“I’m sorry for what I have done” said Lance as he glanced across at Oprah with those steely eyes.
It was the most fascinating interview and you may not have have liked what was he was saying but he did come across as being honest..even to the point of admitting that he was and probably still is a “jerk“.
It’s hard to know how to feel about the whole episode – I had a big discussion with my son Brendan, about the whole thing.
He totally disagrees with me!
I’ve got a simple view of Lance Armstrong ..
The Sportsman
I reckon anyone who is at the very top of their game must be extremely driven and obsessive about what they do ..it could be soccer (Roy Keane, a typical example), ballet, politics, writing, anything. If you are not obsessive you just won’t be at the very top.
Lance Armstrong who admitted he operated a “Win at all Costs” mentality rose to the pinnacle of a sport that has been riddled with drugs and illegal practices for as long as I can remember.
Did the authorities that run professional cycling allow an environment and culture that made these illegal practices possible?
My simple question here is – did Lance practice harder and do drugs better and more effectively than all of the other cyclists?
The Cancer Survivor
He beat the odds against cancer and once again he became a winner.
He even managed to commercialise his story and the cancer journey by capturing it in books that inspired people all over the world with his “don’t give up, win” mentality.
More than once I have heard people quote his book as helping them through tough and very dark times (just last week, Chris Donoghue, Newstalk presenter)
The Charity
Using the power of his iconic status he formed the Livestrong Foundation charity raising money for cancer research and once again inspiring sick people the world over with his drive and inspiration.
The Cheat, the Liar and the Betrayal
We all know at this stage how much he cheated (it’s not right, but were they all at it?) and we know what a great and convincing liar (over and over he did this) he is.
The very worst of all was how he betrayed close friends, colleagues and team mates and in many cases tried to destroy them professionally and personally to protect the huge Lance Armstrong brand that he had built. He even went as far as suing people who were telling the truth just to protect himself.
This part is truly unforgivable and despicable – I really don’t know how anyone could do this.
Maybe the brand was so big and invincible that no one could handle it? Could he handle it?
Lance Armstrong is an incredibly driven individual who scaled huge heights, achieved incredible feats and managed to do a lot of good but he is incredibly flawed and is guilty of doing some terrible things.
The Power of Sorry
I’m Sorry …
The great thing about having a public profile (the Sean Quinn interview with Vincent Browne comes to mind) is that you will always have an audience for “sorry” – in Lance’s case he was able to have the largest possible audience with Oprah.
He said “sorry” and it gave him an opportunity to connect with a huge audience. I watched it and I did empathise with him.
Not everyone will forgive him but many will …some other viewers might just soften their attitude towards him a little.
There is huge power in the word “sorry” – always use it..
Lance Armstrong, the flawed hero – have we seen the last of him? I doubt it!
Sorry!
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Fuzion with offer Crisis PR services for clients from our offices in Dublin and Cork.
Tags: Crisis PR, Fuzion, Greg Canty, Lance Armstrong, Livestrong
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
January 21, 2013 at 8:22 am |
… anagram: Lance – CLEAN – Armstrong? As for use of the word “sorry”, I’ve never used it seriously; isn’t it better never to put yourself into a position for which an apology is necessary?
January 21, 2013 at 9:11 am |
You are right Chris …but we do end up having to use it from time to time!
April 10, 2013 at 8:59 am |
With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement?
My site has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my permission. Do you know any solutions to help reduce content from being ripped off? I’d certainly appreciate it.
April 10, 2013 at 4:48 pm |
If someone wants to copy you then it is a poor reflection on them – my own advice is to be a leader, have your own unique thoughts and never copy anyone yourself …what’s the point?