Lance Armstrong Stripped of Titles: Will His Foundation Survive?

by SodaHead Sports Posted 2012/08/25 18:36:46

Related Topics: Sports, Lance Armstrong, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Livestrong, Bracelets, Cancer, Research, Cycling, Legend, Drugs, Tour De France, Money

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524 votes
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	Yes	419 votes	80%
	No	105 votes	20%

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong made a heartbreaking decision this past week. It's one that will be highly-debated and leave a mark on his career forever. Armstrong decided he would no longer fight the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's allegations against him, despite passing every drug test over the years. The price Armstrong pays for that decision is being stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles.

Armstrong has also been banned for life from participating in sports and events sanctioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. All the work Armstrong put in, especially with his inspirational story as a cancer survivor, is all gone . . . Or is it? Despite these devastating allegations and penalties, Armstrong has raised millions of dollars for cancer research over the years with his "Livestrong" campaign.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation has sold nearly 80 million "Livestrong" bracelets for its cause, since 2005. The charity organization has vowed to support its leader and continue its goal of helping find a cure for cancer. However, it may not be the organization's choice, but the public's--and specifically those who are willing to donate money--as to whether it survives in the aftermath of Armstrong's punishment.

It comes down to whether donors believe Armstrong is innocent or guilty, and whether or not they believe the cyclist's ability to raise awareness for a great cause is worth more than whatever negative stigma is attached to his name.

Lance Armstrong Stripped of Titles Will His Found

+19

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tommyg - POTL- PWCM-JLA 2012/08/25 18:55:57

Yes

+16
Innocent until PROVEN guilty?

Not any more.
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More polls by SodaHead Sports

baxter 2012/08/26 08:38:44

Yes

+2
yes

reply
JingerJewels 2012/08/26 08:17:17

No

+2
Hopefully it does and I am wrong

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NymRod 2012/08/26 07:57:27

Yes

+4
It will only make him stronger.
He has yet to see his full potential.

For every adversity there's a seed of equal or greater opportunity which Lance has the ability to take to a higher level.

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Mack 2012/08/26 07:23:27

Yes

+3
He didn't admit to anything. He's just not going to put up with BS anymore. Regardless, leave the foundation alone. It's a good cause that helps people.

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mwf122090 2012/08/26 06:50:49

Yes

+5
Whether or not Armstrong was doping doesn't really matter to me. His foundation goes towards supporting cancer research and to helping people who suffer from the terrible disease. To say that you're going to stop donating money to the organization just because of what's happened with Armstrong is really petty.

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Al B Thayer 2012/08/26 06:46:59

No

+1
I hope it does and I am wrong.

They must have something on him for him to just fold. It's not like someone of his caliber to quit before the race is finished.

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voice_matters 2012/08/26 05:47:03

No

+1
people do not care that he has never once failed a drug test. the lib attitude of america is destroying this once great nation

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NymRod to voice_m... 2012/08/26 08:02:05

+1
So true.

Is your keyboard faulty or are you just lazy?

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Epistemically Justified -- BN7 2012/08/26 04:53:16

Yes

+4
Armstrong's situation is still so blurry. The case was dropped in court due to lack of evidence, and as far as I've seen the USADA has yet to provide any actual proof to support their doping claim.

I think his fans and people looking to support cancer research will still support his foundation, especially given the speculative and sloppy way the USADA has gone about this.

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Snowman :3 2012/08/26 04:45:50

Yes

+5

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BonnieDeutsch 2012/08/26 04:20:11

Yes

+8
How dare they strip him of seven titles ! The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency needs to lose it's funding instead of Armstrong. If he passed all the drug tests how can they be allowed to do this. Aside from winning 7 titles in an incredible grueling sport and having an incredibly difficult cancer to fight and win, ARE THEY KIDDING ?!!
Let's cut the funding for this agency and let's not give the heads any unemployment compensation. They certainly deserve "Their Fair Share !"

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abubincrazy 2012/08/26 03:58:22

Yes

+8
FREE LANCE!
I don't know what their French leaverage is against the greatest cyclist in history.
Nor do I care.
He won the Tour de France 7 times.
This retarded DECREE doesn't mean he didn't win the frigging race 7 times.

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abubinc... to abubinc... 2012/08/26 04:19:46

+4
Freelance, get it?

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mzemma 2012/08/26 03:25:44

Yes

+6
He might as well just keep all the medals because it seems that the other guys coming in right behind him were on them too. Sounds fair then to me.

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TheR 2012/08/26 03:04:48

Yes

+2
It will if he follows the ideals of Michael Phelps.

http://www.sodahead.com/unite...

