Not that we didn't see this coming months ago, but Atlanta Falcons QB Mike Vick is probably headed to the pokey after the Feds finally put together a thorough enough case to indict him. For those unaware, Vick has been under investigation for some time now over allegations that his Virginia home has been used to breed and host dogfights. Charges of sponsoring a dog in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy as part of another felony are just the latest off field problems for Vick, who has found trouble at every turn since joining the NFL.
Among his other notable scrapes with Johnny Law/dumb ass antics (courtesy of Wikipedia):
* In March 2005 a woman named Sonya Elliott filed a civil lawsuit against Vick alleging she contracted genital herpes from Vick and that he failed to inform her that he had the disease.[11] Elliot further alleged that Vick had visited clinics under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and thus he knew of his condition.Vick is the real life version of Can't Get Right, the duddering mute boxer played by Bokeem Woodbine (as good a character actor as you'll find in the world of straight to DVD cinema) in the Murphy/Martin movie Life. He clearly has zero common sense. He is only famous because he can run when chased, and occasionally throw the ball (usually to the other team). He is, for lack of a better term, a nigga. Period.
* On January 17, 2007 Vick surrendered a water bottle to security at Miami International Airport. Due to Vick's reluctance to leave the bottle behind, it was later retrieved from a trash receptacle. The bottle was found to have a hidden compartment that contained "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana," a Miami police report said. "The compartment was hidden by the bottle's label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright," police said.
* After a Falcons loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome on November 26, 2006 Vick made an obscene gesture at Atlanta fans, holding up two middle fingers.
* On April 24, 2007, Vick was scheduled to lobby on Capitol Hill, hoping to persuade lawmakers to increase funding for after-school programs. Vick missed a connecting flight in Atlanta on Monday and failed to show for his Tuesday morning appearance.
The question is, why do we as a society expect more of Vick, or his brothers from another mother, ignorant morons like Chris Henry, Tank Johnson, and Adam "Pacman" Jones (whose Wiki entry is an entertaining read for anyone unfamiliar)? They were niggas before they got famous. They are now, simply niggas with money. Why would you expect anything other than the sort of behavior these idiots display on the regular?
Getting a huge contract to play a childrens' sport does not automatically turn one into Colin Powell. Folks like to talk about the benefits of college, but seriously, none of these cats are getting even the basic college experience. NCAA D-I football players are little more than unpaid professional athletes. The time and travel demands of the sport don't allow for pursuit of any degree other than Physical Education or Sports Management (riiight). Many colleges don't even graduate a single basketball player over many years (University of Cincinnati for example). College sports are a sham, and until the NCAA is able to stop fakin' and start paying these guys, it will continue to be. So please, miss me with that "they're better off staying in college" B.S.
Despite everyone's better wishes, Vick and company are not and should not be expected to be role models. Reality is, if your kids are emulating any of Mike Vick's behaviors other than those he performs behind the line of scrimmage, you're failing as a parent. Period. Either kill yourself now, or start saving up for bail money. To hell with a 529. And yes, I know, some kids don't have parents. Let's keep it real though: those kids are gonna end up screwed either way. Pacman Jones makin' it rain $81,000 isn't gonna make any difference in that outcome one way or another.
What's my point? Stop expecting anything more of these guys than 1,500 yards a season and 17 TD's. Anything more is just unrealistic.
