Athletes May Be in Denial, but Fans Aren’t

As much as fans want to believe Lance Armstrong, who denied a report this week in a French newspaper that he’d used a banned substance before winning his first Tour de France, they may have doubts, thanks to a troubling theme resonating through the world of sports.

“It should fill us with righteous anger when a French newspaper calls Lance Armstrong, bona fide American hero, a cheater,” writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “[But] the sad truth is that we can’t get angry for Armstrong because we simply can’t trust anyone anymore. We’ve heard every sort of excuse. ... We’ve watched superstars lie to Congress. We’ve heard all the carefully worded alibis and explanations....

“If we can’t simply accept Armstrong’s word, blame Marion Jones and Rafael Palmeiro and Bill Romanowski and Kelli White and Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.”

The trouble with trying to believe Armstrong, Sheridan concludes, “is that everything he’s saying, we’ve heard before.”

Trivia time: On this day in 1988, the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2. What was especially significant about that triumph?

Hair-raising: The NCAA may consider it hostile, but the Mohawk look is the rage in Green Bay. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Packer running back Najeh Davenport, who formerly wore dreadlocks, asked receiver Antonio Chatman to give him the new style.

Chatman, who cuts hair for many of the players, then gave himself the same look. Then cornerback Ahmad Carroll requested it and now, Davenport said, “Everybody says they’re going to get it.”

Brett Favre with a Mohawk?

Coincidence? Ryan Franklin of the Seattle Mariners has made three starts since returning from a 10-game suspension for steroid use. He lost each game, giving up at least 10 hits each time. The total of 33 hits tied a team record for three games.

“I can do better,” he told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Now he tells us: Linda Robertson of the Miami Herald, in response to Diego Maradona’s acknowledgment that it was not the “hand of God” but his fist that punched the ball into the net to help Argentina beat England, 2-1, during a 1986 World Cup quarterfinal:

“Maradona’s revelation was about as timely as cigarette companies’ admission that smoking is hazardous to your health.”

Serves ‘em right: Maradona, who ‘fessed up Monday during his talk show in Buenos Aires, also implied he was getting even for the Falklands War, won by England over Argentina. Maradona is quoted as saying: “I told my teammates, ‘He who robs a thief is pardoned for 100 years.’ ”

Trivia answer: It was Tom Lasorda’s 1,000th victory as Dodger manager.

And finally: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle: “My money’s on the Kansas City Chiefs this year. Their kicker, Lawrence Tynes, was charged with breaking a bouncer’s nose in a bar fight, and defensive tackle Junior Siavii and defensive back Greg Wesley were arrested after a drunken confrontation with police at another bar.”