In one of his recent articles for FOXSports.com, Jason Whitlock wrote that Eagles head coach Andy Reid is getting a pass from the media with concern to his troubled sons. For those unaware, Andy’s two sons were sentenced up to 23 months in jail for housing what one judge referred to as, “a drug emporium” within the Reid household.

In his article, Whitlock suggested that the media isn’t being harsh enough on Reid.

But let me tell you what’s most troubling about all of this: Andy Reid’s cowardice and the fact that we’re letting him get away with it.

We, the media, particularly black members of the media, are always crying when athletes won’t speak out on important issues. We want 22-year-old LeBron James to have a position on Darfur, a place he’s probably never been. We scolded Michael Jordan for not having a social conscience. We’re mad Tiger Woods won’t lend his name to the plight of six black cowards who stomped and kicked one white boy in Louisiana.

But white sports figures aren’t required to have a social conscience. They can satisfy themselves chasing supermodels and filming cute commercials.

Although his supermodels comment was a reach, Whitlock may have a point when it comes to the media giving white sports figures a free pass when it comes to answering questions about social matters. However, I disagree with him in this specific case concerning Reid, because I don’t think race has anything to do with the issue. Personally, I think Reid should do whatever he feels is right for him and his family, and the media should stay out of it. Reid doesn’t owe anybody an explanation for why his kids are a bunch of drug dealers, and neither does any white, black, brown or red coach for that matter. This is part of the problem with the media – they think personal information should be public information when it comes to celebrities.

Maybe Whitlock is right in that Reid is spending too much time on his job and not enough on his family. Whether that’s the case, however, is not Whitlock or any other member of the media’s decision to make. It’s Reid’s decision and everyone should let the man deal with his personal issues in the privacy of his own family. This isn’t the same as demanding LeBron James answer a question on the situation in Darfur.