When it comes to a disturbing account of alleged domestic and emotional abuse of Melisa Reidy-Russell at the hands of her ex-husband Addison Russell, Cubs manager Joe Maddon wants us to believe he's uninterested. "I really don't believe I need to" read her blog post, he said.
"There's nothing I can do about it," Maddon said petulantly on WSCR-AM 670 on Tuesday. "There's nothing I can do to help the situation at all."
But he can make it worse. And he did.
How many Cubs fans heard Maddon shrug off Reidy-Russell's story as unimportant and feel entitled to do the same? How many will call her a liar because the most visible coach in Chicago made her story of abuse sound too trivial to read?
Maddon thinks he's taking a neutral position when he says he didn't read Reidy-Russell's account of her tumultuous relationship with Russell. He thinks he's saying nothing.
Really, he's sending a strong _ and dangerous _ message about abuse: Not my problem.
"There's a process in place," Maddon said. "I haven't spoken to Addison yet since this has all occurred. We'll just let it (play) out. We'll wait for decisions to be made based on folks who actually are investigating this. I really have no involvement. I really do want to stay clear of it, because there's nothing I can do to help it."
Maddon could help. Haven't we come too far for this?
His refusal to engage in the topic is negligent as this conversation is at the forefront of our national consciousness.
There are still too many people who refuse to listen to women's accounts of abuse.
Republicans have attempted to push through a confirmation on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court without an investigation into disturbing public claims by three women of sexual misconduct. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer for years ignored the red flags pile up around former assistant coach Zach Smith who was accused on multiple occasions of abusing his wife.
Count Maddon among those with his fingers in his ears.
How can you be a good manager with your head in the sand? How can you lead a team when you don't care to know about your players' character? How can you be a decent man and lack the compassion to seriously address violence against women?
Thankfully, I hope, the days are over when these conversations are pushed into the shadows. I hope we've reached a point where victims know they have a voice _ and their collective stories force the rest of us to acknowledge their pain.
Maddon doesn't get to refuse to listen anymore. None of us do.
