From behind quarterbacks to behind bars

Everybody makes mistakes and has mishaps from time to time. Not a single person on the planet can argue with that. I make them all the time with certain predictions in this very column and there's not a day that goes by I don't hear about them. For "normal" people like you and me who are not considered a celebrity, our mishaps and mistakes are essentially kept in silence.\nAthletes, on the other hand, are an entirely different story.\nThis season alone, the NFL has seen its fair share of players who have dropped the ball both on and off the field. Vikings' running back Onterrio Smith, Ravens' running back Jamal Lewis and former NFL star Ricky Williams have all made similar mistakes, yet seen very different repercussions. These three players represent past, present and future marquis players in the NFL. However, somewhere along their way to stardom, all three violated the league's substance abuse policy and lost plenty of respect and credibility.\nOut of all three situations, Williams is perhaps the most interesting. Known more for his stylish dreadlocks and social anxiety disorder than his play on the field, Williams always hid from the media's spotlight. After abruptly retiring at the start of this season, he now seems to regret his decision. Williams recently asked the NFL to clarify his playing status, which could possibly mean he is considering returning to football. Even "Da Coach" Mike Ditka thinks Ricky's decision was stupid in the first place. This is coming from the same guy who had no problem flipping the bird to fans and reporters from time to time.\nBut in the situations for Lewis and Smith, much more is on the line with their infractions. Lewis is coming off a season in which he broke the single game rushing record and led the NFL in rushing yards. Smith is in his sophomore campaign with the Vikings and, because of an injury to starter Michael Bennett, became the starting running back. Smith is a big reason the Vikings started the year 2-1. \nWhat both did off the field though greatly overshadows their on-field accomplishments. Lewis has pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and, starting this weekend, Smith will begin a belated four-game suspension. Now if these guys were "normal" people, they could be behind bars at this very moment.\nWhy the special treatment? Well, we could sit here and argue that topic all week (I don't have the time though, I'm making the trek to Evanston, Ill., to watch the Hoosiers play Saturday). But in all three cases, these superstars were let off very easily. Though Lewis must appear in federal court, he will not see a suspension from the NFL anytime soon. And even though Smith will be out of action for four weeks, he was able to play the first three games of the season and make an impact. \nAs for Williams, well, he can do whatever he wants. You won't see him wearing orange anytime soon, not as a Dolphins uniform or as a jumpsuit with a serial number on it. All of this seems like it's straight out of an episode of ESPN's "Playmakers." \nI don't understand what it is about NFL players or other professional athletes for that matter. You've all heard the saying before, but I'll say it again -- if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.