Colin Cowherd defends Shohei Ohtani with spot-on rant Dodgers fans will love

For the second time in two years, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is likely going to win the NL MVP award.

Also for the second time in two years, Ohtani is in the news for a controversy that is unrelated to baseball.

Last year it was the betting scandal with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. This year, Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being hit with a lawsuit in a Hawaii Circuit Court.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani hit with lawsuit over real estate development

Ohtani was as a celebrity spokesperson for (and the intended first resident of) The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort, a $240 million luxury housing development on Hawaii’s Hapuna Coast. The lawsuit alleges that Ohtani, via Balelo, demanded that developer Kingsbarn Realty Capital remove Kevin Hayes Sr. and Tomoko Matsumoto, or Ohtani would withdraw his involvement. Hayes and Matsumoto (the plaintiffs) claim that this led to a “coordinated ambush,” removing them from the project, even though they had developed it over 11 years.

While some baseball fans have been quick to cast judgement on Ohtani for his name being involved in another scandal, sports radio host Colin Cowherd recently came to Ohtani’s defense, and his rant on his Fox Sports Radio show is something Dodgers fans will love.

"What you’re telling me is while Ohtani is helping the Dodgers win a World Series he was a criminal mastermind in Hawaii,” said Cowherd, coming to Ohtani’s defense.

Coward went on to talk about the dangers of being a celebrity with status in today’s society. “Grifters,” as he called them, are everywhere. Plenty of people are looking to take advantage of public figures like Ohtani.

The logistics of the lawsuit simply don’t make any sense. As Cowherd pointed out, the plaintiffs are alleging that Ohtani is a criminal mastermind in Hawaii while simultaneously being involved in a betting scandal, helping the Dodgers win the World Series, and doing it all in a country where he doesn’t speak the language.

There’s no direct evidence that Ohtani himself instructed, approved, or even knew about the changes to the project. His role was primarily promotional, and most professional athletes delegate these sort of business decisions to professionals so they can focus on their careers.

While Ohtani has said all the right things about wanting to “focus on the field” amid a tight race for the NL West title, it’s nice to see someone being the voice of reason and coming to Ohtani’s defense.

Cowherd got this one right, and anyone who does a little bit of research will likely come to the same conclusion he did.