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The story of Rae Carruth is a horrible chapter in the history of the NFL. He was a largely ineffective receiver of a relatively new team of franchisors in which a woman had been murdered because she was carrying her child. Carruth's existence hangs over the city of Charlotte like a cloud. What complicates his story is that it's a family story, but it's also become ours.
Cherica Adams did not survive when she was locked in a box pulling from a car that stopped beside her. Some of her last words were at 911, while she explained that Carruth had pulled his car in front of his own, while a second had stopped next to her with a gun at fire.
Chancellor Lee Adams survived. He is 18 years old and suffers from cerebral palsy and brain damage resulting from the absence of oxygen for 70 minutes in the uterus after the death of his mother. Living in the Carolinas means that you know intimately the history of the Chancellor. Every two or three years, local news reports his progress and talks to Saundra Adams, who raised his grandson after the death of his daughter. Always with the kicker to finish the story: Carruth must be out in October 2018.
For years, 2018 has felt so far. Easy to push in the recesses of your mind. Carruth is not that story. It should not be this story. Carruth's chapter is one of selfishness and death; his son is one of perseverance and life. Old wounds are now torn as Carruth's release unfolds before the world.
Each NFL team has the unspoken jab. Something shameful in the past of the team or city that even the most unleashed does not mention. For fans of the Panthers, it's Carruth. His story is not a joke. You will not see any self-respecting rival with an ounce of decency ever mention his name.
Of course, you'll see a 19 year old man wearing an old Carruth jersey at a Bank of America Stadium game, savoring the negative attention that he gets – because that's the world in which we live. But for all the others, Carruth's crimes are taboo.
The Panthers have always been conceived as a family-oriented organization. A sports monolith, present in one of the largest cities in the south of the country, functioning as a family seal at Mayberry, because its former owner, Jerry Richardson, loved him so. In many ways, the Panthers represented the duality of Charlotte, a major metropolitan city struggling with its small town roots and friction.
The existence of Carruth goes against this story. It is the antithesis of how the Panthers show up to the community and how fans of the Panthers believe their team is. We are now in a post-release world. Carruth is free today – and he can no longer be intentionally forgotten.
Rae Carruth's release from prison can not be erased from the record, but she deserves the least attention possible – and yet, he has done his best to put it in the foreground. Earlier this year, he wrote two letters that he publicly published. The first saying that he wanted the custody of his son, the second retracting after seeing the visceral reaction to the idea that he would like to take care of the child that he would have tried to kill.
In March Charlotte Observer published one of Carruth's letters, which said:
"I did not expect the media and the general public to agree that I should not be allowed to have anything to do with the Chancellor".
Carruth's letter, though seemingly contrite, fails to capture the most important part of this story: That the public is not part of the trauma resulting from its actions. The media and the general public, to whom Carruth refers – we are observers. Emotionally invested to be certain, but without personal stake.
Saundra Adams, who has raised his grandson since the death of his daughter, and Chancellor Lee Adams are the only people who should have a functional opinion on whether Carruth should have a relationship with his son. Over the years, Saundra has said that she forgives Carruth for killing her daughter. His level of pardon grace are qualities we should all aspire to. She bristled at the first letter of Carruth, who called not only to have a relationship with the Chancellor, but to take custody.
"I should raise my son. The Chancellor will never be brought up by a stranger – a person he does not know and who has tried to kill him. "
In 2016, Saundra Adams declared to the Charlotte Observer that she had planned to be at the gates of the prison, with the Chancellor, when his father would be released. Now it is not clear. Carruth described this gesture as a "publicity stunt" in her first letter, prompting Saundra to say that she was rethinking whether she should meet Carruth after his release. She does not know if Carruth really understands the harm that he has caused to his family.
Our role in this story is tiny. Panthers fans will have to adapt to Carruth's name in the national media. A whole new generation of fans will learn about his crimes, and new hecklers will find themselves there – perhaps using his name as a reference to join the team because they do not really understand what Carruth did to the family. Adams.
When Carruth published his letters in March, many things were changing. The Panthers changed owners for the first time in the history of the franchise. Jerry Richardson has withdrawn because of sexual harassment allegations. The former local team that traded charms was sold to David Tepper, a hedge fund manager who partially owned the Pittsburgh Steelers. He immediately put his mark on the team by removing the NFL shield from midfield at Bank of America Stadium and allowing his team to break ranks and sign Eric Reid.
For Charlotte sports fans, Carruth's crimes were a realization of the complications inherent in professional sports. In two months, the city witnessed the arrest of Carruth, followed by the tragic death of Hornets keeper Bobby Phills. Reminders that suggest that sport is not always fun.
Now that Carruth has been published, it is important to remember that what we think about the fact that Carruth has a relationship with the Chancellor does not matter. It's up to the family to decide whether Carruth will try or not to replicate this in the media.
Rae Carruth closed her second letter to the media stating:
"I will not continue any relationship with the Chancellor and Mrs. Adams. I promise to leave them, which, I see now, is in the interest of all. And so we are clear, this will be the last time I will comment on this situation. For my character, this is unfortunately where the story ends … It's time to move on. "
The choice was not left to Saundra Adams or Chancellor Lee Adams. In the end, Carruth chose to end this story as he had started: by phoning. It may be for the better, maybe not. Life is too complex to wear simple labels that determine whether a father should see his son or not, but, in every way, that door was open to Carruth until he shut it up. by becoming public instead of being personal.
Chancellor Lee Adams will continue, as he has done for 18 years, as a survivor. Carruth will have a second chance in life. This is the case of the remarkable young man that fans have come to know in the media over the years.
Carruth may be closing the book, but the story is not over. Now, finally, without Carruth's involvement, this can once again be a story of life and perseverance. Even if we have one last plot in his last chapter.
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