Lars Sullivan: Why the WWE Superstar should be forgiven for his controversial remarks in the past and be given a second chance.
Lars Sullivan: The Controversy and the $100,000 fine
Dylan Miley A.K.A Lars Sullivan has been at the center of a social media controversy. A compilation of his bigoted remarks he made in the past recently surfaced on the internet. He made an attempt to apologize but it was discarded by the fans as nothing more than a PR stunt. At the behest of one of their sponsors, the WWE finally took action against the burly superstar. Lars was fined $100,000 and will undergo sensitivity training.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer has confirmed that the fine is indeed legitimate.
He said: “The size of the fine was notable because Miley hasn’t been on the main roster long and obviously has no ability to pay such a fine at this point, but the number is legit, everything in the statement is legit, and the fine will likely have to be deducted from future earnings”.
He also added that the company hoped that the size of the fine would make it clear that he had been punished severely. They also hope that it will “take heat off from people who will want him fired”.
Lars Sullivan was supposed to make his debut last year following Survivor Series but it was delayed. There were reports of him suffering from panic attacks. According to Meltzer: Miley suffered serious anxiety issues. While the general reaction outside the company when the story surfaced regarded the idea of stage fright, with the idea he was afraid of performing before large numbers of fans, it was actually largely due to fear of the repercussions of the story on the company, himself and those close to him.
Lars Sullivan: Apologies and Regrets
The big man has had to go through a very tough time recently and deservedly so. But to have him bear the cross of his sins forever? That seems backwards. According to Titus ’O’Neil, Lars has gone out of his way to apologize to other wrestlers backstage. Not only that, but he has sought guidance to become a better person than he was 9 years back.
He is said to be genuinely remorseful of who he was before and hates who he used to be. Is it not possible for people to have a change of heart? There are several instances of people who seemed irredeemable at one point but have managed to turn over a new leaf.
We don’t know his condition when he made those comments, what kind of company he kept or anything else? None of that makes it excusable but he has been made accountable for his mistakes. If he has truly changed then he can serve as an example on the folly of bigotry. However, it seems that some people are still having a hard time letting this go.
Why should Lars Sullivan be forgiven?
Like Big E of The New day has said before, Lars is going to have to bear the albatross of being a bigot. Maybe for a lifetime even. But isn’t a that a little too long?
The thing about being human is growing up. Not just in size but in thoughts. Many people today are a completely different person then they were a year ago, let alone 10. People mess up, that’s just how life is but to not even offer a chance at redemption? That sounds cruel.
It is intoxicating to be part of an online lynch mob. To know that you have power and can use it to affect someone else’s lives. But it seems that people have forgotten what they were angry about. The outcome of the rage hasn’t made the lives of anyone he commented on any better. All it did was help WWE save 100,000 dollars.
How sincere is Lars Sullivan’s apology? At this point no one knows. However, the big man deserves a chance to show us. We all make mistakes, some bigger than others. If we only judged people based on their worst moments then this would be a truly terrible world to live in.
(This article does not reflect the views of SportsRush and is merely the opinion of the writer.)
