Our report from earlier in the day regarding the clean urine sample that Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji produced at the Scouting Combine has prompted sweaty brows and shaky palms at Sports Illustrated.
The magazine’s web site, SI.com, reported that Raji had tested positive for marijuana at the Combine. In a bizarre move, SI.com removed the story but didn’t retract it. Presumably, SI.com opted to take a wait-and-see approach, pending the release to the 32 franchises of the names of the players who tested positive.
The news that Raji sample was clean prompted, as we understand it, a flurry of activity by folks at SI.com, who were hoping to learn that our report regarding Raji’s negative result was as wrong as SI.com’s report regarding Raji’s positive result has turned out to be.
This isn’t intended to be a slam of SI.com. As Terry Bradshaw’s empty casket would say (if, you know, empty caskets could talk), everyone gets one wrong from time to time. The test of character, in our view, arises in the aftermath of the realization that an error was made.
And the best approach is to openly acknowledge the mistake, accept responsibility for it, and then take meaningful steps aimed at preventing a similar incident from occurring in the future.