Sports Seem to Be in an All-Forgiving Mood
Is the Baseball Hall of Fame Next?
How will we react if next summer in Cooperstown, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Carlos Beltrán receive Hall of Fame plaques?
Other Reflections on Sports Hall of Fame Actions
There is ongoing speculation about whether the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will take any steps if Chauncey Billups is convicted for his alleged involvement in gambling and money laundering.
Simpson was never kicked out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Alan Eagleson remains the only individual removed from any of the four major sports Halls of Fame.
Bobby Orr’s corrupt agent resigned from the Hockey Hall in 1998, just before the board planned to expel him.
Baseball's Current Culture of Forgiveness
Currently, baseball demonstrates a strong tendency toward forgiveness. Consider the Fenway Park dugout: Alex Cora, one of the most accomplished managers in Red Sox history, appears to have moved past his involvement in the 2017 Astros cheating scandal.
Even though MLB suspended Cora (who was then a bench coach with the Astros) and Houston manager A.J. Hinch for a year, both have returned to managing playoff teams without the issue receiving much attention.
Summary
In major sports, hall of fame expulsions are extremely rare, while baseball increasingly shows leniency toward those involved in scandals.