The season hasn't even begun and yet you have to believe that the Atlanta Falcons are dying a slow death with every Matt Schaub completion. Much like Vick is composting carcasses, Schaub is piling up the accolades and the ratings.
KEEPING UP WITH THE SCHAUBS
For those of you playing at home, Schaub has now faced the playoff contending Arizona Cardinals, the NFC Champion Bears, and the Super Bowl contending Dallas Cowboys, all without a scratch behind the supposed worst offensive line the NFL has ever seen. Schaub suffered his first sack against the Cowboys last night when a linebacker blitz was not picked up by tackle Eric Winston, but even then Schaub nearly got away before doing the smart thing and taking it for the team.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Schaub had another solid outing against the daunting Cowboy defense, going 12 of 16 for 109 yards and 2TD. For the entire preseason Schaub is now 24-33-242, 3 TD and 0 Ints, and a QB rating of 113.4, or roughly 26 points higher than David Carr and his superior front five. Yes, its preseason where wins don't mean a thing unless your playing Dallas, but Schaub's stats are registered against starting line professional football players, and David Carr's are not. (21-32-252 and 1 TD, 1 Int and 4 sacks and a QB rating of (surprise) 87.4). I know many of you will still want to bury your heads in the sand for at least part of the season while you come to grips with the David Carr phenomenon. Look, it's understandable, I made excuse after excuse for him for five years before the light bulb went on...the problem was Carr, not the offensive line.
WHAT'S YOUR STORY AND CAN YOU STICK TO IT?
Need more proof? Dallas has been chastised as a team that blitzes too much during this preseason, breaking a supposed unwritten rule. Schaub shredded them and only had one sack, and it was an easily correctable mistake. So either you have to believe that the Texans line has had some sort of epiphany or Carr stunk. I'm gonna go with Carr stunk.
PINCH US, WE MUST BE DREAMING
Schaub has the tools of an NFL quarterback, and he has the weapons around him. In addition to Andre Johnson, he also has a legitimate number two receiver in rookie Jacoby Jones, and tight end Owen Daniels who I believe will be a household name before the end of 2007 and not for dogfighting, rainmaking, or gun toting, but for money catches on third down.
FOR THE RECORD
Having been hesitant until now to proclaim a new destiny, it says here, the Texans will fiinish second in the AFC South and a 10-6 record will be good enough for a playoff spot. The ramifications of this feat will be felt throughout the AFC and Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio will be fired (possibly before the end of the season) and finish last in the South. Just remember you heard it here first.
Riddle me this? If Hunting and Dogfighting are the same, why didn't Vick just pop a deer and stay out of prison? Because Virginia, there is a world of difference. Once the initial surprise wore off that Michael Vick had been indicted for participating in dogfighting, we all started asking the same questions, searching for a reasonable answer to all of this mess. In our search for truth and enlightenment, the public conscience has been bombarded from every angle from the race card to the ridiculous. Hard questions have been posed to us that challenge the our core beliefs about animal rights. Dogfighting has been around quietly for thousands of years, why only now does it shake us to want strong action against the offenders? How is dogfighting different from the way we slaughter cows, pigs, and other farm animals for consumption? How is dogfighting different from hunting animals for sport, and furs?
TRY TO FOLLOW
The difference between slaughterous dogfighting and hunting is betrayal. Dogs and other domestic animals look to humans for comfort, food, shelter, healing and love. Wild animals have no such expectations. They hunt their own food, they seek their own shelter and in most cases shun human contact, and in short they depend on humans for nothing when it comes to survival. In most cases, hunters consume what they kill. They eat the meat, they use the furs and hides, etc., and they are not killed just for the sake of gambling. There are laws regulating hunting as well, and most hunters are about preserving game. Hunting prevents animal populations from becoming overcrowded. Dogfighting does none of these things. It's killing for money, and not one thing else. The debate will continue on this point from the uneducated, but the differences are truly striking.
BETRAYAL OF TRUST
The difference between dogfighting and killing animals for consumption is also definable as betrayal. Cows, pigs, and other food animals can be domesticated, but are not typically raised as pets, and thus seek no comfort from humans. They are killed as humanely as possible and their consumption serves a human purpose. Again, the debate will go on about this, but there is a difference. When you slaughter man's best friend for gambling, and nothing else, it serves no purpose and it is a betrayal of trust that exists between dogs and humans.
BETRAYAL OF CONFIDENCE
The difference between dogfighting before Michael Vick and after is betrayal. Vick has betrayed the public confidence. Here is a man who is admired by adults and idolized by children to the point that he is enshrined with ubelievable wealth for being able to run and throw a football. We are appalled that a man who means so much to so many people would stoop to this act of betrayal for money that doesn't even rival a days work in football. Clearly it was not about the "amount" because according to the indictment he was a mediocre dogfighter, but it was merely the principal of seeing dogs wasted for the high of gambling. To the public, it is senseless and unappealing because we cannot fathom that kind of betrayal. It is Michael Vick's celebrity and fortune that takes the senselessness of it to a whole new level of our public conscious.
BREAKDOWN OF COMMON SENSE
And of course there is the "race card". The race card got played into this issue because of betrayal. Some have been betrayed by Vick's sinister secret. Some have been betrayed because the secret got out. Some feel betrayed because they enjoyed it. Some feel betrayed because they don't get it.
NO END
In the end, dogfighting will continue to occur, and people will still make money from it, and for the most part, we will turn a blind eye to it. The "lesson" will be that we as a society will no longer accept this behavior from our celebrities. There is now a limit on how far we'll turn the other cheek to their perverse hobbies. Whether or not Vick deserves jail time for his actions remains to be seen. Whether or not he deserves our support is a mute point by his denial of the overwhelming evidence. In the end, if guilt is admitted, he deserves the punishment befitting the crime. In the same manner that we have been betrayed, and that the dogs have been betrayed, so too should we betray Mike Vick the forgiveness of his sins.
Riddle me this? If Hunting and Dogfighting are the same, why didn't Vick just pop a deer and stay out of prison? Because Virginia, there is a world of difference. Once the initial surprise wore off that Michael Vick had been indicted for participating in dogfighting, we all started asking the same questions, searching for a reasonable answer to all of this mess. In our search for truth and enlightenment, the public conscience has been bombarded from every angle from the race card to the ridiculous. Hard questions have been posed to us that challenge the our core beliefs about animal rights. Dogfighting has been around quietly for thousands of years, why only now does it shake us to want strong action against the offenders? How is dogfighting different from the way we slaughter cows, pigs, and other farm animals for consumption? How is dogfighting different from hunting animals for sport, and furs?
TRY TO FOLLOW
The difference between slaughterous dogfighting and hunting is betrayal. Dogs and other domestic animals look to humans for comfort, food, shelter, healing and love. Wild animals have no such expectations. They hunt their own food, they seek their own shelter and in most cases shun human contact, and in short they depend on humans for nothing when it comes to survival. In most cases, hunters consume what they kill. They eat the meat, they use the furs and hides, etc., and they are not killed just for the sake of gambling. There are laws regulating hunting as well, and most hunters are about preserving game. Hunting prevents animal populations from becoming overcrowded. Dogfighting does none of these things. It's killing for money, and not one thing else. The debate will continue on this point from the uneducated, but the differences are truly striking.
BETRAYAL OF TRUST
The difference between dogfighting and killing animals for consumption is also definable as betrayal. Cows, pigs, and other food animals can be domesticated, but are not typically raised as pets, and thus seek no comfort from humans. They are killed as humanely as possible and their consumption serves a human purpose. Again, the debate will go on about this, but there is a difference. When you slaughter man's best friend for gambling, and nothing else, it serves no purpose and it is a betrayal of trust that exists between dogs and humans.
BETRAYAL OF CONFIDENCE
The difference between dogfighting before Michael Vick and after is betrayal. Vick has betrayed the public confidence. Here is a man who is admired by adults and idolized by children to the point that he is enshrined with ubelievable wealth for being able to run and throw a football. We are appalled that a man who means so much to so many people would stoop to this act of betrayal for money that doesn't even rival a days work in football. Clearly it was not about the "amount" because according to the indictment he was a mediocre dogfighter, but it was merely the principal of seeing dogs wasted for the high of gambling. To the public, it is senseless and unappealing because we cannot fathom that kind of betrayal. It is Michael Vick's celebrity and fortune that takes the senselessness of it to a whole new level of our public conscious.
BREAKDOWN OF COMMON SENSE
And of course there is the "race card". The race card got played into this issue because of betrayal. Some have been betrayed by Vick's sinister secret. Some have been betrayed because the secret got out. Some feel betrayed because they enjoyed it. Some feel betrayed because they don't get it.
NO END
In the end, dogfighting will continue to occur, and people will still make money from it, and for the most part, we will turn a blind eye to it. The "lesson" will be that we as a society will no longer accept this behavior from our celebrities. There is now a limit on how far we'll turn the other cheek to their perverse hobbies. Whether or not Vick deserves jail time for his actions remains to be seen. Whether or not he deserves our support is a mute point by his denial of the overwhelming evidence. In the end, if guilt is admitted, he deserves the punishment befitting the crime. In the same manner that we have been betrayed, and that the dogs have been betrayed, so too should we betray Mike Vick the forgiveness of his sins.
Former Houston Texan quarterback David Carr has been indicted by a Houston fan jury on charges issued today from the Fandom Bureau of Investigations (FBI) alleging the former number one pick has been committing fraud the past five seasons. The indictment details that Carr has been hiding his lack of definable NFL ability behind the ruse of an inconsistent and incompetent offensive line in order to defraud the Houston Texans in the neighborhood of $60 million.
THE INVESTIGATION
In five seasons with the Texans, Carr was sacked a record 249 times, allowing the lion's share of the blame to be placed on his truly offensive line. The real facts of the case came to light in recent weeks when Carr was followed by a group of former fans and it was learned that it was indeed Carr that was the problem in Houston. One undercover investigator notes that Carr was seen participating in another NFL enterprise for the Carolina Panthers this past weekend versus the Philadelphia Eagles and it was observed that Carr was guilty of happy feet, being the recipient of an ankle tackle sack, a batted down pass, a near interception and of course a trademark careless fumble in about a ten minute span. Investigators later learned that none of the Texans offensive linemen were even in Carolina on the day in question. In fact, the Texans linemen were engaged in their second consecutive game without surrendering a sack at the time of the Carolina fraud scheme according to a team spokesman.