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jubil8 BN-0 PON 2012/08/26 02:49:05

Yes

+6
ESPN has reported that his major sponsors are not dropping him or his foundation.

Good for them al!

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NymRod to jubil8 ... 2012/08/26 08:04:56

+2
Nice to know and good for them.
I support their efforts.

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us 2012/08/26 02:30:58

Yes

+4
that is sad, i'm sure the ones judging him, don't live a perfect life, the use him for someone to attack. His organization help people with cancer. there are to many people with cancer.

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Chuck 2012/08/26 02:26:59 (edited)

No

+2
The only question here is will Armstrong's foundation survive, and I really don't think it will simply because there are too many people that are brainwashed to believe the wrong thing. By that I mean; if a person has a headache, he takes an aspirin, the headache goes away and he goes about his chores or his sport or pay job performing better than he ever thought about doing with the headache. right? A lot of you can see where I am going with this already. But I'm going to continue anyway. If we have a back pain, or a knee pain or a pain in our body no matter where it is located, and we can take some type of pain killer to ease the pain to make us perform better, WHY in God's name would we be disallowed to take the damn medicine? I don't want to hear about it being called steroids or aspirin or soda pop. The fact of the matter is, it helped ease the pain so the man could do his job better. Now IF and I use the word IF ANYONE seems to think it gives the user an unfair advantage in his performance of whatever the competition then why in the hell doesn't the others take the same damn thing IF it helps them? Oh, I see, you say the over use of steroids could bring about death? So does the over use of alcohol, the over use of cigarettes, the over use of ANYTHING can bring...

The only question here is will Armstrong's foundation survive, and I really don't think it will simply because there are too many people that are brainwashed to believe the wrong thing. By that I mean; if a person has a headache, he takes an aspirin, the headache goes away and he goes about his chores or his sport or pay job performing better than he ever thought about doing with the headache. right? A lot of you can see where I am going with this already. But I'm going to continue anyway. If we have a back pain, or a knee pain or a pain in our body no matter where it is located, and we can take some type of pain killer to ease the pain to make us perform better, WHY in God's name would we be disallowed to take the damn medicine? I don't want to hear about it being called steroids or aspirin or soda pop. The fact of the matter is, it helped ease the pain so the man could do his job better. Now IF and I use the word IF ANYONE seems to think it gives the user an unfair advantage in his performance of whatever the competition then why in the hell doesn't the others take the same damn thing IF it helps them? Oh, I see, you say the over use of steroids could bring about death? So does the over use of alcohol, the over use of cigarettes, the over use of ANYTHING can bring about death, YES, even too much pussy can kill us. But if any and all of those things help us in our overall performance of doing ANYTHING that we are trying to accomplish and we CHOOSE to take the risks, and those same risks are available to all of us then who in the hell is there to legitimately complain about it? Suck it up ! Compete with it or without it or don't compete! But don't strip a man of his accomplishments because he performed better than everybody else. Especially when everybody else could have done exactly the same thing he did IF they believe he consumed something that enhanced his ability to perform.
(more)

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us to Chuck 2012/08/26 02:38:08

+1
If steroids ease the pain, l agree leave him alone, this was just to attack someone and this person just happen to be lance armstrong, it's ashamed, but I wonder the people that went after him are doing anything wrong.

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Chuck to us 2012/08/26 13:03:53

+1
In most cases the accusers are the biggest abusers. It seems to lessen their own guilt, and brings on an air of piousness that so many fools fall for.

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us to Chuck 2012/08/26 19:56:09

+1
I agree, thanks for writing back.

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Red Branch 2012/08/26 02:26:03

Yes

+2
It should be self supporting.
If it were me, I would take the money back.
If they could not catch him when he was on the circuit, and not one test of hundreds showed otherwise.
The Federal govt dropped their investigation because lack of evidence.

Armstrong go the shaft.

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gjfn 2012/08/26 02:24:37

Yes

+9
This man overcame testicular, lung and brain cancer before he won these medals...let the committee keep the titles...WE KNOW WHO THE REAL WINNER IS HERE...LANCE ARMSTRONG...God Bless him in what ever he chooses to do.

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DP 2012/08/26 02:20:53

Yes

+7
I don't think that he deserved to be stripped of his titles. The man survived cancer! He will always be the winner in our minds though.

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FatherLiberty 2012/08/26 01:59:13 (edited)

Yes

+3
Why is there even an anti-doping agency in existence? The event itself could be responsible for testing the athletes themselves.

