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May 10, 2010
Madman's Take on Lawrence Taylor - Should Prostitution be Legal? What is so amazing about the recent arrest of Lawrence Taylor, the single greatest defensive football player of all time, was that because of his checkered past of drugs and domestic issues, the public assumed the worst when he was arrested. Even I told my close friends I thought he was probably partying hard again freebasing coke and losing his mind. To my surprise, I was wrong. Now, as the facts have emerged, he is being labeled as a pedophile. This label could not be further from the truth. Yes, LT solicited a prostitute through a friend, who gave him this Shady Pimp, Rasheed Davis's number. They negotiated a price of $300 for sex and a woman was sent to his hotel room. This is hardly unusual behavior for men traveling to the Big Apple. In fact, the last time I was in New York, as I walked out of my hotel to get a drink down the street, I was walking and I passed two women in a Range Rover. They solicited me for sex. So what. It was not a big deal to me. In fact, they handed me a business card, which I gave to my friend, whom I was meeting. Apparently, after I went back to my hotel room, he called the number and met one of the girls that night. He indicated to me that he had a great evening. Not surprising, right? What you should know is that my friend is a huge recording artist, who makes a good living. Although he is not married, what he did is a norm in the sports and entertainment field. I have personally seen many of athletes do the exact same thing. As wrong as many of you might feel calling a hooker for sex might be, it is common...very common, especially with athletes and entertainers. Ask Charlie Sheen or Tiger Woods or countless others. Yes, the girl in LT's instance happened to be 16 and not 19 like she told him. Maybe she looked older, I do not know. However, I do know that LT is a massive man and that most women seem like little toys to him. Should he have known she was underage? Again, I do not know. The real issue here is not what LT did, but why is prostitution illegal. I can hear many readers now moaning that I am nuts, but hear me out. If prostitution were legal, pimps like Rasheed Davis would have no women to abuse. Clients would get women through legal channels, therefore drying up the illegal hooker market, and the sex would be safe for both the client and prostitute. Since the illegality of prostitution does not help anyone and certainly does not stop prostitution, legalization is the only rational alternative. Young girls would be rescued from the clutches of abusive, terror pimps because their client base would have better, legal alternatives. Sexually transmitted diseases would be greatly reduced as states would have legal regulation and testing. The concept is a win-win. Even the states win as they would realize a large influx of revenue. I cannot come up with one reason not to legalize the sale of sex. As I am completely aware that many readers do not agree with me, I challenge those who disagree to indicate why I am incorrect. Please refrain from religious arguments, as well as common thoughts like sex should only be between married couples. You get the idea. Only state logical arguments. We here at TheSportsMadman welcome reasoned debate regarding serious social issues. Certainly, this is a most fascinating topic. Let me hear your thoughts at madman@thesportsmadman.com. Post Script: Another related topic that I will save for a later date is whether statutory rape should be a "strict liability" law, meaning there is no defense. Are there situations where statutory rape is not fair to the accused? May 5, 2010 Madman's Take on Ben Roethlisberger - A Modern Babe Ruth? This Ben Roethlisberber story could be the biggest of the year for any NFL player. There have been thousands of articles written by sports journalists from all over the country. I have not seen one, however, that has defended Ben in a well thought out and accurate manner. Most defenses of him are that he should not be suspended because he was not charged, let alone convicted. While that is obviously true, when one objectively and reasonably looks at the facts of what has been released, it seems as likely as not that no improper conduct by Ben occurred. First of all, I want to be clear that I do not condone any type of battery. Sexual battery is especially deplorable and there is no excuse for that kind of conduct. Having said that, when women get so drunk that they cannot remember what happened and they chase targets like professional athletes from location to location, that is another problem. In this case, the accuser and her friends admit to following Ben and his crew of another Pittsburgh Steeler, several off-duty police officers, his assistants and friends from location to location. They did not travel with his group, nor were they invited to. However, they appeared at location after location that Ben was at. These facts are not disputed. Also not disputed is the fact that the alleged victim was severely intoxicated. What is also not at issue is the fact that Ben is a giant target, with a huge bulls-eye on his chest. He has already been accused of sexual assault by a woman in another state. Although, again there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute Ben, the woman filed a civil suit, which is still pending. Accordingly, every woman out that night knew of Ben's situation and the possibility to take advantage of it. Certainly, it is possible that nothing improper happened and the woman lied or could not remember what happened. In fact, the accuser lied about her age even to get in each and every bar she was at. Moreover, she claimed her and Ben had sex against her will, yet when she was given a rape test, no genetic material of Ben's was found; none! Given the fact that these genetic tests can determine the wrongdoer's DNA from the finding of one single hair or drop of fluid, it makes no sense that the accuser and Ben had sex at all. Only one minuscule piece of male DNA was found, but it was so tiny that it could have been from anyone. The only DNA profile identified was that of a female. What was more troubling with the accuser's story is that she indicated at first that she did not know what