Lance (8/10)

by Tony Medley

2 part mini series ESPN's 30 for 30

Lance Armstrong was arguably the greatest cyclist who ever lived, but what he will forever be known for is that he was also one of the most accomplished liars in American history. He’s a good-looking guy with an easy smile and you want to believe him. But what you must keep in mind while watching this entertaining ESPN-style “documentary,” is that the man is a pathological liar and you can’t take anything he says at face value.

I call this an “ESPN-style documentary” because ESPN just finished broadcasting its 10-part series on Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, “The Last Dance.” It’s advertised as a documentary, but it can’t possibly be considered as such because from all I know Michael Jordan had final cut (that means he could approve or disapprove anything he wanted). That’s no documentary, which should be relatively unbiased (although many are not). Really what it is a fawning paean to Mr. Jordan. That’s not to say that “The Last Dance” is not entertaining and informative, though; it is.

Lance's Mother, Linda Gayle (née Mooneyham), a secretary, was only 17 years old when she discovered she was pregnant. She married the father, Eddie Charles Gunderson and they divorced when Lance was two.

Right at the outset we learn how Lance became the accomplished liar he was. Lance was entering triathlons at 15 when the minimum age was 16 so he and his mother forged his birth certificate, so he learned deception from his mother at an early age. Her rationalization is that “it meant so much to him.” Lance proudly proclaims today, “…so forge the birth certificate, compete illegally, and beat everybody.” And laughs. So despite everything, he really doesn’t feel any guilt or responsibility.

His then triathlon coach, Rick Crawford, talks about competing illegally in Bermuda which was the biggest race in the world. Crawford rented Lance a scooter and Lance “abused the scooter pretty badly, didn’t take care of it and didn’t bring it back in time. He’s actually saying, ‘I can beat you; there’s nothing more you can do about me’.”

Rick complained to Linda that Lance is disrespectful and doesn’t take care of anything and she said, “Well, you don’t have any authority over him.” Rick told her that "you are the one who sent me here to be his chaperone,” and admitted that her attitude stung him a lot. That’s really all you need to know about Lance Armstrong and his mother.

Another person interviewed is Terry Keith Armstrong, his adoptive father. He comes across as an egotistical, self-satisfied, sap, and says, “Lance would not be the champion he is today without me, because I drove him. I drove him like an animal.”

The film documents Armstrong’s miraculous recovery from testicular cancer and the apparently good work he has done with cancer victims, including his involvement in founding livestrong.org in 1997.

But the bottom line is that he will always be lumped with the worst of the despicable professional athletes who disrespected their sport by abusing performance-enhancing drugs like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens and all the players who ruined the hallowed records of baseball.

The fact that almost all cyclists abused drugs the same way Armstrong did is no excuse. The film shows that Armstrong was a legend at 15 years of age among established cyclists. It’s arguable that he was the Babe Ruth of cycling and would have dominated without his drugging, but that is unknowable since everyone was apparently drugging. It’s a shame that he wasn’t a better person.

Directed by Marina Zanovich, this is a fine film even though it goes extremely easy on Lance, considering how selfish and devious he really was (is?) and all the people whose reputations he tried to eviscerate.