There’s a relevant parallel to the latter part of the On Rocky Top book review that Joel and Will did, where the increased personal knowledge that Clay gained made it harder to be angry towards people like Crompton. The closer Clay got to the players, the more he had to account for them as people, not just players.

Much the same probably goes for Hamilton here, especially for people who still hate him for firing Fulmer. Hamilton’s really a a very personable and down-to-earth guy, but it’s a lot easier to dislike him if you can stick to the image of the weasel-faced suit-and-power-tie behind an oak desk.