When Is Enough Enough?

I stumbled upon this ESPN.com article today, and it reminded me of my familiar frustrations with gifted athletes who throw away huge opportunities in favor of bad decision-making and illegal behavior. According to the article, Jamar Hornsby, who was slated to begin playing for the Mississippi Rebels football team this fall, has been indicted on felony assault charges and consequently released from the team. The article goes on to say that this is not his first offense, as he was previously released from the Florida Gators football team after pleading no contest to using a credit card stolen from a deceased Florida student who had dated one of his football teammates.

Understanding that young people make mistakes sometimes, it still upsets me that Hornsby was even given a second chance at a free education after wasting his first opportunity. Although Hornsby's first offense was initially punished by the loss of his spot on the Florida football team, his bad behavior was eventually rewarded with positive reinforcement and a free pass when Mississippi signed him for the 2009 season. Apparently, just one criminal act did not satisfy the threshold of who could be excluded from the Mississippi football team. It took a second criminal offense to finally move the team and administration to reject Hornsby's place on the roster.

Similarly, but on a grander scale, I recall the numerous transgressions of Adam "Pacman" Jones (photo above) during his time playing for the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys from 2005-2008. Beginning in college, Jones started racking up run-ins with the law. When Jones managed to get himself put on probation before the 2005 draft, what should have been a big red flag for any prospective teams looking to pick him up, was cavalierly ignored in the pursuit of the best available athlete. In less than 2 years, Jones was arrested for and/or charged with at least 4 criminal acts, but he continued to play. Only after the 4th offense was he suspended for one (yes, one) game by the Titans. Meanwhile, the legal system continued to extend his probation but never administered any recognizable punishment for his wrongdoings. Only after controversy surrounding a Las Vegas strip club shooting that Jones was allegedly involved in did the NFL finally step in and suspend Jones for an entire season. Unbelievably, the NFL reinstated Jones in 2008, only to re-suspend him after a number of other off-the-field incidents. Currently, Jones is a free agent and eligible to play.

I struggle with the idea that it is ok to condone such appalling behavior as that of Hornsby and Jones simply because they are exceptional athletes. Perhaps everyone deserves one second chance, but more than five second chances? Where is the line? When is enough really enough? Does an innate athletic marketability give someone moral invincibility? I can only hope for Hornsby's sake that his second blown opportunity is his last, and that he'll finally learn that at some point you must become accountable for the things you do with your life. Obviously Jones has not learned that lesson yet, and perhaps he never will. When society consistently forgives criminals simply because they are star athletes or celebrities, the lesson becomes infinitely more difficult to grasp.