Many years ago, I wrote an article about my mentor, a man who molded me from a very raw state into the sort of person who could hold his own in a courtroom. It was entitled, "His Trials, My Tribulations: The Life and Times of a First-Year Lawyer". I had a crazy, difficult but memorable first year in the trenches. My mentor was one of the most successful lawyers in America. My dad drove a Coca-Cola truck. I had a father/son relationship with both men, but unlike my dad, my mentor was nothing short of brutal in his methods. I would often go home on the train wiping my eyes, remembering some of the day's withering "lessons".
When I wrote an article about his 50th anniversary in the legal profession, it was an instructive, but laudatory article, despite the fact that the man was far from perfect. Why didn't I dwell on the negatives? Because he was "somebody" who plucked me from obscurity and turned me into a potential success story. I would likely have done just fine in my profession of law, but I never would have achieved the many honors that I ultimately earned were it not for his intervention in my professional life.
The same is true for Hank Haney. The only reason he is not still living his life in obscurity is the fact that Tiger Woods picked him from the crew on the driving range and gave him the job of his life. The fact that he is pissing on the man who allowed him to catch fire is quite simply unpardonable.