And Hollywood used to be full of heroes instead of spoiled brats.
Bump!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
“was allowed to turn into just another unfortunate mug shot and potential ruined life?”
How about that he put himslef in that position?
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.
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.
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.
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.
The author used ‘african-american’ only once in the article. Pretty amazing in its ownself.
Who is Mike Vicks dad? Anyone? Did Vick grow up with coaches who act like dads (but really, how far will you go when your whole team is centered around one player?)
Hip hop culture is just a symptom, it’s not the disease. The real problem here is a society that refuses to police itself. It celebrates reprobate and villifies the truly good. We are no longer allowed to judge and condemn the errant. It’s not their fault. They’re just a product of a fatherless home, racism, homophobia, islamaphobia, depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, poverty, inattentive mother, overbearing mother, too much TV violence, too many video games, cigarettes, trans-fats, lead paint, Alar poisoning, global warming, clergy abuse, bad schools, open borders or George Bush. Name a discretion, they’ve got an excuse. No one is accountable; no one deserves reproach. Walk into any shopping mall in any city in America and you are assaulted with language once reserved for the lowliest of sailors. And it’s coming from all ages and colors and no one even bats an eye. Hip hop is only a problem because we tolerate it, just like the potty mouths at the mall. Michael Vick is not a victim of hip hop; he’s just another example of turinng a blind eye to a problem, He was low-rent before he became a star, and continued to be low-rent after. Music and culture had nothing to do with his problem. He made a decision and no one called him on it; agents, managers, owners, teammates, or the press. Now he is paying a price in the legal system. How long before we hear what his excuse is? Who will be the first to jump to his defense.
Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Willie Stargell...
I note Mr. Burwell does not mention OJ as a black hero of old.
This battle is over, and the thugs won. How do I know? Because white kids are emulating them.
It’s going to be interesting to check the money/timeline when this all got started.
The indictment starts out “Early 2001”, “May 2001”, “June 2001”. So this looks like it could have all began while Vick was in the spring semester at VT before he left school.
Those dates are before he was drafted by Atlanta. But I’m sure he had signed many lucrative endorsement contracts. And/or had a couple “personal” loans from other folks.
And another thing... it’s not hard for me to understand how someone can do these things to a dog....when he’s already admitted to knowingly giving herpes to at least one woman.
(Can anyone get ahold of a cache from VicksK9Kennels.com )
Marcus Vick has had his share of "unfortunate" incidents, as well.
Of course, whites flocking to The Soprano’s, tatoos and Harleys are how much better?
The "young man"(vick) is the freakin devil from hell. Big deal, he can throw a ball. I pray that devil vick gets back exactly what he gave all those pathetic dogs. Then I hope he burns in hell.
Ah, if it were only that easy. But the whole "gangsta" thing is just another symptom of a deeper cultural mess.
He hasn’t been convicted yet. At the risk of sounding racist, if they have nine blacks on the jury like they did in the O.J. Simpson case, forget getting a conviction.
As if Vick had nothing to do with it.
bump
Stereotypes come around because of some truth. Here is a man that makes millions playing football but he wants to be a thug and many blacks have pit bulls as a status symbol.