Lance Armstrong: Stripped of Title, Not of Reputation

In a report from The Telegraph of the UK, Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from competition for life. This is after Armstrong, who has long been the face of cycling, decided not to defend himself against charges made by USADA that he has used performance enhancing drugs. While Armstrong maintained his innocence, he said that he is just too tired of all the allegations and it has put much strain in his life.

To rivals who   were never able to defeat Lance Armstrong in the most prestigious cycling competitions, this may be a vindication, a good reason to forgive themselves  for their failures. In the eyes of USADA, this may just be a part of their long battle to clean the sport, make it more safe and fair to everyone.

However, sports is not just about competition and blind faith to the powers that be. It is also a testament to the human spirit, of what it aims to achieve, what roadblocks it overcomes, how it seeks to touch and inspire other people’s lives.

While they maybe  millions who are seriously into cycling and following the sport closely to include technicalities, there are still more casual fans, who never really care about cycling but started to take notice because of one man.

Lance Armstrong has been that man. More than winning  seven Tour de France titles, ordinary people has started looking up to Armstrong as they strive to find metaphors to keep them going in their daily lives. To them, Armstrong is not just another cyclist, but an icon of endurance, discipline, lofty aspirations and the will to triumph over adversity.

Armstrong has battled cancer and set up a foundation that gives hope to people in the fight against the disease. More than an athlete, to many people, he is labeled as a source of inspiration. That is much harder to strip from the man than seven Tour de France titles.

Jon Jones’ Reputation Could Take A Blow For Refusing To Fight Chael Sonnen

Jon Jones’ reputation as one of the toughest fighters in the UFC may take a beating after he refused to fight Chael Sonnen as a replacement for Dan Henderson. According to  Kevin Iole, Yahoo expert sportswriter, UFC 151 is cancelled after  Henderson suffered a knee injury  and the champion Jon Jones turned down the offer to fight Chael Sonnen instead.

Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen had a word war for a while in twitter, but back then Jones was busy preparing for the fight while Chael Sonnen was trying to convince people about his superiority against the #2 pound for pound UFC champion. Now that Jones has the chance to make Sonnen eat his words and pay for his disrespect,  Jones did not agree to fight with Sonnen.

This would certainly not sit well with MMA fans, who think that champions should fight once they are called out by anybody. Jon Jones could be in peak condition while Sonnen was still devastated by his loss to Anderson Silva. And yet, it was Jon Jones who was not in favor of the fight.

Chael Sonnen has lost twice to Anderson Silva, that guy on top of the MMA rankings. Sonnen lost but even with that, fans start to love his ability to back up his bold statements with solid performances. This seems to be opposite to that of Jone’s case. The man  called ‘Bones’ has dominated opponents in his last fight but somehow looked like he was ducking the Canadian’s challenge.

A Sonnen vs Jones fight for UFC 151 could have been interesting, given the twitter war that happened between the two. It could be that Jones considered Sonnen a high risk, low reward opponent. But whatever his reason,  many fans will certainly not be too excited about his decision.

For full story from Kevin Iole, visit  http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mma--dan-henderson-out-of-ufc-151--jon-jones-turns-down-chael-sonnen-as-replacement.html

Kobe Bryant’s Wife Labelled A Gold Digger

Kobe Bryant has a really compelling reason to snatch the NBA Championship from Lebron James in the coming season. His wife, Vanessa would not call him a ‘husband’ if he does not win the championship this year.

In an interview with a New York based magazine, Vanessa Bryant was quoted saying that a championship  ‘should come every single year’  if her husband is to sacrifice his family time for the benefit of getting one.

Obviously the comment was not meant to be taken seriously but this does not sit well for some people. Comments on the internet are rife about the Laker’s wife being a gold digger and accomplishing nothing after high school.

This comments may be over the top, considering that Vanessa stood by Bryant through the most trying times of his life that involves a well-publicized rape case. Being a five-time champion’s wife is also a tough job when you have to balance the daunting task of raising the kids while staying beautiful and spending her husband’s millions.

However, she should realize that being careful with words, especially in interviews, should come with the fame and glamour. Anyway, Kobe is not likely to chide her for the comments, especially with the way the Laker responds to questions after every loss.

Besides, who cares, really? It’s just a bunch of  Kobe or Lakers haters having fun at the Black Mamba’s inability to get the championship for the last couple of years. It’s just a bunch of Kobe haters who marvel at the idea that even if the Lakers do get the trophy this year,  it will be because of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.  Technically then,   it will   not be   Kobe ‘winning the championship ’. So, do we see a divorce coming?

Well, basketball fans don’t normally bet for and against any player’s marriage. But this sounds like a fun side story to tell.

US Endorsement Deals for Usain Bolt Likely to Continue Even After Ripping Carl Lewis

After successfully defending both the 100 and 200-meter races in the London Olympics and having the world’s attention, Usain Bolt took the opportunity to rip Carl Lewis. ‘I have no respect for him’, the Jamaican said of Lewis.

Bolt’s comment was made in response to Lewis’ insinuations that something must be done to investigate the real reason behind Jamaica’s dominance in the field. Lewis has intimated that no team has ever dominated the sport the way the small nation is doing now and perhaps some athletes are into doping. This got into Bolt’s nerves and thus the harsh comments.

With the way  Bolt has blasted an American Olympic legend, many predict that  his endorsement deals with  US brands will  drastically drop. His image as an ambassador for the sport will forever be tainted.  His response to questions in the interview room will  dim all the brilliance he displayed in the track.  Or is it?

Truth be told, Bolt is one character that loves to talk and backs it up in the field. The way he predicts victories and showboats while everyone around him are pouring it all makes  all his achievements even more surprising.

Truth be told, Bolt’s criticism did not come out of nowhere. They were provoked by comments made by another legend, perhaps borne of jealousy and aimed at tarnishing his image long before he is even proven guilty of anything. He was merely defending himself, and boy, he did it really well----both in the interview room and in the field.

Truth be told, as long as Usain Bolt continues with his winning ways, the endorsement deals will continue to pour in. The public wants to see him as a speed icon, not as a model for handling criticism.

As long as he keeps winning, people will forgive him. Maybe his critics won’t. And surely Bolt will eventually  lose in his race against father time. But for now, they will have to watch Bolt showboating again and again, index finger on his lips as if to tell them to keep their mouths shut, in yet another victory lap.