The sins of our past...

There's a saying in life: "Avoid the big mistake." We may forget to pick up the laundry, or turn off the lights after leaving the house; those are small slip-ups. We may even forget our spouse's birthday(which, depending on the spouse, could lead to an even bigger problem down the road) but I digress. However, those incidents can be quickly swept under the rug and forgotten the next day. Then there are those times in which we commit atrocities so great that they label us with a scarlet letter; that "S" is tattooed onto Rafael Palmeiro for life.

You may remember the photo above. It was from the infamous Congressional hearing in 2005 on steroid use in Major League Baseball (you know, the one in which Sammy Sosa coincidentally forgot how to speak English, or Mark McGwire not being there to "talk about the past"). Palmeiro's defiant stance on his never taking steroids was later discovered to be a lie as he was suspended for 10 games. The punishment was miniscule compared to the eternal shame of not being voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. Even more so, he has seen his peers McGwire, Sosa, and players like Jeff Bagwell not get inducted yet; though Bagwell seems to be closer to getting voted in next year. This year, former catcher Mike Piazza, long accused to taking PEDs without any positive proof, was finally inducted and as time goes on there is hope that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

Personally, I believe that regardless of PED use or not, the players who were the best of the best at their profession should be included. Palmeiro put up great numbers, but no one would ever consider him one of the best players of his era. Even if he had came out and admitted to his PED use, I don't think it would've changed the minds of the baseball writers. His story and admitting how tormented he is at the thought of not getting in should serve as a reminder of how we cannot place ourselves in situations that we know will create long term damage.

If you want to see someone who is successful, don't look at just their work ethic, look at the decisions they make day in and day out. It's those decisions that don't lead to later regret; a life filled with pain because there is no finality. For Palmeiro and countless others, his big mistake wasn't taking steroids, it was not owning up to it when he had the chance. He could've been a symbol for other players to step up and do what was right instead of focusing on their reputation.

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The definition of defiance

Relentless...

Driven...

Stubborn...

Powerful...

Beautiful...

Low emotional intelligence...

 

(Shout out to my brother Tony for sharing some of these thoughts...check out his blog at AFreshWord.org)

These are just a few terms that are used to describe Kobe Bean Bryant, both the player and the man. For 20 years he donned the purple and gold of Tinseltown and has graced our television screens and arenas since coming to the NBA in 1996 out of Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia. He has experienced the highest of heights (5 championships) to the lowest of lows (the 2004 Finals, Colorado, playing with Smush Parker). He is an enigma wrapped up in a mystery; defined as the final bridge to a woebegone era when the player's brand was how many rings he won, and not based on his Twitter followers or mentions on SportsCenter. He was defined by his incessant desire for greatness, to the point where friendships were considered trite and a nuisance in his eyes. However, if there was one term that could best describe the life and career of #24, it would be defiance.

The final days of the Michael Jordan era concurred with His Airness flailing around the Verizon Center trying to carry a young and immature Washington Wizards franchise to greatness (it never happened). What it also did was spawn a litany of copycats like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis who all fell for the Gatorade ad gimmick but lacked the heart or leadership to do what was needed to bring their team to carry the Larry 'O Brien Trophy. Jordan's ultimate pupil also tried to imitate Jordan, right down to the mannerisms and cold-hearted demeanor that alienated teammates.

If Jordan was Emperor Palpatine, Kobe was his Anakin: wooden, confused and ultimate misled into thinking the Dark Side was the way. Kobe believed that there was only one way to win...his. He didn't care that he was called "uncoachable" by Phil Jackson in his book, or care that he was ultimately responsible for killing a potential dynasty with Shaq. Sure, you'll hear the Los Angeles Lakers brass claim that Shaq was getting old and they chose Kobe over him. Ask Dwayne Wade if Shaq was too old when they won it all in Miami in 2006 (with help from the refs but I digress).

Kobe's defiance was never more evident than in 2013 when he tore his ACL towards the end of yet another losing season. He refused to take help from anyone on the bench, sank two free throws, and refused help walking back to the trainer's room, when he knew it was all over. His defiance submarined the Lakers franchise for several years by refusing to help the team financially by draining their salary cap. He wanted to be so much like Lord MJ, that he forgot one simple thing: Jordan's career ended with him busting his chin on the MSG floor trying to teach Rip Hamilton and Kwame Brown how to be winners. Kobe's ended with him taking 50 shots in some self-promoting display and taking advantage of referee manipulation to score 60 points. While the recaps and tweets showered praise upon him as if he was riding on a donkey through Jerusalem, I turned the television to watch the new era of team ball accomplish NBA history in the Golden State Warriors. Jason Whitlock of FS1 said it best (and I'm paraphrasing since this is a family blog): "Last night at the Staples Center Kobe had a public display of self-intimacy and we're calling it the greatest love scene of all time."

