If this week taught us anything about running a major sports program, it’s that keeping tabs on everything off of the field is just as important as keeping the on field product up to snuff. Two major stories involving athletics and domestic violence crept their ugly heads into the conversation this week as we gear up for a playoff push in MLB and the start of the season in College Football. It is more fun to discuss the actual sports themselves, but we are obligated to discuss stories like these in hopes that no matter what the circumstance is, one day domestic violence will not be tolerated at all whatsoever. The Astros and the Ohio State Buckeyes, both have this issue in their laps as they try to maintain their prestige among the elite programs in their sports by keeping their houses in order.
These are two different situations but the issue at it’s core is the same: how does an organization and the leader of that organization handle an issue like domestic violence when it is perpetuated by a player or a coach on the staff? The Astros are inviting this issue by trading for Roberto Osuna and I think it is safe to say that Urban Meyer never wanted to deal with any part of his wide receivers coach’s home life. While these situations are similar, they both come down to the same thing: a coach, a general manager, an athletic director, and an owner all must do their due diligence if this kind of issue is brought to their attention whether it is likely to be made public or not. Above all else, you have to keep your house in order.
Urban Meyer did not keep his house in order. Urban Meyer seemingly ignored the issue hoping it wouldn’t surface or would be resolved without him having to do anything official. That is reactionary and not the proper outlook the leader of one of College Football’s biggest programs should be having. Someone in Meyer’s position of power has a tremendous ability and responsibility to not only the team but the victim as well. If Meyer knew, the continued abuse in the Courtney Smith case could have stopped if Urban Meyer was a real leader. If Meyer did indeed know about the abuse and did nothing, then he is a piss poor leader who should be fired because he facilitates scumbaggery.
The Astros say they are keeping their house in order by doing all of the due diligence required before making a trade for a guy like Roberto Osuna. Osuna allegedly beat his girlfriend, but he also has a flamethrower of an arm, so on the surface it appears that the Astros are sacrificing morality so they can finally have a closer worth a damn on the mound. This is not worth it. The Astros can claim that they are doing their due diligence by making sure Osuna goes to counseling and apologizes, but that is not enough. When you say there is a zero tolerance policy on domestic violence in MLB and then you accept a player who commits domestic violence onto your team, that means that you are tolerating domestic violence. The Astros traded morality for a good arm and there is no spin or outcome with the charges brought against Osuna that can escape that fact.
Whether it is taking an ugly issue head on and making hard decisions or avoiding the temptation of production while sacrificing morals, the main goal of any organization has to be to keep their house in order. For the Astros and Ohio State Buckeyes this week, both organizations failed to do so and because of it domestic violence was tolerated doing no favors to current and future victims of this heinous crime.
– Alan Michael
For the haterz who say it’s photoshopped https://t.co/ffLZRHVzpM
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) August 1, 2018