THE SMOKING GUN
It was at that point that the Fan Jury was assembled in Houston and the facts presented. The star witness for the prosecution was former Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub. In two preseason games with this horrific offensive line, Schaub is 12-17 for 150 plus yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions, no sacks, and one hurry. Of the 5 incompletions Schaub had, two were actually intentional throw aways when the receivers failed to get open.
THE LAME COVERUP
Meanwhile, Carr's comments to the media about his abilities were the most damning statements to date. Carr mentioned smugly to the media that he was more than happy to take a backup role in Carolina after scoring that righteous contract for $60 Million with the Texans that were paying him to be a franchise star. It was presented to the fan jury that no franchise player would ever be satisfied to be a backup in this league.
MOVING FORWARD
Prosecuting fans say it may be to early to tell, but not to be surprised if a superceding indictment is filed later in the season with more serious charges. It was not clear at press time whether or not the Texans planned legal action against their former backup in starter's clothing, or whether the league itself planned to act on the Texans players behalf. What is certain is that David Carr will assuredly be the next NFL player looking to make a plea bargain if Jake Delhomme is unable to fulfill his duties.
NEW EVIDENCE REVEALED
Prosecutors have just released this photo obtained by one of Carr's former associates. Notice the poor throwing form, the definitive happy feet and positioning of the yardlines (pass is lateral, not vertical), and the newly added gloves. Experts believe that in the wake of these gloves failure to keep Carr from fumbling that he may invoke the O.J. (If it doesn't fit you must acquit) Defense and place the blame squarely at the doorstep of Nike. Officials from Nike say that they were not even aware that Carr was still in the league, and were puzzled to learn that Carr was abusing their identity in this fashion. Fantasy football commissioners have suspended Carr indefinitely while the investigation continues.
Former Houston Texan quarterback David Carr has been indicted by a Houston Fan Jury on charges alleging the former number one pick has been committing fraud the past five seasons. The indictment details that Carr has been hiding his lack of definable NFL ability behind the ruse of an inconsistent and incompetent offensive line in order to defraud the Houston Texans in the neighborhood of $60 million.
THE INVESTIGATION
In five seasons with the Texans, Carr was sacked a record 249 times, allowing the lion's share of the blame to be placed on his truly offensive line. The real facts of the case came to light in recent weeks when Carr was followed by a group of former fans and it was learned that it was indeed Carr that was the problem in Houston. One investigator notes that Carr was seen participating in another NFL enterprise for the Carolina Panthers this past weekend versus the Philadelphia Eagles and it was observed that Carr was guilty of happy feet, being the recipient of an ankle tackle sack, a batted down pass, a near interception and of course a trademark careless fumble in about a ten minute span. Investigators later learned that none of the Texans offensive linemen were even in Carolina on the day in question. In fact, the Texans linemen were engaged in their second consecutive game without surrendering a sack at the time of the Carolina fraud scheme according to a team spokesman.
THE SMOKING GUN
It was at that point that the Fan Jury was assembled in Houston and the facts presented. The star witness for the prosecution was former Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub. In two preseason games with this horrific offensive line, Schaub is 12-17 for 150 plus yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions, no sacks, and one hurry. Of the 5 incompletions Schaub had, two were actually intentional throw aways when the receivers failed to get open.
THE LAME COVERUP
Meanwhile, Carr's comments to the media about his abilities were the most damning statements to date. Carr mentioned smugly to the media that he was more than happy to take a backup role in Carolina after scoring that righteous contract for $60 Million with the Texans that were paying him to be a franchise star. It was presented to the fan jury that no franchise player would ever be satisfied to be a backup in this league.
MOVING FORWARD
Prosecuting fans say it may be to early to tell, but not to be surprised if a superceding indictment is filed later in the season with more serious charges. It was not clear at press time whether or not the Texans planned legal action against their former backup in starter's clothing, or whether the league itself planned to act on the Texans players behalf. What is certain is that David Carr will assuredly be the next NFL player looking to make a plea bargain if Jake Delhomme is unable to fulfill his duties.
NEW EVIDENCE REVEALED
Prosecutors have just released this photo obtained by one of Carr's former associates. Notice the poor throwing form, the definitive happy feet and positioning of the yardlines (pass is lateral, not vertical), and the newly added gloves. Experts believe that in the wake of these gloves failure to keep Carr from fumbling that he may invoke the O.J. (If it doesn't fit you must acquit) Defense and place the blame squarely at the doorstep of Nike. Officials from Nike say that they were not even aware that Carr was still in the league, and were puzzled to learn that Carr was abusing their identity in this fashion.
I'm not a Michael Vick fan, and I've never met Michael Vick. I have nothing against him though personally, or professionally for that matter. To me he is just another guy, except for the things he has admitted to doing. That having been said, I am deeply disappointed in the prosecutors in this case.
