I'm going to say this as politely as I can.

If the metric for admiring any one at all - a celebrity, a sports star or an author - is now entirely based on what their poliitical or personal beliefs are - then the problem is not with then, but rather you.

I come across this over and over and I find it collectively enraging. It's one thing if an athlete choosing to disgrace themselves if they committ a crime or disgrace their sport. But if we now must have everyone in public life pass a moral code then no one will ever be able to walk away clean. Am I now supposed to not give Harry Potter books to my nephew because of her views on transgender? Can I no longer watch House of Cards because of Kevin Spacey's crimes? Am I suppose to advocate Dave Chappelle no longer be along to perform because of his jokes? According to the people on this blog - which you are more than willing to endorse - that is exactly what I should be doing.

Let me raise the standard of another great athlete since this is about sports ostensibly. Bob Gibson was one of the greatest Cardianl pitcher and no one could ever say he was a shriking violet. I've written about this extensively in a column of my own. Once a reporter asked him he was concerned about being a good role model. Here is his response:

"Why should I be a role model for your kid? YOU be a role model for your kid."

I honestly don't think anyone in public life owes us anything more. I hate who Curt Schilling has become politically but the fact remains he belongs in the Hall of Fame more than Barry Bonds does. But he is likely to be kept out not because he disgraced the sport but because a certain part of the population find his politicis distasteful. Why? He's a private citizen and he is not now, nor was he ever, obligated to be a role model. Is there a rule that I know of that says that everyone who is in public life has to behave to a metric that 'sensible people' believe is right?

Whetrher you or I agree with a person's politics is one thing. But if you're going to say that Wayne Gretzky is not the greatest hockey player of all time because of who he votes for or who he wants to be photographed, well, you have a problem not Gretzky.

And not for nothing, lots of great athletes in every sport have bene far worse people in every respect thaN gRETZkey was. For my first witness I call Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. I just wrote a long article in which I made it very clear that while I respect Joe DiMaggio as one of the greatest ballplayers of all time, personally I think he was a prick. That said, I won't deny he deserves to be part of the Hall of Fame and argue wiht every fiber of my being that Shoeless Joe Jackson has no business ever being there.

Why Gretzky choosing to support Trump is his business. Why you choose to now consider him a good guy anymore because of it - well, that's a problem you have.

I wouldn't be shocked if you choose to call me names or disavow me by this. I've engaged in similar arguments with people who basically take this position not only with all of thecc eleberirities I suggested in the third paragraph of this comment but told me that I was as much a monster for even suggested it. I'll live with that. I won't be happy with it, to be sure, but I'll live with it. Because sadly that seems to be the metric we have for everyone in public life these days. They have to be role models and we keep decided what it means to be one, and somehow it's their fault when they don't meet these arbitrary standards.