How much reality do you want to see?

Watching a public figures life played out in front of you on TV, in print and on the Internet has become an American pastime all to its own. For me it is uncomfortable and strange, but like a huge wreck on the highway it is nearly impossible to not look over and draw your own conclusions.

Last night I got that same feeling when hearing the initial story of Rick Pitino, the Head Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. I also had a similar feeling after the pictures of Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers Outfielder, but for his plight I feel much more empathy.

The Pitino story, if you haven't heard, is just breaking and details are VERY vague, which helps allowing your mind to wander. What we do know. Pitino had consensual sex with a woman, not his wife, in 2003. At some point the woman began to attempt to extort money from Pitino and now she is on trial and Pitino is a witness. Other interesting tidbits; Pitino gave the woman $3,000 for an abortion. Does that mean Pitino knew he was the father of an unborn child after ONE encounter? Did he feel sorry for her and feel like this would 'sweep the issue under the rug' regardless of who the father is? The last really interesting thing I noticed is the woman's last name, now that she is married --- Sypher. What's in a name? Oh, 6 months after this incident happened she MARRIED one of the coaches on Pitino's STAFF!!!! Hello? Isn't that a little bizarre? So, she has an affair with the head coach, gets pregnant by 'someone', begins extortion on said coach and then DATES AND MARRIES one of his employees and friends...There has got to be a lot more here and no one is really talking. So when no one talks, people will make shit up. That's what is running around in my head --- inventing all of the really juicy stuff that 'could' have happened. I'm not going to type them here, I'll let you use your own imagination, but needless to say, if someone needed a payday, it would make for a great hour on Jerry Springer.

The Hamilton story is much sadder. Again, for the less sports baptized amongst you. Hamilton was a major stud coming out of High School and a #1 pick. In a long and sordid start to his career he got messed up with alcohol and drugs, including all of the 'hard stuff'. Through years of dedication and faith he has turned his life around. Not only has he rejoined the Majors and become an icon, but he has a beautiful young family. Apparently, in January he slipped and drank. Thanks to camera phones and his celebrity status, his fall off the wagon was captured and has now become public more than 6 months later. Unlike Pitino above though, Hamilton didn't wait for the 'smoking gun' to become public to deal with things. The day after the incident Hamilton opened up to his wife, his sponsor and his employer. He held nothing back so that when the 'story' eventually broke it was a non-story. It is what it is, Hamilton will live his life battling his disease and his demons. There are no guarantees he won't slip again, but it does seem that he has learned the most important lesson and that is when you make a mistake, own up to it, ask for forgiveness and realize that only through your positive actions can you truly be forgiven.

Two public stories, handled two different ways makes me think of a line from my favorite Robert Frost poem - "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference".