Millionaire Athletes: The Fault In Admission

Imagine a world where millionaires aren’t always right. Where your wallet can’t buy you out of trouble, and the privileged actually pay a penance for their petulance. This is a world where an athlete actually admits that something that went badly, and did so by their own fault.

In the real world, it’s difficult to believe Alex Rodriguez came out and admitted to willingly taking banned substances. He came out and offered reasons and explanations about why it is his fault alone.

That’s a crazy word, fault. Nobody wants to be its subject, especially spoiled athletes. They do what they can to foist it onto anyone else. Trainers, doctors, teammates, family members, even wives. None are immune in the face of fault.

Is it so bad to admit that one has faults? Role model or not, we all make mistakes and have moments we wish we could take back.

Years ago, we had an admission of wrongdoing by Kobe in Colorado. Not that, the adultery. He admitted it, we eventually forgave him. Now we compare the Black Mamba to the best doing it, and there’s no need for a screwface or a qualifier.

Jason Giambi admitted to doing something bad and look how it turned out for him. Just fine, and nobody is constantly hounding him about whatever it was exactly. No detectives, no federal cases. And he still has a job. I’m not speaking to anyone in particular.

Then take Michael Phelps. The man admits that, at 24, and despite his Olympic performance, he’s not actually perfect. Pause. Life proceeds. No jail, insignificant suspension, retain hero status.

Maybe the fault in admission is that it’s too clean. Most athletes love the attention and the spotlight. Admissions only keep the perpetrator’s name hot for a short time unless you’re A-Rod. But he’s got a whole bunch of other stuff keeping his name hot.

But with more athletes claiming responsibility, we can soon expect to get word that not every QB Terrell Owens has played with is either gay, sick or a conspirator. Uh, maybe not. We’ll file that under, “Waiting for Admission,” right between the Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens files.