LET'S PUT ALL THE CARDS ON THE TABLE
Not only will we now be bombarded with race card play, but we will have the inevitable screwy comparisons of hunting and dogfighting. Let's just nip this thing in the bud, right here. Right now. We waste time arguing the differences between legal hunting and illegal dogfighting. Never mind that hunting is about human deductive reasoning versus animal survival instinct (where sometimes the animal wins), and dogfighting is about pitting two animals against each other to the death, not for territory, for food, or even sport, but rather for no instinctive reason known to them. They do it simply because they are trained to do it. People who do not get that point, probably never will, and people who hunt will never see a dog on the same level with a duck or a deer. I could spend hours trying to convince a reasonable person that there are remarkable differences between hunting and dogfighting, and we could argue the details until O.J. admits he's a murderer, but the bottom line is quite simply, like it or not, hunting is perfectly legal, and it is government regulated and enforced. Those that are unwilling to admit that hunting is legal and therein lies the difference, are typically the ones who are anxious to play the race card when it comes to the differences between hunting and dogfighting. Hunting is something that the white man does so it's ok to do as the argument goes and it's not fair that a black man by the same token cannot fight dogs just as matter of factly.
BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE
For all those people, your argument is fatally flawed. Though it stirs up a good debate, you are going to be bitterly disappointed to learn that hunting was not invented by white american males. Therein lies the trump card, so save all that hot air and huffing and puffing on this one. Hunting was invented millions of years ago. It's practiced by males and females, of all races, on every contintent in the world., even for the sheer sport of it. Dogfighting is not legal or even practiced in most countries outside the supposedly white dominated american society. Insist on playing a race card in this debate, and you lose the battle before you get out of the kennel and say breakstick.
THE TRUTH
The real reason we should all be angry is that Michael Vick did a stupid thing and he has let everyone down around him and he made it worse by lying to us about it. Period. End of story. Now, let's get on with our lives without Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcon quarterback.
Yeah, it's just dogfighting and gambling, not bank robbery and murder. However, the prosecution will be failing the american people if they do the deal. Why? If the federal prosecutors allow Vick to cop a plea, then it will allow the race card to be played in this case, where there is no justification for it.
FAIR PLAY
At first glance the "deal" seems to be fair to all concerned, and it allows the NFL to get on with their season without the sideshow circus freak lawyers monopolizing the airwaves. What a story it would make to allow Vick an opportunity to possibly salvage what is left of a wasted career, and america loves giving second chances to underdogs (no pun intended). The prosecutors get what they want by using Vick to set an example for other celebrity outlaws and it frees up their time to go after the Tim Donagheys of the world.
WE PAID TO SEE THE HAND
Here is the crux of the problem. If the deal is done, the american people, the ones with the vested interest in this case, don't get to see all the cards. If the case goes to trial, the prosecutors get to put all their cards on the table for the world to see and then we get to decide for ourselves if Michael Vick has been overzealously prosecuted, or if he is indeed a down and dirty bird (pun intended). By the same token, Michael Vick also has the opportunity to once and for all prove to everyone concerned that he in no way was associated with this operation and that he rightfully deserves his career back and his endorsement deals restored.
NEVER ENDING DEBATE
If Vick is allowed to fold his hand and accept a lesser punishment, the public is left holding the bag. The debate about his "real" or "perceived" innocence will rage on indefinitely, and in some circles Vick will be hailed a hero for weird and perverse reasons. When the iron bars clang shut behind Mike and his tenuous career, it will be the opening bell of a 15 round racial bout.
LETTING SLEEPING DOGS LIE
The United States government decided to investigate Vick because it had credible evidence that he was involved in an interstate dogfighting venture. They vigorously pursued the evidence to prove that charge. They spent thousands in taxpayer money to get warrants and gather that material. What sense does it make right here, right now, to dig up all those bones, if we are just going to go back to 1915 Moonlight Road and bury them in a different hole? This is a chance for a wakeup call. Don't do the deal.
Fan's Favorites (Other Interesting Blogs on this subject)
Yeah, it's just dogfighting and gambling, not bank robbery and murder. However, the prosecution will be failing the american people if they do the deal. Why? If the federal prosecutors allow Vick to cop a plea, then it will allow the race card to be played in this case, where there is no justification for it.
FAIR PLAY
At first glance the "deal" seems to be fair to all concerned, and it allows the NFL to get on with their season without the sideshow circus freak lawyers monopolizing the airwaves. What a story it would make to allow Vick an opportunity to possibly salvage what is left of a wasted career, and america loves giving second chances to underdogs (no pun intended). The prosecutors get what they want by using Vick to set an example for other celebrity outlaws and it frees up their time to go after the Tim Donagheys of the world.
WE PAID TO SEE THE HAND
Here is the crux of the problem. If the deal is done, the american people, the ones with the vested interest in this case, don't get to see all the cards. If the case goes to trial, the prosecutors get to put all their cards on the table for the world to see and then we get to decide for ourselves if Michael Vick has been overzealously prosecuted, or if he is indeed a down and dirty bird (pun intended). By the same token, Michael Vick also has the opportunity to once and for all prove to everyone concerned that he in no way was associated with this operation and that he rightfully deserves his career back and his endorsement deals restored.
NEVER ENDING DEBATE
If Vick is allowed to fold his hand and accept a lesser punishment, the public is left holding the bag. The debate about his "real" or "perceived" innocence will rage on indefinitely, and in some circles Vick will be hailed a hero for weird and perverse reasons. When the iron bars clang shut behind Mike and his tenuous career, it will be the opening bell of a 15 round racial bout.
