It has been a rough few weeks for cyclist Lance Armstrong. The former seven-time Tour de France winner was recently stripped of all his Tour victories and banned from competitive cycling forever because of his history of illegal doping while competing. Following the ban came a loss of major sponsors as well as a great deal of public scorn toward Armstrong. But while the anger directed at Armstrong for doping may be justified, some of the insults that are currently being directed his way have really incensed people.
To give an example, a giant effigy of Armstrong was recently set alight as part of the Edenbridge Bonfire Society’s annual 5th of November ceremony. The society, which burns effigies in remembrance of Guy Fawkes’ failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605, usually selects a celebrity figure to immolate as part of its celebration. Armstrong was selected as this year’s celebrity, beating out other sports figures, politicians and media personalities.
While the Bonfire Society maintains that burning a giant caricature of Armstrong is not motivated out of spite, they claim that the bonfire ceremony represents “our impression of who [Armstrong] is and what he is.” Additionally, a spokesperson for the Bonfire Society remarked that Armstrong was fitting for the ceremony because he is “certainly the biggest villain in sport.” Thus, burning Armstrong’s effigy certainly seems to be a way to denounce Armstrong as a result of his cycling scandals. And while judging Armstrong based purely on his sporting career decisions is not entirely fair to him as a person, it is true that he was a cheater and liar for a period of many years. So, those who are upset about the effigy burning should realize that it really is nothing especially noteworthy, especially when Armstrong is reasonably being torn down for deceiving the public for so long and will doubtlessly experience a quick rebound in popularity.
In reality, Armstrong has done much good outside of the cycling world. Specifically, his work in supporting the fight against cancer affirms that even if he is to be castigated for doping, he should not be characterized as purely villainous. To even say that Armstrong is the biggest villain in sport is valid only during a brief timespan. Armstrong is perhaps the biggest villain in sport of the last month. And even if that month is enough to push Armstrong to the forefront of this year’s most hated sports figures, someone will soon come along and replace him. Doping continues to be a problem in numerous sports all over the world. At one point, steroid users Barry Bonds and Marion Jones were being castigated as much as Armstrong. Given the criteria of the Bonfire Society, these other figures could have reasonably faced denouncement in the form of burning effigies, too. Similarly, LeBron James and Tiger Woods both endured periods of intense hatred by fans, yet have since seen major rebounds in popularity. So while it is unlucky for Armstrong to have been chosen this year, his title of sport’s biggest villain will soon fade.
Armstrong’s rebound will be fueled by the ways in which he has benefitted society beyond his former successes in the sporting world. Though he stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong Foundation, Armstrong will remain on its board. All doping convictions aside, Armstrong’s impact on the spread of cancer awareness should be what he is most remembered for. Not only did Armstrong persevere through metastatic testicular cancer — for which his odds of survival were less than 40 percent — but his Livestrong band campaign has passed on a message of awareness of and opposition to cancer to millions. Overall, more than 80 million Livestrong bands have been sold.
The mistakes that Armstrong made with regards to cycling will have little bearing on the undeniable good he has done elsewhere. Thus, the Bonfire Society’s choice to burn a giant depiction of Armstrong is nothing more than a superficial stab at a public figure who has made poor decisions. To give context, their other possibilities for the celebrity effigy have also been unworthy figures — soccer players and British TV personalities are often considered each year.
In the end, those who were against the effigy burning should not be angry or believe that Armstrong was castigated at an unnecessarily high level. Hopefully, seeing an exaggerated portrayal of Armstrong while burning will remind people that the Bonfire Society’s decision does not really carry all that much weight.
_Alex Yahanda is a senior associate editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at
a.yahanda@cavalierdaily.com._
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