My response is "So what?" I am thrilled that he is admitting to his mistakes. I am a big believer in admitting to your mistakes and trying to make them right. A person needs to take responsibility for their actions and this is a great way of doing that. But you can't undo the past no matter how many times you apologize. For years, young people looked up to him. He was a person to be admired for his athletic prowess, for the ability to do what no other ball player has done. But what he really has shown people is that you can break the rules to suit your ambitions, apologize in the appropriate way and get ahead twice.
Earlier blogs have said that we need to be careful who we put on a pedestal and to realize that we are all human. There is a flip side too. Those people who perform great feats need to realize that people are going to idolize them and to hold themselves to higher standards. Presidents need to realize that their job comes with a great deal of power, therefore they should wield it appropriately. Doctors should realize that people will blindly trust them so they should make sure they are mapping out the best care possible based on a solid diagnosis. Top-of-their-sport athletes should realize that everyone who ever dreamed of playing their sport is watching them. Therefore they should behave in a way that they would want every child in the world to behave.
So I am glad that Mr. McGwire finally came clean about his steroid use. We need to see truly apologetic people taking responsibility for their actions. But I wish, before he started, that he had thought about the people who would want to grow up one day and be just like him instead of his own selfish ambitions. Then kids would have learned a better message than the one they learned this week.
