There's an easy solution to stopping the ever-increasing illegal actions of athletes: Treat them like every other criminal.
The latest case of an athlete getting in trouble is former baseball great and heavy drug user, Darryl Strawberry. During the pinnacle of his career in the late '80s with the New York Mets, Strawberry was one of the most feared left-handed hitters in all of baseball.
Last Thursday night, Strawberry escaped from a drug treatment center where he was serving a two-year house arrest sentence and paraded around Tampa on a four-day cocaine binge with his close drug buddies. Yes, prisons in this country are packed full and there are many prisoners that should be given community service sentences.
But when high profile athletes don't learn from their mistakes the first, second or third times, they deserve to spend time behind bars with the every other convict. Strawberry is no different.
The sad part is that these "help" programs that Strawberry was enrolled in, don't help many people. The woman who picked up Strawberry from his drug treatment center was in an Alcoholics Anonymous program and started smoking crack in the car. Strawberry couldn't resist the temptation of the crack pipe, so instead of getting clean and being productive in society, he went back to drugs. He doesn't deserve to go into a drug treatment center or get help any longer. He should go straight to prison.
But just like most athletes who get off whether it's because of their high status or because they were found not guilty, Strawberry still might not go to prison. A judge will decide that in the coming days.
Too many athletes use their riches and fame to act above the law. The Super Bowl's MVP, Ray Lewis, is being sued for $10 million in a wrongful death suit, claiming he is responsible for the death of a man outside an Atlanta nightclub over a year ago.
He was found not guilty in criminal court of being involved in the murder. Veteran NBA player Charles Oakley, who has spent time with many ballclubs in the League during his career, said he believes 60 percent of NBA players smoke marijuana. The sad fact is every sport has its drug and murder stories.
O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and Ron Goldman. Rae Carruth was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for the role he played in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend. Dwight "Doc" Gooden, who had the potential of being one of the best pitchers baseball has ever seen, went to search around the Tampa, Fla., area for Strawberry while he was snorting lines. But Gooden used to be a heavy drug addict.
It's refreshing to see players like John Stockton and Shaquille O'Neal. John Elway and Steve Young. Tony Gwynn and Nolan Ryan. These are the players that when looking at their particular sports are not only the stars, they are the role models. These athletes care about their families and have some sort of structure in their personal lives. After games, you can count on these guys — and many others in professional sports — not to hit the local crack house.
The sad fact is, though, athletes get preferential treatment in society and the courtroom. Like it or not, anyone who was a repeat drug offender and didn't make the million dollar salary and didn't hit home runs in Shea Stadium would be behind bars.
I'm not trying to say no one makes mistakes. Some people choose to use drugs and some people get away with it and still make money. But when your profession goes down the tubes like Strawberry's when he put drugs before baseball, that's when it needs to stop. People make mistakes, but mistakes happen once or twice. George W. Bush made a mistake when he was at Yale snorting cocaine with his fraternity brothers. He admitted he was wrong, got his life in order and is successful. He's not successful because he is rich. He made himself a success because he is a family man who cares about being decent in America.
Unfortunately, many athletes like Strawberry and others do not. It's time to tell them it is no longer acceptable.
