. When asked if it felt wrong he said "no" which is "scary." When asked if he felt bad about it he said, "no, even scarier." When asked if it felt like he was cheating in any way he said, "no," which was the "scariest." Armstrong said he looked up the definition to "cheater" and he found that it said, "to gain an advantage on a rival or a foe." He said he didn't see it that way but more so as a "level playing field." As a sports fan I appreciate his honesty in the interview rather it was forced or if it was out of sincerity, but I also have to realize the overwhelming pressure that athletes face to win and be winners. Sometimes people break under that pressure and as a consequence compromise their character.