July 8, 2006: How much is sport stardom worth?

Randy Starkman: Why is this ex con coaching your kids? July 8, 06
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Despite [Cecil Russell] involvement in two major drug rings and his court admission that he helped burn a murder victim's butchered body, Cecil Russell is back in the pool, writes Randy Starkman. [....]

* ... banned for life ... international steroid trafficking ring.

* At the murder trial ... steroid trafficking associates ... helping burn and dispose of ... body ...

* ... charged ... major ecstasy ring ... 500,000 tablets into the U.S. through Canada. ... prison ... Spain ... U.S.

Court documents ... a light sentence ... providing evidence ... co-conspirators ... remain sealed.

[....] "Parents are always looking for the guy with the magic fairy dust. And to a certain extent, Cecil has some magic fairy dust. Like a lot of coaches who have been in trouble over the years, he is charismatic, he is persuasive, he is a great salesman. Because of that, they're going to overlook the obvious moral complications and dilemmas," said Leonard.

So much for parenting assumed to include protection of the young ... Would this be termed parental child abuse? Derelection of parental duty? ... Or is Russell a member of society's growth industry ... a victim? A good guy led astray ... gone wrong ... changed ... another chance?