Forgive and Forget Pro-Athletes’ Indiscretions?

By ANDY CHO

When Lakers star Kobe Bryant – one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball – announced that he will retire after this season’s end, many people have started to appreciate the impact he has had on basketball. However, it has also distracted fans from his infamous Colorado rape case in 2003.

The future Hall of Famer has received an overwhelming level of support from fans and players, positive media coverage, and standing ovations in every city he’s played in, and he will continue to receive them until his final game on April 13th in Los Angeles.

This raises the question: Are crime-accused athletes given the benefit of the doubt in our society?

“Yes, for the sheer fact that they have a following and a financial backing. In order to save the integrity of the sport that they are related to, they are always given more leeway to clear their name,” said Nick Perri, assistant coach of the New Jersey Junior Titans.

“An athlete getting a bad reputation harms the sport or the league itself, so therefore, in comparison to a regular person, professional athletes are always set in a more favorable position,”  he added.

Professional Athletes Forgiven of their Crimes
 In 2003, Kobe Bryant was a three-time NBA champion, the face of the league, and the hero of the city of Los Angeles. It was also perhaps the worst year of his life.

On July 2^nd, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year old employee at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colorado. Bryant, who was married and had a 6-month old baby at the time, publicly admitted to committing adultery, but insisted that the encounter was consensual.

Nevertheless, the case went to court, where he was charged with rape. But 15 months after the incident, the accuser backed out and charges were dropped. Alternatively, she filed a civil lawsuit against Bryant and reached a monetary settlement involving an undisclosed amount of payment given to the accuser.

Even though there was never any decisive evidence on both sides throughout this case, Bryant did commit adultery and possibly raped a 19-year old woman, observers say. However, 13 years later, most are looking beyond this case, as if it never even happened.

 

There are many more athletes that have broken the law, most notably football players. The NFL carries the longest rap sheet of all professional leagues, as there were 507 arrests of its players from 2000 to 2010, according to U.S. College Search.

Ramapo student Thanuka Dananjaya thinks football players tend to commit the most crimes because of the sport that they play. “I think it’s because of the nature of the sport. Football lacks discipline,” said Dananjaya. “People who have played this sport from a very young age are brought up to be very violent and aggressive. So it’s only logical because they’re really the athletes with the most violent personalities.”

Those who stand out among the rest are Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, who has been arrested for more than eight times, Adrian Peterson, and Ray Lewis.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings running back and 2012 NFL MVP, was indicted for child abuse in September of 2014. Graphic pictures were leaked of Peterson’s 4-year old son with whip marks all over his body, to which Peterson admitted to regularly “disciplining” him with the use of tree branches and belts.

He avoided jail time and settled for a $4,000 fine and 80 hours of community service. Peterson rejoined his team’s activities less than a year later and was again the Vikings’ star player in the 2015 season.

Ray Lewis, a retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker and potential Hall of Fame inductee was charged with 2 counts of murder in 2000 following a Super Bowl party in Atlanta. He avoided the charges and likely the end of his career by making a deal with prosecutors: his testimony against two of his friends who were with him on the night of the murders.

As a result, Lewis was punished to a year of probation and a $250,000 fine. No one ended up serving jail time and the crime has been labeled ‘unsolved’ to this very day.

Many professional athletes who commit crimes are given a way out simply because of their occupation and what they contribute to their team/organization, leading to speculations that a double standard exists for accused athletes.

Since the murder trials, Ray Lewis has established a legendary status for himself in Baltimore and even helped them win two Super Bowls before retiring. Adrian Peterson is once again beloved by fans from all over the country and back in the top running back conversation. And Kobe Bryant is receiving the ultimate goodbye treatment from the league, fans and the media, as he trudges along his “farewell tour”.

 

Ramapo student Angad Bhogal thinks accused athletes are given more leeway.