Last week, as I was on my way to school, I was listening to one of my favorite sports talk shows, The Jim Rome Show.

Normally, I wouldn’t bring this up, but I’m mentioning it because Rome had a very intriguing and interesting guest on his show: Tyler Hamilton.

Hamilton was a teammate of Lance Armstrong’s on the U.S. Postal cycling team. Hamilton was an Olympic gold medalist and competed in the Tour de France with Armstrong.

Hamilton was on the show promoting his new upcoming book, “The Secret Race,” which chronicles his nearly decade-long experience of doping, EPO use and fraudulent blood transfusions.

The book is about cheating in the worst way, but more importantly, it also sheds light on the doping of one of the most highly decorated athletes in the sport of cycling, Armstrong.

The allegations in Hamilton’s book are a salacious look at the real Armstrong, a man who deceived the general public and his teammates, lied to countless fans and used the notoriety of a valiant recovery from cancer to cash in on instant fame.

Hamilton’s book comes on the heels of Armstrong’s decision to end his long-time feud with a United States Anti-Doping Agency investigation that alleges his use of performance-enhancing drugs. The result of the USADA probe ended up with Armstrong being stripped of all seven Tour De France titles and a lifetime ban from competitive cycling.

During the last few years, Armstrong has been the hero who everybody has cheered for. His athletic accomplishments in one of the most grueling and physically demanding sporting events placed him in the pantheon of greatness.

More importantly, though, Armstrong has been the face of cancer awareness in the U.S. and around the world. His personal victory against this dreaded disease turned him from an athletic legend to a cultural icon. He was the best role model that parents would want for their child; he was the person we all rooted for.

But now, Armstrong has left us with nothing to root for. As it turns out, he is one of the biggest frauds in the history of sports.

While talking with Rome, Hamilton disclosed how Armstrong would intimidate, threaten and bully others who questioned his integrity and character. Hamilton also mentioned Armstrong was the ringleader of a doping scandal that tore at the seams of professional cycling. Does this sound like the Armstrong we have known all these years?

I have been one of the many ardent supporters of Armstrong during his little brouhaha. I wanted to believe that certain people were after his fame and his money. I wanted to believe that a symbol of hope and perseverance to so many was being defamed because of what he stood for. But now, my hope in Armstrong has withered away.

And the hope that the general public had in him has disappeared as well. Last week, three of Armstrong’s major sponsors — Nike, Anheuser-Busch and bike manufacturer Trek — dropped their endorsement. The only company still standing firm with Armstrong is Livestrong, the corporation he started to help cancer victims and survivors.

Regardless of what is and isn’t true, Armstrong’s image has been damaged beyond repair. The philanthropic and caring individual I rooted for is now a disgrace. After all of his posturing and denial, Armstrong is nothing more than a con man. He sure had everyone fooled.

I’m sure there are those around the country who still support him — and believe him. And I can’t blame them for that. Sometimes, it’s hard to let go of a hero.