A few years back, dominant NBA basketball center Shaquille O’Neal took all the training he needed to become a Sheriff’s deputy, and served as one while playing for the Miami Heat. He did work where his unusual size and notoriety would not hinder the job, which meant much Internet-based work. But sometimes his size and strength would come in handy on planned operations, so he’d come along and help.
It was good for Shaq, good for the county, and good for the community. Everyone gained, so naturally when Shaq was traded to the Phoenix Suns, he entered into the same kind of relationship with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Shaq wrecked it all this week, though. He released a ‘rap’ with some foul langauge as well as some racist talk, and so Arpaio is now yanking Shaq’s deputy’s badges:
“I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.”
….Arpaio, who describes himself as “America’s Toughest Sheriff” and is best known for feeding jail inmates green bologna, clothing them in pink underwear, and making them work on chain gangs, said he didn’t expect his actions would teach Shaq a lesson. But he hoped he learns that as a role model who wants to someday be a full-time sheriff, he needs to know his words matter.
“Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t think that either conduct should be out there publicly, even if media wasn’t there,” Arpaio said.
Good on Arpaio for not going easy on Shaq for good PR. Doing right is its own reward.