Chuck Norris. Perfect Game. Every Game.
Whoever thinks athletes have any morals is greatly mistaken. That is one of the most ridiculous comments I've ever heard on this site, or indeed, in my whole life. To characterize an entire demographic of people as you did, and to back up your position using only anecdotal evidence of one man's behavior is lazy at best. The fact that the man in question (Wilt Chamberlain) hasn't played professional sports at all since 1973, and has been dead going on 10 years now just makes your statement all the more foolish. Did you really mean that, or did you just say it to cause a stir, and make people pay attention to you? Do you really believe that the millions of people who participate in athletics in this country have no morals? That they're all inherently evil people, just waiting for the opportunity to rape, murder, slit and gouge? I'd really like to know, on behalf of all those people who work their asses off for their sport, who pour their passion into their particular athletic endeavor, and never complain, if you really meant to say something so derogatory about them, or whether you were just tossing bombs, hoping to stir up a shitstorm.
But I still believe that a large majority of star athletes in trouble receive preferential treatment rather than overzealous prosecution. I think in general, being able to afford expensive and extremely competent counsel provides a huge advantage when facing criminal prosecution. In that sense, star athletes are no more advantaged than any wealthy person; and in the context of today's 24-hour media cycle that is sure to devour any rumor of misconduct on on the part of an athlete, I'd rather be an anonymous, lawyered-up Manhattanite accused of a crime than a star athlete on a New York team accused of the same crime. Greg Maddux makes Anton Chigurh look like a baby sleeping in its crib. Funny 'cause it's true...
If you spell Greg Maddux in scrabble, you win automatically. Greg Maddux doesn't breathe...he holds air hostage.
Hell this sounds like a Dallas Cowboys team from years past.
I think in general, being able to afford expensive and extremely competent counsel provides a huge advantage when facing criminal prosecution. That's certainly true. But what the cases above indicate is that these players were receiving preferential treatment by their high school coaches (in the case of Stevens, anyway), college coaches, college administrators and even NFL coaches long before a case ever came to court. Again, using the Stevens "case" as an example, Prosecutors shied away from even taking the rape case to court. The only reason seemed to be because he was a star tight end for the Huskies. and in the context of today's 24-hour media cycle that is sure to devour any rumor of misconduct on on the part of an athlete, I'd rather be an anonymous, lawyered-up Manhattanite accused of a crime than a star athlete on a New York team accused of the same crime. If you're comparing two cases that have actually gone to trial? Maybe I'd agree (and I'm not so sure about that). But unless you think the articles posted are an aberration, rather than the norm, they sure seem to point to the fact that the potential cases against these athletes never even come to trial (or in the case of Steven's many DUI's and moving violations) are not charged with the offenses that an ordinary citizen would be.
preferential treatment by their high school coaches, college coaches, college administrators and even NFL coaches Don't forget District Attorneys, which is completely unbelievable. Or at least I wish it was.
I'm sure USC alumni have forwarded this article to the Los Angeles Times with words of mock outrage. A horror show for most but for a UW alumnus named Ed Hansen no doubt it was the good old days.
