(CNN) -- For nearly six months, Andrew Shirvell, an assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan, has waged an internet campaign against college student Chris Armstrong, the openly gay student assembly president at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 
 
 Using the online moniker "Concerned Michigan Alumnus," Shirvell launched his blog in late April. 
 
 "Welcome to 'Chris Armstrong Watch,'" Shirvell wrote in his inaugural blog post. "This is a site for concerned University of Michigan alumni, students, and others who oppose the recent election of Chris Armstrong -- a RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST, RACIST, ELITIST, & LIAR -- as the new head of student government." 
 
 Among other things, Shirvell has published blog posts that accuse Armstrong of going back on a campaign promise he made to minority students; engaging in "flagrant sexual promiscuity" with another male member of the student government; sexually seducing and influencing "a previously conservative [male] student" so much so that the student, according to Shirvell, "morphed into a proponent of the radical homosexual agenda;" hosting a gay orgy in his dorm room in October 2009; and trying to recruit incoming first year students "to join the homosexual 'lifestyle.' " 
 
 Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has declined to comment directly about Shirvell's comments. 
 
 "Mr. Shirvell's personal opinions are his and his alone and do not reflect the views of the Michigan Department of Attorney General," Cox said in the written statement provided by his office to CNN's "AC 360" Tuesday night. "But his immaturity and lack of judgment outside the office are clear." 
 
 Shirvell said he works on the blog during his off-hours. 
 
 On "AC 360," Shirvell made no apologies for his blog postings, which include a picture of Armstrong with "Resign" written over his face. The same picture also had a swastika superimposed over a gay pride flag, with an arrow pointing toward Armstrong. 
 
 Shirvell acknowledged protesting outside of Armstrong's house and calling him "Satan's representative on the student assembly." 
 
 "I'm a Christian citizen exercising my First Amendment rights," Shirvell told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "I have no problem with the fact that Chris is a homosexual. I have a problem with the fact that he's advancing a radical homosexual agenda." 
 
 Armstrong has supported gender-neutral housing at the university for transgender students who haven't had sexual reassignment surgery. 
 
 Armstrong told CNN he has hired an attorney but did not give details on what legal action he may pursue. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says Armstrong may have grounds for a harassment case. 
 
 CNN's Martina Stewart and Ed Payne contributed to this report. 
 
 Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 8pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here. ||||| Lance Armstrong will pay $5 million to the federal government to settle a fraud lawsuit that contended he owed $100 million to taxpayers for doping while competing for a cycling team sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service. 
 
 The settlement was reached in an agreement announced Thursday with the U.S. Justice Department. 
 
 In addition to the $5 million to be returned to the government, Armstrong also agreed to pay $1.65 million to cover legal costs of Floyd Landis, a former Armstrong teammate and the whistleblower in the case, according to lawyers in the case. 
 
 The agreement was struck before the scheduled May 7 start of a trial over the civil case and ends the last legal action against Armstrong, a cancer survivor and cycling champion who in 2012 was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and barred for life from Olympic sports. 
 
 Armstrong, 46, who recently listed his home in Austin for sale for $7.5 million, expressed delight at resolving the final lawsuit about his admission of doping, making peace with the Postal Service and putting the issue behind him. 
 
 “I am glad to resolve this case and move forward with my life,” Armstrong said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to devoting myself to the many great things in my life — my five kids, my wife, my podcast, several exciting writing and film projects, my work as a cancer survivor, and my passion for sports and competition. There is a lot to look forward to.” 
 
 The Postal Service paid Armstrong’s team $32.3 million between 2000 and 2004 to ride under the service’s blue and white express delivery logo. 
 
 Shortly after Armstrong’s televised admission in 2013 that he had used banned performance-enhancing drugs for years, the Justice Department joined the whistleblower suit brought by Landis, seeking repayment of sponsorship fees plus damages totaling $100 million. 
 
 [Lance Armstrong admits doping in Oprah Winfrey interview] 
 
 The Justice Department in a statement said the settlement showed “no one is above the law,” including Armstrong, whom government attorneys had called “a doper, dealer, and liar” in court filings and a contractor who profited from “years of broken promises.” 
 
 “A competitor who intentionally uses illegal (performance enhancing drugs) not only deceives fellow competitors and fans, but also sponsors, who help make sporting competitions possible,” said the acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil division, Chad A. Readler. 
 
