Posted on 07/23/2007 10:46:58 AM PDT by newgeezer
All the breathless debates about Michael Vick are missing the point. The bigger issue has nothing to do with whether or not he deserves the right of due process, or whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should suspend him, or whether Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank should enable him or give him tough love. It's not even about whether ... Nike should be launching another designer shoe with his name on it.
All of those are minor distractions from ...:
How did someone like Michael Vick ever come to exist?
Are we really ready to have that conversation? Do we dare explore how a young man of such unique athletic gifts and such obvious on-field marketing appeal was allowed to turn into just another unfortunate mug shot and potential ruined life? How did that remarkable athlete get a $100 million contract with the Falcons, become Nike's poster boy, rake in endorsements ..., then find himself on the verge of blowing it all because of an incredible tale that seems to come straight out of some hardcore gangsta rap video?
... The ultimate symbols of black athletes in our society used to be men of substance and positive image. Men with social conscience and resolve such as Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood, Jim Brown, ... They carried a burden and deep-rooted responsibility to portray themselves with a sense of dignity, pride and purpose. Even ... rebels such as Muhammad Ali ... stood for something more meaningful than a multimillion-dollar shoe deal.
But somewhere between Jackie Robinson and Michael Vick, ... "Street cred" became the anthem of the modern black athlete, this misguided notion that the only way to appeal to the young demographic of the sneaker-buying public was to adopt the negative attitudes of the thug life popularized by black hip-hop/gangster rappers. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
And Hollywood used to be full of heroes instead of spoiled brats.
Bump!!!
And our elected officials used to be men of principles.
Times have changed.
The only thing in this column that I really disagree with is that he praised Curt Flood. *sigh* The man that ruined baseball.
Telling it like he sees it.
This is more likely than Barney Frank not knowing a prostitution ring was operating out of his house while he was living there.
Jim Brown????
This guy gets it. Although I think that problems were there prior to the advent of the hip-hop generation. The culture needs to fix itself. White people aren't hurting blacks and white folks can't help blacks very much either. They have to choose to help themselves.
I predict it will take at least two more generations. Probably more.
Another person making excuses for Michael Vick?
Thankfully, thats decreasing with each passing hour.
Well said Bryan! I really like this guy, says it like he sees it.
Yes, it's kind of hard to deny that Vick had a hand in the killing of these dogs, but did you ever stop to think "What did these dogs do to Mike Vick?"
What if those dogs were barking all night keeping him up before a big game or practice?
What if those dogs peed on the rug?
What if they just wouldn't stay off the furniture?
There's a million things that could have gone on that would totally justify (or at bare minimum seriously mitigate) his actions.
I say we give this unbelievable athlete his day in court before crucifying him without knowing the facts.
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
Wasn’t Jackie Robinson a Republican? No, seriously.
I wasn’t aware there was a “black perspective” on the taunting and murdering of dumb animals. Huh. Now I know.
I appreciate what this man has said. But there are sellouts that he did not mention, not just the gangstas on the corner, but the race pimps and hustlers such as Jackson and Sharpton found not on the street corner but anywhere there might be a television camera. If and when the common sense stated here by these journalists, starts being repeated in the MSM by African Americans both self-proclaimed and MSM selected to speak for Black America, then the tipping point will have been met and things will be going in a productive direction.
I don’t think Rodman, for all of his antics, was much of a hip-hop guy.
It’s not enough to try to win, you have to do it while “stylin’ and profilin’” so you can get your face time on the sports highlight shows. They’re turning EVERY sporting event into a WWE-style spectacle.
Good article but sometimes a punk is just a punk.
That's not how I read it at all. But, now that you mention it, I can see how one might.
“was allowed to turn into just another unfortunate mug shot and potential ruined life?”
How about that he put himslef in that position?
I guess I can see how you might see it that way but, I read it as a "black perspective" on the rotten black culture that produces and promotes the likes of Michael Vick.
So very sorry if he/I/we/anyone neglected to pay proper respect to the poor animals involved.
No one said they wanted to deprive this guilty bastard his due process rights.
The black Americans are taking all the victories of people other than themselves, since it’s been quite a long while since anyone bothered to start racial trouble, and they are throwing it all away by the fistfuls. Black “culture” is Nat King Cole and Jackie Robinson and Arthur Ashe and the Tuskegee Airmen.
Thugball players, rappers, “activists” and convicts are what we’re left with now.
It's a shame this article will never be taken to heart by the people being discussed.
Carolyn
Uh, yeah...didn’t he used to throw women off motel balconies?
Before you criticize dog fighting, you should really attend one, and then you can judge.
Dog fighting has a long and colorful history, dating back to ancient times. Several breeds have been specifically bred to take part in this fine blood sport.
It’s hard to describe the pomp and circumstance, the pageantry that surrounds a dog fight. Walking through the streets of North Philadelphia, the broken glass crunching under your feet, the frenzied dogs barking and spewing saliva in the back seats of cars, the smell of marijuana wafting through the air. It excites all the senses.
There’s nothing in this world like seeing a couple of pure bred, well trained, athletically gifted dogs rip each others flesh, the sinewy muscles torn to shreds. I remember once a Pit bull locked on to the leg of a Staffordshire bull terrier and actually snapped the humerus. The audible sound of that break and the accompanying roar of the crowd still gives me goose bumps.
