Lance Armstrong's Comeback Was, Like Most of 'Em, An Epic Failure
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Thanks for all the messages on retirement 2.0. And thanks for ALL the support the past 2.5 yrs. Onward!
Retirement 2.0 means two things: 1. The greatest cyclist who ever lived is done riding professionally. 2. His comeback that I was so damn giddy about in 2009 was a failure.
Well, wasn't it? I thought Lance would triumphantly return to win another Tour de France and, in the process, shut up those who still hound him trying to prove he used performance enhancing drugs.
In the end, he did neither.
In 2009 Armstrong finished third in France and last year he crashed early and often during the race.
And the rumors? Still there -- stronger than ever, actually.
Last month he finished 65th in a race in Australia and all his Tweets the last six months have been about kids this or kids that and barely a peep about him and his bike. Saw it coming. Doesn't mean we have to like it.
At 39, Lance Legstrong retires with a record seven Tours and millions touched and helped by his Livestrong foundation. The sad part: Even though the kid from Plano East Senior High has stopped pedaling, those with drug rumors and world-shaking agendas haven't.
A buddy of mine offered this morning that Lance was quitting now because he knew he could no longer out-run the truth. Granted, the next big headline about Armstrong will be a bad one.
This also got me to thinking that most sports un-retirements don't work out. Magic Johnson. Michael Jordan. Bjorn Borg. Martina Navratilova. Deion Sanders. Priest Holmes. Despite great results on the mound, even Roger Clemens wishes he would've stayed put.
Pete Sampras and John Elway, take a bow. You're two of the few who got it right.
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