Tarnished bracelet

[MKirilenko]

Omg. Please. Armstrong saves lives? Come on, what, is he the God himself?

 

[BroDeal]

I understand. I've been there.

A top surgeon will make good money from saving lives too. Like I said it comes with the territory. But yeah can understand the big mouth stuff can be offensive. But I think sometimes that’s the only way he can do it. Shout from the rooftops.

My issue with Livestrong is that I do not trust Armstrong one bit. If it were someone else I might be able to let the shady character of the man behind the foundation slide, but with Armstrong I cannot escape the suspicion that the only reason he is doing anything for cancer is to keep himself in the limelight and to benefit himself financially. Even aside from the doping and his lies about it, the guy clearly has a narcissistic personality disorder. The way he has treated other people, including those who were once longtime friends, leads me to believe that he does not have much of a conscience. This makes his supposed desire to aid people with cancer even more suspicious.

There are many other cancer charities. I see no reason to give any money to Armstrong when there are alternatives that do not have the Armstrong baggage.

 

[BYOP88]

Omg. Please. Armstrong saves lives? Come on, what, is he the God himself?

He may save lives but he sure as hell doesn't win bike races.

 

[UpTheRoad]

The term used is "survivorship" which is neither research or assistance to medical programs.

$200k is incorrect. He was paid $1,000,000AUD for 3 speaking engagements and to ride the Tour Down Under.

For the Giro the fee was €2,000,000 to complete the Giro and make 2 promotional appearances for the Giro along with 5 apperance in Gazzetta dello Sport. 0 Cancer related engagements were part of the €2,000,000 fee.

How much was he paid to be part of the protest in the Milan stage?

 

[mikkemus23]

He's also on mission to save as many lives as possible from the horrible infliction that is cancer.

If you can bring someone else to the table who has done similar then I’ll forever keep my peace.

How can Lance "save...lives"????? Trough Livestrong? How, excactly?


Done similar? Look up Tyler Hamilton and Roid Landis pages ""supporting victims of MS etc.

Using a good cause to promote oneself as good and get rich seems to be thing for athletes and celebs today...

LivestrHOnG is the work of some PR genius.

 

[Tonester]

really???!!!

Yeah, because LA attacked on Arcalis against team orders...oh wait...

But wait.....LA forgot to tell his teammates to attack with him into the wind on Stage 3 (?). Oh right the team was probably ordered to wait behind in the second group and lose 20 seconds. Johan is a genius. Lance is a God.
Or maybe, just maybe, Lance couldn't hang on Arcalis.

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

I think what thehog means is while you can find many faults with Armstrong and how he plays the "Cancer" card -so to speak-, a good cause stays a good cause and LA star power may be able to attract money that wouldn't go there without him or someone like him.

I think LA really means it when he speaks of cancer. But he also really means it when he wants to win a bike race. And he sure doesn't mind winning some money. I agree that he kinda blurs his message.

He is not, and so is Livestrong, above criticism but we shouldn't as well mix everything. There are threads which deals with Livestrong and they use the money they receive. But, in my book, I despised the rider and his public persona before knowing about Livestrong and it hasn't changed a thing.

 

[thehog]

My issue with Livestrong is that I do not trust Armstrong one bit. If it were someone else I might be able to let the shady character of the man behind the foundation slide, but with Armstrong I cannot escape the suspicion that the only reason he is doing anything for cancer is to keep himself in the limelight and to benefit himself financially. Even aside from the doping and his lies about it, the guy clearly has a narcissistic personality disorder. The way he has treated other people, including those who were once longtime friends, leads me to believe that he does not have much of a conscience. This makes his supposed desire to aid people with cancer even more suspicious.

There are many other cancer charities. I see no reason to give any money to Armstrong when there are alternatives that do not have the Armstrong baggage.

I'm hearing you and respect what you have to say.

But charity is not a little old lady standing on a street corner with a penny box. Its a very competivie industry. There are only such much charity dollars that go around and every charity wants to get their hands on as much as they can. The Livestrong CEO ears $300,000+ and thats fair because if the Kidney Foundation of America gets Mr. and Mrs. middle America $20 per month in donations thats a loss. If the Federal Government decide to pledge $20 million to the guidedogs association thats a loss. Lance doesn't like to loose. When other charities get the cash its loosing. Therefore what some people may see as offensive is just Lance's way getting in the faces of the Federal Government, of the people of America and the world. He just wants to get the money to help the people and the families who have been inflicted with cancer.

The Damien Hirst butterfly bike is pure genius. The worlds foremost and most prominent contemporary artist dresses up Lance's bike with dead butterfly's and lets Armstrong ride it. Lance will sell if off and give the proceeds to Livestrong. Tell me what other sportsperson can commend an artist of Hirst's stature to give their time to do this free of charge. Genuis.

Contador is better on the bike, you bet. So graceful. Class. Legend in the making but you can't knock Armstrong for wanting to win. You know why? Because if he rode the Hirst butterfly bike into Paris with the yellow jersey on his back it would have sold for 10 times as much - thats what hurts so much. Not being able to give. Not being able to help.

 

[saphblue]

...if the Kidney Foundation of America gets Mr. and Mrs. middle America $20 per month in donations thats a loss.

