In the specific cases of Carruth and Lewis, Tagliabue's comments are right on. But they hold less water when it comes to players like Phillips. The Rams, Dolphins and 49ers knew all about his past history and signed him anyway. There's such a thing as a second chance, but teams can't plead ignorance if a player with a past fouls up again. The view that more greed equals more misdeeds could be valid.
Athletes are now celebrities, and celebrities play by a different set of rules.
However, much of the public's outrage smacks of short-sightedness and hypocrisy, because it is the public's adoration of athletes that elevates them to celebrity status. A complaint frequently heard when an athlete is busted is that if he were an average person, no one would care, and he wouldn't receive preferential treatment. The public helped create this situation, and as long as it places athletes on pedestals, they must acknowledge the consequences. Keith Goldberg is the Sports Editor of the Washington Square News.