A Twitter feed wonders if Josh Hamilton is getting preferential treatment

http://thebiglead.com/?p=17466

You can probably see where this is going.
My take, for what it's worth: Hamilton is getting it easier than Gooden and Strawberry, but it's not a matter of racial preference. A few differences:

Gooden and Strawberry: First (known) offenses came after they had become superstars.
Hamilton: First (known) offenses came before he made the Majors. Nobody was "let down" by Hamilton's addictions because nobody had gotten accustomed to his bat in the lineup of their favorite team.

Gooden and Strawberry: Relapses included criminal offenses (DWI, coke possession, battery on a woman, failure to pay child support, prostitution, various probation violations.)
Hamilton: Relapse hasn't involved violations of the law.

 

One thing definitely working in Hamilton's favor is that he stood up and talked about it right away when the pictures surfaced. I'm not sure if Gooden or Strawberry came clean with the public at the time of their relapses. I also think it matters that Hamilton's relapse is with alcohol and not cocaine or worse drugs. A lot of people can relate to excessive drinking, and might be slower to condemn someone for falling off the wagon.

 

It's apples and oranges, and tap hit it on the head with his/her last point.

 

I am pretty sure that Josh Hamilton is white under all that ink. So I presume that's why the media is giving him a free pass, isn't it?

 

It happened in January, Hamilton stood up to absolutely nothing. Just another addict with no substance, so to speak. I'll wait for his next 'slip-up.'

 

It was reported he told his family and the Rangers right away, right? Guy doesn't have to tell the fucking media. Once the pictures came out, it appears he answered all questions straightforwardly, which is a hell of a lot more than most athletes do when confronted with their screw-ups, misdeeds, etc.

 

so who says he had to inform the media? he told his wife and the rangers in january when it happened. he had no further obligations to anyone else.

 

I hope no one close to you ever has to deal with an addiction or substance abuse, because you'll be worthless to them.

 

You obviously have no idea what living in recovery is all about. It is an every-day, every-hour process, and it never gets easy.

 

Absolutely. A close family member is an addict -- not giving specifics -- and the battle has been hellish over the years. I've gotten pissed, frustrated over the stumbles and sometimes stubborness about accepting help.

But I hope I'll never be so callous and/or flippant.

 

Didn't Gooden's and Strawberry's behavior cross into criminal indiscretions? Hamilton was drunk in a bar. Apples/oranges.