America Land of the Free, Home of the Brave (Liars)

It's been a week where sporting stories of heroism and battling against the odds have proven to be just stories.

America and the world is bracing itself for the two-part special interview between Oprah Winfrey and Lance Armstong - attention has been sparked like a wildfire since reports emerged that Lance Armstrong admitted that he did dope to Oprah.

That is probably not really surprising although it is still quite a shock to hear it from the man who was once considered the most successful Tour de France cyclist of all time. The shock perhaps emanating from the fact that Armstrong had fought for so long to maintain his innocence, even lying under oath; which could very well land him in jail along with the other lawsuits that have been raging on for years against the proud Texan.

Mellow Johnny's, the bike shop in Austin, owned by Armstrong himself

Mellow Johnny's is expected to remove the 7 yellow jerseys now that their former idol and hero has confessed that he has been a liar all this time.

But amidst the furore around Lance Armstrong, another scandal is emerging in American sport with the news that Notre Dame linebacker, Manti Teo's girlfriend, Lennay Kekua did not in fact die of leukemia on the same day as Manti's grandmother and well actually did not even exist.

For those who didn't know, Manti Teo charmed America with his story of battling the odds to front up for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish just days after his apparent double personal tragedy - the Irish won that game on the back of an inspirational performance by their so-called captain en route to finishing their regular college football season unbeaten and booking a place in the National Championship game.

Manti's "girlfriend", Lennay Kekua

Teo's efforts put him in contention for college football's most illustrious trophy, the Heisman Trophy which he eventually lost to Johnny Manziel. It was controversial amongst Notre Dame fans initially as the freshman Texas A & M quarterback, known to many as Johnny "Football" had been arrested for drink driving earlier in the campaign while Manti Teo, the apparently clean Mormon had battled so much in the season and being in his senior year, should have been favourite to win the Heisman.

Alas it turns out his tragedy was all fake and much as Manti was part of an elaborate and tasteless hoax, you have to wonder when and how much Manti knew about his girlfriend who never was, and yet allowed this hoax to deserve a whole nation and possibly tarnish his reputation for good.

But why do Americans seem keen to lie just to enhance their careers? I think you've got to blame the media and the culture there which really hypes up a hero, one who has defied the odds to win. The American media loves a feel-good underdog story - why do Americans love stories like Rudy or We Are Marshall? Look at the coverage Kate Middleton got when she got married to Prince William? Because Americans have long extolled the battler and the media in recent times has kept paying heaps for that next rags to riches story.

These stories are inspiring and most of them have substance but it appears that in our quest for the next underdog story, some of us would go as far as lying or cheating just to be recognised by society as a champion or hero.