07-15-2021, 10:34 AM
I hope he gets the help he needs, and I'm extremely relieved no one was hurt (other than apparently a laceration on Sherman's leg from the police dog).
Some of the judgment of Sherman so far in this thread (and elsewhere) seems to come from an assumption that he made an error in judgment or a bad choice, and thus he is fully responsible for the consequences. But if his mental health concerns have been ongoing for some months, as seems to be the case, then that assumption is likely unfair. It doesn't mean he will be free from consequences, of course, but it can and should affect the lens through which we view this. He will go to rehab, and his underlying mental health concerns will likely affect the ultimate charge on the DUI and his eligibility for a diversion program.
It is a shame that the initial flash of this story based on the name of the charge is what most will remember. Those who disliked him already because of his outspoken nature won't be inclined to dig any further. And many are presuming this all derived from a conscious choice that he should not have made. Yes, he chose to drink what he drank and get in the car. But if his mental health had deteriorated to the point that his guns were taken away, then he's simply less culpable. He was less competent to make that choice.
He clearly needs psychiatric help. He'll go to rehab, he'll pay restitution if there was any damage to the concrete barrier and he'll pay to fix any damage to his in-laws' house. He'll face some criminal charge for the drunk driving, though the DA will have to consider how Sherman's mental illness will impact getting a guilty verdict if it were to go to trial and knowing it would be a mitigating factor in sentencing even with a guilty verdict. (And it would never go to trial. Either he'd plead guilty to the DUI charge under a deal where he'd just get probation, or he'd probably get a deferred prosecution and if he successfully completes treatment and keeps his nose clean for a few years, the charge would be dismissed.)
Anyway. It's really sad. I'm really relieved he didn't hurt himself or anyone else. But those of you in the thread who said you were withholding judgment until a fuller picture emerged? You had it right. That's usually the best course of action, and that sure proved true here. I'll be waiting to hear more, but the story as it first emerged was disastrous, both in terms of its moral wrongness and the effect on his career and how we all view him. The story as it now seems to be is sad and tragic, but the level of moral wrongness has gone way down, and with it, the potential long-term damage to his career* and how he's generally viewed by the public.
*I'm referring to long-term damage to his career and reputation here. There is undeniable short-term damage, what with NFL training camps starting in the next 1-2 weeks. He was seemingly healthy, though, and as the top available free agent CB, he likely would've been on a roster at some point this season absent this incident, provided he recognized he's in the "discounted one-year deal" stage of his career.
Some of the judgment of Sherman so far in this thread (and elsewhere) seems to come from an assumption that he made an error in judgment or a bad choice, and thus he is fully responsible for the consequences. But if his mental health concerns have been ongoing for some months, as seems to be the case, then that assumption is likely unfair. It doesn't mean he will be free from consequences, of course, but it can and should affect the lens through which we view this. He will go to rehab, and his underlying mental health concerns will likely affect the ultimate charge on the DUI and his eligibility for a diversion program.
It is a shame that the initial flash of this story based on the name of the charge is what most will remember. Those who disliked him already because of his outspoken nature won't be inclined to dig any further. And many are presuming this all derived from a conscious choice that he should not have made. Yes, he chose to drink what he drank and get in the car. But if his mental health had deteriorated to the point that his guns were taken away, then he's simply less culpable. He was less competent to make that choice.
He clearly needs psychiatric help. He'll go to rehab, he'll pay restitution if there was any damage to the concrete barrier and he'll pay to fix any damage to his in-laws' house. He'll face some criminal charge for the drunk driving, though the DA will have to consider how Sherman's mental illness will impact getting a guilty verdict if it were to go to trial and knowing it would be a mitigating factor in sentencing even with a guilty verdict. (And it would never go to trial. Either he'd plead guilty to the DUI charge under a deal where he'd just get probation, or he'd probably get a deferred prosecution and if he successfully completes treatment and keeps his nose clean for a few years, the charge would be dismissed.)
Anyway. It's really sad. I'm really relieved he didn't hurt himself or anyone else. But those of you in the thread who said you were withholding judgment until a fuller picture emerged? You had it right. That's usually the best course of action, and that sure proved true here. I'll be waiting to hear more, but the story as it first emerged was disastrous, both in terms of its moral wrongness and the effect on his career and how we all view him. The story as it now seems to be is sad and tragic, but the level of moral wrongness has gone way down, and with it, the potential long-term damage to his career* and how he's generally viewed by the public.
*I'm referring to long-term damage to his career and reputation here. There is undeniable short-term damage, what with NFL training camps starting in the next 1-2 weeks. He was seemingly healthy, though, and as the top available free agent CB, he likely would've been on a roster at some point this season absent this incident, provided he recognized he's in the "discounted one-year deal" stage of his career.