was going on because she was so drunk. She then indicated ten days later in a second interview, "she did not know" to a question of whether her and Ben had sex. Her two written statements are in complete contrast to her verbal interviews and unequivocally state she was raped. The crazy thing is that she claimed that Ben, all 6'5" of him, had sex with her sitting on the toilet. There are so many inconsistencies that it is clear the alleged victim is not sure what happened or with whom what she is alleging happened. It is entirely possible that someone else sexually assaulted the accuser. The fact is that even she does not know. Really, the accuser has no credibility. That is the reason the state did not charge Ben; because her word is mud and what she says is worthless when you have no credibility. I feel terrible for her (I have three daughters), but she placed herself in that situation, being alone in a private area of a bar when you cannot stand up or remember what happened. Anything could have happened. Anything. Knowing this, the alleged victim indicated to police that she did not want to pursue the case. She knew she had no credibility. Moreover, based on the totality of the information I have stated hereinabove, I doubt the alleged victim will file a civil suit. If she does, I know she will not win. No chance. All of this nonsense about the off-duty cops helping Ben and not letting the accuser's friends get by them as Ben raped their friend in the bathroom is just not believable. Both cops deny doing such a thing and I can hardly see friends of the accuser not screaming bloody murder as their friend is in the bathroom with Ben as men restrain them from going in. I know my wife would kick down the door or anyone in front of it, if one of her girlfriends was in a locked bathroom seemingly against her will. Plainly, the entire story just does not make any sense. To me, the real issue here is whether the commissioner has the authority under the NFL Personal Conduct Policy to suspend Ben for even one game or penalize him at all. It is my position that Commissioner Goodell cannot legally do either. I understand the importance of protecting the shield and agree with the policy in many ways, but to penalize a pro athlete on the word of a drunken woman who has no credibility goes against the face of our country's basic concept of 'innocent until proven guilty'. Isn't it entirely possible that the woman is lying and merely trying to score a major payday? I believe that is a real possibility, even though I have no idea what happened. If the cops believe the woman has no credibility, how can the commissioner believe she or her drunken friends do? Further, the Commissioner penalizes Ben millions of dollars for going out drinking on his birthday at the only populated city within miles of where he lives to go. How many people do not go out with friends partying on their birthday? Not many that I know. Maybe they don't go to six bars, but most people go out with friends and alcohol almost always is consumed. Should Ben ID every woman in a bar that has a 21 age limit just to enter? I don't think so. Is he being penalized because he bought those same women drinks when they are in a 21 and over bar, where everyone is getting plastered, whether Ben is there or not? I definitely think so. When Mr. Colon, Ben's teammate, found out a girl was not 21 he stopped talking to her and left the area she was at. He was not committing any crime by talking to her, but he knew that he felt it was not right for him, a professional athlete and a member of the NFL fraternity. Similarly, when invited back to a sorority house by a couple of girls, Ben said, "Hell no, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen." Just from that one comment, we know that he was well aware of what is right and wrong. Ben was thinking of his responsibility to the NFL and the shield by having two off-duty police officers with him. Without the officers Ben would have been really screwed. I doubt he would have played this season, if ever again. Certainly he would not have played again for the conservative Steelers. I wonder what would have happened to Babe Ruth back in the day had Major League Baseball had the same Personal Conduct Policy. He was a known womanizer and alcoholic. He died from complications arising from not taking care of his body and drinking so severely. He played without sleeping and played intoxicated. He is known as one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived. However, under the NFL Personal Conduct Policy he would have surely been suspended and would have had lower numbers because he would have missed many, many games. Same could be said for many players of that era in every sport. Ever heard of Micky Mantle or Billy Kilmer? Is drinking a crime in our country? What is the league going to do in ten years when marijuana becomes legal? You cannot test if someone has recently smoked because marijuana stays in the system for upwards of 30 days. Most of the league smokes anyway, but they stop before they know the test is coming and then they resume again until the next year's test. Marijuana will have to be removed from the list of banned substances. Now that will be funny, seeing the major sports leagues remove marijuana from their banned substances list. I have had many late nights out with professional athletes and I can tell you from experience that they are some of the hardest partiers in the world. This is well known. I always have a good time, but at 160 pounds I usually have trouble hanging with the athletes, especially the massive linemen. Have you ever seen movies depicting professional football players and what they do on their own time. Even funny NFL movies like "The Replacements" have drinking as a fundamental part of the story line. Movies like "Semi-Tough" or The "Longest Yard" or "Any Given Sunday" portray the NFL in an awful light. I understand the league wants to change this perception, but the perception cannot be changed by stripping the athletes of their fundamental rights. I know the NFL means well. They want what is best for the league. Clearly, the NFL does not care about the players as much as the league itself. Just take one look at the way the NFL treats its retired players. (This is another topic for another day) They