 Landis said the court battle “has been a difficult ordeal and public opinion was not always on my side, but it was the right thing to do, and I am hopeful that some positive changes for cycling and sport in general will be the result.” 
 
 The government alleged that Armstrong’s doping and violation of the rules of his sport nullified his value to the Postal Service brand. 
 
 Armstrong countered that he had delivered tens of millions dollars more in promotional benefits during his historic championship run than what the Postal Service had paid out. 
 
 Each side held to its view even as they closed out their legal battle. 
 
 “It always has been our position that Lance Armstrong misled the Postal Service,” said Thomas J. Marshall, Postal Service general counsel and executive vice president. The case demonstrated “the Postal Service vigorously defends our brand and our position as a trusted government institution,” Marshall said. 
 
 Armstrong said that he continues to view the lawsuit as “without merit and unfair” but that he has tried since 2013 “to take full responsibility for my mistakes, and make amends wherever possible.” 
 
 During his years riding for the federal sponsor, “I rode my heart out for the Postal cycling team, and was always especially proud to wear the red, white and blue eagle on my chest when competing in the Tour de France. Those memories are very real and mean a lot to me.” 
 
 [Will Lance Armstrong’s fraud settlement finally let him move forward?] 
 
 The settlement closes a long and bitterly fought string of sports corruption cases brought by the Justice Department that focused on some of the country’s most celebrated athletes from the early 2000s, before the department turned recently to foreign targets including Russian athletes and the world soccer federation. 
 
 U.S. prosecutors abandoned a more than decade-long pursuit of baseball home run king Barry Bonds after an appeals court in 2015 overturned his lone conviction for obstruction of justice. 
 
 A federal jury in Washington acquitted pitcher and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens in early 2012 of lying to Congress about never having taken performance-enhancing drugs. 
 
 After the Clemens loss, prosecutors closed their criminal investigation into Armstrong without bringing charges. 
 
 But in late 2012, an extensive report from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency — which included testimony by 11 former team members — concluded that Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team “ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen” and named Armstrong the ringleader. 
 
 [USADA says it has ‘conclusive and undeniable proof’ of Lance Armstrong doping conspiracy] 
 
 After years of denials, Armstrong admitted in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey that he had taken banned substances and encouraged others to do so, while orchestrating a coverup of the team’s use of blood transfusions and substances including the hormones testosterone and erythropoietin, known as EPO. 
 
 Thursday’s settlement was reached through talks in mediation after U.S. District Judge Christopher R. “Casey” Cooper handed down a number of rulings ahead of the planned trial. 
 
 Among the rulings was one in February 2017 that let the lawsuit move forward but rejected the government’s claim that no sponsor would have backed Armstrong if the truth about his doping had been known. 
 
 The judge also ruled that U.S. authorities would have to demonstrate the financial harm the Postal Service claimed it suffered through the association with Armstrong. 
 
 Armstrong’s lawyers, led by Elliot Peters, argued that consultants to the Postal Service reported that the service reaped more than $100 million in marketing and other benefits from the cycling sponsorship a decade or so before Armstrong’s doping admission. 
 
 Armstrong’s team said the settlement amount was less than the government spent pursuing him, continuing what they say was USADA’s excessively harsh lifetime ban for doing for what a generation of cyclists at the Tour and athletes in other sports had done with far-less consequences. 
 
 Still, without a deal, Armstrong and his critics risked an ugly trial that could have stretched for weeks in Washington, spotlighted rampant doping in cycling and brought in dozens of figures who had been listed as possible witnesses, including former three-time Tour winner Greg LeMond , Postal Service riders George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, Jonathan Vaughters and Levi Leipheimer . Also called were former teammate Frankie Andreu and his wife, Betsy Andreu, who have contended that when Armstrong was recovering from brain cancer surgery in 1996, he admitted to his doctor in their presence that he used EPO, growth hormones and steroids. 
 
 [Lance Armstrong faces new EPO doping accusation from Tyler Hamilton, denies coverup] 
 
 The trial also threatened to reveal Armstrong’s confidential settlements in recent years with SCA Promotions and Acceptance Insurance, which sought repayment of $13 million in bonuses Armstrong had demanded after his Tour victories; and with the Sunday Times of London, which sought reparations for $1 million it paid Armstrong to settle a libel suit for publishing doping allegations about him, allegations that turned out to be true. 
 
