CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Vick should go to court so that Mr. Vick can help us "understand."
Im hoping Vick calls all of his high-priced attorneys into a huddle and decides to fight the charges. Vick is innocent until proven guilty. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. But if he really did bankroll a dogfighting operation on his property, he deserves to sit in court while the world hears every last detail of this ghastly and despicable enterprise.
I say this with some trepidation, at the risk of being branded a racist. Last week, a Southern newspaper editor, a friend I know and respect, asked if I was going to write about Vick. He told me not to pile on Vick, like all the other white sports columnists.
Its only dogs, he said. Then he pointed out that there are countless old white guys around the country who do the same thing. They watch dogs rip each other to pieces in the name of gambling and entertainment. Its not just Vick.
Thats the sad truth. Dogfighting is a rising scourge in America. Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a blog that there are thousands of dogfighting enthusiasts in the country. Pacelle said the Vick case has raised awareness of the issue.
For the sake of all those poor, helpless dogs, thats a good thing. If the feds believe a $130 million NFL player can be a useful symbol in the battle against animal abuse, who can blame them? Certainly not anyone who ever showed affection for a pet or felt genuine love in return.
Just boys being boys, right? Im told dogfighting is hot in the rap music culture. Supposedly, Vick thought it was cool and honorable, an accepted pastime in his circle. Deion Sanders wrote a column in a Florida paper, explaining that Vick had a passion for dogfighting. Sanders said he knows many athletes who share that passion.
So what Im hearing is that dogfighting is popular among a segment of young black men. And because Im holding Vick up as an example instead of white men Im an insensitive racist out of touch with young urban culture.
Look, I know theres racism in this country. Sometimes, it seems weve gone backward since Martin Luther King. I hear the strains of bigotry in some white sports fans voices when they talk about black sports stars. Ive been in bars when people looked around to make sure everyone was white before telling some racist joke.
But Im a sportswriter. A lot of the players I cover and criticize are black. I try to be fair. I know some black athletes (Bruce Smith, for one) feel white media dont treat them fairly. Willis McGahee probably felt white reporters didnt understand that Buffalo is not the most happening party place for a young black man.
That didnt make McGahee any less a goofball in my eyes. Im not going to stop calling out athletes when its warranted. Right is right, and dogfighting is a felony in 48 states. Its inhumane. If Vick bankrolled the operation, he should go to jail and be banned from the NFL for life.
If Vick is being singled out, so be it. Black or white, we ought to do a better job of choosing our heroes. Give him his day in court. Id like to understand how torturing and killing helpless dogs allows you to feel like a big man.