The Balogun Dilemma

Normally, athletes have it pretty easy. Whatever problem they have in life, whatever issue with the larger world, the answer is to play harder.

Lost a parent? Play harder. Traded to a different club? Play harder. Your host city going through rough times? Play harder. Welcome a new child? Play harder.

Florian Balogun found himself in a much more complicated situation. His one game suspension following a red card was revoked after open campaigning by the president of the United States. In a just world not only would such a request have been rebuffed, but the nation requesting it would incur a penalty for the mere suggestion.

Up through the events the only person blameless in the whole debacle was Florian Balogun. The red card offense was immediately called overly harsh by experts. He wasn't involved in the negotiations behind the scenes. Yet on Monday he was poised to live on in ignominy in the history of the sport.

So Florian and US Men's Soccer was faced with an unfair choice.

Normally you'd just play through it. While Belgium was heavily favored to best the US Men's team, a feel-good run had US fans believing in the improbable. If there was any chance though they'd need Balogun on the pitch to pull it off. He had been their best player. Winning against Belgium might have turned the black mark in to a simple asterisks in the history books, especially if Balogun led the charge.

Now, after a humiliating loss to a Belgium team that made the US team look like a practice squad despite Balogun putting up a decent showing, it's interesting to imagine how Balogun could have reacted.

If he accepted the original penalty he'd have been a global hero. Say he refused to step on the pitch, say he caught a 24 hour bug. A US citizen by birth, but lifelong resident abroad, he could have offered a stinging rebuke to a corrupt and fascistic regime. These actions may have cost him his career, they may have closed off opportunities, but he would have won the World Cup.

But Florian Balogun is a true athlete. And the answer for a true athlete is to play harder.