By now you've surely heard that Joba Chamberlain got himself into some trouble in Nebraska this weekend. A few too many drinks, an open container and a traffic stop landed him in the pokey, as it should, and touched off the kind of reporting that makes you wonder what our media could do if they covered stories of any importance with the same fervor.
Should the Yankeeskeep Chamberlain in the rotation? Does he have a drinking problem? Is his Native American heritage to blame? Good god, you'd think Chamberlain reenacted the scene when Jake and Elwood Blues laid waste to a shopping mall. I don't mean to downplay the seriousness of what he did. Drinking and driving kills people and Chamberlain's lucky he isn't facing far worse charges or life with serious disabilities as a result of his refusal to find someone to drive him home.
I just think we can hold the rush to judgment or considerations about impact on his career until there's some real reason for alarm. For better or worse, Chamberlain isn't the first baseball player to enjoy a drink in his off hours and wouldn't be the first to go on to a productive, even All-Star career despite enjoying an alcoholic beverage or three. A little perspective would be swell.
Which brings us to today's bombshell that a Red Sox fan taunted Chamberlain at a strip club shortly before his arrest. A fight was narrowly averted and then Chamberlain stormed off into the clutches of Lincoln police. To read the stories, you'd think a Yankee fan was supposed to feel proud of Chamberlain for acting like an idiot and that if it hadn't been for that damned Red Sox rooter this whole thing could have been avoided.
At least the tabloids are making sure that all sides get represented in the stupidity Olympics.
