Do you think Lance Armstrong deserves any sympathy, why or why not?

He offered no resolutions or real contrition to those he ruined. It seemed that his attitude "well sorry but this is how I deal with things... It isn't right but hey it's finally over, right?". He made apologies but everyone expected him to give a general apology.... he didn't offer anything other than a general apology. It felt hollow and it felt like he expected to be admired for giving a honest performance last night. It was honest but very rehearsed too and had staged remorse.

At this point I didn't need or want a confession or a apology. I wanted him to have a list of those people he tried to financially ruin and slandered... I wanted Oprah to talk about a clean French cyclist he hunted down in the pelloton and threatened him with other dopers which forced him out of cycling.... I wanted him to go down that list name by name and confess to making their lives hell for crossing him and I wanted him to commit to reimbursing these people something as a means to repay them. Of course, I didn't expect that but that would be the only way I could see some redemption in that douchebag. Words won't be enough for a guy who slandered honest people under oath. Sitting for a TV show should make lying easier compared to a court deposition. We know how much Armstrong values the sanctity of a court of law. His use of using speech has no credibility at this point. What is credible is his wallet.

It is completely unacceptable for anybody to take performance enhancing drugs in a sport. Imagine Roger Federer taking drugs to win his 17 grand slam titles, imagine Usain Bolt taking drugs to win the sprints. Not only did Lance Armstrong lie to the world but he lied to his family and himself. He has dishonored the sport of cycling and in my opinion does not deserve any sympathy. For sure, he battled cancer and he fought long and hard but you would think that would make him a better person, but no, he didn't just cheat for one tour de France win, he cheated for 7 and he also wasted law money, people's time and careers on trying to prove that he did not take drugs.

There are so many other cyclists that could have deserved to be wearing that yellow jersey those 7 years that Lance Armstrong used Dope to get his way to the top. It's a shame that such years are wasted of the good sport of cycling and Lance Armstrong deserves alot more than what he's getting. He's a liar and a cheat and on the aired interview he didn't even show significant signs of remorse, sorrow or even being apologetic. He was just a face for the camera, as if he wanted to get it over and done with. Take a look at other famous sports apologies and they are so much more heart felt and sorry, (for example: Tiger Woods). Lance Armstrong, a bully, a cheat, a liar. No Sympathy deserved.

I personally think he deserves our sympathy, and our forgiveness. What he did was horrible - to intimidate people, be the ring leader in this horrible doping thing. But who are we - fellow humans who err as well - not to give hims sympathy and forgive him?

The only was he could have won 7 Tour De Frances was by doping. I know that isn't an excuse (just coz everyone is doing it) - but that is exactly the point. EVERYONE WAS DOING IT! And he STILL kicked ***. Even on a level playing field, he still kicked everyone's *** and won.

If that doesn't show he's an amazing athlete, I don't know what does.

His fight with cancer. Who else can say they beat stage 4 cancer and came out of it alive, to come back onto the world sports stage and win, the biggest cycling competition, not once or twice, but seven consecutive times?

I think this goes to show that he is a LEGENDARY athlete - THE most legendary athlete of our time. Sure, he lied, intimidated, lied again, sued some people for telling the truth about him - but....with all that said, I think his eventual confession proved that he still has some integrity left in him, and that is commendable.

I Love Lance Armstrong and I always will respect him.

Lance Armstrong is 41 years old. He has the rest of his life in front of him, at somepoint once he paid his debt to society we should move on. His family members, so far, didn't do it, they were not complicit, so why disrespect him and hurt their feelings. Don't you think they hurt enough by all of this. He lied to them too. Yes. He be forgiven, in the scheme of things he is not a mass murderer though a massive disappointment even that doesn't add up to a modern day stone throwing and 24 hour persecution. Let me put it this way, if the nike was on the other foot you would sure hope at some point after the next 10 years sympathy becomes deserved. Lance may not shed a tear but not everyone shows sorrow and contrite behavior the same way. Before its all over we will see him cry, might be next to Big Mike, but hey.

I don't feel sorry for him, because I don''t know the man. I am sorry that all of the good he has done the first half of his life will be deleted and any good he does afterwards is starting over.

Best

I hope no one begins treating this man poorly for the decisions he decided to make. I believe that he did use performance-enhancing drugs in each of the seven Tour De France wins. But can you imagine how many people were and may be still inspired by such a man?

Though I do enjoy some biking, I knew very little about Mr. Armstrong's career up until now and I feel really bad for him. Though there are several people who have done wrong over the years that I do not sympathize for example; James Holmes. Because I believe that Mr. Holmes intended to harm others. It may seem that I am supporting performance-enhancing drugs, but I do not. I believe that they are wrong. But my point is that Lance Armstrong worked hard in these Tour De France races and I disbelieve that he should be hated for taking drugs. His hard work should not be ignored because he took drugs but he should be remembered as something else. He should be remembered as a man who worked hard and made poor choices to enhance is abilities. I show great sympathy for Lance and I understand that he was stripped of his medals. I also heard that others stated that he was a bully and forced them to take drugs. This I do not believe. I personally, though knowing little of this man, I believe that he was the only one to take these drugs. I hope Mr. Lance Armstrong does not have this alarming scandal follow him that much longer.

