We didn't get a chance to read the New York Times article on Jonathan Hargett's sad odyssey until Saturday evening, but as sad and as striking as it is, we respect his determination to rebuild his life after he gets out of prison and to connect with his children. He sounds as if he's understood the harsh lessons he was given. We wish him the very best of luck.
We were actually more interested in the accompanying article about Dan Dakich's reasons for leaving West Virginia, some of which had to do with Hargett and some to do with what he saw as an insitutional dishonesty. Not a pretty picture.
In a semi-related note, high school sensation Aquille Carr, aka The Crimestopper because crime stops in Baltimore when he plays, appears to have broken a few himself: he was arrested for allegedly throwing an ex-girlfriend to the ground and punching and kicking her.
The crimes are misdemeanors and even if his high school rejects him, he'll end up somewhere next year, because beating a woman, sadly, isn't enough to persuade people that there is a serious problem.
We're not saying that there shouldn't be second chances; of course there should. Perhaps they should come though after a serious amount of time away from the game and in counseling or therapy.