 Landis filed his lawsuit in 2010 accusing Armstrong and other top American former teammates of doping after admitting to having spent $90,000 a year on his own doping regimen and giving up his Tour title. 
 
 Landis brought the lawsuit under the False Claims Act, which allows whistleblowers who expose fraud involving tax money to collect part of any money recovered. Under the settlement, he will receive up to 22 percent of the agreed upon amount, $1.1 million, in addition to legal expenses. 
 
 [Lance Armstrong tries to recycle his image] 
 
 Armstrong has slowly tried to regain public trust and return to the sports world as a commentator, but the lawsuit with its potential $100 million penalty posed a debilitating financial blow. 
 
 He has a weekly podcast, “The Forward,” in which he interviews authors, movie stars and sports figures, and “Stages,” Armstrong’s audio and video analysis of last year’s Tour, was an iTunes hit. He was set to appear at a major one-day cycling race in Belgium three weeks ago, before pulling out citing a family emergency. 
 
 Armstrong’s attorney, Peters, said Armstrong has “a full and good life, ” with his children, including the eldest heading to college, and a longtime girlfriend, Anna Hansen, to whom he is engaged. 
 
 But Armstrong has estimated he lost $100 million by admitting to doping, as longtime sponsors and brands dropped him, including Nike, Michelob, Oakley eyewear maker and Trek Bicycle. The Livestrong Foundation, which supports people with cancer, also cut ties with Armstrong. It was established in 1997 as the Lance Armstrong Foundation. 
 
 Last month, Armstrong put his six-bedroom home in a historic Austin neighborhood up for sale, mainly for lifestyle reasons, his attorney said. 
 
 “But he does have to pull together some funds to pay the government over the next year,” Peters said. 
 
 “Even if Lance as an older guy could compete in an iron man triathlon or a couple of bike races, and people just saw him, and he could be seen in that context, it would help him,” Peters said. “But they really crippled him” by barring him from competing or taking any official role in a sanctioned event in an Olympic sport, Peters said. 
 
 “I hope that people can appreciate and accept him and the truth of his career and life — including what they learned of his performance-enhancing-drug use — as they have been able to do that with a lot of other people,” Peters said. ||||| Story highlights Mike Downey: I haven't a smidgen of sympathy for the dope "pedaler" 
 
 Randy Cohen: If many cycling fans are right, most of the top riders engaged in doping 
 
 Jeff Pearlman: Lance racing again is not truly an option anyway -- he's almost 42 
 
 John Hoberman: Any lifting of his lifetime ban should be based on his total cooperation 
 
 CNN asked for views on whether disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong deserves another chance in light of his apologies to his charity, Livestrong, and his soon-to-be-aired interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which it's widely reported he admitted he used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong is banned from professional cycling for life and was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. 
 
 Join us on Friday from 12-12:30 p.m. ET for a Twitter live chat with Jeff Pearlman on @CNNOpinion about whether Lance Armstrong deserves another chance. Tweet your questions ahead of time using the hashtag #Lance2ndchance. 
 
 Erin O'Hara O'Connor: Apology falls too short 
 
 Public apologies are interesting creatures. If successful, an apology can restore at least some reputation, esteem, and future opportunity, but its potential to be used strategically makes us wary of the wrongdoing. This suspicion likely is greater for the public figure. For public apology, then, the potential upside tends to be huge, but only if a high quality apology can be successfully delivered. 
 
 So far I award Lance Armstrong's apology a grade of B. Scholars identify up to 4 basic requirements of a successful apology: (1) identification of the wrongful act; (2) an expression of remorse; (3) an offer of repair or other atonement; (4) a promise to forbear from such wrongful acts in the future. To what extent did his apology do these things? 
 
 Erin O'Hara O'Connor 
 
 He did well on 1 and 3 in his appearance with Oprah Winfrey. But on the Offer of Repair or Atonement, not quite as well. Armstrong pledges to spend his life trying to win back trust. But he could go further by pledging the remainder of his professional energies to efforts to fight cancer. 
 