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us to FatherL... 2012/08/26 02:39:35

+1
it strange never heard of a anti-doping agency, strange

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Angus 2012/08/26 01:47:37

Yes

+7
This is nothing more than a witch hunt. Armstrong was tested over and over again and nothing was ever found.

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TruBluTopaz 2012/08/26 01:41:47

Yes

+3
Interestingly enough it's just this US Doping agency, without any proof, any test or evidence of doping that is saying this, not the Tour de France and not the International Cycling organizations. Frankly it's been lots of money to lawyers and to agencies, hundreds of tests on top of his well known bout with cancer. He's retired and yet they just can't seem to get enough. I would be very curious who's coming out of the woodwork or if this is just official extortion. I fully support Lance's desire to simply go on with his life and I think that trying to go back ten years and say something which was not illegal then, but is now is cause, is like trying to go back and refight the Civil War. It's done, he's retired, move on.

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Cal 2012/08/26 01:33:24

Yes

+3
His foundation does a lot more good in the world than his medals or the Tour De France Committee does. He'll live on. He's still an American legend.

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Derbyhat 2012/08/26 01:26:26

Yes

+2
Armstrong had cancer, yet battled against extreme odds and won again and again. Many charges have been levied and many tests were runs, so where is the evidence that he doped up? Cycling fans likely see through the smoke and mirrors and conclude there is no case. So it is time for the quasi-governing bodies to stop the merry go round of the same accusations, set up a battery of baseline tests that are monitored year to year and checking at events. Maybe after that they'll use a rubber hose and beat them until they get the answers they want. This seems no more rediculous than what they have done so far!

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taitaFalcon23 2012/08/26 01:22:43

No

+2
but then again, I no longer care - he had over 15 yrs to come clean and he didn't... I'm done with him and his cause. People never remember; it ain't the crime - it's the coverup

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BonnieD... to taitaFa... 2012/08/26 04:27:28

+1
What are you talking about ??

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taitaFa... to BonnieD... 2012/08/26 16:36:44

+1
I bike daily myself and know the sport is tainted as are other sports. He might have lost the title to Tour De France but that sad day would be long over; now we have to watch his legacy be dragged thru the mud many years later after he could have faced a smaller disgrace years ago. I will miss the example he set for others. I'm 1 month shy of my 55th birthday and I'm healthier these past couple years than I've been in the past decade. I have a resting heartrate of below 45 bpm and my last BP reading of 116/76 2 days ago, yet I hit a workout max of 160 bpm+ 3-5 times per week.

He has been unfairly hounded and chased but 10 other riders and test conclusions that make it clear there has been doping going on are not necessarily wrong, they're just unfortunate. The tests remove the necessity of confession

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BonnieD... to taitaFa... 2012/08/26 16:59:32

+1
Thanks for your comment and congratulations on make biking such an important part of your health program.
It's interesting that France hasn't made any accusations, it's just us, as usual.

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taitaFa... to BonnieD... 2012/08/26 19:32:47

+2
I just don't think they're ready to hand down a decision just yet. But Armstrong's foundation has done a lot of good... but it will always be with a 'taint'...too bad....

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BonnieD... to taitaFa... 2012/08/26 21:56:42

+1
Winning one is fabulous, but 7 AND fighting various cancers, PRICELESS !!
Thank you for your comment now and anytime.

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taitaFa... to BonnieD... 2012/08/27 00:24:09

+2
well put that way, I have to say biking is literally saving and preserving my life. At this very moment, I'm privately riding yesterday's ride in my head. I'm imagining the long stretches of asphalt along country roads. I don't even mind the long hills where every stroke of the pedals was a hard fought and earned victory.

I can still hear the rythmic hum of the rims on the pavement and I marvel at such a wondrous machine. I was very angry at my hero but upon reflection, I really do not wish him nor his organization ill will.

Instead, I'll remain inspired to confound the doctors at my next annual checkup with the physiology of a 25 yr old. I wear my heartrate monitor like a welcome shackle that displays my effort each morning to exceed 160 bpm. I can still see my speedo that reflected my road speed of 40+mph. My ride consumed over 900 calories yesterday morning and there are 6 days left to this week's schedule.

I'll smile at the thought that I have to wear suspenders under my suit jacket for the next class I have to give, because my pants literally slip off my butt and hips buttoned or not, because they're too big now.

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BonnieD... to taitaFa... 2012/08/27 01:47:33

+2
It's a pleasure to read your comment and/or statement. I look forward to reading more of your ideas.

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Watermusicranger 2012/08/26 00:58:23

Yes

+2
Nothing has been proven against Armstrong....WTF

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