Thursday, August 13, 2009

Perspective Does the Body Good

I have to sit back and laugh lately. I’m not quite sure (or at least in denial about) where our society is headed.

Recent stories in sports include Rick Pitino cheating on his wife (in a restaurant bathroom nonetheless) and teams not wanting to sign Michael Vick, fresh out of prison after a 2 year federal dog fighting sentence. Despite public opinion, Pitino will have an easier time keeping his job than Vick does getting a new one in the NFL.

Why is this? Not money…although the common and easy answer, not this time. Louisville boosters who pay Pitino’s salary will gladly pony up the cash as long as recruits keep coming, which is the only issue there. NFL owners see one of the most marketable athletes in the African American communities in Vick, as well as a former Pro-Bowler with 4.3 speed in Vick. They would love to have him.

No, no, let’s be honest, this comes down to 4 simple letters.

P-I-T-A.

Let me state for the record: I love animals, I could never hurt an animal, I can’t imagine myself hunting and I cried as I held my first dog dying in my arms when I was 12. That said, I realize it is only a dog. Wild animals tame enough to turn into pets. If porcupines weren’t so prickly then perhaps they would be pets too. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a difference between man and animal. Michael Vick violated the latter.

We are in a time when there is a murderer playing d-line for the Rams (Leonard Little) who missed no playing time and did no jail time. We have a future Hall of Famer in Ray Lewis who was tied to a murder in Atlanta who is revered.

What Vick did was horrible. He paid a higher price than anyone in the history of time will ever pay for such a crime I dare say. And now…he can’t get a job? Because of PITA?!!!

Get a grip. I’m not a big fan of the Vick family. Between Michael’s several bad moves and his younger brother Marcus getting kicked off Frank Beamer’s V-Tech team, I am not sure if they are the best people around. That said, I feel after 2 years of time in Federal Prison Michael deserves some slack, and the chance to prove himself.

Let’s all just take a step back, get some perspective of what has actually happened here (btw, Dante Stallworth just killed a person while drunk driving and never spent a day in jail) and give the man a chance.