Defiance can be a good thing, it can keep an individual focused in the toughest of times; refusing to bend to the will of those who they deem are in the way. When combined with wisdom it can change the course of history, as the end goal is more outward than myopic. Kobe's defiance, while it has been praised by old school heads, should also serve as a reminder that when we take that final lap, we should be able to look back at not just the accomplishments, but the individuals we have impacted along the way.

Now I ask: what was Kobe's impact on the players who adored him, and was his defiance worth the cost?

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What do you stand for?

"You don't steal the base you just left. You steal the base ahead of you."

-Jackie Roosevelt Robinson

As discussed in detail yesterday, the life of Jackie Robinson was defined by not so much what he did to integrate baseball, but what we was as a man. Dedicated, committed, and a fierce competitor on the diamond and off of it. His later years were more revealing of who he was more so than when he was stealing bases at Ebbets Field. Although his body was breaking down by age 33, his spirit never did. Once he had finished his epic career, he transitioned into business management at Chock Full O' Nuts, while being the first black writer at the New York Post. It was then when he decided to use his platform for social change, with the rising civil rights movement beginning to take America by storm. 

The 1960s were an era of an awakening; when the echoes of America's forefathers gave way to the rising voices of youth who were disenfranchised with the establishment dividing the races and decided to take their fights to the streets. Robinson felt he had an obligation to be a voice, and met with dignitaries such as then-Vice President Richard Nixon as well as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to encourage America to put away its legalized racism and embrace other cultures. Baseball had already crossed the color line, he thought, why not our businesses and government?

He wasn't alone, as later star athletes such as Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali would lend their voices outside the field of play and draw attention to very serious issues plaguing the black community. Before he retired, he would often speak about not being able to see black third basemen coaches in baseball. A few days before he died in 1972, he got to see Frank Robinson as one of the coaches during the World Series.

We live in an era in which the pursuit of social justice is either misguided or secondary to the pursuits of worldly gain. We still as fans look for voices who are not afraid to stand up and say, "No!" to the rafters when they see injustice happening to their communities and families affected by poor leadership in Washington. Remember the "Justice for Trayvon" movement? A movement's greatest impact should be not just about changing laws, but bettering lives. That is a lesson many athletes are now realizing, especially in the social media era where any voice can be heard over 140 characters.

The next time you hear someone quote Charles Barkley's "I'm Not a Role Model" speech, ask the children who marveled at the very sight of a man who didn't set out to be one at first, but later realized how he had no other choice, and in that changed the course of history. 

What's Love Got to do with It?

"Without Rachel Robinson, I believe there would be no Jackie Robinson..."

-First Lady Michelle Obama

Jackie Robinson was one of my favorite athletes growing up. As a matter of fact, whenever my friends and I would meet at the local Houston County sandlots to play baseball, I made sure I got to play shortstop so I could imitate number 42 of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I bleed Dodger blue because I was such a fan. I've seen every adaptation of his life and career, even the not-often-discussed movie regarding his court martial.

That's why I was so excited to see the PBS two-part special yesterday (and concluding tonight) on the life of Jack Roosevelt Robinson and his humble upbringing in Cairo, Georgia to his athletic ascent in Pasadena, CA. It took an introspective look at his life as a child and showed some of the gifts that he displayed not on the baseball diamond but on the gridiron at UCLA. However, throughout his development in athletics and in the military, there was a consistent theme that is often overlooked as the epicenter of what made him a civil rights pioneer, and it's his wife, Rachel.

While I won't get too deep into the history (watch tonight's special!) you often hear people such as Jackie's mother and Branch Rickey encourage Jackie to marry Rachel before enduring what was a challenging endeavor of crossing Major League Baseball's color barrier in the 1940's. Rickey said something to Robinson during their initial meeting and I'm paraphrasing, "You'll want to marry this woman, because you're gonna need her." I agree with First Lady Obama that he needed someone to help him with this burden of being called the N-word and having watermelons thrown his way as he headed toward the dugouts. 

Take a look at the Johnny Manziels of the world and ask, "Do you really think he'd be in this much trouble if he had a wife to go home to each night?" Mark Sanchez (now of the Denver Broncos) said recently that he thinks he will be able to be successful because he's single. That couldn't be any further from the truth. I'm not saying singleness is a bad thing (I did it for 35 years, and I much prefer marriage) but history has shown that the more stable your home life is, the better a person is able to perform on the field. Especially when you are a person in the public spotlight. You think that Bill Clinton wins the Presidency had Hillary walked out on him after the Gennifer Flowers debacle? When Sanchez throws 3 picks and puts up another butt fumble against Kansas City at Arrowhead, who's going to be there to console him when he gets home? His dog? His Twitter followers? That 3rd bottle of Natty Light? 

Now, is this a public service announcement to get out there and get married as soon as you find someone who won't dip out of the restaurant before the check comes? No, but understand that in life you will need that special someone to support you when you go through the stresses of life. Life hits you hard, so who will be that person in your corner rooting you on? No one is an island unto themselves; even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!

So as you're watching the later years of Jackie's life, and when you watch MLB celebrate Jackie Robinson Day this Friday, take time to remember the lady in his life who took on as much of a burden as he did. They say that behind every great man is a great woman. I say, without this great woman Rachel Robinson, there would be no great man. 

