Derrick Rose picture surfaces, is it a big deal?

Recently, this picture of Derrick Rose throwing up Gangster Disciples signs surfaced. No one knows how old it is. No one knows who he’s with, or why he’s throwing up signs.

Thanks to the front office people of the Chicago Bulls, Rose was able to make a public statement regarding the photo. But does anyone really believe that it was Rose who spoke the following?

"I want to emphatically state, now and forever, that Derrick Rose is anti-gang, anti-drug and anti-violence. I am not, nor have I ever been, affiliated with any gang, and I can't speak loudly enough against gang violence and the things that gangs represent."

"This photo was taken at a party I attended in Memphis while I was in school there, and was meant as a joke ... a bad one, I now admit. In posing for this picture, I am guilty of being young, naive and of using extremely poor judgment. I sincerely apologize to all my fans for my mistake."

But really though... Is it that big of a deal? Not really. Is Rose in a gang? Absolutely not. Is Rose really going to bring ties to gangs to the NBA or have it interfere with his career? Doubt it. This picture of Rose is just like any other picture of an athlete doing something they didn't think about... except less severe. He doesn't have a blunt in his mouth and a bottle of pattron in one hand and smacking a females rear-end with the other.

I will say though, Rose probably learned a lesson here. I don't think we'll be seeing him doing something "immature" and "kid-like" again. I think he's grown up from this experience -- even though this picture was taken "a year ago". Rose is an amazing player, let's try not to tear him down for something silly he thought was cool while tipsy at a college party as a 19 year old.

Please.

Here is a pull-quote from a Chicago writer's opinion of the matter, similar to mine:

What people like about Rose, besides his amazing abilities on the basketball court, is his apparent humility. He does not look coached off the court. He seems like a normal, intelligent kid. Let him be one.

In the grand scheme of things, throwing down a gang sign as a college freshman isn't a big deal, unless you happen to be standing in the middle of a rival gang's weekly meeting. But combined with the academic scandal at Memphis, it's hard not to wonder about Rose, no matter how wonderful he has been on and off the court for the Bulls.

The NCAA is investigating an allegedly fraudulent SAT score for a player on the 2007-08 Memphis team. The player reportedly is Rose....

Perhaps he has learned a lesson or two. The first lesson should be that, as a sports star, you're always in the public eye, even when you might think you're not.

The second lesson is that perception is everything.

My answer: NOT A BIG DEAL.