LETTING SLEEPING DOGS LIE
The United States government decided to investigate Vick because it had credible evidence that he was involved in an interstate dogfighting venture. They vigorously pursued the evidence to prove that charge. They spent thousands in taxpayer money to get warrants and gather that material. What sense does it make right here, right now, to dig up all those bones, if we are just going to go back to 1915 Moonlight Road and bury them in a different hole? This is a chance for a wakeup call. Don't do the deal.
Fan's Favorites (Other Interesting Blogs on this subject)
The rubber hits the road screeching to the tune Pacman is singing at his latest interview lobbying why we should be allowed to be himself. "What do you want me to do...sit at home and do nothin...that ain't me?!"
Well let's see, six arrests, three people shot, one paralyzed, two women beaten and spit on, a soon to be felony conviction, and a year long suspension from your job for simply being in a word a "jackarss", all just since you have become a Titan. Yep, you need to sit at home and do nothing, and shut up while you are there, and consider yourself lucky you are not in prison or worse.
THE ENABLERS
There are those that will argue that the Pacman is just being a strong willed black man with a penchant for individualism, and he should not be treaded upon by the misunderstanding masses. There are those that will argue that he has never been convicted of anything so he is innocent and everyone should leave him alone to do what he do. There are those that will argue that if he was white, no one would care about his legal troubles and he'd still be playing football his way.
ITS NOT HIS FAULT, ITS OURS
The trouble began long before Pacman Jones was even born. December 24, 1969, Curt Flood touched off the revolution that is now known as free agency. Along with this revolution came the opportunity for untold fortunes for prospective athletes. What did not come with it was the much needed common sense from American society to throttle the "anything goes" mentality that comes from windfall prosperity.
TO THE VICTORS GO THE SPOILS
As the salaries of the professional athlete rose during the 1970's and 80's, the moral standards imposed upon athletes by society inversely plummeted, deteriorating the very fabric from which sports are woven in America. As sports turned athletes into instant millionaires, conversely society began to turn a blind eye to morals as long as the athlete could perform at his/her sport, and gradually lowered the bar of acceptable standards.
INNOCENCE LOST
It all began innocent enough. We turned our backs when athletes couldn't pass one subject in high school because he was misunderstood or had a learning disability, then we turned our backs when the athlete got into minor mischief. Pretty soon it became "alleged" misdemeanors, and outright "boys will be boys" mentality. Not long after that we didn't even require them to show up for class and began having other people take tests for them, and in (shhhh) extreme cases handing them money and gifts (wink-wink) under the table. Next came felony allegations and spousal abuses, but we neatly swept it under the rug so as not to upset our grandparents.
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION
Along comes the sobering moment in 1987 when Southern Methodist University was slapped with the death penalty for cheating. The nation caught it's collective breath, realizing it could never allow a sports program to suffer that sort of fate again, and we did the only thing that could be done to further the manifest destiny of windfall prosperity. We sold our souls to the devil, and in marched the lawyers to make good on that contract. It wasn't enough to keep Pete Rose from being banned for life betting on baseball in 1989, but onward we tread toward the land of plenty, at least for the few and talented, if not morally upright.
FEEDING THE MONSTER
From that point, the salaries got bigger, the athletes got younger, and the cheating and criminal behavior became more blatantly unnoticed until we reached the final checkpoint. On June 12, 1994 it became possible to get away with murder. It has been a nexus of one-up-manship from that day forward. Now we have reached critical mass. In recent years, we have been confronted with our own monsters time and again. Bonds has been accused of being a juicer, Tim Donaghey has been caught cheating, Rafael Palmeiro has been exposed as a cheat and a perjurer, Mark McGwire has taken the 5th amendment, Michael Vick has been accused of abusing animals and profiting from it, Kobe Bryant has settled a sexual assault case, Darrent Williams has been killed, Joe Cullen drove naked drunk through the streets, Vikings players had public orgies, Ken Caminiti overdosed, Terrell Owens pouts like five year old and attempts a $21 million suicide, Tank Johnson is packin heat and the band plays on until we just can't take it anymore. While it is understandable to see how Pacman has come by his mentality, it is just no longer acceptable.
MISSING THE POINT
As an American culture we have completely forgotten what sports are all about. The definable difference between sports and life in general is honor. Sports by definition is about competing against others based on the merits of your own ability to overcome your human imperfections and shortcomings in an honorable fashion to win a fair contest. When you remove honor, and replace it with cheating, and chemical alteration, and misdeeds, it's no longer "winning" and "sports", it's just cr@p, and at the end of the day, nobody will want to pay for cr@p. In short, without honor, you have accomplished nothing and in the end you will be nothing.
THE RECKONING
That is why Roger Goodell is making an example out of Pacman, and Michael Vick, and why Bud Selig should make an example of Bonds et al, and why Stern should have made an example of Kobe Bryant and will ultimately pull the plug on some of his charges. Whether we realize it or not, American sports are edging ever closer to brink of the slippery slope, we're drunk on the money, and that is a more deadly combination than Pacman, Tank, and OJ in a strip club brawl.
The rubber hits the road screeching to the tune Pacman is singing at his latest interview lobbying why we should be allowed to be himself. "What do you want me to do...sit at home and do nothin...that ain't me?!"
Well let's see, six arrests, three people shot, one paralyzed, two women beaten and spit on, a soon to be felony conviction, and a year long suspension from your job for simply being in a word a "jackarss", all just since you have become a Titan. Yep, you need to sit at home and do nothing, and shut up while your are there, and consider yourself lucky you are not in prison or worse.
