He Seems Sorry to me

I've been meaning to comment on this for a couple of weeks now because this is one of those no-win situations...but a lot of outraged people feel Donte' Stallworth did win. If you didn't know, Stallworth, 28, was a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns. In March, he was leaving a Miami nightclub, drunk, when he hit a pedestrian. The man, 59-year-old, Mario Reyes eventually died.

Stallworth's blood alcohol level was at .126, which is above the legal limit....but we all know a big, athletic, football playing man can probably hold liquor differently than others, which means he may not have been actually drunk. Moreover, everyone acknowledges that Reyes was NOT in the crosswalk. He was running across the street to catch a bus after leaving work. Which is why in the 911 call, Stallworth says "he came out of nowhere." As soon as Stallworth hit the man, he stopped. He frantically called 911. He took full responsibilty for his actions, and he voluntarily reached a financial settlement with the victim's family. He could not have handled the situation any better.

But here's the part white America is mad about: Stallworth's sentence is 30 days in jail for manslaughter, 8 years of probation and two years of house arrest. And the NFL has suspended him indefinitely. They feel like that's a slap on the wrist since a man has died here. OK, we certainly won't trivialize loss of life, but Stallworth didn't gun someone down in cold blood and run. And I dont even know that he's a big enough star for anyone to claim he received special treatment on that tip.

I'ma be real here, because we all know who is upset about it: the majority segment that overlooks all the light sentences they get, but want someone's head on a platter for the simplest offense if the perpetrator is black or a black athlete. If the victim's family is not upset, no one gives a damn what yall have to say about the situation. Period.

And while I'm at it, I dont care how nice your house is, I couldnt be on house arrest for two years. As in for the next 700+ days, those are the only walls he will see. That would drive a person crazy....for athletes, playing football is their life's passion and dream. That means Stallworth has two years where he won't be able to do that, and depending on how the comissioner feels after that time, he may be done altogether. Imagine making a mistake - and yes, it was a mistake that anyone could have made - that will cost you everything. Reyes lost his life, and Stallworth could be 30 years old unable to do what he's worked his whole life for. For anyone working a job they hate, anyone who'se watched your parents spend their whole lives at jobs they can't stand so they could provide for you, I think you understand the depth of that.

Yes, people have committed lesser crimes and gotten far worse punishments. OK, you can't correct that by hanging Donte'. So get over it.