 And as to Expression of Remorse, he falls far short of the mark. He has expressed regrets and embarrassment, and his body language and facial expressions conveyed humility, but he avoids owning up to feeling shame. He wishes he could take back returning to the sport because he believes that led to full exposure of his cheating, but he never states that he wishes he could take back the cheating. 
 
 He seems proud of the team's program to use performance-enhancing drugs, and he is too quick to point out that his actions weren't as bad as some alleged. On the other hand, he does seem to express some remorse for treating those around him so badly in his efforts to retain his own image. And although he offers some explanation for his actions, he never suggests that these reasons constitute excuse. 
 
 Should we give Armstrong a second chance? Based on his actions, and his interview so far, I'd say he shouldn't be restored to the status of national hero, and he shouldn't be permitted to compete professionally. We should stop wondering what he is attempting to obtain with his apology. He liability exposure is massive and his athletic career over. 
 
 If we are to take his apology seriously, Armstrong should be required to pay back monies ill-gained. But perhaps he should be restored at least the label of philanthropist, and we should feel comfortable trusting him to work hard to accomplish socially valuable ends in a less competitive environment. Apology and forgiveness are deeply personal, however, even for strangers, so ultimately you will have to judge for yourself. 
 
 Erin O'Hara O'Connor, is a scholar on conflict of laws who has examined the influence of law on apology in dispute resolutions. She is the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law at Vanderbilt Law School 
 
 Mike Downey: No sympathy for the dope "pedaler" 
 
 I was at the Champs-Elysees finish line on July 27, 1986, when the bike of Greg LeMond whizzed by, making him the first American to win the Tour de France. It was a monumental achievement: 210 cyclists, 23 grueling days, long and winding roads, treacherously steep hills. 
 
 Equally hard had to be the abuse LeMond endured in retirement after publicly decrying the sport's hypocrisies and daring to suggest that seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, the All-American boy himself, had not been on the up-and-up. Vilified and disdained, LeMond was treated like a tobacco company's insider who blew the whistle on the industry's methods or like Carl Lewis speculating that his rival Ben Johnson had not won foot races fairly and squarely. As if he had an ax to grind. 
 
 Mike Downey 
 
 I haven't a smidgen of sympathy for Armstrong now that he is exposed for the dope-pedaler -- that's pedal, not peddle -- he truly was. He played the Jean Valjean part of the persecuted man for every franc that it was worth. Let us resist the magnanimous gesture to forgive, forget and give Lance a second (eighth?) chance. He was caught, unlike certain baseball players who have been merely suspected or accused, and has, evidently, confessed. Seven strikes and you're out. 
 
 Professional athletes do exist who 'fess up, serve a suspension, then are welcomed back. They, as with the ballplayers, did disgrace their life's work, yet none single-handedly won their sport's championship with their chicanery. None stood apart as Armstrong did and hogged credit for being a champion, a hero. None won a championship by compelling teammates to also cheat, at risk of being shunned, smeared or dropped from the team. 
 
 I say we say goodbye for good to Monsieur Armstrong, farewell, adieu. Off to Elba and exile with you, you rogue. Vive LeMond. 
 
 Mike Downey is a former columnist for The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. 
 
 To Armstrong's critics, doping admission would be sweet 
 
 Frida Ghitis: He still has a chance to redeem himself 
 
 Lance Armstrong's story of triumph over adversity captured the imagination of millions around the world, including people like me, who don't usually spend a lot of time absorbed in following sports news. That's because Armstrong's achievements -- recovering from cancer and then breaking records in the cycling world -- made him a source of inspiration, an icon of hope. 
 
 They also made his lies all the more disappointing. 
 
 Frida Ghitis 
 
 Over the years we heard the accusations that he was cheating, and we heard his denials. We wanted to believe him. We wanted to believe that a man, a person, can soar above physical obstacles on the strength of sheer determination. We wanted to believe that if it was true for him, it could be true for us and for our loved ones. 
 
 Armstrong didn't just lie about cycling. He didn't just lie once or twice. He lied for a decade, and he deceived all those who found inspiration in him. His debt and his atonement are not limited to the cycling world or to sports. 
 
 Armstrong still has a chance to redeem himself. But he should do it in the arena where he had the greatest impact. He became famous because he spoke to all of us about being human. He should make a new career of speaking out about the cost of living a lie. 
 
 Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer and correspondent, she is the author of "The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television." Follow her on Twitter: @FridaGColumns 
 
 Randy Cohen: All big-time cyclists who doped should confess 
 
 The important ethical question isn't whether Lance deserves a second chance. Chance to do what? Cheat in seven more Tours? Lie about it seven more times? Bully seven more teammates into doping? He behaved badly and is rightly censured. 
 
 But that should be the beginning, not the end, of this disheartening story. There's a lot more blame to go around. Cycling's governing bodies also have an ethical duty, and that's to provide a setting in which honest athletes can participate. 
 
 Randy Cohen 
 
 If many cycling fans are right, most of the top riders engaged in doping. You simply can't compete against them without doing the same. What was Lance to do? Quit the sport? And who inherits his Tour titles? Some other cheat? 
 
 It would be thrilling if one by one, they declined in a Spartacus moment -- an honest, I-am-drugged-Spartacus moment. This is a community problem; it demands community solutions. Unless those who run big-time cycling institute real reforms, Lance's fall will be merely a celebrity scandal, and there's little good in that. 
 
 Randy Cohen wrote The Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine till 2011, and he is a former writer for "Late Night With David Letterman." His latest book is "Be Good: How to Navigate the Ethics of Everything." 
 
 Roxanne Jones: He's not trustworthy 
 
 When my son comes to me with a guilty apology for some horrible-at-the-time wrong he's done, of course, I forgive him - over and over again. That's a mother's love. If my partner asks forgiveness for a wrong turn he's taken, I look a little closer at the root of his sincerity. If it's there he gets a second shot, too, if he's worth my trust again. 
 
 But Lance Armstrong, who maliciously lied for more than a decade, who I watched from my sideline seat in sports try to crush the voice of anyone who dared to call him a cheater. No, he gets no second chance from me. There are too many reasons to question his apology. Is he trying to stave off fleeing endorsement dollars? Save his LiveStrong Foundation? Avoid paying back all the sponsors he defrauded? He could at least pay back the U.S. Postal Service, especially if those are taxpayer dollars. 
 
 Roxanne Jones 
 
 I've had it with these public crying-after-you-caught apologies. Armstrong has had a decade of second chances to come clean but he was too arrogant, too caught up in his God-like stature. And now, he should live strong among us mere mortals and show the world - his supporters and his doubters what kind of man he really is when the cameras are off. 
 
 Roxanne Jones is a founding editor of ESPN The Magazine and a former vice president at ESPN. She is a national lecturer on sports, entertainment and women's topics and a recipient of the 2010 Woman of the Year award from Women in Sports and Events. She is the author of "Say It Loud: An Illustrated History of the Black Athlete" (Random House) and is CEO of Push Media Strategies and is working on her second book. 
 
 Jeff Pearlman: He's almost 42, forget about it 
 
 Back when I was 8 or 9, my parents took me to my first trip to Disney World. I remember Space Mountain, and I remember Mickey Mouse's enormous head. For some reason, though, what I remember most is a sign posted within the borders of Epcot. It read: If you can dream it, you can do it. 
 
 "Dad," I said, "I dream of being 8-feet tall. But that'll never happen ..." 
 
 "Well, son ..." 
 
 "And, Dad, I dream of being able to fly just like Superman. But that'll never happen ..." 
 
 Jeff Pearlman 
 
 "Son, the thing is ..." 
 
 "And Dad, I'd really like to win an Olympic gold medal for my Joanie Cunningham impersonation, but ..." 
 
 "Son," my father said, "It's a sign. It's just a damn sign." 
 
 Sigh. 
 
 Throughout Lance Armstrong's recent fight to prove he hadn't cheated, and throughout the plights of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire and the alleged PED abuses of dozens upon dozens of others, I've often thought about that day at Disney and, specifically, of that sign. 
 
 As a boy, it spoke to me as a kid longing for greatness. Maybe, just maybe, I can accomplish anything. Maybe ... 
 
 As a sportswriter who has chronicled much of the past two decades, however, it strikes me as foolish nonsense. As Armstrong's recent admission shows, the words must be altered to -- if you can dream it, you can do it -- as long as you leave your ethics at the door and cheat your ass off and don't mind throwing your supporters under a bus. 
 
