The Lance Armstrong charges of steroids has now really gone into action. Stephanie McIlvain, a friend of Armstrong spent the day in front of a federal grand jury, testifying that she never heard Armstrong to admitting to using PED's in a doctors office in 1996, while getting treated for cancer. McIlvain firmly stated that she had no reason to lie to grand jurors and would continue to stand by her statement no matter what. McIlvain said that she would gladly testify to what she heard in the doctors office, but, never saying she actually heard Armstrong say he used any type of PED. Armstrong has been tested many times but has also passed every test for use of any type of PED.
These charges have all be brought about by Floyd Landis, 2006 winner of Tour de France, but was stripped from his accomplishment after testing positive for PED's. Landis went on saying that seven time champion of the great cyclist event also used PED's after his comeback from cancer and in pursuit of each one his championships.
Do I want to sit here and believe that Armstrong is innocent? Yes, absolutely, its a great story of inspiration for people across the world. A man stricken with Testicular Cancer, battles through and overcomes the disease and then comes back to his sport and wins seven straight. A person only hears stories like that in film in books, its a true great American story. On the other hand, we are looking at a sport that has greatly adopted the use of steroids, and has many cyclist banned every year for the use. So when it comes down it, I want to look at the situation and say there is one honest athlete, but if baseball has taught us anything its that our 'heroes' are the ones that are breaking the hearts of many and cheating. There have been many to deny the use of steroids; Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, that have also later admitted to using them. Even USA track star Marion Jones was found of using steroids after greatly admitting not using them, ultimately losing all of her medals. So its hard for me to believe that in a sport dominated by PED's that the greatest of all time didn't use them. But, if he didn't I can say its the one 'hero' that wont be made into a zero.
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