Sports and the Question of Forgiveness
How will fans react if next summer's Cooperstown ceremony includes Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Carlos Beltrán holding Hall of Fame plaques? Questions arise about forgiveness in sports honors amid controversies.
Hall of Fame Controversies Across Sports
- There is speculation about whether the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will act if Chauncey Billups faces prison for alleged involvement in gambling and money laundering.
- O.J. Simpson was never removed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite his troubled past.
- Alan Eagleson is reportedly the only individual expelled from one of the four major sports Halls of Fame.
- Bobby Orr’s corrupt agent resigned from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998, just before potential expulsion by its board.
Baseball’s Current Climate of Forgiveness
Baseball today appears particularly lenient. For example, Alex Cora, regarded as one of the Red Sox's greatest managers, had a controversial role in the 2017 Astros’ cheating scandal, yet his reputation seems largely restored.
MLB suspended Cora, then a bench coach with the Astros, and Houston manager A.J. Hinch for a year, but both have returned to managing playoff teams, and the issue is rarely mentioned now.
Summary
Amid scandals and allegations, major sports leagues often show surprising forgiveness, raising questions about the consistency of their Hall of Fame standards and disciplinary actions.