I know there’s a show called The League, but I’ve never seen it and I’d never heard of Stephen Rannazzisi until today. I don’t have an opinion about him one way or another. I don’t have a dog in this fight.
But after learning that Rannazzisi lied about being in the Twin Towers on 9/11, I do have an opinion about his “apology.” It’s simple enough to be summed up in a tweet:
As a young man, I made a mistake that I deeply regret and for which apologies may still not be enough.
— Stephen Rannazzisi (@SteveRannazzisi) September 16, 2015
Telling a huge lie for almost 15 years isn't a mistake. It's a decision. https://t.co/uTJeXc5n2k
— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) September 16, 2015
As a society, we need to take back the word “mistake.” A mistake is when you see an old high-school buddy for the first time in years and you call him by the wrong name. A mistake is when you miss your off-ramp and you’re late for work. A mistake is when you forget to ask for no onions on your BBQ chicken pizza. Those are mistakes.
Telling people for a decade and a half that you barely survived the worst terror attack ever on U.S. soil is not a mistake. Well, maybe the first time. Maybe the first couple of times, even. But over and over again, for years and years and years? No. Not a mistake. Not an oopsie. Not inadvertent.
Rannazzisi also dropped this gem: “I don’t know why I said this.” That’s weird, pal, because everybody else knows why you said it.
Own your behavior. Man (and/or woman) up. Cut the shit. If you can’t manage that, don’t expect anybody to forgive and forget.
Apparently, Rannazzisi does BW3 ads and now that might be over. Look on the bright side, Steve: At least you didn’t bang any underage hookers.
Right?