Josh Hamilton: Rangers' Star Deserves Less Scrutiny in Battle with Addiction

As much as some people may want it to be so, the life of Josh Hamilton is not a reality show. 

Everyone out there needs to learn that with Hamilton, as well as anyone struggling with addiction, there is a process. As Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reported, Hamilton has allegedly relapsed, as he drank at a Dallas bar this week and the Rangers are aware of the situation. 

What everyone needs to do here is to take a deep breath and give Hamilton some breathing room. Anyone who has either dealt with addiction or is familiar with an addict knows that it takes time, and relapses are not uncommon. 

So, the criticism that Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports leveled on Hamilton is unfair. 

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The worst part about Josh Hamilton’s relapse is that he didn’t care. The most famous addict in sports does not go to a bar in the town where he is best known without full knowledge that his exploits will become public in a matter of hours. 

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He later called sobriety a "black and white" issue. The problem with that logic is that it's not black and white. It is a long process that goes through many stages. The problem is that Passan is looking at it from a more rational perspective, and rationale hardly ever wins out when dealing with addiction. 

So it is unfair to look at Hamilton drinking in public and say that he doesn't care. If the reports are true, then the addiction beat Hamilton on Monday night, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. 

This is where people need to back off and give Hamilton time to take the steps needed to head back in the right direction. Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas is reporting that Hamilton will have a press conference today. 

If Hamilton is comfortable doing that, fine. But if people are expecting this to be a press conference that presents a rational explanation, they're going to be disappointed. That is not how this works. 

There is no reason to give a battling addict this much scrutiny, and that applies to both the positives and negatives. Part of the reason for this is that when a celebrity deals with addiction, casual fans are too invested in his or her battle and take the fight too personally. That is something that can't be leveled on one person. 

Hamilton deserves to fight this battle in private. Yes, he will have to reach out for help, but that doesn't mean that every move he makes from this point on should be publicized.

The case of Hamilton is a private battle that has become a public spectacle. Unfortunately, the more that happens, the more unfair the spotlight will be.

The spotlight on Hamilton needs to be based on what he does on the field. This isn't to say that he doesn't need to control his demons, but it's not our business to tell him how to do so. 

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