Vick Vent

If I haven't said it before, I love football. Love it, Love it, LOOOVVE IT! But often, I am not a fan of, well, the fans of football. I am a Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers fan. Many people would say that I am not a "true fan." I play fantasy football and weekly root for Tony Gonzalez, Shawne Merriman, Peyton Manning, LT, basically you get my drift.

So this week, while watching the weekly Favre watch updates on my favorite shows (NFL Total Access, Sportscenter, the usual), they managed to momentarily stop fawning over Favre to follow, I mean, literally follow, another "superstar" Michael Vick. From the Levenworth to Hampton, VA, they had the over 1100 miles covered. I would not have been surprised if they had surveillance at the local gas stations. "The dirty bird just left the Circle K; I repeat, The dirty bird just left the Circle K." Well, I guess "superstar" is the wrong word considering the man has not stepped foot on a playing field in two years. Now, he's out of jail and waiting to find out his NFL fate. Personally, I never really liked Michael Vick. Whether it was the "water bottle" incident at the airport or flipping the bird to the fans who paid money to boo him, I just never really took to the guy. Besides, I hadn't really cared about the Falcons since Deion left town. (SIDEBAR: I will be watching the Falcons this year thanks to Mr. Tony Gonzalez.)

Anyway, I digress. Back to Vick, as I was saying, I never really liked the guy. Then, there was the dog fighting business, and I really, REALLY did not like the guy. I thought he got exactly what he deserved. To find out the manner in which he was killing and fighting dogs was a disgusting and despicable act. That said, when did this country start equating the life of a dog with that of a human being? I guess I have never understood the whole "my dog is a part of the family bit." Maybe it was because all of my puppies and kittens met tragic deaths. (I lived in the country. Country road, kitties, cars, you get the idea). Maybe it was the adult onset allergies that bring about hives and sneezes. I don't really know. I just don't get it.

I saw a rescue video on MSNBC a few weeks ago. A yacht was sinking, and the rescuer was trying to save this woman's life. Keep in mind the everyone involved was at risk. He reaches for the woman, and she hands him-her dog. Her dog. Yeah, dude was surprised, too. He had to inform her that they take the humans first, and if able the animals. Really, lady?!?

Last Christmas, several of my students collected donations of toys, candy, school supplies, and toiletries for underpriviledged children, you know, children that have no clothes, shoes, home, food. We wrapped indivual boxes for the children and raised the money to mail the packages overseas. The local newspaper thought it would be a good idea to write a story about what these students were doing. I thought how cool that these high schoolers were taking time to give back to others who were less fortunate than themselves. I thought others would feel the same. Wrong!! You should have read some of the Negative Comments. That's right, negative comments, because we could have spent that money here at the Humane Society. I did not stutter. The HUMANE SOCIETY deserved the money more according to several of the comments. Really!?! My students were bashed because we did not donate to the Humane society. Ponder that for a moment.

Back to Vick, as I said, I don't like Vick, but the guy has been punished. Let it go. Let it go. There are people who have murdered people that have served less time. I watched a documentary just last week where a woman served 57 days for murdering her boyfriend. Leonard Little recieved 90 days for killing a woman while he was driving drunk (Little was caught a few years later for DUI again; I guess that 90 days taught him., and Donte Stallworth may get off or a reduced charge in his DUI "accident." By the way, Donte's defense-it was the victim's fault for jaywalking. Both of them are still allowed to play; I don't have time to list all of the others who have committed other acts against their wives, children, and fans. Where are your picket signs? Why weren't the people protesting the Cleveland Browns practices? Why aren't people threatening to boycott the Browns games for reasons other than the fact that they stink and give their players staph infections?

Is a human life not worth more?

I personally don't believe he should play this year. Not for the reasons you may think. Vick has managed to throw away a life that many of us would love to have and would do anything to protect, probably because he wanted to keep his street cred. He lost two years of his life in prison. One of his children is 19 months old, does this child even know him? He went from $130 million dollar contract and all kinds of Nike spokesman dollars to a $10.00 an hour construction job. He should try to get his life together and reflect upon those guys he called friends (who, by the way, spent much less time in jail than he did) rather than thinking about football. After that, if a team wants him, give the dude a uniform. After all, it's not the National Choir Boy League; it's the National Football league. It's a game that celebrates violence (which is why I watch it rather than tennis). You can't tell me that it would not be punishment for an NFL "star" to ride the pine hoping to get into game.

Last time I checked, this is America, and everyone deserves a second chance. Hopefully, Vick can get his life straight. Learn from your mistakes, and avoid Pookie and Jo-Jo, those losers are trying to pull you down, too. Remember, if you lie down with dogs, you get fleas. Bad analogy, my bad. I apologize. And for everyone else, save this stuff for murderers and child molesters, the real scum of the earth. I believe that a society is measured on how it treats its animals, and I am thoroughly disgusted by people who treat animals cruelly. I just have a difficult time equating an animal with a human life. If you think he should be banned, be prepared to ban the ones who have broken all laws, beaten a child or wife, or killed a person. Those are more egregious if you ask me. That's my dish.