A timely lesson for all of us.
Tragedy, Aristotle taught us, requires that someone
prominent fall from lofty heights. It is the sudden and abrupt plunge of a hero
from his pedestal that defines a true misfortune.
In that sense, according to some, the Lance Armstrong story surely qualifies.
According to others he is a victim of jealous competitors, the subject of a
witch hunt.
He won the Tour de France an unprecedented seven straight times, becoming one
of most accomplished athletes in recent history. And he acquired almost iconic
stature because of his heroic and ultimately successful triumph over the
testicular cancer that threatened his life at the young age of 25. Already a
world champion cyclist at the time, with but a thin chance for survival, he
conquered his illness and went on to even greater victories.
The US Anti-Doping Agency stripped the cycling
superstar of his historic seven Tour de France titles.
Lance Armstrong was more than a winner. He was an inspiration. His adoring
fans round the world revered him as role model. He was the paradigm of the human
spirit refusing to be defeated by affliction and overcoming all obstacles by
indomitable courage.
According to the United States Anti-Doping Agency, banned substances played a
crucial role in Armstrong's amazing success. His need to win translated into a
win-at-all-costs outlook.
The USADA made the controversial move to strip the cycling superstar of his
historic seven Tour de France titles, the bronze medal he won at the 2000
Olympics and all other titles, awards and money he won from August 1998 forward.
He is now barred for life from competing, coaching or having any official role
with any Olympic sport. Armstrong decided to no longer fight the allegations,
triggering the contested punishment. He denies all guilt, and has never failed
any of othe doping tests that he has taken.
I do not know if Armstrong is guilty, bu his exceedingly harsh punishment
still brings with it a message that applies to us all.
In a culture becoming more and more inured to corruption, to illegal
practices, to dishonesty and to fraud in almost every area of life, it is high
time to make clear a simple truth that is at the heart of Judaism: Actions have
consequences.
We can certainly feel compassion for those who made wrong choices in life
that led to their downfall. But to feel sorry for them is not the same as
agreeing that there be no penalty for their misdeeds. If there is no retribution
for our actions, why bother being honest when it's so much easier — and
certainly far more profitable — to cut corners and then simply expect to be
forgiven?
The USADA's judgment against Lance Armstrong took place during the days Jews
prepare for
Rosh Hashanah and stand
before God who assumes His role as Judge of the universe. We, too, will be
placed on the divine scale of the Arbitrator of our fate for the coming year.
And God's judgment is perfect and uncontested, unlike the ASADA. We had better
internalize the message that if our life's victories are based on fraud they
will eventually be overturned.
Joe Paterno: Another Fallen Giant
It is a truth that was stunningly illustrated just a few months ago in a
remarkably similar story of a fallen giant. There probably was no more
successful football coach than Joe Paterno who led the Penn State Nittany Lions
from 1966 to 2011. Paterno coached five undefeated teams that won major bowl
games and, in 2007, was inducted into the
College
Football Hall of Fame. In all, he led the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl
appearances with 24 wins. Paterno was the only coach with the distinction of
having won each of the four major bowls — Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar — as
well as the Cotton Bowl Classic, at least once. Penn State won at least 3 bowl
games in each of the 3 decades between 1970 and 1997.
Outside the Penn State football stadium stood a 7-foot tall statue of the man
who assumed mythical proportions. And this past July the statue was removed from
its pedestal outside Beaver Stadium, to be stored in an unnamed "secret
location." The decision came 10 days after a scathing report by former FBI
director Louis J. Freeh found that Paterno had concealed allegations of child
sexual abuse made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Paterno
chose to turn a blind eye to moral impropriety. He preferred to live by the
famous credo that "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing." His victories
were tainted by scandal.
Unethical wins are nothing less than
losses.
The outcome of his ethical failure was monumental. It was not only the
removal of the statue that vividly marked the extent of Paterno's fall. The NCAA
hit Penn State with a $60 million sanction, a four-year football postseason ban
and a voiding of all wins dating to 1998 — and Paterno's legacy will now reflect
these vacated records.
For years it was a given that Penn State had won all those games. Now it
turns out they didn't. How is it possible for winners to be losers? The answer
is one that we need to acknowledge not only as crucial for cyclists or football
coaches but for every one of us as well: Winning isn't just determined by the
score or by who came in first. At least as important is being aware of how we
got there. And unethical wins are nothing less than losses.
Tainted wins are no substitute for eternal legacies.
*This article has been subsequently
edited to reflect the lack of clarity and proof regarding Armstrong's
actions.
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Lessons from breaking the speed of sound.
Veteran
George Villeneuve (right) looks on as NDP MP Peter Stoffer calls on the
government to replace the Veterans Review and Appeal board during a news
conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday Oct.3, 2012.THE CANADIAN
PRESS/Adrian Wyld
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