Commentary: Diego Pavia's petulance shines through but his apology rings hollow

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia didn't win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, but he enters the final two weeks of 2025 as the leading contender for sports apology of the year. Congrats, Diego. Your journey from inspiring college football legend to nationally known jerk will be talked about for years. This was another banner year for sports figures apologizing for stupid things they said or did, or tweeted or Instagrammed. Oblivious sports figures come in all genders and all shapes, forms and sizes. Pro golfers, WNBA stars, tennis players, football players and many others were forced to atone for their misdeeds, whether they felt remorse or were advised by someone with public relations expertise. Even ESPN's Pat McAfee apologized for spreading a false rumor about a college student that she said "ruined" her life. Do you believe in miracles? Yet Pavia managed to swoop in over the weekend to leave his apologist peers in the dust. After losing out to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza for the prestigious award, he posted an Instagram story photo of himself and his offensive linemates with the caption "(expletive) all the voters," adding a thumbs-down emoji. He was also featured in a video at a post-Heisman celebration, giving the finger to a sign that read "(expletive) Indiana" while partying. The obvious target was Mendoza, a humble and talented young man who gave credit to Pavia and the other Heisman contenders during his acceptance speech. But if that wasn't enough to seal the deal, Pavia retweeted former sports talk troll Skip Bayless, a Vanderbilt alum, who wrote that Pavia deserved the Heisman but didn't get it, suggesting "his swagger and edge rubbed some voters the wrong way." Naturally, by the time Pavia woke up Sunday and checked his phone, he quickly became aware his reputation as a gritty, likeable underdog who made Vanderbilt into a football power had evaporated into thin air. He was suddenly viewed as the arrogant, condescending and inconsiderate punk who tried to tarnish Mendoza's Heisman by declaring himself the rightful winner. It was reminiscent of Kanye West dissing Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards by getting up on stage to tell Swift that Beyoncé deserved it, except without interrupting Mendoza's acceptance speech and saying "Imma let you finish." Pavia was already suspect when it came to his NFL Draft prospects due to genetics — he's a 5-foot-10 quarterback who was listed at 6-0 by his school. But the debate over whether he'd be picked on the second or third day of the draft was suddenly muted by the realization that no NFL general manager in his right mind would select such a classless and clueless player for such an important position. Pavia, or someone he knows with an actual working brain, immediately tried to rectify the situation with a belated apology posted on his X account about his "disrespectful" behavior. He called Mendoza a "deserving" winner and blamed his reaction on his fiery competitiveness. "As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win," the post read. "To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn't handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry." Nice try, but too late. Pavia, who has previously apologized for actions such as urinating on an opponent's practice field in 2023, was toasted on social media and all over the internet. He has one more game — on Dec. 31 against Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl — to rescue his reputation from the dumpster fire he lit Saturday night. Good luck with that. Pavia has some strong competition for the 2025 Sports Apology of the Year, and we're still waiting on apologies from former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, the ball-stealing fan known as "Phillies Karen" and a few other knuckleheads. This seems to be the Golden Age of Stupidity, fueled by the ability to advertise your own misdeeds with a few clicks on your phone. A close second to Pavia might be serial apologist and PGA star Wyndham Clark, who first apologized this year for launching his driver with both hands into a sponsor wall following a bad tee shot during the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. "My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on," Clark posted on social media. He then "worked" on it by destroying some lockers at historic Oakmont after missing the cut at the U.S. Open. Clark later said he was "very sorry" for making "a mistake that I deeply regret." He now wanted to just "move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA." Moving on is always the best course of action for those who lack self-awareness. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese wanted to move on after telling Chicago Tribune reporter Julia Poe that she was not "settling for the same (expletive)" next year, adding "we have to get great players," including someone younger than teammate Courtney Vandersloot. "We can't rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she's at," Reese said. After throwing Vandersloot and her teammates under the bus, Reese apologized to them and said her comments were "misconstrued." Reese sounded thrilled last week when announcing she'd be back in '26. "I'm under contract so, yes, I plan on returning to the Sky," she said. Finding blame elsewhere is a thematic motif for those in the apology business. Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko told American Taylor Townsend she had "no class" and "no education" after a dispute over a net cord at the U.S. Open. She later apologized by writing on Instagram that English was not her native language, and that she actually was referring to "what I believe as tennis etiquette" when telling Townsend, a Black player, she had "no education." "But I understand how the words I used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court," Ostapenko added. PGA of America president Don Rea Jr. apologized in a letter for American fans chanting "(expletive) you, Rory" to Irish golfer Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup, but only after creating an outcry by telling the BBC, "Heck you could go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things." Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson apologized for telling analyst Richard Sherman the Falcons were playing a game that resembled one from his youth, referred to with a name containing a homophobic slur. When he became aware the language was inappropriate, Robinson posted that the "insensitive" term was from "a football game we used to play as a kid but that's not an excuse." If there were a separate category for 2025 Spitting Apology of the Year, we'd have numerous candidates from the sport of football, including the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Carter, Florida's Brendan Bett, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase and two Colorado State players who spat on opponents in the same game. Chase even denied he had spit on Pittsburgh's Jalen Ramsey despite video evidence proving the loogie was in fact his. After being handed a one-game suspension, Chase apologized on Instagram for both the spitting and the lying, writing "as someone who strives to lead with character and authenticity, I should've taken immediate accountability for what happened." Inter Miami soccer player Luis Suárez apologized for spitting on someone from the Seattle Sounders' staff after a loss in the Leagues Cup final. He posted on social media that there was "still a lot of season left ahead and we will work together to try and get the triumphs that this club and its fans deserve." Then he finished by writing: "A hug to all." Every sports figure's apology should end with a big hug to all, from the bottom of their publicist's heart.