Eric McErlain over at Off Wing Opinion has a good summary of what's being said and written about Pete Rose's "confession" that he bet on baseball. And at ESPN.com, Jayson Stark and Jim Caple weigh in. An excerpt from Caple:
I always thought that an admission would help Rose's cause but given the circumstances, I'm not so sure. The public backed him before this but he could be in for a severe backlash. Those who believed in him will feel betrayed and upset that he lied for 14 years. Those that always knew he bet on baseball but still thought he deserved a second chance are going to be upset that his admission does not contain an adequate apology and was tied to promoting his book.Fans are infinitely capable of forgiveness but it helps when the person actually asks to be forgiven.
And I've got to agree with Caple's conclusion as well:
while the Hustler should be eligible for the Hall of Fame (as long as the plaque mentions his gambling), the ban should continue for his active participation in baseball. It's one thing for a museum to honor Rose for his playing career but a compulsive liar and gambler with more career debts than hits should never be allowed back in baseball in a capacity that could influence the outcome of a game or a season.Posted by dan at January 6, 2004 12:29 AMIt took nearly 15 years for the Hustler to admit what we already knew. And in the meantime, we realized that while he was a Hall of Fame-caliber player, there isn't much else worth admiring.