 That, now, is the sad, pathetic legacy of men such as Armstrong and Bonds. Once upon a time, they dreamed of doing wonderful things: Of hitting baseballs 500 miles; of speeding down the largest mountains; of being special. Then, however, they learned (as we all do) that we are bound by the confines of humanity. Within the rules and regulations, there is only so strong. There is only so fast. There is only so big. Hence, one can either accept his lot in life and put out the best possible effort, or he can cheat and lie and enjoy the temporary fruits while trying to avoid the inevitable plummet. 
 
 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – After denying the allegations for years, cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Click through the gallery for a look at his life and career. Hide Caption 1 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong, 17, competes in the Jeep Triathlon Grand Prix in 1988. He became a professional triathlete at age 16 and joined the U.S. National Cycling Team two years later. Hide Caption 2 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France in 1995. He finished the race for the first time that year, ending in 36th place. Hide Caption 3 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong rides at the Ikon Ride for the Roses to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation in May 1998. He established the foundation to benefit cancer research after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. After treatment, he was declared cancer-free in February 1997. Hide Caption 4 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong leads his teammates during the final stage of the 1999 Tour de France. Hide Caption 5 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong takes his honor lap on the Champs-Élysées in Paris after winning the Tour de France for the first time in 1999. Hide Caption 6 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – After winning the 2000 Tour de France, Armstrong holds his son Luke on his shoulders. Hide Caption 7 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong rides during the 18th stage of the 2001 Tour de France. He won the tour that year for the third consecutive time. Hide Caption 8 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong celebrates winning the 10th stage of the Tour de France in 2001. Hide Caption 9 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – After winning the 2001 Tour de France, Armstrong presents President George W. Bush with a U.S. Postal Service yellow jersey and a replica of the bike he used to win the race. Hide Caption 10 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong celebrates on the podium after winning the Tour de France by 61 seconds in 2003. Hide Caption 11 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Jay Leno interviews Armstrong on "The Tonight Show" in 2003. Hide Caption 12 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – After his sixth consecutive Tour de France win, Armstrong attends a celebration in his honor in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Hide Caption 13 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong arrives at the 2005 American Music Awards in Los Angeles with then-fiancee Sheryl Crow. The couple never made it down the aisle, splitting up the following year. Hide Caption 14 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong holds up a paper displaying the number seven at the start of the Tour de France in 2005. He went on to win his seventh consecutive Tour de France. Hide Caption 15 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong testifies during a Senate hearing in 2008 on Capitol Hill. The hearing focused on finding a cure for cancer in the 21st century. Hide Caption 16 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – In 2009, Armstrong suffered a broken collarbone after falling during a race in Spain. Hide Caption 17 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Young Armstrong fans write messages on the ground ahead of the 2009 Tour de France. He came in third place that year. Hide Caption 18 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong launches the three-day Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. The event was organized by his foundation. Hide Caption 19 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – In May 2010, Armstrong crashes during the Amgen Tour of California. That same day, he denied allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis. Hide Caption 20 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong looks back as he rides during the 2010 Tour de France. Hide Caption 21 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong's son Luke; his twin daughters, Isabelle and Grace; and his 1-year-old son, Max, stand outside the Radio Shack team bus on a rest day during the 2010 Tour de France. Hide Caption 22 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong finished 23rd in the 2010 Tour de France. He announced his retirement from the world of professional cycling in February 2011. He said he wanted to devote more time to his family and the fight against cancer. Hide Caption 23 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – The frame of Armstrong's bike is engraved with the names of his four children at the time and the Spanish word for five, "cinco." His fifth child, Olivia, was born in October 2010. Hide Caption 24 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong competes in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Panama City, Florida, in February 2012. He went on to claim two Half Ironman triathlon titles by June of that year. Hide Caption 25 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – Armstrong addresses participants at the Livestrong Challenge Ride on October 21, 2012, days after he stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer charity. Hide Caption 26 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid announces the decision to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France wins and ban him from the tournament for life on October 22, 2012. "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," he said. Hide Caption 27 of 28 28 photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall Lance Armstrong's rise and fall – In January 2013, Armstrong speaks with Oprah Winfrey about the controversy surrounding his cycling career. He admitted, unequivocally and for the first time, that he used performance-enhancing drugs while competing. Hide Caption 28 of 28 
 
 Do I think he should be allowed to race again? No. Lance Armstrong racing again is not truly an option anyway -- he's almost 42. 
 
