Alford apology more a testament to fans than the coach

It's never too late to say you're sorry.

Especially if you're a public figure who tried to play detective, judge and jury when one of your guys was accused of sexual assault: publicly and privately trying to pressure a young female victim to drop the issue, proclaiming the accused's innocence to anyone who would listen.

Especially if you're Steve Alford.

Alford's apology  for his knee-jerk defense of then-University of Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce, accused of sexually assaulting another UI student in fall, 2002, is a watershed moment. It may have come a decade too late for that victim and this community, but it was a much-needed signal that that kind of dismissiveness and insensitivity, while never right, simply won't be tolerated in collegiate athletics today.

The former UI basketball coach already had dodged questions about the Pierce case for more than a decade, so it's no surprise his first instinct was to duck when it came up at a news conference announcing his new position with UCLA:

“Well, that was an instance that happened years ago at the University of Iowa,” he told reporters. “I did everything that I was supposed to do at the University of Iowa in that situation. I followed everything that I was told to do.”

His bland excuse generated considerable backlash from sports journalists and fans. It's that heat, not a crisis of conscience, that probably deserves the credit for Alford's about-face. That's fine with me.

Because Alford's apology says less about the man or the infamous UI incident than it does about how public perceptions have changed.

Did Alford actually write these words: “I instinctively and mistakenly came to his defense before knowing all the facts.” Or these: “This was inappropriate, insensitive and hurtful, especially to the young female victim involved, and I apologize for that.” Or even these: “I have learned and grown from that experience and now understand that such proclamations can contribute to an atmosphere in which similar crimes go unreported and victims are not taken seriously.”

It doesn't matter. The real take-away here is that today, even someone like Alford understands - or will be made to understand - they can't get by excusing or ignoring the fact that sexual assault is a serious problem on our college campuses.

Alford's apology was a long time coming. Still, I'm glad it did.

Comments: (319) 339-3154; jennifer.hemmingsen@sourcemedia.net