Lance: Armstrong Hope in Dope?

Lance Armstrong.  The name stirs memories of national pride, athletic domination, as well as a inspirational victory over cancer.  But now he has admitted to doping.  In my opinion, this does NOT tarnish his reputation as a leader in the fight against cancer.  He chose to form a charity that has pumped millions and millions of dollars into cancer research and I will always applaud that.  Think of how many athletes these days, IE baseball players, who make hundreds of millions on their contracts, and do not start any charities.

But as an athlete, his accomplishments have all but been erased.  He was stripped of his 7 tour de France titles for doping.  For those that don't know, doping is a process where someone has there blood taken out, spun in a centrifuge, and then put back into them highly oxygenated.  This allows for greater athletic performance, less cramping, and more energy.

But again, regardless of his cheating ways, Armstrong put into motion a charity that has helped the lives of millions of cancer patients.  In an age of athletics when I am not surprised if ANYONE is caught cheating, I thank Lance for using his power and influence to help others/