Despite the otherwise massive ego that I carry in other aspects of my life, I have come to terms with the fact that when it comes to my opinions, I am merely a lowly sports writer. My job is not to condemn or condone the lives of other people or establish some sort superior moral ethos. The purpose of this article is not to defend the actions of perceived criminals, but rather to enlighten the few readers of this column about the sort of hypocritical nature of journalists. My work involves reporting what I see on the field or giving my opinion in the athletic realm. However, in light of recent headlines, I have decided to talk about something more important than a team or a sport. Just about everyone knows that athletes are not always moral exemplars. For every Dwyane Wade, there are hundreds of Doc Goodens.
Everything from gambling rings to steroid allegations is in the news right now. But there is a distinct difference between crimes of this nature and what was alleged against the Duke men’s lacrosse team. These allegations do not involve integrity of the game, but rather their own personal reputation as human beings.
For those who don’t know already, members of the Blue Devil lacrosse team have been charged with raping and beating a stripper who was hired to perform at a March 13 team party. Monday, tests confirmed that none of the players’ DNA was found on the alleged victim. While this does not discredit the case completely, the defense will have an enormously tough time proving guilt on the part of any team member. The story has received much national media attention, stealing front-page headlines from Durham to Denver. What is so shocking to me is how the press had conducted itself before the recent results of the test. Every talking head was eager to label these kids as what is wrong with society today.
This hasn’t been the first time it has happened in the sports world. Kobe Bryant was accused of rape a couple of years ago, and some members of the media still hold it against him even though the case never made it to trial.
Bryant is innocent in the eyes of the law, but every detractor won’t hesitate to use the allegations against him as if he were convicted.
Well, so what-the media needs someone to write about, right? Why not sensationalize accounts to bring down the name of an NBA star or, in Duke’s case, a prestigious academic institution? The star-player-raping-the-girl-next-door angle sells papers, so why not work that? The fact of the matter is that these athletes are humans like the rest of us, and wrongful claims can hurt their reputation for the rest of their lives.
Just ask Bryant or Duke’s lacrosse coach, who had to resign. And if the media is looking for a pariah to pick on, there are a couple out there right now playing in games and collecting millions of dollars, neither of whom has had to deal with the fallout that Bryant has or Duke will.
Leonard Little of the St. Louis Rams should be in jail. A bold statement, I know, but considering his past I don’t understand why people have let him get away with what he has done. There was much media coverage of Little when his manslaughter case for drunk driving became public. Little came off as apologetic and sincere and was sentenced to probation for the death of Susan Gutweiler. He also had a court-ordered 90 days in prison and community service hours to complete. The NFL suspended him for eight games. Two years after his probation term was over, Little was pulled over again for drunk driving. It hardly made national news. He is still on the Rams.
Ruben Patterson of the Denver Nuggets, by way of the Portland Jailblazers, is another athlete who could very well be behind bars. He has enjoyed a bit of a career resurgence this year, sparking Denver’s second unit off the bench. However, his sordid past has pretty much gone unnoticed by the media and the Nuggets. Patterson is a registered sex offender, after he attempted to rape his child’s nanny, and has an extensive criminal record. Ironically, Patterson, who dubbed himself the “Kobe-stopper,” has not had anyone stop him, including the law, from making his living.
Why is this the case? These are men who have seemed to slip through the cracks of the media’s seemingly unending search for the latest appalling act. If Little or Patterson were a player like Bryant, would they be subject to the same national attention that Duke is now receiving? I may be a lowly sports writer, but even I know that some type of atrocity is going on right now every time Little or Patterson laces up for a game, while athletes like those on Duke’s lacrosse team get their names run through the mud.
