When athletes and celebrities pass, or when they stop doing what they do, their legacies are passed down. However, sometimes, those legacies can be changed by crime, or cheating. However, is it really fair to judge them like that?

With sports, when an athlete retires, their legacy is looked at, usually by analyst to look at Hall of Fame cases. However, most of the time, if this player has cheated with steroids, they take away from what he or she accomplished. This takes away from Hall of Fames for each respected sport, if that player is not elected in. For example, in 30 years, when fans around the high school age take their kids to a sports Hall of Fame. It would be wrong to omit, say Barry Bonds, the all time Home Run leader from the Hall. Sure, he used steroids, however, he still accomplished the feat, and deserves to be recognized for it.

The same goes for when celebrities commit crimes. Ray Rice a few seasons ago, for example. While it is very different cheating than it is commiting a crime such as domestic violence, the legacy was still affected. Rice was forced out of the sport, and has not since returned. Cases like Rice’s happen quite often, some worse than others, and the outcome always differs. Either the athlete is kicked out of the sport, or he is taken to rehab and given a second chance. However, it does seem unfair to take away one person’s legacy and give other players a second chance for committing, what could be, the same crime.

While athletes see the spotlight for this, some celebrities also get this treatment. For example, this past summer, rapper Jahseh Onfroy, or better known as XXXTentacion passed away after being shot in Miami. Onfroy was arrested for aggravated battery of his girlfriend and tampering with a witness and illegal gun possession. However, after being released, Onfroy seemingly changed his ways. He changed his music style to a more depressing and devastating style. His music influenced his young fan base, and Onfroy would occasionally go live on Instagram giving his fans with depression motivation. His biggest message to his young fans was that, while they were hurt for whatever reason, that hurt should not be what defined them. The legacy here can go both ways, while no matter what actions you do, a crime like he commited can not be forgotten, and it puts fans and people looking at his legacy at an interesting point.

Athletes and celebrities have had their legacies ruined by crime and cheating for a long time, and these are only a few examples of many. More cases will surely come, leaving us to decide, should someone be judged by personal choices, or their professional accomplishments.