Amy Donaldson: Hall's pain a reflection of self-betrayal

Instead of allowing himself to bask in happiness, in gratitude, he chose to spew venom at his perceived enemies.

Please don't tell me this is part of sports. Do not try to convince me that anger and hatred are motivating.

They are debilitating. They are corrupting. They are not what sports, especially college athletics, is about. Every single football team is filled with young men trying to earn an education, hoping to represent their schools well, praying they won't let their teammates down.

They are not the enemy. This is not a war, and there is no place for hate.

"Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

— Malachy McCourt

Sadly, his comments will cause a lot of people to believe athletics are not a good place to learn integrity, dedication, commitment and hard work. The games are the best place to learn these things because you are not always expecting it.

Each game is a new opportunity. An opportunity to test yourself, your preparation, your abilities and your skills.

Life is just a string of opportunities. Some of them will come on football fields, some will come on a freeway when someone cuts you off and then flips you off. Will you respond in kind? Will you allow their anger to contaminate you? Or will you be who you are, even in the face of unprovoked, undeserved anger?

This is another opportunity. Max Hall can teach us all a lesson. We can learn from it, or we can rationalize it. He can learn from it. Or he can hate everyone who tells him he's made a mistake.

Max Hall really was betrayed. But it wasn't by strangers in red. It was, instead, his own heart that led him to a place of pain.

Forgiveness, someone once told me, really is a gift you give yourself.

e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com