Bad Boys, Bad Boys, What you gonna do?

A recent column in USA Today suggested that O.J. Simpson, since his most recent brush with the law, needed to be removed in some fashion from the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

I don't necessarily disagree with the idea, but I found myself questioning the differences between O. J. Simpson, Pete Rose and Barry Bonds and their impact on the social fabric of our culture. Each, in their own way, present a unique situation that their respective sports of choice must deal with.

O. J. Simpson got away with it. Though one of my dear friends feels to this day that he was innocent of the murder of his wife and Ron Goldman, the majority of America was flabbergasted by the decision of the jury. And the followup civil case determined that O. J. was responsible and he is financially indebted to the Goldman family for the death of their son and brother.

O. J. was anything but a sympathetic client for his legal team. I have often wondered if they believed in his innocence. I just don't see how an educated, logical, reasonable person could believe he wasn't guilty (my apologies to my dear friend). But innocent of murder he is and even his book "If I Did It" doesn't change that. Today, O. J. garners very little respect from any segment of the nation. He is castigated for what we believe he did and got away with.

But, should he be removed from the Football Hall of Fame? Interesting question that is debatable from many points of view. I was in Canton, Ohio that day in 1985 when O. J. was inducted into the Hall of Fame. And what a list of inductees it was. Joining O. J. was Roger Staubach, Joe Namath, Frank "Gunner" Gatski, and Pete Rozelle, the former NFL commissioner. Arguably, it was the greatest class of inductees ever.

Now the big question. Does O. J. belong in the football Hall of Fame. My take is simple and I am sure debatable. But I say he stays. His accomplishments on the football field that won him that honor took place long before his legal difficulties. His legal difficulties had nothing to do with, nor in anyway, were connected to his football prowess.

That of course, forwards the issue of Pete Rose and Barry Bonds.

I agree wholeheartedly with the decision that keeps Pete Rose out of the baseball Hall of Fame and separates him from any activities associated with Major League Baseball. He is significantly different that O. J. in that his betting records indicate he was active in that activity while he was still playing and managing. Despite his denials, we have no guarantee that his betting didn't play a role in his managerial decision making. His marvelous career will always be in question and the vision of "Charlie Hustle" barrelling over Ray Fosse in the All-Star game will never erase the questions marks from what seemingly appeared to be a Hall of Fame career.

Barry Bonds is a story unto itself. He is unique. He is an enigma. I honestly don't know what to do with him.

Case in point. We all have to accept the fact that he is innocent until proven guilty. But all the warning signs are there. His immense body change that comes with the use of steroids is disturbing. His contempt of the media and his unwillingness to talk to the fans through the media is bothersome, though its not much different than the behavior of his father who was a great baseball player in his own right. And the constant fear that his record was not achieved fairly is worrisome. It seemingly takes away from the greatness of Hank Aaron who set the record, certainly, in a fair fashion--with only the hard work that he put in and the gifts that God gave him.