I said when this story first surfaced that no matter the result, it's a bad deal for all involved. I stand by that. I also said at the time a man's reputation has been irrevocably harmed no matter the outcome. I stand by that, too.
Hopefully, this isn't something that sticks with Steven Jackson. Hopefully it turns out this was all some sort of extortion scheme by Ms. Harris, and Jackson can walk away with not only his freedom, but his reputation intact. Hopefully.
Unfortunately, I'm not so sure it's going to be quite that simple. When people say the name Steven Jackson this coming season, sure, they'll think of the running back for the Rams. But I wonder if they won't also think, "Oh, he's the one who was supposed to have beat up his girlfriend, isn't he?" Never mind there were no charges filed, that's still the thought I'm sure will flit through more than one mind whenever Jackson is brought up.
And really, I can't say for sure he didn't do anything wrong, so I certainly can't judge. I can argue he was never charged or convicted of a crime, but that doesn't mean no crime was committed. Ms. Harris could be telling the god's honest truth about what happened, and there simply isn't any way to prove it. We're never going to know, unless somehow new information comes to light.
For some, they'll say, "Where there's smoke, there's fire," and convict him themselves. I only hope that's the minority.