 Just the same, I am thrilled that he has -- at long last -- begun to come clean. There are lessons to be learned here, beyond those pertaining to cycling. And day's end, when the cheering has stopped, there is something to be said for trying your best, even if your best doesn't result in triumph. 
 
 There is empowerment in knowing you gave your all. There is satisfaction in achieving your own PR. There is the sense of community and camaraderie that comes in the aftermath of a sporting event. Cold beers, casual conversation, sore muscles -- bliss. 
 
 Armstrong and Bonds forgot that long ago. For them, it was all -- and only --about winning. They got lost in a corrupt world of enhancers and boosters and had their heads turned by the fame and accolades and money. 
 
 Now, though, they are outcasts. They are the tombstones of long-ago dreams. 
 
 Jeff Pearlman is the author of "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton." He blogs at jeffpearlman.com. Follow him on Twitter. 
 
 Kevin Powell: We all have our flaws 
 
 I see the Lance Armstrong story as a tragedy and an opportunity. It's a tragedy because he lied for so long to many people. Lying is not the way to live one's life, ever, especially if you've positioned yourself as a role model and a hero. But I am not here to judge nor convict him. We all have our flaws, we all fall short as human beings. So, yes, I do think anyone can be redeemed, and should be given another chance if he shows true remorse and make amends for his bad deeds. 
 
 Kevin Powell 
 
 Armstrong has a window of opportunity to help clean up doping in cycling and in sports in general, and he must do so while taking total ownership of his role. He must set that kind of an example. 
 
 Kevin Powell is the author of "Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and The Ghost of Dr. King: Blogs and Essays." 
 
 Oprah interview won't reduce sanctions against Armstrong, officials say 
 
 Wayne Norman: Like a convenience store robbery that goes wrong 
 
 Lance knows that a quick mea culpa is not enough -- otherwise, he would have admitted to doping long ago. Instead, he made a calculated gamble that he could preserve his reputation and brand by lying, defrauding corporate sponsors, impugning the authorities pursuing him and actively slandering and suing honest whistle-blowers who stood in his way. 
 
 That bet has not paid off. 
 
 Wayne Norman 
 
 Like a convenience store robbery that goes wrong and leads to a hostage-taking and a high-speed chase, Lance's doping is by far the least of his transgressions. A highly calculated confession about the doping still looks like Lance gambling to advance his interests. Former fans will need contrition and a sense that he genuinely regrets the gamble. Those he slandered and defrauded should demand even more. 
 
 Lance cannot get another chance as an athlete at this point. That would make a mockery of all sporting rules and their enforcement. When you've been that blatantly dishonest, it won't be easy to convince people to trust you again. 
 
 Wayne Norman is the Mike & Ruth Mackowski professor of ethics at Duke University. 
 
 John Eustice: Armstrong can make a deal and get leeway 
 
 What Lance has, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency wants, and Lance is not going to give it to them unless he gets his (athletic) life back. USADA knows that Lance stands at the nexus of two distinct cultures, two completely different mindsets: The ideals and dreams of Olympic sport and the harsh, ratings-driven business of the professional game. 
 
 They view this conquest of Lance as their great chance to have the Olympic vision triumph over the cynicism of the pros. But they need his cooperation to win. 
 
 John Eustice 
 
 Despite the admitting of pros into the Olympic Games, in truth, the two cultures do not mesh. Pro sports are businesses where talent, ratings and the subsequent cash flows from them, must be protected just as in any other entertainment business. 
 
 USADA needs to understand how the professional mentality has "infected" the Olympic movement, and Lance is the key. Was he protected by the International Cycling Union? Was the Tour de France involved? Did it go even higher that that? 
 
 USADA makes deals. If Lance can provide them with information on the underground system that fuels athletes worldwide, and explain, for example, how of the 6,000 drugs tests given at the London Games, only one came back positive, allowing him to participate in some triathlons seems a very small price to pay. 
 
 Cycling analyst John Eustice was one of the pioneer Americans to break into the world of European pro cycling. He co-founded and captained the first American team to race in the Tour of Italy, and is a two-time United States Professional Champion. 
 