THE ENABLERS
There are those that will argue that the Pacman is just being a strong willed black man with a penchant for individualism, and he should not be treaded upon by the misunderstanding masses. There are those that will argue that he has never been convicted of anything so he is innocent and everyone should leave him alone to do what he do. There are those that will argue that if he was white, no one would care about his legal troubles and he'd still be playing football his way.
ITS NOT HIS FAULT, ITS OURS
The trouble began long before Pacman Jones was even born. December 24, 1969, Curt Flood touched off the revolution that is now known as free agency. Along with this revolution came the opportunity for untold fortunes for prospective athletes. What did not come with it was the much needed common sense from American society to throttle the "anything goes" mentality that comes from windfall prosperity.
TO THE VICTORS GO THE SPOILS
As the salaries of the professional athlete rose during the 1970's and 80's, the moral standards imposed upon athletes by society inversely plummeted, deteriorating the very fabric from which sports are woven in America. As sports turned athletes into instant millionaires, conversely society began to turn a blind eye to morals as long as the athlete could perform at his/her sport, and gradually lowered the bar of acceptable standards.
INNOCENCE LOST
It all began innocent enough. We turned our backs when athletes couldn't pass one subject in high school because he was misunderstood or had a learning disability, then we turned our backs when the athlete got into minor mischief. Pretty soon it became "alleged" misdemeanors, and outright "boys will be boys" mentality. Not long after that we didn't even require them to show up for class and began having other people take tests for them, and in (shhhh) extreme cases handing them money and gifts (wink-wink) under the table. Next came felony allegations and spousal abuses, but we neatly swept it under the rug so as not to upset our grandparents.
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION
Along comes the sobering moment in 1987 when Southern Methodist University was slapped with the death penalty for cheating. The nation caught it's collective breath, realizing it could never allow a sports program to suffer that sort of fate again, and we did the only thing that could be done to further the manifest destiny of windfall prosperity. We sold our souls to the devil, and in marched the lawyers to make good on that contract. It wasn't enough to keep Pete Rose from being banned for life betting on baseball in 1989, but onward we tread toward the land of plenty, at least for the few and talented, if not morally upright.
FEEDING THE MONSTER
From that point, the salaries got bigger, the athletes got younger, and the cheating and criminal behavior became more blatantly unnoticed until we reached the final checkpoint. On June 12, 1994 it became possible to get away with murder. It has been a nexus of one-up-manship from that day forward. Now we have reached critical mass. In recent years, we have been confronted with our own monsters time and again. Bonds has been accused of being a juicer, Tim Donaghey has been caught cheating, Rafael Palmeiro has been exposed as a cheat and a perjurer, Mark McGwire has taken the 5th amendment, Michael Vick has been accused of abusing animals and profiting from it, Kobe Bryant has settled a sexual assault case, Darrent Williams has been killed, Joe Cullen drove naked drunk through the streets, Vikings players had public orgies, Ken Caminiti overdosed, Terrell Owens pouts like five year old and attempts a $21 million suicide, Tank Johnson is packin heat and the band plays on until we just can't take it anymore. While it is understandable to see how Pacman has come by his mentality, it is just no longer acceptable.
MISSING THE POINT
As an American culture we have completely forgotten what sports are all about. The definable difference between sports and life in general is honor. Sports by definition is about competing against others based on the merits of your own ability to overcome your human imperfections and shortcomings in an honorable fashion to win a fair contest. When you remove honor, and replace it with cheating, and chemical alteration, and misdeeds, it's no longer "winning" and "sports", it's just cr@p, and at the end of the day, nobody will want to pay for cr@p. In short, without honor, you have accomplished nothing and in the end you will be nothing.
THE RECKONING
That is why Roger Goodell is making an example out of Pacman, and Michael Vick, and why Bud Selig should make an example of Bonds et al, and why Stern should have made an example of Kobe Bryant and will ultimately pull the plug on some of his charges. Whether we realize it or not, American sports are edging ever closer to brink of the slippery slope, we're drunk on the money, and that is a more deadly combination than Pacman, Tank, and OJ in a strip club brawl.
Once the initial surprise wore off that Michael Vick had been indicted for participating in dogfighting, we all started asking the same questions, searching for a reasonable answer to all of this mess. In our search for truth and enlightenment, the public conscience has been bombarded from every angle from the race card to the ridiculous. Hard questions have been posed to us that challenge the our core beliefs about animal rights. Dogfighting has been around quietly for thousands of years, why only now does it shake us to want strong action against the offenders? How is dogfighting different from the way we slaughter cows, pigs, and other farm animals for consumption? How is dogfighting different from hunting animals for sport, and furs?
The difference between slaughterous dogfighting and hunting is betrayal. Dogs and other domestic animals look to humans for comfort, food, shelter, healing and love. Wild animals have no such expectations. They hunt their own food, they seek their own shelter and in most cases shun human contact, and in short they depend on humans for nothing when it comes to survival. In most cases, hunters consume what they kill. They eat the meat, they use the furs and hides, etc., and they are not killed just for the sake of gambling. There are laws regulating hunting as well, and most hunters are about preserving game. Hunting prevents animal populations from becoming overcrowded. Dogfighting does none of these things. It's killing for money, and not one thing else. The debate will continue on this point from the uneducated, but the differences are truly striking.
