By Mike Kahn
CBS SportsLine Executive Editor
Nov. 10, 1998

Now this sex thing has gone and messed up the front office of the New York Mets. Not that this is anything new in sports or any other form of business.

If

Mets GM Steve Phillips should have looked before he leaped. (Allsport)

Slick Willie and Monica can admit to getting it on during a phone call with a congressman, certainly we shouldn't be appalled with general manager Steve Phillips, should we?

AFTER ALL, HE'S JUST TAKING A leave of absence to figure out how to deal with a potential sexual harassment suit from a former employee of the Mets. Heck, Phillips is probably really upset about it, drinking Long Island iced tea, getting his fingernails clipped and pondering why she would do such a thing to him.

Maybe some day, these guys will consider thinking there are less consequences in life to deal with when you think with the head on your shoulders.

This goes way deeper than men in power wanting -- thinking they deserve -- subservience from women. It's the theory of evolution, or lack thereof.

It wasn't that long ago Wimp Sanderson was unceremoniously dumped after a fine career as basketball coach at the University of Alabama. Sources deep into the Crimson Tide athletic department knew all about the "very friendly" relationship he had with his secretary. It didn't do much for his wife, but everybody else was tolerant. Then came another friendly woman into the picture and Wimp's secretary flipped out.

How dare she?

How dare he?

Now Wimp's moved along to that daring program at Arkansas-Little Rock. Jeez . . . Arkansas? Little Rock? Think he hangs out with Slick Willie at all?

SO THAT'S WHY THIS LATEST NOTION that Phillips might have psychological problem is ludicrous. He's an adult with an enormously high-profile position held accountable not only to the Mets, but to the media that chronicles just about everything he does. Essentially, it is the unmitigated arrogance that goes along with the disrespect to his family that is most difficult to take.

And it's not because he got caught!

In many respects it's like stealing. Not to be sanctimonious, but it's the same thing explained to children time and again. Consider the consequences of your actions. A look at one portion of Phillips' isn't exactly enlightening. Really, it sounds familiar:

"After learning of the threatened allegation, I have had numerous conversations with my wife and the ownership of the Mets about this and other consensual sexual relationships I have had during my marriage. In those conversations, which were extremely painful, I apologized for making some incredibly bad judgments, for the deep pain I have caused my family and for the embarrassment I have caused the Mets organization.

"I have begun extensive personal counseling and I am determined to address my personal problems."

Personal problems? It's a simple lack of discipline. Yo Steve, you're not the only person with a family who has been attracted to a person of the opposite sex who isn't your partner. It happens on a daily basis. And you need counseling to stop you from chasing? Just stop. Can someone be a leader who can't control himself?

IT TOOK AWHILE FOR IT TO SINK IN WHY so many people want Slick Willie out as president. If he can't be trusted by his family, then how can he be trusted by an entire nation?

It's still not worth turning the country upside down. That's the whole point, unfortunately. People in all high-powered offices seem to have trouble controlling themselves. This isn't new. Books on Thomas Jefferson are now revealing what a rollicking good time he had in the slave quarters. The sad truth is they can be disgusting men and fine presidents at the same time. It's more an indictment of that leadership role in society than anything else.

When you put the spin of sports into the equation, you get situations in the locker rooms when men aren't exactly polite around female journalists. There are those who still believe women don't belong there, despite it being their workplace every bit as much as any male journalist. It's changing, but not fast enough.

What we're talking about is the evolution of character. Evidently, brains evolve at different rates than the body. Would it be logical to assume hairy men are less evolved mentally than those who rarely shave?

Not necessarily. What it all boils down to is what Andy Rooney said on 60 Minutes earlier this year in total befuddlement over his contradiction of emotions over Clinton. What he concluded was something like this, "You are a fine president, but you make me sick."

Carrying that statement to another level produces the sad revelation that it doesn't necessarily require strength of character to be a great leader in our society. It only requires strength of conviction.

And that distinction, Andy Rooney, is what makes me sick.