Redemption & Consequences

Because it's not black and white, is it? Because every situation has its own dynamic. Because, even though we hate to recognize it because it makes things so damn complicated, there is a sliding scale of right and wrong that we use. Or at least I do. I can see two different people can do the same thing wrong and have a very different reaction to what they've done.

Or one guy can do something WORSE than the other guy and, depending on how they respond, I may have more faith in the guy who committed the worse act.

Any moron knows having an arsenal of weapons in your house -- as the Bears Johnson did -- is a helluva lot more egregious than smoking weed as Ricky Williams did (does and may be doing as you read this)

But when Johnson says, "One day I want to be the face of the league for guys who have come through adversity - came through it and ultimately became the Man of the Year in the NFL. That would be a tremendous ending to the story," is it wrong to offer him the life preserver of redemption in the publc's mind?

Seriously. As bad a dude as Tank Johnson appeared to be, as reprehensible as it was to have armaments in the house where his children were, is it OK to hear his words and think he's really going to change?

Nobody could have scripted a better response than Johnson gave to the question of whether he'll face a league suspension for his arrest.

"Mr. Goodell has a tremendous responsibility to get this league in order. Whatever he decides to do, it's in the best interest of the league. I feel like whatever sanction he imposes, I'm man enough to take it, and I know that once I get back on the field, that chapter of my life is closed and I can move on."

Yet as I swallow Johnson's words, I read what Cameron had to say about the chances of Ricky Williams joining the Dolphins after testing positive yet again for marijuana.

"The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior," said Cameron. "Could I have made that statement 15 years ago? Absolutely not. I was trying to save every guy in the game. Ultimately, it comes down to the team. . . . You want to be as fair as you can, but no individual comes above the team. . . . Sometimes you have to go with your gut instinct on certain guys."

And my gut tells me that Ricky Williams will blow every chance he's given because he's blown so many before. He's not to be relied upon and Cameron is exactly right.

Asked by Dolphins media about the percentage of guys able to change their stripes, Cameron said it was "very low."

And despite that, I want to believe Tank Johnson when he says, "I think I learned a great deal of patience and self-control. A lot of those things that maybe I didn't work on them enough in my life before, but I got a chance to really work on those things."

Hey, if Tank Johnson gets back on that road again and pops up in the police blotter, then I was a fool for getting sucked in. But the stated effort he's going to make to redeem himself is worth being praised today and until he screws up again, if ever.

Meanwhile, Ricky Williams is out of free passes. The NFL is a privilege, not a right even if you are 330-pounds and the owner of a unique skill set or a once-brilliant running back.

Johnson seems ready to treat his career as that - a privilege. Williams isn't.

Said Cameron, "I will not allow our fans to be let down by people that are not on our roster. Not again."

How do you believe in? For now, I'll take the guy who just got out of jail over the guy who's never been incarcerated. Strange but true.