Weighing in on the hiring of Eric Tillman by the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos is definitely in the territory of 'where angels fear to tread'. Nonetheless, I'm going there.
If you don't know the back story, in 2009 the former Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager was charged with sexual assault of a sixteen year-old girl. The incident occurred in 2008 when the girl was babysitting Tillman's two children. The teen testified that Tillman, who had come home early from work, came up behind the teen, put his thumbs through her belt loops and pulled her body against his. Tillman has said that he doesn't remember the event because he was under the influence of a bad combination of non-prescription pain medication. The medications involved were a double dose of sleep aids and a drug to relieve back pain. According to colleagues, Tillman was sent home from a team meeting because he was exhibiting strange behaviour which had later been attributed to the drug mixture.
Tillman plead guilty to the charges and after weeks of court testimony was granted an absolute discharge. The judge in the case, Murray Hinds, believed Tillman was "genuinely remorseful" and accepted that his behaviour was a result of the drugs. Tillman is still considered guilty of the offence, but he won't have a criminal record, and no conditions were imposed to keep his record clear. It should be noted that Tillman has no prior record of sexual assault or mistreatment of women, nor has anyone come forward to make allegations of other incidents.
The nature of this crime is so socially toxic that getting beyond the incident, regardless of the circumstances, is extremely difficult. Tillman will have to live with his mistake for the rest of his days, a fact he has publicly accepted.
The question is, are we ready to forgive him? A recent poll of Edmonton Eskimo fans revealed more than half disapproved of the hiring. Tillman himself admitted that he was not surprised by the reaction, nonetheless he accepted the position knowing that he will always be judged by his indiscretion.
A lot of people think he doesn't deserve to be in such a high profile position, despite the fact that it is one in which he is uniquely qualified and has excelled. During his tenure as a general manager in the CFL, he has won three Grey Cups, and came close again last year until the famous 13th man incident. He also spent time as an analyst on TSN, though it is highly unlikely he would ever return to television.
I know I'll get some flack for this, but I am not among those prepared to write-off Tillman's career. No, I don't think what he did was right. It was a mistake, a big one. However, if it was a result of a form of inebriation I think there are more than a few people in the world who are just as culpable of similarly inappropriate behaviour. I know of at least one incident in my own past when after too many drinks (among other embarrassing acts) I picked a fight with a friend; something I have never done before or since. How many people still get behind the wheel of a car knowing full well that they are under the influence, despite the risk of endangering others? Health care workers will attest to some post-operative patients, and those receiving high doses of pain medication, exhibiting behaviours that are either exceedingly inappropriate or violent. Sometimes both. These are people who are otherwise meek and kind-hearted.
I also think that the public frequently displays a double-standard when it comes to celebrities behaving badly. Some seem to get an unreasonable amount of leeway for irresponsible actions while others get singled-out for seemingly minor offences. Many of the accounts of Tiger Woods indiscretions are appalling and yet fans, sports reporters and the PGA seem fairly anxious for a return of the Tiger of old.
Although he testified that he had no recollection of the incident due to the combination of medications, Tillman did plead guilty to his actions and did not try to hide behind the law or from the press. He has apologized to his family, his colleagues and the public. He has asked for, and received, forgiveness from the victim and her family.
I'll grant that the nature of this offence makes it difficult to reconcile with the offender, and had it been my child, I would struggle to contain my rage. It is at best a gross breach of mutual trust and respect and at worst a disturbing and predatory act.
Tillman's remorse, at least to me and those at the centre of the incident, seems genuine. Though he may have escaped legal retribution, his life will be forever marred by this incident. That said, who am I to insist on repeatedly punishing him by denying the opportunity to rebuild his life and career? If any one of us were found guilty of some of the impulsive and foolish mistakes we've made in our own lives, would we not hope for the same?
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