My take on the whole HOF issue is this....there is a contingent that sits on their high horses believing that what Pete Rose did is the ultimate sin. I don't condone what Rose did in his post-playing days, but having said that, is it not possible that there are already-enshrined HOF members who have done what most people would consider "worse acts". Are there not HOF'ers who were blatant racists, abusive husbands, alcoholics, drug-abusers, adulterers, etc?
I guess my moral compass is set to different standards, but I would much rather be in the presence of someone with a gambling addiction than someone who hits their wife or embraces the hatred of others based solely on the color of their skin. We are not all angels, surely we have done things in our personal lives or workplace that may not constitute "model" behavior.
America's beloved Michael Jordan has had serious gambling problems, as well as other notable athletes. Oh, I know, Pete bet on baseball...is there such a thing as forgiveness? I can't pretend to know what Rose's thoughts were when his mistakes were brought into the spotlight. Should Pete have confessed immediately, probably, but we have all made mistakes that we did not confess to right away or at all. Has anyone ever made a mistake at their job that they did not admit to for fear of being reprimanded, or worse being fired?
All I know is that Rose squeezed out every bit of talent he possessed every day. When I see modern-day players pussy-foot around and not give it their all, it bothers the sh!t out of me. As a PLAYER, nobody gave more effort than Rose.
I could go on, but I'll leave it at this...I'm not sure what criteria the Hall uses to enshrine players, but if there is anything at all that mentions "moral conduct" or a "moral code", to be fair, we better start digging up dirt on everyone and start pulling some of those players out of there.
And for those who feel that Pete has not paid his debt to baseball, take a good look in the mirror...do you see perfection? Rose belongs in the Hall.
Edited to add: To put things into a bit more perspective, every day murderers and pedophiles are being released back into the real world (you know...the whole debt to society and forgiveness thing).
Last edited by docpatlv; 07-31-2009 at 11:32 PM.
Reason: additional statement
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07-31-2009, 11:28 PM
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