sometimes cannot even walk, yet are denied basic medical benefits. We all know that the NFL makes billions of dollars, yet the league cannot spare a few tens of millions of dollars for the players responsible for making the league what it is today? This is indisputable evidence that the league is only interested in itself, not the players. What I am wondering now is when will a player stand up to the NFL and its Commissioner by suing? I hope it is sooner rather than later. As it stands today, I wonder what precedence Ben's case will set for players. Will the league suspend players for partying hard and having their picture taken in a club by some idiot and then sold to and posted by TMZ? Then the players will not even be able to drink alcohol in public. This upcoming season will prove to be a war of wills between the players union and the league that I cannot wait to see. Definitely must see television, that's for sure! May 4, 2010 Madman's Take on Pukemon This story has circulated around the Internet like a wildfire. The amazing thing is that, on the surface, the entire story appears to be a police driven event. First of all, you have an off duty police captain at a Philadelphia Phillies game with his two daughters, ages 11 and 15. What is not disputed is the fact that the accused and his friend were drinking alcohol and being abusive to players from the opposing team. They used bad language. What is also clear is that the police captain used his position to get the accused's friend thrown out of the stadium. Next, what occurred is unclear. The off-duty officer claims, "When I say disgusting, there was not only insults and vulgarities directed at us, but also beer was thrown at us. I actually heard the individual behind me say, 'I'm gonna get sick', then I couldn't believe what I saw. He actually had his fingers down his mouth and into his throat to make himself vomit. He vomited and lurched forward and it was hitting my daughter." It is hardly uncommon for fans at a Phillies game to use insults and vulgarities and throw beer. This is precisely why there are no longer glass bottles at games. Anyone remember beer bottles being thrown onto the field? I do. As the accused's friend was being arrested, the accused allegedly stuck his fingers down his throat and vomited on one of the officer's daughters. The accused says he got sick from drinking too much and the cop says he intentionally vomited. I would tend to believe the fan because looking at the situation, the man would have vomited on the cop, not his daughters had he done it on purpose. As if it was not bad enough for them to be singled out because they acted this way around an off-duty police officer, they were pummeled by the officer. The mug shot of the accused, who is charged with a laundry list of charges, shows his left eye swollen as if he were Mitch "Blood" Green getting hit by Mike Tyson one night as the champ was shopping. His eye is severely blown up. The bond for the accused was set at $12,000 and I read in other articles that it was increased to $36,000. This poor young man, who obviously ate and drank too much at the game, is being treated like Jack the Ripper. In no way do I condone his and his friend's behavior, nor do I feel like any young girls should be subjected to what is alleged. I have three daughters myself and I totally understand the cop's anger. However, these types of events happen every single night all across the country. There is no question that what occurred was out of line, but a $36,000 bond? Are you kidding me? I have never been to a game in any city where I have not seen out-of-line behavior like this or fighting or worse. In fact, insults and vulgarities are part of the game. When players react, it only gets worse. It gets so bad that players attack fans in the stands. These attacks do not occur because the fans are telling the players their batting stance is wrong. The real problem here is that every team wants to make money and the number one way the teams make money is by selling alcohol. The number one money maker is beer. It should be no surprise that the accused was drinking beer that night. If teams want to serve alcohol, as they do, then they cannot expect events like this not to occur every night, especially when there are so many thousands of people at the games. Football games are worse as many fans "Tailgate" in the parking lot doing beerbongs, shots, and who knows what else. I know that I have partied hard at many games. I often wonder why the violence is not worse. Certainly, this unruly behavior is foreseeable. Which raises an additional question. Is the team and Major Leagur Baseball liable for these types of events and the damages that occur from them? Another issue is that this one individual is being singled out by an officer that used his position to get these young men in trouble in the first place. Wouldn't the prudent thing have been for the officer to get up and move to other seats away from the unruly fans. There are always available seats to move to on weekday night games. The officer wanted to get into the altercation because he was upset, and he did. His entire story is told like a defense story or arrest affidavit. My favorite part of the officer's story is that he held the accused down, but did not hit him because he did not want his kids to be alone at the game if HE got arrested. Yeah, right, good chance of that. By the way officer, how did the accused's face get beaten up? There was no way the officer did it as full of rage as he was, right. The sporstmadman calls B.S. on the off-duty officer and hopes the accused gets the proper defense from a good attorney. Maybe he needs alcohol counseling, but he certainly does not need to be convicted of 15 different offenses including simple assault, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, harassment, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Let's address the real problem and somehow curtail alcohol abuse at sporting events. This does not seem likely as the teams make most of their money by selling alcohol. Set the accused free already. Can you imagine how rough his life will be for the next few years as he has been branded by the world as a Puking Idiot. It is time to place some responsibility with the proper parties, the teams and the leagues. |