He is a good man and he deserves respect. Like all of us.

Didn't watch the interview or follow Lance Armstrong closely, don't think he deserves sympathy, but I'm wondering why this is such a big deal NOW? Why didn't they catch this in the years he was racing? Our culture is messed up, we have the purists crucifying athletes for taking drugs to enhance their performance, yet wanting legalization of marijuana and other drugs and alcohol are very misused. I'm sure he's done a lot of good with his foundation, and actually this drug is used in cancer patients and dialysis patients. Years ago steroids were rampant in the NFL and elsewhere, yet now people are looking back and stripping Lance Armstrong's wins, how about recalling all the Super Bowl championships and World Series victories? The events are over, done, if they didn't catch them then they should leave it alone now. Go forward.

First of all, I do not give sympathy to cheaters. If Lance Armstrong cheated and used performance-enhancing drugs, he should not be allowed to get a second chance at cycling because Lance had used drugs to win the Tour De France races. Also, he needs to realize that doping is wrong and against the law. Secondly, he needs to perform to the best of his ability instead of using drugs. I do not feel sorry for Lance, and I don't I think he was remorseful.

No I really do not and I believe everyone deserves sympathy and empathy. We can FORGIVE Lance Armstrong - for that is healthy but sympathy? No. Any more of our money and attention? NOPE. The guy is a liar. And the worst kind. You know guys, if he did this once or twice - perhaps. The only thing I do somewhat understand having worked in the television business developing scripts for a long time - he did want to inspire and got caught up in that "story" and that "fantasy" unfortunately for Armstrong what's more interesting and exciting in life are the stories based on fact and on reality. There is no denying he has done great work and giving hope to millions through his charity. I hope that that message can continue - but it really can continue with someone else. We have so many in this world that do good work. But the liars? Yah, I don't have time for them. Sorry. I forgive the dude only because it's the right thing to do but - I looked up to him at one point. Do I feel a fool? No. It was a great story. It just happens to not be true. I don't wish Lance Armstrong any ill will but I do hope he fully is sorry one of these days. He's getting there. When he spoke of his son - saw a bit of that.

No. Lance Armstrong does not deserve any sympathy.

I defended him and believed in him. I trusted him.

He doesn't seem remorseful and hasn't even offered a decent, heartfelt apology to anyone.

He didn't even have much to say about betraying his own children.

He is the cause of stress, slander, monetary harm, and injustice to the people whom he has sued.

How could he have the audacity to sue people for telling the truth?

How could he bad-mouth people for telling the truth?

How could he have the gall to call other people "liars", when *he* was the only one lying?

He has put a stain on the Tour de France, on professional cycling, and on his own charity.

We also must remember, there are atheletes who may have been cheated out of Tour de France wins, because who knows who would have won, if Armstrong hadn't been doping?

So, after years of deception, he finally comes clean.

Yet, even now, he feels that what he did was not cheating!!

I was a huge fan of Lance Armstrong. He overcame cancer, remained positive, and went on to win the Tour de France many times.

I *could not* have had a higher opinion of him.

When news came out, that he was interviewed by Oprah and everyone was speculating a confession, I prayed to God that it wasn't true.

But, he DID confess and my heart broke.

The fact that it appears to bother him very little- maybe only to the extent that he got caught- makes it even worse.

No, I don't feel sympathy for Lance Armstrong, because he has no sympathy for anyone else.

I don't think sympathy is the issue, trust is the issue. He fooled everyone for all those years he forced at least by competition, others to take steroids. If he was allowed to race how would you know he had not found some new way to do the same thing again. He has told everyone that he doesn't think he was doing anything wrong. The drug laws need to either be enforced fairly and completely guaranteeing that no one is doping. He seems to be applying today's business ethics to sports. I think they should go out of their way to make an example of him.

What about the people who should have one? The honest guy who doesn't dope and places 4th when perhaps if the top three weren't doping he would have placed first. We will never know who should have won those races because they were stolen by Lance Armstrong.

If he is allowed to get away with it you may as well make it legal.

In this, our tiny little, often pathetic world, you'd be hard pressed to find any sympathy for his actions and that goes along with this sad little world in which we live... I remember watching the race year after year and thinking something was up - there's no way one person could be that much better than everyone else and there really should have been at least a few challengers out of all the hundreds participating - it really seemed far from credible.

So public sympathy, probably not, but personally, privately, I can't help but feel sorry for the guy, especially since he's a cancer survivor and there's a possibility his cancer may have been from the drugs taken. There is a certain percentage of people that are considering the view that since these drugs do improve performance, then why not take advantage of that if there could be forms of these drugs found that are safe to take and do not cause adverse effects? How is that any different from taking vitamins and minerals and herbs and the like and relentlessly pursuing a goal - where exactly is the line drawn between legal substances and practices and illegal ones?

After seeing all he has been through, remorse is only one of many emotions and things he is dealing with personally - he may not express his remorse the same way many would, but surely, I think he understands that remorse is naturally part of the range of emotions included when one confesses to inappropriate behavior and lieing...