Those type of contributions help those foundations to fund basic research. I work in the biotech industry, so I know a little about this. Money from Susan G. Komen helped find treatments that have helped cure breast cancer. LiveStrong is focused on survivorship, which is great. Lance has been very effective in presenting the survivor's view and stressing their needs. This is something that has been overlooked in funding. However, foundations that support basic research for cures are extremely important. The American Cancer Society has given over $3 billion to research. I know they have a spotty reputation and there's controversy over how research money is used. Still, that money's really important. Also, there are less famous people who go to government hearings and have been given credited for helping increase the money that goes to the NIH, for example. You just don't hear about them. Lance and Livestrong are important, but they're a part of a much larger picture.

In regards to the comment about having a certain attitude helping to beat cancer, I find that a bit offensive. I've lost my mother, stepmother and several close friends to cancer. They fought harder than you can imagine and had excellent care. They unfortunately had types of cancer that were difficult to treat. Having a fighting spirit is important, but not everyone has a type of cancer that responds well to treatment. Sorry if I sound oversensitive, but the emotions are pretty raw for me in this regard.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I wear but one bracelet. This one:

As to fighting cancer. If you want a true-blue hero on a bike who rides to stop cancer, I suggest you consider donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma society on behalf of Freddie Hoffman, the greatest cyclist ever.

More discussion here.

 

[thehog]

Those type of contributions help those foundations to fund basic research. I work in the biotech industry, so I know a little about this. Money from Susan G. Komen helped find treatments that have helped cure breast cancer. LiveStrong is focused on survivorship, which is great. Lance has been very effective in presenting the survivor's view and stressing their needs. This is something that has been overlooked in funding. However, foundations that support basic research for cures are extremely important. The American Cancer Society has given over $3 billion to research. I know they have a spotty reputation and there's controversy over how research money is used. Still, that money's really important. Also, there are less famous people who go to government hearings and have been given credited for helping increase the money that goes to the NIH, for example. You just don't hear about them. Lance and Livestrong are important, but they're a part of a much larger picture.

In regards to the comment about having a certain attitude helping to beat cancer, I find that a bit offensive. I've lost my mother, stepmother and several close friends to cancer. They fought harder than you can imagine and had excellent care. They unfortunately had types of cancer that were difficult to treat. Having a fighting spirit is important, but not everyone has a type of cancer that responds well to treatment. Sorry if I sound oversensitive, but the emotions are pretty raw for me in this regard.

I'm with you. Not everyone will associate with the "never say die" attitude of Livestrong but many do. Its not a foundation for all. I picked up Lance's book when I had a very close family member contract a blood disease. It really helped me. It wouldn't have helped the person concerned as they were so not like him. Much more understated. In retrospect the book helped me but I soon learnt that the book was more fiction than fact. But thats ok, it helped me at the time. So why knock him for that?

However I went through a massive period of anger towards Lance, livestrong and all that yellow bracelet thing. It was getting out of hand. Everyone was wearing yellow. Why should everyone where yellow when many haven't been affected by cancer. And isn't yellow the color of the Tour? I got real angry. Why? Because I lost 3 family members to a blood disease that is not strictly cancer. A disease that doesn't get half the attention cancer gets. I saw the struggle you describe. I thought why should he clamor all the attention and leukemia not. Then I found Geoff Thompson and that stopped the anger. You know and I know Lance is full of it. But if he doesn't do it who will? Tom Cruise? We can't have that.

Recently I had a friend diagnosed. I gave them the book "Its not about the bike". Why again? Because there is nothing else out there. Nothing else out there that describes the treatment process so well. There are a 1000 dreadful self-help books on the subject that don't touch the topic as well as he did for that portion of the book. The cycling stuff is pure fantasy but the treatment is not. When you've gone though it you know it.

If anyone can recommend a better book I'd appreciate it.

 

[elapid]

Those type of contributions help those foundations to fund basic research. I work in the biotech industry, so I know a little about this. Money from Susan G. Komen helped find treatments that have helped cure breast cancer. LiveStrong is focused on survivorship, which is great. Lance has been very effective in presenting the survivor's view and stressing their needs. This is something that has been overlooked in funding. However, foundations that support basic research for cures are extremely important. The American Cancer Society has given over $3 billion to research. I know they have a spotty reputation and there's controversy over how research money is used. Still, that money's really important. Also, there are less famous people who go to government hearings and have been given credited for helping increase the money that goes to the NIH, for example. You just don't hear about them. Lance and Livestrong are important, but they're a part of a much larger picture.

In regards to the comment about having a certain attitude helping to beat cancer, I find that a bit offensive. I've lost my mother, stepmother and several close friends to cancer. They fought harder than you can imagine and had excellent care. They unfortunately had types of cancer that were difficult to treat. Having a fighting spirit is important, but not everyone has a type of cancer that responds well to treatment. Sorry if I sound oversensitive, but the emotions are pretty raw for me in this regard.

+1. Great post. Many studies have shown that a positive attitude makes no difference to outcome. Armstrong was fortunate that he was in the 3-5% that survive stage IV testicular cancer. BroDeal is correct in that he responded well to the drugs and that is why he survived. It is as simple as that. But The Hog is also correct in that Armstrong acted as his own advocate and few people with cancer have either the will or the opportunity to do this, so the LiveStrong Foundation does serve an essential role in the whole cancer treatment purpose. But this is not saving lives, it's just empowering people to know that there are other choices out there for them. There is no reason to lose hope as someone has survived every different form of cancer, but Armstrong didn't beat cancer on pure willpower.