We love to hate on professional athletes when they veer off the straight and narrow, and the media jumps on any story line that sheds a negative image on them. Whether it’s bad behavior on the field/court or off, we as a society are quick to forget and move on just as soon as another pro athlete makes one bad move. When there are very minor repercussions when an athlete, especially the star of the team, messes up, what reasons do they have to make a perfect example for young fans and to not let their team down? Here’s a short list of athletes who seem to have earned forgiveness from their fans, teammates, and coaches despite their questionable and illegal behavior.
Michael Vick, former NFL quarterback
In April 2007, a search warrant revealed evidence of unlawful dog fighting at one of Mike Vick’s properties in southeastern Virginia. He and three other men were eventually charged and convicted of being involved with the interstate dog fighting ring known as “Bad Newz Kennels.” Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for the charges, but was released after 18 months for good behavior. After filing for bankruptcy in July of 2008, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was reinstated into the NFL in Week 3 of the 2009 season.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
In February 2009 MLB star Alex Rodriguez confessed in an interview with ESPN to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) for three seasons of his professional career. After much speculation and denial of using PEDs, Rodriguez admitted under oath to buying and using PEDs from Biogenesis of America. Rodriguez was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for this confession, but served a 162 game suspension, forcing him to miss the entire 2014 season. He received a warm welcome from the crowd at Yankee Stadium for his return and has continued to be a beloved designated hitter for his team.
Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the Seattle Reign and Olympic Medalist
During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Hope Solo made headlines for all the wrong reasons after she called the Sweden soccer team “a bunch of cowards”. Up until those comments that lead to a 6 month suspension, which she later concluded was retaliation for her stance on equal pay, the 35-year-old NWSL goalkeeper had been doing a good job staying out of the negative spotlight that she’s notorious for finding herself in. On June 21, 2014, she was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor assault counts; one being against her half-sister and the other against her nephew. Solo was only suspended for one game and was allowed to continue through the 2014 season.
So when you think of professional athletes who’ve recently made headlines for breaking the law or causing a scene on the sidelines, who comes to mind first? And how long do you think it will be before those players apologize to their team and to the public and “redeem themselves” only to make the same mistakes or even worse? You can blame it on celebrity privilege and lax rules and regulations, but at the end of the day, professional athletes should not be exempt from punishments and consequences that normal, every-day citizens face for the same crimes and bad behavior.