The difference between dogfighting and killing animals for consumption is also definable as betrayal. Cows, pigs, and other food animals can be domesticated, but are not typically raised as pets, and thus seek no comfort from humans. They are killed as humanely as possible and their consumption serves a human purpose. Again, the debate will go on about this, but there is a difference. When you slaughter man's best friend for gambling, and nothing else, it serves no purpose and it is a betrayal of trust that exists between dogs and humans. How many dogs feed the hungry after the fight?
The difference between dogfighting before Michael Vick and after is betrayal. Vick has betrayed the public confidence. Here is a man who is admired by adults and idolized by children to the point that he is enshrined with ubelievable wealth for being able to run and throw a football. We are appalled that a man who means so much to so many people would stoop to this act of betrayal for money that doesn't even rival a days work in football. Clearly it was not about the "amount" because according to the indictment he was a mediocre dogfighter, but it was merely the principal of seeing dogs wasted for the high of gambling. To the public, it is senseless and unappealing because we cannot fathom that kind of betrayal. It is Michael Vick's celebrity and fortune that takes the senselessness of it to a whole new level of our public conscious.
And of course there is the "race card". The race card got played into this issue because of betrayal. Some have been betrayed by Vick's sinister secret. Some have been betrayed because the secret got out. Some feel betrayed because they enjoyed it. Some feel betrayed because they don't get it.
In the end, dogfighting will continue to occur, and people will still make money from it, and for the most part, we will turn a blind eye to it. The "lesson" will be that we as a society will no longer accept this behavior from our celebrities. There is now a limit on how far we'll turn the other cheek to their perverse hobbies. Whether or not Vick deserves jail time for his actions remains to be seen. Whether or not he deserves our support is a mute point by his denial of the overwhelming evidence. In the end, if guilt is proven, he deserves the punishment befitting the crime. In the same manner that we have been betrayed, and that the dogs have been betrayed, so too should we betray Mike Vick the forgiveness of his sins.
Watched the Dallas vs Seattle playoff matchup last evening where Tony Romo (QB) botched a hold on a point blank field goal that most probably would have given Dallas a victory on the road against the Seahawks. Romo actually failed twice on the play. First by fumbling the snap and second by not securing the first down when he picked up the fumble and tried to run for it. He was understandably stricken by the incident, realizing that his team for all intents and purposes had just been eliminated from the playoffs and a season's worth of work was now trickling down the drain with every second ticking off the clock with the Seahawks in possession. The forlorn Quarterback sat solemnly on the Cowboys bench searching for answers as his defensive teammates attempted to get him a shot at redemption. Getting a small percentage shot at redemption, Romo failed for a third time to set things right when his hail mary pass to Terrell Owens crashed to the turf with no time remaining. At the press conference, by his own accounting and by those of his coach and teammates, Romo would not be over this loss for quite some time, maybe ever. Even the most hardened Cowboy critics had to be somewhat moved by this set of events.
It wasn't until this morning reading the news that I realized someone should have taken Tony Romo and slapped him across the face and told him start acting like a man. Sorry Mr. Romo, I am not feeling your pain. Too harsh with that assessment? The Cowboys flew home to Dallas last night, their season lost and an opportunity for achievement squandered after a long day of disappointment. Meanwhile, across town in neighboring Fort Worth, the Denver Broncos were burying their teammate and friend Darrent Williams following a senseless shooting. I'd be willing to bet you that to a man the Broncos players would trade places with Romo and the Cowboys any day. Darrent Williams 7 year old son, Darius attending his father's funeral? Now that is loss. Tony Romo will come back next fall and experience the highs and lows of another prosperous NFL season, perhaps even winning a Super Bowl. Darius will face agonizing years of the absence of his hero, and will never again know the joy that an NFL game can bring without a constant reminder of his real loss.
At Williams' funeral, John #### was applauded for his statement "As a culture, as a country, we've got to start respecting life". With all due respect to Mr. ####, how can we as a society expect that to happen, when one of the ambassadors of the game of professional football, is seen sitting on the sidelines sobbing over a fumble, when there is a real tragedy being played out right across town? There is a world of difference between disappointment and tragedy, and between losing and loss. It's time Romo learned the difference.
Now that Vince Young has completed his rookie season in the NFL, let's review the status of the guy who supposedly couldn't hold Matt Leinart's jockstrap according to the Trojan nation.
Here are a few numbers that stick out from year one:
19 TD's and a rookie record 552 rushing yards and all without getting "injured".
Before being taught that Tom Brady is still the king of the mountain, the Vince won six straight...just missing the playoffs.
On November 26, Vince Young set an NFL record by erasing the largest 4th quarter deficit ever by a rookie. To prove it wasn't a fluke, he did it again the following week against the (10-1) Colts. To prove THAT wasn't a fluke, he pulled the hat trick by coming from behind against the Texans and again versus the Bills, for 4 consecutive come from behind victories.
To top it all off, he wins the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award over Leinart and Bush.
When you digest all of these amazing facts...remember the most important one of all. Vince Young should still be in college.
