[CBFF] ST - Encroachment

[Michael Beran]

He's a public figure and has all of the "niceities" that come with it.  There's also the downside of it too, and this is part.  
  He made a stupid mistake, and made it worse by saying "I don't remember".  Even more stupid. 

Jerry Madsen <jerrywm at gmail.com> wrote:
  Encroachment
Urlacher's domestic situation is none of our business, and he deserves privacy

(http://www.suntimes.com/sports/slezak/468319,CST-SPT-carol15.article)

July 15, 2007

BY CAROL SLEZAK Sun-Times Columnist

Brian Urlacher made 93 solo tackles and assisted on 49 others during
the 2006 regular season. He also was selected to the Pro Bowl and
finished fourth in the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year
voting. Ideally, that's what still comes to mind when you think of
him. But in the last week, Urlacher has made news for other reasons.

In case you didn't hear, Urlacher is engaged in a visitation dispute
with the mother of his 2-year-old son. She claims he sent her a number
of profane and insulting text messages. She also claims he is
self-centered and a poor role model for their son. Urlacher claims she
has sabotaged his visitations by failing to show up with the boy at
the appointed times. (Urlacher also claims he ''can't remember''
sending any profane or insulting text messages, which in my book is
akin to an admission of guilt.)

At a hearing last week, Urlacher and the mother of his son were
ordered by a Will County judge to take a parenting class. I don't know
about you, but I hope this is the last we hear about this story. It's
not as if Urlacher's domestic situation is any of our business. We
really don't need to know what kind of parent he is, or what kind of
parent someone else thinks he is.

Did you feel as if you were reading a letter that wasn't addressed to
you when you read Urlacher's text messages (the ones he doesn't
remember sending)? I did. I'm not repeating any of the messages here
because this newspaper already has printed them. But they clearly
weren't intended for anyone but the mother of his son to read.

This isn't the first time Urlacher's off-the-field actions have made
headlines. He received a lot of attention during his fling with Paris
Hilton. His divorce was big news. His desire to establish paternity of
his then-infant son also was big news. Surely Urlacher has learned by
now that his status as a star professional athlete subjects him to
public scrutiny. It's part of the deal. Even so, I think he got a raw
deal with the text messages. (It should be pointed out that the mother
of his son wanted to make the messages public, and, yes, this
newspaper had cause to print them because Urlacher is considered a
public figure. That's not to say that I would've printed them had the
choice been up to me.)


Celebrities under microscope
Urlacher has been criticized for the content of the messages, which
included excessive swearing and insults directed at the mother of his
son. Admittedly, the messages were nasty. Does that make them
newsworthy? Just to be clear, we're not talking about a matter of
national importance or a matter of criminal activity. This story is
only newsworthy because it involves Urlacher. But isn't this story
really about an innocent little boy?
Shouldn't Urlacher or anyone else have a reasonable expectation of
privacy when sending personal text messages, especially ones that
involve a helpless child? I'm not talking about the legal standard.
I'm just talking about reasonableness. It's not as if Urlacher put the
text messages on a Web site, inviting the rest of us to read them.

Obviously Urlacher's endorsement deals and pseudo-celebrity status
come at a cost. Today's sports stars are held to a similar standard as
Hollywood celebrities. At least Urlacher has so far gotten off a lot
easier than Alec Baldwin, who has had lots of bad press during his
long-running custody dispute. But the price seems to be getting
steeper for athletes. If a photographer can stalk Alex Rodriguez just
to get pictures of him with a woman who is not his wife, then I guess
nothing should surprise us.


Family business
Is Urlacher a bad role model for his son, as the mother of his son has
claimed? And is she a bad mom for wanting to make those messages
public? Let them sort it out. Or let the judge sort it out. It's none
of our business.
Urlacher's domestic troubles aren't any of the NFL's business, either.
Despite the league's new emphasis on player conduct, I doubt
commissioner Roger Goodell is keen on prying into his players' custody
disputes, whether or not they allegedly involve nasty text messages.
Goodell has far more pressing problems to contend with. Urlacher is
just a dad who, judging from reports, wants to see his son.

This is a family matter, and one that's best kept private. Here's
hoping everyone does their best to help keep it that way. That means
Urlacher, the mother of his son and the rest of us.

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