New York Yankees: Time to forgive Lance Armstrong like we forgave Alex Rodriguez
By Alex Jordan
Former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez was forgiven by the public for his use of performance enhancing drugs. Now, Lance Armstrong should be forgiven like A-Rod was
Alex Rodriguez is now remembered as one of the most popular New York Yankees players ever. All of that is in spite of the steroid scandals that haunted his otherwise Hall of Fame career.
Now, former iconic cyclist Lance Armstrong, who’s legacy was also marred by performance enhancing drugs, is still trying to make amends and have people forgive him after he admitted to doping six years ago.
Much like “A-Rod” was forgiven, Lance Armstrong should be forgiven to and still be allowed to be part of his sport like Rodriguez is today.
Related Story. How Jets fans got robbed. light
In an interview with the “Today” show on Thursday Armstrong said that the last six years of his life have “really sucked.”
“It’s been terrible,” he said, per Scott Gleason of USA Today.
Armstrong won seven Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005.
Those titles were taken away from him when he was banned from cycling for life in 2012 for using performance-enhancing drugs, which he admitted to doing in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013.
According to Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, Armstrong said in an email to USA Today that his doping confession has cost him “in excess of $100 million.”
Armstrong also had five fraud lawsuits filed against him. Two were dismissed and two others were settled with payments from Armstrong.
The US government is now suing Armstrong for $100 million on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service, which sponsored Armstrong’s team.
The Postal Service says it wouldn’t have paid $32.3 million to sponsor Armstrong’s team if they had known that he was cheating.
The most interesting part of Armstrong’s interview with “Today” was when he mentioned former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.
Rodiguez admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs, but said he didn’t use them when he was with the Yankees.
He was banned for one-year for his role in the “Biogenesis scandal.”
The public has forgiven A-Rod and he is now a baseball analyst for ESPN and Fox.
More from Empire Writes Back
- Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
- Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
- Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
- PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
- Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!
Armstrong isn’t happy that people have forgiven A-Rod and not him.
He told “Today” per Michael Blinn of the New York Post:
"“Alex Rodriguez didn’t raise half a billion dollars and try to save a bunch of people’s lives. That’s kind of the irony of this. Look, it’s great when somebody hits home runs and maybe does an event here and there for the Girls and Boys Club. This story held a place in people’s hearts and minds that was way beyond those guys.”"
While Armstrong has apologized a lot over the years, no one has forgiven him.
That needs to change because he should be forgiven just like A-Rod was.
Yes, Armstrong cheated just like A-Rod did, but he has raised money for cancer research through his Livestrong foundation.
He is a good person, who made a bad decision to cheat and deserves to be forgiven.
Even though Alex Rodriguez used PEDs, he was forgiven by the public and has become a great baseball analyst.
A-Rod’s life didn’t suck after he got banned for PED use or after he stopped playing baseball. So why should Armstrong have to suffer when he cheated the way A-Rod cheated?
It’s time to forgive Armstrong for doping and using PEDs because his life shouldn’t suck just because he used PEDs.