We could very well be witnessing the greatest football athlete of the last fifty years. Is Vince Young, the Michael Jordan of football? He is certainly well on his way! Somewhere out there Trojan fans are breaking down Cardinal game films trying to figure out how it all went down...
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM VINCE YOUNG TO ALL VY DETRACTORS:
The difference between dogfighting and killing animals for consumption is also definable 
as betrayal. Cows, pigs, and other food animals can be domesticated, but are not typically raised as pets, and thus seek no comfort from humans. They are killed as humanely as possible and their consumption serves a human purpose. Again, the debate will go on about this, but there is a difference. When you slaughter man's best friend for gambling, and nothing else, it serves no purpose and it is a betrayal of trust that exists between dogs and humans. 
The difference between dogfighting before Michael Vick and after is betrayal. Vick has betrayed the public confidence. Here is a man who is admired by adults and idolized by children to the point that he is enshrined with ubelievable wealth for being able to run and throw a football. We are appalled that a man who means so much to so many people would stoop to this act of betrayal for money that doesn't even rival a days work in football. Clearly it was not about the "amount" because according to the indictment he was a mediocre dogfighter, but it was merely the principal of seeing dogs wasted for the high of gambling. To the public, it is senseless and unappealing because we cannot fathom that kind of betrayal. It is Michael Vick's celebrity and fortune that takes the senselessness of it to a whole new level of our public conscious. 
betrayal. Some have been betrayed by Vick's sinister secret. Some have been betrayed because the secret got out. Some feel betrayed because they enjoyed it. Some feel betrayed because they don't get it. 
In the end, dogfighting will continue to occur, and people will still make money from it, and for the most part, we will turn a blind eye to it. The "lesson" will be that we as a society will no longer accept this behavior from our celebrities. There is now a limit on how far we'll turn the other cheek to their perverse hobbies. Whether or not Vick deserves jail time for his actions remains to be seen. Whether or not he deserves our support is a mute point by his denial of the overwhelming evidence. In the end, if guilt is admitted, he deserves the punishment befitting the crime. In the same manner that we have been betrayed, and that the dogs have been betrayed, so too should we betray Mike Vick the forgiveness of his sins. 
The difference between slaughterous dogfighting and hunting is betrayal. Dogs and other domestic animals look to humans for comfort, food, shelter, healing and love. Wild animals have no such expectations. They hunt their own food, they seek their own shelter and in most cases shun human contact, and in short they depend on humans for nothing when it comes to survival. In most cases, hunters consume what they kill. They eat the meat, they use the furs and hides, etc., and they are not killed just for the sake of gambling. There are laws regulating hunting as well, and most hunters are about preserving game. Hunting prevents animal populations from becoming overcrowded. Dogfighting does none of these things. It's killing for money, and not one thing else. The debate will continue on this point from the uneducated, but the differences are truly striking. 
charges issued today from the Fandom Bureau of Investigations (FBI) alleging the former number one pick has been committing fraud the past five seasons. The indictment details that Carr has been hiding his lack of definable NFL ability behind the ruse of an inconsistent and incompetent offensive line in order to defraud the Houston Texans in the neighborhood of $60 million. 
investigator notes that Carr was seen participating in another NFL enterprise for the Carolina Panthers this past weekend versus the Philadelphia Eagles and it was observed that Carr was guilty of happy feet, being the recipient of an ankle tackle sack, a batted down pass, a near interception and of course a trademark careless fumble in about a ten minute span. Investigators later learned that none of the Texans offensive linemen were even in Carolina on the day in question. In fact, the Texans linemen were engaged in their second consecutive game without surrendering a sack at the time of the Carolina fraud scheme according to a team spokesman. 
It was at that point that the Fan Jury was assembled in Houston and the facts presented. The star witness for the prosecution was former Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub. In two preseason games with this horrific offensive line, Schaub is 12-17 for 150 plus yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions, no sacks, and one hurry. Of the 5 incompletions Schaub had, two were actually intentional throw aways when the receivers failed to get open. 
indictment is filed later in the season with more serious charges. It was not clear at press time whether or not the Texans planned legal action against their former backup in starter's clothing, or whether the league itself planned to act on the Texans players behalf. What is certain is that David Carr will assuredly be the next NFL player looking to make a plea bargain if Jake Delhomme is unable to fulfill his duties. 
Prosecutors have just released this photo obtained by one of Carr's former associates. Notice the poor throwing form, the definitive happy feet and positioning of the yardlines (pass is lateral, not vertical), and the newly added gloves. Experts believe that in the wake of these gloves failure to keep Carr from fumbling that he may invoke the O.J. (If it doesn't fit you must acquit) Defense and place the blame squarely at the doorstep of Nike. Officials from Nike say that they were not even aware that Carr was still in the league, and were puzzled to learn that Carr was abusing their identity in this fashion. Fantasy football commissioners have suspended Carr indefinitely while the investigation continues. 
Twins?
with the vested interest in this case, don't get to see all the cards. If the case goes to trial, the prosecutors get to put all their cards on the table for the world to see and then we get to decide for ourselves if Michael Vick has been overzealously prosecuted, or if he is indeed a down and dirty bird (pun intended). By the same token, Michael Vick also has the opportunity to once and for all prove to everyone concerned that he in no way was associated with this operation and that he rightfully deserves his career back and his endorsement deals restored. 
