Are some acts and crimes beyond forgiveness?

Must we pardon people who have said or done terrible things about us or to us?

America appears to be swimming in a sea of negligence when it comes to seeking justice for the wronged.

One notion is that God is an accountant who places pluses and minuses on our own personal scorecard, and that miscreants will be punished by him eventually. Subscribers to this theory ask, would you rather see justice done in this life or the next one? All evil is punished someplace, somewhere, sometime, they believe. But is this true?

Sports figures in particular are quickly forgiven because of their athletic talent. I have compiled two lists of sports figures who have been either forgiven or remain unforgiven. As you'll see, many sports figures have made the public's forgiven column despite reprehensible conduct.

Forgiven:

Marv Albert: A convicted felon is broadcasting Knicks games on the radio.

Latrell Spreewell: A forward for the New York Knicks, after choking his last coach.

Lawrence Taylor: Enters the Football Hall of Fame after numerous drug offenses.

Mike Tyson: A convicted rapist bites off his opponent's ear in the ring. His boxing license is restored after serving half of his punishment.

Dennis Rodman: Kicks photographer in the groin. Give him his championship ring!

Roberto Alomar: Spits in umpire's face. But wait till next season to have him miss a few early season games.

Allan Iverson: Illegal-gun-toting basketball player signs multimillion-dollar contract.

Last but not least, O.J. Simpson: Though a large portion of the population may not have absolved him, the 12 most important people did - the jury members who acquitted him.

Unforgiven:

Pat Riley: He still hears boos for leaving the Knicks and becoming an enemy coach.

Pete Rose: No Baseball Hall of Fame for you, bad boy. Gambling is unforgivable, although some baseball fans dispute this.

Patrick Ewing: Became an unpopular figure after taking a leading role in the NBA labor dispute. If the Knicks win the championship this year, shift him to the other list.

This is only a partial list.

Add your own names, and subtract others.

It's a great exercise and fun for a rainy day.