Movie Review

New 30 for 30 doc Lance gives fallen cyclist a chance to tell his story

In typical Lance Armstrong fashion, the new 30 for 30 documentary Lance starts off fiery and rarely lets up over its 3+ hour running time (part one aired on ESPN on May 24, part two will air on May 31). The hypercompetitive personality that led Armstrong to win at all costs is on display at almost all times, even when he goes into great detail about exactly what he did to get ahead.

Armstrong, of course, is the world-famous professional cyclist who, after a bout with testicular cancer in 1996, came back to win seven straight Tour de France races, the most prestigious event in the sport. From the moment he came back, though, allegations that he was using performance-enhancing drugs dogged him, especially because the sport had just been rocked by a doping scandal the year before.

Directed by Marina Zenovich, who’s taken on such figures as Roman Polanski, Richard Pryor, and Robin Williams, the film feels as close to the unvarnished truth as we are likely to get from a man as complicated as Lance Armstrong. In a film full of interviews from those in and around the cycling world, he is given by far the most amount of screen time, explaining when he cheated, why he cheated, and the lengths that he went to cover it up.

The film takes a vaguely chronological route, with current-day interviews with Armstrong; fellow cyclists George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, and Bobby Julich, among others; cycling writers, family, friends, and a host of others. The first half of the film details his rise in the sport from a young gun out of Plano, Texas, his early domination in the professional ranks, his bout with cancer, and his comeback in 1999 to win his first Tour de France.

To his credit, there is absolutely no denial or equivocation about the drugs that he took during his career. He admits that he started doping at 21, well before his Tour de France wins, and makes no bones about his reasons for doing so. As corroborated by almost everyone else in the film, the cycling world at the time was one where using performance-enhancing drugs was a common practice, and if you weren’t doping, you weren’t going to win.

This fact is only one of many with which the viewer must wrestle when watching the film. We build our heroes up onto pedestals, and when they betray us, we are only too happy to tear them down. But no person’s life is black-and-white, and it’s how we deal with the gray areas that demonstrates our ability to accept both the good and bad of the world.

For those who don’t mind profanity, the film is best watched in its uncensored version, as the language that Armstrong uses is essential to understanding the type of person he was and continues to be. Even though he now freely admits to his wrongdoing when for years he would issue lie after lie, he remains a person who still holds grudges and can’t accept those he feels have gone against him or those he loves.

The second half of the film deals with his six other Tour de France wins and the growing suspicion against him, but it also talks about the formation of the Lance Armstrong Foundation/Livestrong and its impact on the world. It can be difficult to reconcile the coexistence of the two seemingly opposite pursuits, but the good that Livestrong has done and continues to do should not be undercut by the actions of the man who started it.

One of the journalists interviewed in the film expresses skepticism that the documentary is only being made as a way to resurrect Armstrong’s reputation. But Zenovich is unsparing, asking all the tough questions, no matter how uncomfortable they make Armstrong or other subjects. In the end, you’re either willing to let an admitted cheater back into society or you’re not. Nothing in the film absolves him of blame, but nothing condemns him to life as a pariah, either.

Lance Armstrong in Lance.

Lance Armstrong in Lance

Photo courtesy of ESPN_DLP Media Group

Lance Armstrong in Lance.

The grass will be greener

AT&T Stadium glows pretty in pink as World Cup field takes root

Dallas Stadium pitch for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Photo courtesy of FIFA

Grass grow-lights suspended from the ceiling at AT&T Stadium are turning the pitch pink.

FIFA officials unveiled the soccer pitch taking shape at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for 2026 World Cup matches, and the most noticeable feature is that it's ... pink. At least for now.

Much like pink-hued LED lights that make indoor gardens grow at home, giant grow lights have been suspended from the ceiling to promote photosynthesis, as the stadium's retractable roof does not allow enough sunlight for grass to grow.

The innovative roof-suspended light system (which allows for lights to be raised or lowered) is the first of its kind for FIFA, says Ewen Hodge, FIFA World Cup 2026 head of pitch infrastructure. AT&T Stadium is the only 2026 World Cup venue employing the technology.

FIFA pitch, Dallas Stadium The lights are suspended on 18 rigs, which can be raised and lowered over the field.Photo courtesy of FIFA

"They've never been hung from the ceiling before," Hodge says. "Typically these systems have a set of wheels that they're wheeled in and out of the facility and these are able to be lifted up, and that means that we have one less thing on the field."

For soccer newbies, the "pitch" is the official term for the rectangular field where a match is played. And in FIFA World Cup world, that field is real grass - not the artificial turf that the Cowboys play on. It is 105 meters by 68 meters, which roughly converts to 115 yards by 75 yards.

Pitch prep at "Dallas Stadium," which AT&T Stadium will be called during World Cup, started about two months ago, Hodge says.

They started by installing ventilation and irrigations systems above the stadium's concrete floor, then laid down several inches of sand to support the natural grass surface - a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass grown and shipped from Colorado, he says.

Dallas Stadium, World Cup pitch The pitch is a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass, and there's a layer of sand underneath.Photo courtesy of FIFA

Nylon fibers are being stitched into the grass using specialized machinery to help reinforce the field.

A team of about 25 workers is mowing and irrigating daily, Hodge says, to ensure the grass will be ready and healthy for the first game (Netherlands vs Japan) on June 14. During matches, the grow-lights will be taken up 290 feet into the ceiling so they will not create sight lines, says Tod Martin, general manager of AT&T Stadium.

Between the nine matches that will be played at the stadium, the grow-lights will come back down from the ceiling, and grass will be fertilized, monitored for diseases, and adjustments will be made.

"We always say that our days from the pitch management side are busier than a match day," Hodge says. "On a match day, we're doing a mow and getting the line marks out there, so it's the final touches so we're ready for the game."

Dallas Stadium, World Cup pitch Nylon fibers are being stitched into the grass using specialized machinery to help reinforce the field. Photo courtesy of FIFA

Maintaining a grass standard across all venues for the World Cup tournament is a major challenge due to the climate differences between each city, he says.

Hodge, a New Zealand native, first visited AT&T Stadium in March 2023 to begin planning how the venue would accommodate a World Cup-caliber pitch. To gather ideas, AT&T Stadium's Martin traveled to Wembley Stadium in England, where he met with officials to learn firsthand how they manage one of the world's most famous soccer fields.

"They're impressive. It was a sight to see for sure," Martin says.

"Test games" at AT&T Stadium have been used to evaluate things like how the field feels under the players' feet and how fast the ball travels, Hodge says.

World Cup pitch, Dallas Stadium The field is longer and wider than it would be for an NFL game to allow for things like corner kicks.Photo courtesy of FIFA

By the numbers, Martin offered, the pitch at the stadium has involved 10 contractors, 45,000 man hours, 15,000 tons of materials hauled in, and 24 refrigerated trucks to transport the pitch from Colorado; the grass came in four-foot-wide rolls, 50 feet long.

The biggest installation challenges, Martin says, involved structural modifications to the stadium, including extending the field into the patio suites. "We had to take out roughly three feet in our corners to get a little bit more room for those corner kicks," he says.

After the tournament, Martin says, the grass will be taken out and recycled by a contractor for other projects.

pitch world cup arlington stadium at&t stadium fifa world cup 2026 soccer sports

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