Rose: I bet "like $2,000" per game

Enough already. Pete Rose is the greatest hitter in the history of Major League Baseball and nobody could care less. Proof of this fact is that his most recent non-news story has barely been picked up by media outlets. I, however, have my own piece to say about Rose and find this as the most opportune time.

Living in Boca Raton, FL, I've had a little more than my fair share of Rose over the years. He opened a restaurant here, his children went to the same lower and middle school as me and it was never tough to find him if that was your goal.

But, when you think about tarnished legacies in sports, Rose is one of two that immediately pop into your mind. The other is O.J. Simpson. The difference is that Simpson actually killed human beings (please, let's not get into semantics) while Rose simply bet on baseball. The similarity is that neither of them will STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!

Rose has wondered out loud for years if he will ever be allowed into Cooperstown. The debate has raged on for decades. The problem is as each year goes by, Rose continues to bring up the negatives instead of focusing on the positives. I've heard the following all come out of Rose's mouth:

I did not bet on baseball. OK, I bet on baseball. But, I only bet on my team. I bet on my team but never fixed a game. I only bet $1,000 on my team and $2,000 on football games. And finally...actually, I bet "like $2,000" per game.

There are two choices when confronted with a negative or difficult situation: Lie or tell the truth. You will probably end up in the same spot either way (like Rose) but telling the truth gives you the good graces of being honest and forthcoming. If Rose admitted gambling when he was banned in 1989 for life by then-commissioner Bart Giamatti with full disclosure instead of waiting until 2004:

Jim Gray's bash-worthy interview never would have occurred, Rose would have sold more books as people would be interested in hearing the real, true story and maybe, just maybe, there would be some consideration to inducting him into Cooperstown and preserving the positive aspects of his legacy...instead of none whatsoever.