Life lesson for Bradley, other athletes
A few weeks ago we urged our readers in the Saturday Soapbox to cut Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley some slack. We also urged Bradley to concentrate on his game and not the outside pressures that come with signing a three-year $30 million contract.
For that kind of money, we believe players in any sport ought to figure out how to play through adversity - be it inflicted upon them or self-inflicted.
But this weekend, Bradley couldn't help himself. He decided to blame his troubles on everyone else but him in an interview with Daily Herald Cubs beat writer Bruce Miles.
Bradley said there was too much negativity surrounding the Cubs - the fans, the media and the organization. And then he took a shot below the belt for any loyal Cubs fan, player or front-office executive: "And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative."
Last straw. Bradley got suspended for the rest of the season.
We applaud Jim Hendry for saying enough is enough. It's time professional athletes are held accountable for what they do and what they say, on and off the field. Bradley wasn't producing - he hasn't all year - and he looked everywhere but inside his own head for the reason why.
But this isn't just a player-organization issue. You know things are bad when fellow players are fed up too.
"It's tough for a guy like me to understand," outfielder Reed Johnson said. "It's just hard for me to believe that you can come to this city and come to this organization and not enjoy your time here."
"I think he was provided a great opportunity to come here and be a part of a great organization with a lot really good players and it just didn't seem to make him happy," said pitcher Ryan Dempster. "Hopefully, this is a little bit of a wake-up call for him."
It's a good life lesson for Bradley, even if we're not sure he'll actually learn from it. But it's also a good life lesson for any athlete at any level, which is why we choose to highlight it here. Athletes can sometimes be put on a pedestal; some love it while others abhor it. But learning how to deal with the pressures of the pedestal is one that all of them must learn.
Take the other high-profile free agent in town. No one came to Chicago with greater expectations than Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. And last week's debacle against the hated Packers could have led to a season's worth of second-guessing and pressure from fans, players and team officials. But Cutler took it in stride, the team stuck by him and the city was rewarded with an exciting win on Sunday.
That's how a well-paid professional athlete is supposed to respond to adversity. It's too bad Milton Bradley never learned that lesson. We hope he does wherever he goes next season.