Athletes aren’t gods among us.
They are not superior beings who we should somehow strive to live vicariously through because of their physical fitness and notoriety. They make tremendously egregious mistakes in their lives just like you and I do.
So why is it exactly that one can receive a hysterically smaller sentence for something as serious as intoxication manslaughter than you or I?
Former Dallas Cowboy defensive lineman Josh Brent was found guilty on Wednesday for driving under the influence of alcohol and killing his former teammate and friend Jerry Brown in December of 2012 after Brent’s vehicle flipped over. On Friday, the judge sentenced Brent to 180 days in prison and 10 years on probation.
Keep in mind Brent’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit, at .18. Keep in mind Brent almost fled the scene and allegedly had to be begged to return to the scene of his dying companion. Keep in mind this isn’t even Josh Brent’s first encounter with a drunken driving offense.
What kind of justice has been done here? What will be learned from this?
The outspoken organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving quickly responded in an article by ESPN saying, “This punishment sends the message that it’s OK to drink and drive – but it’s absolutely not.”
Normally the argument “think of the children” is wasted on me, as it’s usually screeched by suburban housewives with a little too much sherry and not quite enough Sudoku, but I’ll make an exception here.
People today, specifically the ones under 21, need role models in all walks of life. Athletes are easy to follow and easy to appreciate because sports are so cut and dry. Either you win or you lose, there is no middle ground. Life isn’t so easy and that’s very clear in this case.
A man kills another man after drinking and driving, something he’s done more than once in his life. That should be enough to warrant a lengthy sentence away from the public where his bad decisions can hurt no one and serve as a reminder to all who might do the same as him.
Instead, Brown will be back on the streets in less than six months, completely free to rejoin the National Football League and, more than likely, the same team he was once part of, and the same one I’ve rooted for since I was a child.
Keep in mind this is the same league that allowed convicted murderer Donte Stallworth back into its ranks with only a year suspension to follow his release from prison.
Justice is not black and white, it isn’t fair to all, and I refuse to believe if I were to ever do the same things Brent did on that cold night in December 2012 that I would get off that easily.
Then again, I would rather believe in a higher justice after we’ve all passed. One that not even the most cunning athletes and judges can avoid.
