You know what’s crazy? I’ll tell you what’s crazy.
How the mighty have fallen
You thought Felix Baumgartner was the poster child for the all time Free fall?
Nope, may I introduce you to Lance Armstrong
Armstrong; once the king of the bike, once the athletic wonder of the French Alps Once the Live Strong warrior….
Now he is stripped of his legacy, his sponsors, his reputation.
When the whispers of PED’s first blew up, 10 years ago, Nike made fun of the accusations in commercials.
The ads featured Armstrong working out.
The voice over was deriding.
“What am I on?”
“I’m on my bike,” came the indignant reply.
Today Nike dumped Lance Armstrong accusing him of doping claiming they were doped by him for a decade.
That’s a crazy divorce. Nike paid the cycling king 40 million dollars. Now they told him to get out of their bed, pack his water bottles and yellow bracelets and get lost.
Darren Rovell, an ESPN sports business reporter stated “it is the final death nell as lance as an endorser.”
Where have we heard that before? Michael Vick? Ray Lewis? The world forgives, the world forgets.
But the world is quick to tear its heroes down.
Those yellow wrist bands that say Live Strong now say live wrong. Perhaps they’ll forget.
Beside Nike, sponsors Like Anheueser Busch, Trek Bikes and Giro helmets dropped him like a flat tire.
Through it all, Armstrong has stayed silent and defiant. Much like the two wheeled warrior who once defied gravity on hills that would destroy lesser humans.
Armstrong’s most famous quote might be his most telling.
“Pain is temporary quitting lasts for ever.”
Will Armstrong rebound. Can he rebuild from the ashes?
He’s been counted out before.
And that’s crazy.