Howard Apologizes, Will America Forgive?

There's been some offseason controversy surrounding Dallas Mavericks All-Star forward Josh Howard. Howard recently apologized for a July rant he made regarding the Star-Spangled Banner at a charity event. Howard was caught on video saying he doesn't celebrate the song "because he's black". A 4 minute video of Howard's remarks/incident is available at YouTube. Now in the aftermath, Howard made the right move and issued a public apology on Monday for his remarks and behavior over the past 5 months.

From DallasNews.com:

"I know that's not me," he said. "I love this country. If it wasn't for this country, I wouldn't be out here playing basketball. For me to have that opportunity is the greatest.

"That's not me. That's not Josh Howard. That was an idiot."

The apology is considered heartfelt by most in the media, but maybe not so much by the American people. CNN Headline News ran a viewer poll with 69% saying they didn't believe Howard's apology was sincere, while only 31% said they felt it was. It could be a sign of the times, or the general bias against the NBA and athletes. NBA players have always been viewed in a poor light, as if they are all thugs or hooligans. Recent policy changes supposedly highlighted this by forcing players to dress up for games, rather than arriving in any outfit, such as doo rags, throwbacks, etc. Regardless, this is an isolated incident from just one player, who's allowed forgiveness. Let's move on and get to the regular season.

Full DallasNews.com story on Josh Howard's Apology