Got any special ideas or suggestions for future topics beyond the scoreboard? Follow me @JohnReidIV with comments.

When things go wrong....

Yesterday was the fourth-lowest audience to ever watch the race for the hallowed Green Jacket at Augusta. What people missed was the epic collapse of last year's Masters winner Jordan Spieth as he blew a five stroke lead with nine holes to play, with the biggest fall coming at the 12th hole, otherwise known as "Amen Corner." Suffice it to say, Spieth's prayers weren't answered on this day as he lost to Danny Willett. He maintained his composure throughout the Norman-esque collapse, yet he was unable to recover in time and saw the Englishman walk away with the title.

We all have those moments in life; these moments in which we think everything is going well and before we know it, disaster strikes. Not on the golf course, but in life. A mysterious illness, financial setbacks, the news of a loved one passing away without warning, we all experience things that can change our lives in one way or another. Spieth can recover from this within a month, but the question is how do we deal with the shifts in the wind in our own lives? Do we press on to the goal ahead, or do we allow it to bring us down? The design of maturity is not how we are when things are well, but when they are not. 

What price will you pay?

On the eve of March Madness and as dreams of bracket-busting commences, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a story that may not get as much press, but was quite commendable. The gentleman in the photo is Chicago White Sox First Basemen Adam LaRoche. Or should I say, former White Sox First Basemen Adam LaRoche. Earlier this week he retired at the age of 36. Not a big deal right? It wasn't exactly the end of a Hall of Fame career that we are discussing. Rather, it's the way in which he did it that opened a lot of eyes, and in some cases, hearts.

See, he retired because he was informed by the team president Ken Williams that his 14-year-old son was not allowed to visit the clubhouse as often this upcoming season. During last year, he was often spotted with his father in the clubhouse with the rest of the team. While Drake LaRoche was a popular among his father's teammates, the upper management has set rules regarding visitation by outside visitors. So unpopular was this decision by Williams that LaRoche's fellow teammates threatened to boycott Wednesday's spring training game to support Adam and Drake. It took their manager Robin Ventura to intervene.

I'm going to take this from both sides of the coin. For one, I can understand why the team president took this action. The focus of the ball club is to win, and to be consistent over the 162 game season requires a lot of mental focus and unity among the team. As Williams stated, it wasn't as if Drake was no longer allowed to visit, but yet there has to be some level of decorum, as most jobs you and I work for would not allow us to bring our children 100% of the time. There is an inherent danger into having a teenager in the clubhouse all the time, especially with the risk of an injury. If he was hired to be the team's batboy or work in the stadium that's different.

As for Adam LaRoche, I'm proud of the decision he made. He drew a line in the sand and stood for his principles. I'm sorry, but how many of us are willing to walk away from a job because our boss tells us to leave our children at home? Moreover, how many of us are willing to walk away from $13 MILLION DOLLARS?! That is what he was leaving on the table in his final season. Yes I'm sure he has saved up a pretty nice nest egg in his 12 years in the majors. However, to make that type of sacrifice takes a commitment that we sometimes have to ask if we are willing to make.

I'm not sure if he's married or not, but if he is, could you imagine how that conversation went at home with his wife? "Um, honey, I'm going to retire and give up $13 million because my boss won't let our son hang out as much in the clubhouse ok? We really don't need another boat anyway!"

Regardless, there comes a point in life in which principle must be greater than gain. When you look back at your life, what will be there for you? More importantly, who will be there for you? It's the relationships we establish over time that long outweighs the degrees, the cars, and the social status. What are you willing to give up to make that happen?

Who are you to judge?

As I was watching the ESPN 30 for 30 on the Duke Lacrosse team case of 2006, one theme kept running through my mind. No, not the events that transpired on that fateful March evening, or even the "he said, she said" rhetoric that was played out before our very eyes in the media. It was the fact that there were several lives affected and judgments were handed out before the actual trial began. A coach lost his job, players (innocent or not) had their reputations smeared, and journalistic integrity was put aside in the name of sensationalism.

However, think about this for a second: what if there wasn't such a rush to judgment? Would that have changed the perception of these young men. Again, the focus isn't about what happened or what didn't happen, but what premature decisions can lead to when left unchecked. Bad things happen, but what is even worse is when people are placed with a scarlet letter that isn't removed so easily. We often label the accused based upon our own prejudices. It divides locker rooms, splits organizations, and creates riffs that takes years to mend. Just look at the relationships that come to an end due to judgments (think Shaq-Kobe) to the point where fan bases are fractured.

It doesn't have to be that way, and this case was the perfect example. Unlike in professional sports, it hurts even more in colleges because there are communities and families who also have to deal with the brunt of the accusations, sometimes as much as the players themselves. We have to be responsible for keeping our emotions in check and not create a conclusion before all of the facts have been brought to light. It's because when we jump to conclusions too much, we may not like where we land.