Cleveland Browns: Mychal Kendricks getting a raw deal

Government pursues charges

But instead, the government is pursuing insider trading charges against Kendricks. Here is where he is getting the raw deal. Without Kendricks’ testimony, the case may have gone nowhere. Yet the government rewards his cooperation with charges.

Why? Are not whistle blowers the heroes of the media? Are they not hailed as the true Americans who bring to light the deeds done in darkness? In almost every case, the whistle blower gets immunity. Why not Kendricks?

The public relations boon of charging a popular Super Bowl champion linebacker was too much to pass up. Because Kendricks is a recognizable name, the government will try to make his involvement as public as possible to show how they are tough on insider trading when almost the exact opposite is true.

Snitches get stiches. But usually the stiches come from the offended party looking for revenge. In this case, Kendricks is getting his stitches from the party he is helping. Get a new lawyer Kendricks. Your current one sucks.

The football fallout from this is understandable. He did not disclose the entire issue to the Browns. Thus he was cut. If any of us average Joe’s did this, we would be fired too. But let’s not sit and pretend to be outraged because Kendricks did some inside trading. What he did was legally wrong. And so is smoking marijuana.

Kendricks did what brokers do every day. The difference is he got caught and is trying to make amends. Except now everyone is pretending that he is a pariah because of it. It’s a case of if you’re focused on someone else you don’t see what I am doing.

Kendricks admitted his guilt and offered restitution. Let him have his trial. Let him serve his punishment. Then let him play football again. Don’t pretend this is some moral outrage that is beyond forgiveness.

Kendricks is cooperating. Forgive him and move on.