Amicus curiae: Holtz v. Hitler

In the court of public opinion, Lou Holtz has been treated unfairly.

A lot of noise was made when he invoked the name of Hitler in a discussion about leadership. Some simply stated that Holtz was wrong while others were pretty perturbed. Holtz later apologized for what he said and ESPN plans to take no disciplinary action. That raised eyebrows, because the network suspended another employee who made a Hitler reference earlier this year.

What's really disconcerting is how poorly some people understood Holtz's comment and context. Holtz was broadcasting with fellow ESPN analysts Rece Davis and Mark May, who had been talking about the need to have strong leaders on your team to turn around a program. Here's a quick transcript, as provided by ESPN:

Holtz: "Let's remember Hitler was a great leader, too."

Davis: "You're saying he was a bad leader."

Holtz: "Yes, he was a bad leader. What I am trying to say is some people are going to lead your team the wrong way and complain ... some will lead down the right way."

I'm really disappointed in the indignant, knee-jerk reactions to these words. While the other Hitler reference (made by Jemele Hill) was a risky analogy, Holtz was making a sincere attempt to remind people that leadership, administered incorrectly or maliciously, can cause harm. Obviously Hitler was the embodiment of evil. But he was undoubtedly effective.

Hitler and Nazi Germany are touchy subjects, but we should never make open discussions taboo. That would be Hitler-like. Completely avoiding references to Hitler even runs counter to the wishes of Holocaust survivors. They've asked us to never forget.

I'm not sure who we're worried about offending when we discuss things openly, earnestly, and with good intentions. Coaches serve as role models and can transform lives. There's no shame in saying that their leadership should take their communities in a healthy direction. And that's all Holtz was saying, though he wasn't very glib about it.

Obviously Holtz never meant to compare anybody in the modern day to Hitler. He certainly wasn't saying Hitler was a great person. And we all know his real prejudices are obvious and mildly endearing: favoring Notre Dame and whatever team his son Skip is coaching.

-- Adam Rose