Apologies in Sports? I know, try not to laugh. It's not always the easiest thing to do, saying sorry. To admit wrong in the face of an accuser is no small task and one that deserves praise when the admission is sincere. However, when the words "sorry" are used for guilt soothing, yours truly takes issue. More often than not people use the word "sorry" as a way to quell the pain they feel in their hearts. That pain, my friends, is called your conscience. When that little feller starts reaking havoc on your insides, a truly apologetic person will come clean, try to apologize and move on.
And then there's athletes. Let's start with everyone's favorite friend to the canine, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and current wart of the Federal Penetentary System, Mike Vick. We all know the story. The accusations, the horrific stories, the alleged atrocities. In the face of it all stood the freak. The man christened to revolutionize the NFL. There he was standing in front of us all, looking us in the face saying "I DIDNT DO IT" and "I WILL CLEAR MY NAME". Now personally, I believed the poor sclub. Mind you this was only a few months after a Durham area stripper falsley accused the Duke lacrosse team of kidnapping and sexual assault; allegations that turned out to be 102 percent false. So I thought to myself "You know what Mike, I believe you dog (No pun intended). Fight for your name". But then the most amazing thing happened. Out came the truth. Guys started rolling like a doobie in a mid 90's Cowboys locker room. Guys started singing like American Idol's, people started pointing their fingers....and those fingers lead to one man. Mike Vick. What some people knew was true and was other's prayed wasn't was confirmed. The man behind the mask was the man who claimed he would clear his name. His response when faced with the truth? "I'm sorry". Sorry. Sorry. Sorry? For what Mike? For lying to your millions of adoring fans? To spitting in the face of the university and the professional football team that dug you out of the hood? To the little kids wearing number 7 jersey's running around a sandlot somewhere pretending to be their favorite player in the world? Or are you sorry you got caught. Which is it? See Mike, as much as I bought your innocence, I like most of America didn't buy your apology. Had you truly been sorry, you would have stopped before getting caught. You aren't apologizing. No, you were begging for attention. Enjoy the two years in orange pal.
Which brings me to the next (and most infuriating) example of sorry athletes. Marion Jones. Robo Woman, an athlete who took the Olympics by storm becomming the greatest female athlete of her time and being a role model for young women athletes everywhere almost as fast as she ran her races. It was a great story to see, to be honest. But then, like most successfull Olympic winners, Marion Jones was brought through the ringer to answer questions about her almost super human athletic ability. Like any self respecting athlete, Jones denied and denied, and denied. When asked about her then husband\strength coach\banned-for-using performance enhancing drugs fellow Olympian, Jones was adamant.; She was clean. Then, of course, the truth comes out. Jones was a doper. Not only was she a doper, but she was a liar and she did both all the while she was winning over America's young female athletes. Once the truth comes out (years after her gold medal performances) Marion Jones has the nerve, nay the audacity to say sorry. Again, Marion I ask you like I asked Mr. Vick....for what? There she was, on the Oprah Winfrey show apologizing, begging for forgiveness, saying she had paid the price dearly for her mistake. You? You paid the price? What about the 15 year old girl who is in the middle of the most awkward phase of her life, looking for someone to look up to and there you are. Finally, this mythical girl has proof to the things she's heard her whole life. "You can be what ever you want to be in a mans world, a woman's world, or any world....just look at Marion Jones! She worked hard and look at her." And lets be honest. She did. There is no doubt that hard work was a key indgredientin Jones' success....but so were performance enhancing drugs....and so was deception.
Both of these athletes remind me very much of one another. Talented, young, at the top of the game with the world at their fingers.....then their true character gets revealed and they say sorry as if we are supposed to accept it and forget their antics like this is some creepy Mentos commercial. Marion Jones, Michael Vick, and while I'm at it, Jason Giambi, Pete Rose, Pac Man Jones, Tank Johnson, Chris Henry, and whoever else I missed, dont sit there and say sorry. How about this? Act like adults. And when you make mistakes, like we all do, stand up, man up and say "Yes I did it". Don't wait until the 23rd hour when the facts come out to come clean and expect us to accept you. Each and everyone of you, who play a GAME for a LIVING and lie to the people who pay your way wishing they could be just like you, make me sick.
Mosse Badrinath.
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