The phrase "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa" is a favorite of mine.
Maybe it is a product of my obsession with Latin, maybe it is my Catholic upbringing shining though but the phrase has always seemed more meaningful than a simple "I'm sorry."
It comes from the Roman Catholic prayer for confession of sinfulness and literally means "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."
And it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw news of Reggie Bush's apparent apology to USC AD Pat Haden:
"He's really contrite," Haden said of the 2005 Heisman winner. "He knows he made a series of mistakes. It wasn't just one mistake. It was a series of mistakes.
"He told me, 'If I could turn the clock back, I would. If I could give the Heisman Trophy back, I would.' "
Bush will likely never be able to completely repair the damage he has done to USC but his mea culpa (albeit one relayed second hand) is a very positive first step.
And it is not because he said sorry. Or said he would give his Heisman back. It is because he admitted fault. At least by Haden's assessment, he confessed that his mistakes caused this mess.
The gesture was small and much more is needed. But for now I'll take it. Because every reconciliation has to start somewhere.
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