“These are the days of miracle and wonder.”
-Paul Simon, “The Boy in the Bubble”
I’ve always loved Paul Simon’s songs, but this particular track off his album “Graceland” came to mind as I thought of some recent events and I have to disagree.
Because to me, it sounds like Simon is saying that modern technology has opened up new wonders to us. Or is he being facetious about it all? I don’t know, I was never good at interpreting songs.
Either way, as I mentioned, the song resonated when I thought of two particular sports news items. The first being the tragic fall of cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Knowing what we now know about Armstrong, it almost seems foolish to have believed in a story of a professional cyclist overcoming cancer and shattering records all without the use of steroids, even while surrounded by doped-up rivals.
And while I don’t believe ignorance was bliss in this case, I can’t blame anyone who believed in Armstrong till the bitter, Oprah-induced end.
I can’t blame that person because why wouldn’t someone want to believe that such miracles were possible? That a man could not only overcome a deadly disease but excel in a hyper-competitive sport and start a successful foundation that inspired millions? Armstrong always had an arrogant streak and dodgy romantic life, but in the post-Tiger Woods revelation days, those are minor blemishes.
But these are the days of fraud and cynicism, so the curtain had be pulled. I think the biggest disgrace here was done to anyone who was touched by Armstrong’s work in the Livestrong foundation. Medals, accolades, and endorsements can be stripped, but those who put their beliefs and hope into a hollow and deceitful organization will forever feel cheated.
Then there is the story surrounding Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. For those unfamiliar: Te’o was a standout star during a standout year for Notre Dame in which the football team had an undefeated season and made it to the BCS National Championship.
The media were particularly engrossed in Te’o due to what then seemed a remarkable story of how he had lost both his grandmother and girlfriend in the same day yet continued to carry his team to victory.
As tends to happen with sports stories, a wave of emotion built around Te’o and his story, but like all waves, it ultimately would crash, and crash hard. Following a disappointing BCS performance, it was revealed that Te’o was the victim of a hoax and that his “girlfriend,” Lennay Kekua, was not real but a fake persona created online that he had never met.
Was Te’o a victim or a conspirator in a plot to gather attention and a possible Heisman honor? One thing is sure, because these are the days of skepticism and uncertainty, we can’t just take his claims of being duped at face value. Anything is possible. Unless, of course, it is a remarkable feat that inspires people – then it probably isn’t.
So what are we to do now? We live in an age where we love our athletes with a side of Hollywood script. We welcome the religious discussion that comes with Tim Tebow, or the horrible puns and borderline racist headlines that surrounded Jeremy Lin’s “Linsanity.”
What’s worse is that when these athletes fall, we descend on their carcasses like vultures. We loved mocking LeBron James’s televised “decision” special on which team he would join, even though we fed his frenzied egomania. We refreshed web pages on the minute to see the next woman who claimed she had slept with Tiger Woods. We anticipated the Oprah/Lance Armstrong interview like it was Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather.
We may have felt a bit sick when it was announced this year that no one would be elected into baseball’s hall of fame due to the nominees having used steroids, but we got over that and will have a new storyline to devour as soon as we’re done beating on the dead horse of Te’o.
So what are we to do with our sports stars? Not get our hopes up too high? Assume they are cheats and don’t award any national championships or MVP awards until the FBI has looked into each case?
I like the advice of one sportswriter whose son asked him what to think of athletes. He said don’t look up at them, don’t look down at them, just look straight at them.
