Beat Your Wife Potvin
New York sports fans will remember that memorable chant from whenever the Rangers hosted the Islanders in the 1980s. It comes to mind now because of the allegations that Brett Myers, the Phillies ace righthander, physically abused his wife in public a little more than a week ago. I am late coming to the party on this one, but the Phillies handled the incident in an abhorent manner. After Myers was released on bail shortly after the incident, the Phillies allowed Myers to make his regularly scheduled start, freely admiting that he was their best pitcher and they needed him to start. It then took the Phillies a few days to issue a tepid statement in which they finally acknowledged what they should have all along: that domestic abuse is intolerable. They really dropped the ball on this one and should be ashamed of themselves. Myers sort of took them off the hook by taking a leave of absence, but the Phillies should have suspended him for at least a start. Better, given the incontrovertible evidence that Myers is guilty, they should have suspended him and still can suspend him until the legal proceedings are over. Where are the consequences if you can go out and pitch after beating your wife up in public?