WASHINGTON 鈥� What would sports be without comebacks? I don鈥檛 just mean on the field, whether it be the 2004 Red Sox eclipsing a 3-0 ALCS series deficit or Billy Mills roaring back and bursting through the finish line in the 1964 Olympics. The story of the shamed, once discarded, thought-to-be washed-out athlete returning to glory permeates American culture, from Josh Hamilton to Roy Hobbs and Rocky.
We hold ourselves up as a nation of second chances, of comeback stories, of redemption. But across sports, we seem to be less inclined than ever to forgive athletes for their off-the-field sins these days.
On its surface, that seems like progress, the rejection of apotheosis, like Charles Barkley encouraged 20 years ago. But there鈥檚 room to be cynical of our widespread outrage here as well. Athletes who聽have violated our trust are nonetheless human beings, if lousy role models. To refuse to forgive them is to treat them as less than such.
I bring this up for a reason. If you鈥檙e anything like me, when video surfaced Monday of at a Tallahassee bar, it was hard not to think of Ray Rice.
After all, Rice鈥檚 was the first case of assault caught clearly on videotape, for all to see, indisputable visual proof of violence against a woman. The black-and-white footage from within that casino elevator will always be the file footage in our minds for stories of athlete domestic violence in America.
That鈥檚 the same Ray Rice that has . Even after watching a two-game suspension balloon into an indefinite one . Rice has served his time (and has been reinstated), after being released by the only team for which he鈥檚 ever played. At 28, he鈥檚 still in the prime of his career, four years removed from a season in which he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage.
And yet, the phone doesn鈥檛 ring.
Similarly, the Minnesota Vikings鈥� phone did not ring all offseason with calls from other teams regarding fellow running back Adrian Peterson, possibly the greatest to ever play the game at his position. Peterson missed all but one game of last season after a felony child abuse indictment, which remains enough of a public relations scare to keep potential suitors away. While (they don鈥檛 have much choice 鈥� he鈥檚 still owed $43 million over the next three seasons) and Vikings fans may as well, we have yet to see the reception he鈥檒l get around the league.
For a possible preview, we won鈥檛 have to look far. Alex Rodriguez has returned this year from his season-long suspension for his involvement with Biogenesis, much to the dismay of his own team, the New York Yankees. After first refusing to forfeit the $6 million 鈥渕arketing bonus鈥� they were contractually obligated to pay him for his 660th home run, the Yankees settled on an agreement where they would pay a portion of it to charity in his name. All A-Rod has done in the meantime is mash 16 home runs with a .284/.390/.513 slash line, ranking in the top three on the team in nearly every offensive category and helping New York to a surprising AL East division lead.
He is reviled and berated by fans at every stop on the road, although thanks to his success on the field, Yankees fans have welcomed him back.
But he won鈥檛 be headed back to the All-Star Game.
Rodriguez wasn鈥檛 voted in by the fans to be a starter or his fellow players as a reserve. Kansas City Royals skipper Ned Yost, who will manage the American League and who was in charge of picking the five players eligible for the Final Vote, before ultimately leaving his name off.
Never mind that A-Rod, the 14-time All-Star, has more home runs than four of the five players on the list. Brian Dozier, who has hit one more dinger, has an OPS of .849, just behind Brett Gardner鈥檚 .854, tops on the list. A-Rod鈥檚 is .904.
Of course, Yost鈥檚 claims rest in fairly sound logic. He says he wants versatility in a roster for a game that 鈥� against all good logic 鈥� still determines home field advantage for the World Series. But you can be sure that if MLB didn鈥檛 have anything to do with nudging Yost to leave Rodriguez off the list, they are very happy that he did so.
Even with more time served than any other active player (on a suspension that, like Rice鈥檚, was arbitrarily more harsh than the collectively bargained levels), Rodriguez remains an unsympathetic figure to fans and players alike outside of New York.
Just last weekend, Carli Lloyd鈥檚 star turn saved FOX and the media at large covering the Women鈥檚 World Cup the potentially excruciating tightrope walk of celebrating the American defense 鈥� anchored by goalie Hope Solo 鈥� as the lead storyline. When the U.S. Women鈥檚 National Team Twitter account cleverly suggested that Lloyd (who wears #10) , they stumbled by including Solo (#1) in the mix. Everyone I know with whom I spoke about the tweet had the same reaction 鈥� laughter and solidarity for the first part, followed by uncomfortable silence.
Thankfully, the Women鈥檚 World Cup did not become marketed as Solo鈥檚 redemption tour, but it was interesting how much she was overlooked outside of that tweet by those covering the action.
Solo鈥檚 incident has been provoked a different reaction than Rice鈥檚, partly because gender roles were reversed. But another factor is present, one which not enough people have recognized in the criticism of U.S. Soccer鈥檚 handling of their embattled goalkeeper. The relative in question in her domestic assault isn鈥檛 one with whom she cohabitates, or who relies on her for food and shelter. There鈥檚 a marked difference between her situation and Rice鈥檚, a disparity in gravity which muddies the water far more than the simple issue of gender.
People say that they don鈥檛 want to see Ray Rice play again because they鈥檝e seen what he did to his wife. The same goes for Peterson, after the images of his son were revealed. But the vitriol abates a bit when the only visual proof of Rodriguez鈥檚 crime are legal documents, when a one-sided 911 call and police report are all we know of Solo鈥檚 transgressions.
Do we really believe these men and women don鈥檛 deserve to play the sport they鈥檝e trained their whole lives to play? Or are we simply uncomfortable being complicit in supporting them when we鈥檝e seen the damage they鈥檝e done, proof that removes any doubt?
Would we still be so angry if they weren鈥檛 making so much money doing the thing many of us dreamed of doing as kids?
Whatever the reason, if you find yourself rejecting the idea of an athlete鈥檚 return to the game, ask yourself why. If the league punishments need to be more severe still to deter this kind of behavior, then demand that. Until then, it鈥檚 your choice to boo or cheer, provided that 鈥� in Rice鈥檚 case 鈥� anyone gives him another chance.
