Myers to Take Some Time Off

My God.

Brett was an amateur BOXER as a youth, for god's sake! His wife apparently wanted to stay out a little later than Brett did on Thursday night in Boston. So he punched her. Twice. IN FRONT OF WITNESSES.

An eyewitness said that Kim Myers yelled “I’m not going to let you do this anymore!” It's clear this is not the first time this has ever happened between Brett and Kim. Especially after he told the media on Saturday that he was embarrassed that the situation became public.

And then Brett pleads not guilty? A bully AND a coward.

But even more craven was the Phillies' response. So starved for a win, they sent Myers out to the mound to face Curt Schilling in Saturday’s matinee in front of a NATIONAL AUDIENCE.

The Phillies had a golden opportunity to let their players and fans know that some things are more important than a single win. Disapproving of domestic violence should qualify.

They said Myers was the Phillies best chance for a victory. And they were right.

It appears he was also the best chance to shed additional light on one of pro sports most ammoral front offices.

Myers should have been sent home after his wife had to pay his $200 bail. No interviews. No starts. No soundbites. He should have been sent home and put on administrative leave, wins and losses be damned.

Whatever happened to apologizing? Whatever happened to consequences? Whatever happened to keeping your hands to yourself and respecting women?

there's a lot more than i seem to understand?

please edify me. in one sentence you say he apologized and is getting help. in the next you state without irony that despite this, he STILL PLED NOT GUILTY because he "feels he is not guilty." so just what did he "feel" he needed to apologize FOR? poor table manners?

as for no definitive verdict, there were MULTIPLE WITNESSES. it was in a PUBLIC BAR. what don't i understand? that she just wasn't listening? that she DESERVED it? if people witness a man punch his wife, just WHAT definitive legal verdict is needed by MLB or the phillies' front office to take further action?

an adult male with ZERO boxing training could pulverize the majority of women. that he was trained in this area makes it even more disturbing. my guess is when he hit puberty, he realized he couldn't beat the crap out of guys anymore so moved on to those who couldn't fight back.

i am perplexed and, frankly, somewhat amused that you would reserve your vitriole for someone who simply criticized a player rather than a man who beats his wife. your response is patronizing, replete with contradictions and no small amount of arrogance.

nevertheless, i find it absurd and somewhat sad that you would think i would mark your comment with a "minus" simply because you disagree with me. it's called debate. i'm not afraid of it. are you?

here's what i AM afraid: people who, blinded by loyalty - to a team, group, community - explain away terrible behaviour with blustery rhetoric rather than critical thinking, people who would rather defend a team than what is ethically right, people who can comfortably forgive the unforgivable.

and by the way, you all want to grow this place, then keep crapping on everyone who has an opinion different than yours. it'll be doing gangbusters.

According to you, Myers stated: "while I dispute that the facts are as alleged, I recognize that my behavior was inappropriate, and for that I apologize. Second, I recognize that the incident created an embarrassing situation for many people, including my wife and family, my teammates, the Phillies organization, and fans, and I am very sorry for that."

The very quote YOU CITE disproves your claim that I am rushing to judgment as nothing has yet been proven.

The event is no longer alleged. It HAS been proven. Myers HIMSELF has proven it with his statement.

Here is what we can now state as FACT, based on HIS OWN WORDS:

1) There was an incident.

2) His behaviour was inappropriate.

3) His actions have created an embarrassing situation for family, team and fans.

4) He is sorry for his inappropriate behaviour and actions.

The problem, as Xinoph so pointedly noted: WHAT happened? What did Myers specifically do for which he is apologizing?

He "quite literally" - and quite conveniently - leaves that out.

As for bleeding green, i think you're probably right. As long as he pitches well, ultimately no one will care.

JuTm, you state:

"He admitted that his conduct was inappropriate however he feels that some of the facts have been misconstrued. Regardless, as a public figure, he considers it his responsibility to apologize."

Since when is it a public person's responsibility to apologize days after an event for something he or she has not done?

And what gives you a deeper insight than the rest of us? How do YOU know what he meant by that statement? Why are you more capable of interpreting information offered than the rest of us?

Were you in the meetings held to craft this statement?

If you were, here's a question: If he is innocent, why wouldn't he just say so? I, for one, can think of dozens of others words and phrases that could have been used which would have acknowledged causing embarrasment but offering no apology if he did nothing.

Between agent, manager, PR folks and lawyers, over a dozen people likely had a hand in crafting this statement. My ignorant blogger guess is that they wanted to diffuse this situation with the media and fans but not say anything that would expose him to more jail time with a judge and jury.

In other words, he couldn't lie in the statement by saying he was innocent. And he couldn't admit to exactly what he did because that would conflict with his "not guilty" plea.

Bottom line, his statement is doublespeak, JuT, and even with an IQ of body temperature, I can see that. Why can't you?

You write:

"Have any of you read the documentation or interviewed a witness. I'm not trying to berate anyone, but this is the type of crap that seperates bloggers."

You're right. I only know what he admitted in his statement. I also know that Myers, a professional baseball player, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MLB SEASON, is taking a leave of absence to handle personal matters.

Maybe he feels it's his responsibility as a public figure to do that.

I shouldn't attack a guy until I have the whole story.

And I forgot about due process.