It’s a great country. America has always been the home of second chances. Just take a gander at Hugh Grant on late-night TV or lick 32 cents’ worth of Richard Nixon in the Postal Service’s recent offering. But the tolerance of American sports these days-and of the fans who support them–is remarkable. It isn’t just Darryl or Iron Mike. Steve Howe, seven-time drug offender, is Strawberry’s teammate, leading to Yankee Stadium’s new nickname, “The Halfway House That Ruth Built.” Warren Moon continues to play football for the Minnesota Vikings, despite being arrested for hitting his wife. Even golf has its miscreants. Three years ago John Daly was charged with throwing his second wife against a wall (he pleaded guilty to harassment); last month John Daly, recovering alcoholic, won the British Open.
Why are these guys allowed to stay in the game? If your typical employee at, say, NEWSWEEK, were busted for snorting coke, beating a spouse and cheating the IRS, would he be kept on the job, subject only to house arrest and daily urine tests? Not likely, since just about anybody can write a headline. It’s different in sports. Strawberry may be a bad apple, but he’s still one of the few humans who can hit a 95-mph fast ball. He’ll help the team, generate some publicity in this scourge year for baseball, and–yes–make some bucks for the Yankees. Of course, that’s not why he was given a contract (nearly eight times the required minimum). “If we can help turn him around,” proclaimed owner George Steinbrenner, “it will be a wonderful example to children.” George knows all about repeat losers: he has been suspended from baseball twice.
The debate is a familiar one. In one corner are those who argue that once an offender serves his time or otherwise pays his debt to society, he ought to be free to regain his livelihood. “All these great rock stars who’ve been in trouble,” says Mike Royko, columnist for the Chicago Tribune, “nobody tells them to stop playing their guitars.” Adds Dr. Robert Burton, a sports psychiatrist at Northwestern University: “Tyson broke a civil law, but no clear professional standard.”
In the less-for-giving grandstand are those who want athletes held to a higher standard. It makes no sense to them that under league rules gambling on a baseball game means a lifetime ban for a player, but beating up women-a crime-carries no independent sanction. “It’s one thing if you gave Tyson a job as a delivery boy,” says Prof. Pauline Bart of the University of Illinois. “But to put him in the position of becoming a millionaire again, what’s three years in jail?” In small-town Green Bay, Wis., several years ago, star football player James Lofton was traded out of town after he was accused of sexual assault. (He was eventually acquitted.) “It was best that he move on,” says Robert Harlan, the Green Bay team president. “The feeling of the community was, the time had come.”
That view may give the likes of Lofton too much credit as role models. There’s no evidence that kids are impressed by sex crimes, proven or otherwise. Besides, children already have other athletes to look up to–Andre Agassi, Deion Sanders, Dennis Rodman. Wonderful news for parents.
Domestic violence, cocaine use, alcohol abuse, tax evasion. Back in baseball (above). House arrest- after games.
Strawberry’s teammate. Seven baseball suspensions forsubstance abuse–a big-league record.
Beats up his wife. Gets family counseling. Still in football.
Pleads guilty to harassing his wife. Golf-fan favorite.
Star pitcher does drugs, gets suspended. Wants back in.
Sets off firecracker in stadium lot. Three are injured. He pleads to lesser charge, does community service. Still in baseball.
