Tappress - The Post-Scandal Legacies of Sports Heroes

June 1, 2010

Tarnished Crowns and Crooked Halos: The Post-Scandal Legacies of Sports Heroes

By: Erin O'Brien

Tappress

 
After the media storms that surround our favorite athletes in the midst of a very un-sports-related scandal subsides, the next step they have to make is to pick up the pieces and attempt to put their lives back together.  Some parts may be much easier to repair, such as the ability to once again play their sport to legendary degrees. 

Even personal relationships, though more difficult are not always lost causes.  However, public image is an aspect of their lives that is often damaged beyond the point of no return. 

From sex scandals to drugs to run-ins with the law, athletes, being human, a fact we often lose sight of, make the same stupid mistakes as everyone else.  The difference is that they are in the public eye with the mega-bright spotlight burning on them 24/7 and it is unforgiving of anything less than perfection. 

Athletes who are caught in the middle of various steroid scandals, whether or not they actually used performance enhancing supplements, are often forgiven by the leagues and their families but not always the fans.  Players such as Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds were seemingly forgiven for their use due to their continued high level of play and their home-run records.  "It’s hard to hate him (Rodriguez) because he's still an amazing player," says senior Brandon Zhao, "and the Yanks wouldn't have won the World Series without him."  

However, Bonds’ home-run record-setting ball went into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown with an asterisk on it.  Those outed as steroid users in José Canseco’s book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, were at first backed by fans but only until they realized that Canseco was in fact telling the truth.  “I heard the Cardinals actually took (Mark) McGuire back as a coach or something," remarks senior Eddie Harlan, "probably just to find out who his source (of steroids) is.” 

Those accused of affairs are much less likely to receive forgiveness from anyone.  However, if they continue to play well in the aftermath, the incident may simply become a blip on the radar of an otherwise stellar career.  Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez, though divorced following his highly publicized affairs with several women including a stripper, a Playboy Playmate, and Madonna, was still welcomed by Yankee fans with open arms, especially after the 2009 World Series win.   

Tiger Woods, the world’s greatest golfer, may never be forgiven if this is the pattern.  His affairs with porn stars and strippers humiliated both himself and his family.  Elin Woods divorcing him does not help.  To make matters much worse for his attempts at image redemption, upon his return to the PGA tour, he lost several tournaments before having a sudden neck injury.  "He's crazy to cheat in the first place, I mean he married like a supermodel," states Zhao, "and when he came back he couldn't even claim the 'World's Greatest Golfer' title anymore 'cause he sucks now." 

Quite possibly the only sports superstars that will be almost impossible to forgive are those that are arrested, especially for violent crimes.  Even though the NFL took Michael Vick back after he served his prison sentence for organizing and operating an underground dog-fighting ring, which they could not legally refuse to do based on his criminal record, most fans are not willing to give him a pardon.  "He's just not a good person," claims senior Chelsea Hano, "because what kind of sick freak do you have to be to hurt innocent animals?  And what did they ever do to him?" 

This applies to former NBA star Jayson Williams and former NFL great   “OJ” “The Juice” Simpson.  Their murderous ways will not just be laughed at like the antics of Darryl Strawberry, MLB player turned petty criminal with no history of violence would be.  They thought that they could get away with anything because they were rich and famous.   

Both did escape serving jail time for the murders, but they were forced to pay millions in wrongful death lawsuits.  Simpson would later go on to be arrested for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon and sentenced to 33 years in prison.  "This just proves it," says senior Sofia Cabrera, "that even if you do get away with killing your wife in Hollywood, karma always comes back to get you." 

Many people think that pro-athletes are much better off trying to stay away from the spotlight outside of things related to their given sport or another respectable media event such as an ad campaign or a movie, and they should also use as much discretion as humanly possible in regard to their personal lives or it will end up on page six.  There is no telling who can recover from being in the eye of a public scandal and who will suffer from Mike Tyson syndrome and be best remembered as that guy who bit Evander Holyfield’s ear off.  "Oh yeah, I remember those two and the ear thing.  Wait," says Hano, "they played a sport?  Which one?"