You know, I think I am starting to actually feel sorry for Ford. I'm not just saying that either (pretty sure I have here before), but legitimately feeling bad for the guy.
Yes, he went about it in the wrongest way possible, but I do believe there is a part of him which is trying to be charitable to these kids by trying to share his love of sports. And because of some of his faux pas, he is being fed to the dogs by his critics, the legal system, the news media, and now even the Sun.
I'm not trying to make excuses for him, much of this has been of his own making. And much of it could have been avoided by simply apologizing that his actions were inappropriate or could be perceived as such, and that he would do his best to correct his behaviour. One thing I always respected about McGuinty in his early days was that he was able to admit he made a mistake and take responsibility for it, Ford could learn from that.
I suppose I am feeling a little sympathy for the devil right now. Imagine getting your dream job, going into it full of confidence that you are more than qualified for it, and having the rug swept from under you as your critics successfully point out how inept you are at your position. That would be hard on even the most modest of us emotionally, imagine what that could do to someone who has an ego as inflated as Ford's...
At this point, I think he should consider a leave of absence from his job for a few months and put Holyday in charge. He should take a stress free vacation in order to get things back into perspective, if not seek out some counselling. No question much of this has been brought upon himself, but even the best of us screw up.