Let's realize that Blake Griffin's punching of Clippers assistant equipment staff manager, Matias Testi, was egregious but not evil. Griffin is not an evil person, just someone with poor impulse and anger control. If anyone should be taken to task, it is the heads of the various sports and heads/owners of each of the teams for turning a blind eye to this. Training athletes to be killers on the court without teaching them how to leave their hostility behind when they leave the game in not illegal, it's just immoral.
Be that as it may, if Blake Griffin wants to earn back trust, respect and forgiveness over time, he might send the following to his supporters.
"To my disappointed fans, supporters and friends. I wanted to speak to all of you about the recent incident. I know many of you who have looked up to me and who have children who do the same are having trouble doing that because of my physically assaulting our assistant equipment staff member, Matias Testi. What I did was inexcusable and even worse has now put many of you in the position of having to explain my horrendous behavior to your children who are some of my biggest fans.
I'm here to tell you that I have an anger management problem that is inexcusable and completely my responsibility to fix so that I never do this again and I mean never.
To that end I have entered an anger management program to work on that and how to still be aggressive as a basketball player in a healthy way without resorting to violence anywhere.
Furthermore, I know that many of you are not only disappointed in me, but feel I took something away from you with regard to how you looked up to me and saw me as a role model and that I now need to pay you back.
I agree with that and I am donating $2million to establish and create a "go to" anger management program for any player in the NBA who has a similar problem. And beyond that I am going to donate $500,000 a year for my entire career to help keep it going.
Any of us professional athletes involved in contact sports owe it to our fans, friends, families and supporters to not disappoint them as role models, ever. And I hope my establishment of this program for the NBA will be matched by equal donations from my fellow athletes in the NFL, MLB, NHL and professional boxing to create "go to" anger management programs in each of their sports.
After and not before, I have received my anger management treatment and I am no longer a risk as determined by the people who treat me and after all of you see me handling situations for at least six months that previously triggered my anger, I am going to ask for your forgiveness.
I don't expect you to forget what I did, which I can't change, but I am hoping you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me. Realizing what I did will take me a lot longer to forgive myself.
I'm sorry, I was wrong and you deserve better from me.
Blake"
Why the $2 million number? Because lots of people now donate a million to political candidates, causes, etc. $2 million is special and Griffin can afford it.
Griffin should do this regardless of whatever the NBA or courts have in store. He needs to get out in front of the bad press.
P.S. Ballmer should personally write a check to Testi for $500k which would show that such behavior matters to him.