To see Floyd Landis or not to see Floyd Landis
As a person that has acquired a love for cycling since taking up triathlon in 2001, I stand at a crossroads. Today and tomorrow, Tour de France Champion Floyd Landis will be in my area. I am torn. In the last six years, I have grown to like the less traditional American sports. Although I still enjoy basketball, baseball and football, the lemmings that follow those sports pale in comparison the Americans that follow European sports. The shrug off a Shawn Mariman (sp) suspension in the NFL and put the guy on the Pro Bowl Team. Bonds is both vilified and celebrated. Meanwhile, cycling still takes a hit on the drug front.
Here is the dilemma, I probably won’t have another opportunity in my lifetime to take my sons to see and maybe be photographed with a Tour Champion. Landis will be in Wheaton, IL tonight. One of my favorite suburbs. I spent many high school and law school days riding my bike in Wheaton on the Illinois Prairie Path. Yet, I think taking them to see Floyd Landis would be a bit hypocritical. After all, any day we will get a decision on the Landis hearing. He could be declared a doper. What would that be teaching my sons? Does it teach them to have faith in humanity? Innocent until proven guilty? Or does it perpetuate the idea that cheaters that win are still worth seeing? After all, he has tested positive. I wouldn’t give this type of slack to a football player or baseball player that had tested positive. I would have written them off. No way would I take my sons to see somebody in those sports in the same situation as Floyd. So, why am I even considering giving Landis a pass?
Is it because he is rumored to ride with Robbie Ventura up on the same roads I ride each weekend? Is it because he is an American in a mainly European sport? Is it because I just like to stick it to the French press and the Tour whenever possible? Most likely, it is because I am naive and want to believe he is innocent just like the rest of them on Trust but Verify (who have missed my last two blogs even though I refer to the Tour and doping in each).
The easy answer is to go and if he is found guilty, to just ignore the fact I took them. After all, they are three and one and would never remember anyway. That is the cowards way though. As a father, I need to lead my sons. Part of that is teaching them to not support the athletes that break the rules. Part of that is to teach them the values of “innocent until proven guilty.”
If we do go and they get an autograph and a picture, what will they say in 15 years if they are themselves cyclists? “Dad why did you waste your time taking us to see that doper?” Or will it be something like, “Thanks for teaching us that people can be innocent even when accused.” Either way, the clock is ticking and I need to make a decision. No matter what I choose and what the outcome is of the hearing I will not regret my actions. After all, in the long run, Floyd is just an athlete in a sport. The outcome of his hearing and whether my sons see him, really means nothing in the scheme of our life and family.