 John Hoberman: Is it possible to acquire a conscience overnight? 
 
 The report that Lance Armstrong choked up during his apology to Livestrong Foundation employees earlier this week would seem to mark an abrupt departure from the cold, calculating and manipulative personality he has displayed throughout his celebrated athletic career. 
 
 Having closely followed the Armstrong saga as a doping researcher, I have come to doubt whether this is man is capable of genuine contrition. One can only imagine the apologetic telephone calls he has been making to the former teammates and other victims he persecuted, threatened, bullied and slandered over so many years. 
 
 John Hoberman 
 
 Is it really possible to acquire a conscience overnight? Can a person who has long-demonstrated reckless self-assertion, a lack of empathy, coldheartedness, egocentricity, superficial charm and irresponsibility suddenly repent after months of hostile intransigence? 
 
 One is tempted to say no, since this ensemble of traits bears a disturbing similarity to the psychopathic personality. Let us hope that Armstrong is capable of leaving his old self behind and building a healthier personal identity. 
 
 Any lifting of his lifetime ban from officially recognized competitions should be made contingent on his absolute and total cooperation with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency. Armstrong must demonstrate some good faith by revealing everything he knows about the illicit trade in doping drugs as well as the cynical and opportunistic doctors who have profited from these corrupt arrangements. 
 
 John Hoberman teaches at the University of Texas at Austin and is the author of "Mortal Engines: The Science of Performance and the Dehumanization of Sport." He was a consultant in 2005 for the SCA Promotions of Dallas, the insurance company demanding that Lance Armstrong repay a total of $7.5 million it paid to him in Tour de France bonuses. 
 
 Shawn Klein: If he cooperates, maybe the lifetime ban could be reduced 
 
 After years of adamant denials and protestations of his innocence, Lance Armstrong has reportedly come forward to admit his use of prohibited performance enhancing drugs. If Armstrong is sincerely contrite and forthright in his apology, most people, including myself, will forgive him for his use of prohibited drugs. 
 
 He cheated in a sport known for its widespread cheating; that doesn't justify his use but it does put his actions into an understandable context that makes it easier to excuse the use. Further, if Armstrong cooperates with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, his lifetime ban from cycling ought to be reduced to something more reasonable. 
 
 Shawn Klein 
 
 The more troubling aspects of the Armstrong case are the allegations that he harassed and intimidated team members and potential whistle-blowers. Violating the arbitrary rules of a sport shows a character flaw and poor judgment, but it is hard to see who else is truly harmed by such actions. But to threaten, intimidate and coerce others (either to use performance enhancing drugs themselves or to cover up his team's use) causes real harm. 
 
 Even if only some of these reports are accurate, Armstrong will have to do more than sit on Oprah's couch to earn forgiveness. 
 
 Shawn Klein teaches at the Department of Philosophy and Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship at Rockford College in Illinois and writes the Sportsethicist blog. 
 
 What do you think? Join us on Friday from 12-12:30 p.m. ET for a live Twitter chat with Jeff Pearlman on @CNNOpinion about whether Lance Armstrong deserves another chance. Tweet your questions ahead of time using the hashtag #Lance2ndchance. 
 
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– Andrew Shirvell is a “concerned alumnus” of the University of Michigan, and oh—he also happens to be the assistant attorney general of Michigan, which makes his extracurricular hobby even more disturbing. For almost six months, Shirvell has been running “Chris Armstrong Watch,” a blog campaigning against Chris Armstrong, the University of Michigan’s first openly gay student assembly president. Samples of Shirvell’s opinions: a picture of Armstrong with a swastika pasted over it, a post calling him a “racist, elitist liar,” and a comment that he’s “Satan’s representative on the student assembly.” Shirvell accuses Armstrong of recruiting incoming students “to join the homosexual ‘lifestyle,’” and even convincing one “previously conservative student” to do just that (by seducing him). He also claims Armstrong hosted a gay orgy in his dorm room, among other things, CNN reports. Shirvell says he writes the blog during non-work hours; even so, the attorney general issued a statement referring to Shirvell’s “immaturity and lack of judgment.” Speaking to Anderson Cooper recently, Shirvell offered no apologies. Watch the interview in the gallery.