Josh Hamilton

Here's the thing. I know exactly what it means to try and escape addiction. I understand that relapses happen and that sometimes people make decisions and then find themselves saying, "I really can't believe I did that." I get it. I get all of that.

And on that level I am deeply and personally sorry for Josh Hamilton.

But that doesn't change the fact that he's kind of a sorry guy.

This has nothing to do with baseball allegiances it has to do with his behavior. Josh Hamilton was the number one overall pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays about ten years ago and he put that draft pick and all of his talent into a crack pipe.

That's sad and I feel sorry for him.

Then he came back. He told everyone that he was clean. He told everyone that he had given his life to Jesus. He sold books and made commercials about how he had changed his life and invited the whole world into his rehab.

Then he relapsed and hid it until deadspin got the photos and then he fessed up.

You see you don't get to publicize and monetize your recovery and then hide your relapse because your recovery is no longer private as soon as you start selling books and bracelets and billboards about it. So to conceal it, while not an outright lie, is a partial truth.

And anyone who has ever been through rehab will tell you a half truth is a whole lie. Addicts don't get to tell half truths.

So he cleans up again and the world goes on and the Rangers go to back-to-back World Series during which time Hamilton makes a big deal about not celebrating with his teammates because he doesn't want to be around the champagne.

Then it comes out he's at the bar drinking and his teammate Ian Kinsler has to go get him and take him home.

Now here's the thing about his, "I slipped one time."

I think that's a lie.

I am not ashamed to say this for two reasons.

1. I am addict and when an addict falls off the wagon they do it private. It takes a while of doing it in private before they say "Aww #@&% it, I'm going to the bar I don't care who sees me." Don't believe me? Ever tried to lose weight and ate a cheeseburger? You snuck it didn't you. Ever tried to quit smoking? The first one back you had on the sly. I think Hamilton's been drinking for a while and he finally reached the "don't care" stage and got caught.

2. We already know Josh Hamilton is more than willing to lie about a relapse. How do we know? Because he lied about one three years ago.

So I am sorry for the man. I am sorry because I know what it means to be got and not know how to escape, but this is not a guy that deserves to be defended. He has a long established pattern of this sort of behavior. I hope he stays clean. I hope he never "slips" again, but I will cut no slack to anyone who defends him because that is willful ignoring of what is plainly right in front of your face.

Funny Story

So ESPN.com has members section where you can post your thoughts about stories. As anyone who has read my other posts knows, I think that Joe Paterno's criminality has been washed away by his death is disgusting. So I went onto the ESPN.com website and said this,

At best he was a doddering old man who allowed children to be abused because he was so befuddled with age he didn't know how to stop it.

At worst he hushed it up to prevent his recruiting from being hurt so he could continue to field a football team.

And for this comment...

I received a 24hour ban from ESPN.com.

Now really I don't care; it's their website they can do whatever they want with it. I just find it interesting that a news agency would ban people who speak out against the acceptable dialogue of the day. The story about "JoePa" went from being, "This guy should probably be in jail," to "This guy walked on water and once saved the Virgin Mary and a puppy from drowning," all by accident of death.

Well folks death changes nothing. Just like whatever Ray Lewis did 12 years ago is not washed away because those two guys aren't any less dead, so those kids that JoePa's lifelong friend raped aren't any less raped because this guy just happened to pull a timely kicking of the bucket.

So to the complainers about my post on ESPN.com I have this to say, "What if it was you?" Because you know what, lets forget the "What if it was your kid" bit because no one cares. We flip through hours of TV commercials watching children starve to death in Africa and Central America unfazed and unmoved. Hell, we had a whole movement of occupiers grab their iphones and ipads and blow by homeless people who needed help in order to bitch that their portfolio had lost value. So let's not pretend we actually care about the children and stop all the blathering as such.

We couldn't give one damn less about the children so save your handwringing.

So my question is what if it was you taking from Sandusky knowing JoePa knew about it? How would you feel about all the accolades being heaped on him now? Come on, tell the truth.

So to the offended remember,

some people are begging to be offended, dying to be offended, I am offended that they are offended, so of course I am going to offend them.

Joe Pa

I am up to here with eulogies for Joe Paterno. I never cease to be amazed by the fantastic power that death has to erradicate the criminal behavior of the dead. All weekend long Joe paterno has called classy, a man who shaped lives of men, a man who stood out among others as a paragon of vitrue fairplay and a will to to do things the right way.

Here's the truth.

At best...

Joe Paterno was a doddering old man who upon hearing that his lifelong friend was raping little boys in the shower chose to do nothing because he was so senile and befuddled that he didn't know what to do.

At worst...

Joe Paterno was a man who knowingly allowed his friend to rape little boys because he feared it would hurt his ability to recruit football players to help him win so he kept it quiet.

Either way, no matter what he was, he is none of the things he has been lauded to to be. And even though I know it is a wrong and terrible emotion, I am sorry he died before the stink of shame could fully settle and he could fade away into the nothing of obsolescence which is the least his crimes deserved.

And to the Penn State people holding candlelight vigils and somehow blaming the victims after the fact for his death...

it doesn't bear printing here.