Dog fighting is enjoyed throughout the world spanning so many cultures. Japan, Russia, Latin America, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan (in fact, the revival of dog fighting following the fall of The Taliban is the greatest, most unreported accomplishment of our brave fighting men and women), and even the United Kingdom all have vibrant, active dog fighting scenes.
Again, maybe we’ll have to agree to disagree, but it’s a matter of personal taste. I really would recommend you attending a dog fight (there are several events scheduled just about every weekend) before you turn your nose up at this wonderful sport.
(are you sad or angry yet? You prolly should be.)
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
For contrast, look at Vick’s back-up. Harrington may not have the natural talent but he’s a stellar citizen and works as hard as anyone in the league. Night and day difference between the 2.
Could this author even imagine another reason? IF he was involved, I can understand where Vick was coming from. I grew up in Southern Louisiana where cockfighting was and will be legal until sometime next year. I’ve been going to cockfights since I was little, it’s part of my culture and a part that I embrace.
So what does that say about me? That I’m crazy? That I’ll move to people next? Absolutely not, and why should it. I don’t personify animals, there is no confusion between who is what. Animals don’t have rights to violate, people do and when one knows the difference I don’t see any problem with people fighting animals. Yes it’s senseless entertainment but so is going see some action flick, and I don’t see a moral difference between the two.
I’ve never been to a dog fight but I knew where they were taking place. Honestly the only thing that stopped me from going was the fear of getting arrested. Who knows, I might have been turned off by it but by no means does that imply I would support violating a persons right to do it.
This is an issue about individual rights. Dogfighting does not violate anyone’s and any law that would punish a person for action that does not violate another person’s rights is immoral.
That said, if the NFL has some inside rule banning dogfighting then Vick might have violated his contract there and should be punished, but within the NFL.
I think the article is less about punks being in professional sports and more about our society's decline into idolizing the punks.
The author has a great point, but one that can be expanded out of the racial arena as well. Think about it. In the 1950's, who were the sports idols? Rocky Marciano, Bill Russell, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Unitas, etc.
Yes, some of these guys had their problems, but how do those problems compare to their current counterparts of: Mike Tyson, Kobe Bryant, Barry Bonds and Michael Vick.
Somewhere along the way, professional sports became MUCH more interested in the bottom line than in the box score.
Just out of curiosity-did Vick grow up in a “fatherless” household, or was his dad around?
Vic Shoes. Comfy, For when your dogs are barking.
His dad was around off and on. His mother later remarried.
I'm gonna bump it again.
I was surprised when I moved to Iowa to see the black kids as ghettofied as the ones on the east coast. I've since learned that many of them are transplants from Chicago and they've brought their Chicago hip hop culture with them.
Maybe I'm getting old, but these kids are embarassing. They are the only loud ones on the bus and they curse in front of anyone. It used to be a guy would forget himself and say something wrong in front of women and his buddies would call him on it. Not anymore. As a black woman in a mostly white environment, I am embarased for the race when these kids are on the bus with me.
I guess the old lady part of me is thinking, they have everything here - safety, good schools, a pleasant environment in which everyone gets treated well from what I've seen, and they continue to act out the worst aspects of ghetto culture. I refuse to call it 'black culture,' since I know many black people who wouldn't dream of acting this way.
The LEFT doesn’t want us to have heroes. Heroes stand out from the precious collective. People follow heroes.
That’s very dangerous to a rag-tag collection of metrosexuals, feminazis, felons etc.
The article dealt with more than just hip-hop...
The NBA players are hardly role models as well — the PGA donates more to charity than the NBA. The NBA just flaunts their community service — you don’t endless public service spots on the PGA, or baseball — compared to the NBA self-glorification.
Gangsta Rap doesn’t lead - it reflects what is already accepted, ie., the rotten culture that’s out there.
Bill Cosby is a lone (black) voice in the wilderness. Juan Williams likes to quote him, but in actuality gives Cosby lip service regarding his own behavior. He’s a shill for the community.
Why am I not surprised by the Michael Vick situation.
It’s not just the black kids.
‘That’s not how I read it at all. But, now that you mention it, I can see how one might.’
Yep. Those defending this turd are pulling out all the stops, blaming everything under the sun for Vick’s sick, twisted view of whats ‘sporting’.
For the past couple of weeks its been done over at The Sporting News website, but its telling Vick’s defenders are becoming fewer and fewer with each passing day.
I’ve seen posters blaming ‘the breed’ ‘racism’ ‘bigotry’ etc etc etc.
This is just a smoother attempt in my opinion. And it too falls way way short.
You left out many of the black “comedians.”
I long for the days of Barry Sanders and Walter Payton. Score a touchdown, hand the ball to the ref and get off the field. None of this “Look at how great I am” crap.
The author used ‘african-american’ only once in the article. Pretty amazing in its ownself.
First, know that no one I know would call me an “animal rights” person of any sort. I believe God gave us dominion over the animal kingdom and, when it comes down to animals vs. people, I side with people.
Now, given what you wrote about cockfighting and “senseless entertainment” and there being no moral difference between that sort of thing and watching an “action flick,” I’m curious...
Do you believe there’s nothing morally wrong with people torturing animals (their own animals, of course)? In other words, should you and I be able to buy puppies or kittens or whatever and treat them any way we want, without any consequences whatsoever?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.