People believe that they "know" a celebrity even though they have very, very limited true knowledge of what that person is truly all about. The Lance-haters aren't the only ones who do this of course, the Lance-fans are just as guilty, i.e. basing a belief on limited information. As far as the event that the OP attended, remember that Lance Armstrong (besides being a great bicycle racer) is a consummate spokesperson for both his foundation and his corporate sponsors. Realistically, would anyone really expect his behavior at a corporate event to be anything less than a class act?