Predicto

“Even the best fall down sometimes” says the chorus of the song “Collide” by Howie Day. That phrase succinctly describes what has become of today’s sports heroes as of late. We all know about Tiger Woods. Yet there’s another one bubbling right now: the fate of tennis ace Andre Agassi.

Agassi stands alone, having taken in a career boatload of titles, but now, the great man stands alone in a different way. The legendary tennis star has just released his autobiography and it has detailed everything, warts and all. The book is at the center of a swirling storm of controversy and the tennis superstar’s legacy is now in jeopardy.

The crux of the matter is about the phase in his career around 1997. In his book Open, he describes how his young self had all the promise to be great, but his life was a mess. At the lowest point of his career, he had tested positive for using crystal meth and lied about taking the drug. That same year, he would go on to win championships and the experience became a catalyst for change in his life.

Now that this episode is behind him and now retired since 2005, Agassi has had his life turned around. He is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which raised $60 million for at-risk children, as well as founded the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.

This good reputation is now under siege by his book and the public admission therein. He has since had to defend his reputation from criticism left and right. His book and his admission to the fact of cheating on a drug test was hailed as courageous by many, notably ESPN’s Rick Reilly, one of the most noted sports writers active today.

Yet others demand more than just an admission. Fact remains that he should have been suspended from the sport for using the drug, but he lied about it and avoided a lengthy ban. In that time, he would go on to win titles and achieve success that he should not have been entitled to had he told the truth in the first place. In particular, tennis great Martina Navratilova is shocked at the lies and expressed deep disappointment.

Given the backlash that the athlete has received, there is speculation that Andre Agassi may be stripped of titles that he won during this time. We have raised the question to the Predicto community: Will Andre Agassi be stripped of any titles he won by the time January 25, 2010 comes along? After nearly 1,000 votes, 58% do not believe he will be stripped of titles.

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