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Opinion: Disgraced Athletes Should Stop Playing The Kid Card
Filed under: Opinions
Quarterback Michael Vick is back in the NFL, where he played sparingly for the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Credit: Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images
This is a familiar trope for athletes who fall from grace -- working with kids. Because it's all about the children. After the pros screw up, at least.
Michael Vick, NFL quarterback, dog-fighting enthusiast and convicted felon, has a new reality show starting on BET this week. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Vick says he did the show, "because I felt that I can help save a lot of our kids by showing them what I went through. I want them to understand that you've got to start dreaming when you're young, but also you got to have a plan. You can't put yourself in vulnerable positions, you have to value every opportunity that you get in life."
Meaning what, exactly? That if you want to play professional football, getting caught running an illegal dog-fighting ring is a bad idea?
It's probably better for Vick to be around children than it is for him to be around dogs. But maybe he should stay away from both groups.
Former major league baseball player Mark McGwire recently admitted that he was using steroids when he hit 70 home runs in 1998.
When he testified before Congress in 2005, he admitted nothing, but he did say the following: "I appreciate the difficult job you have as congressmen and congresswomen and will use this opportunity to dedicate myself to this problem. I am directing my foundation to concentrate its efforts to educate children regarding dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. I am also offering to be spokesman for Major League Baseball and the Players Association to convince young athletes to avoid dangerous drugs of all sorts."
McGwire also has the Mark McGwire Foundation for Children, which, according to his Web site, is currently involved in the battle against bed wetting. (We're not touching that one.)
In 2009, Alex Rodriguez admitted that he had used steroids while playing professional baseball. Again, his first thought, once he got caught, was the children. In February 2009, A-Rod told ESPN's Peter Gammons that he was interested "in working with young children to help educate them about the dangers of steroid use," according to MLB.com. In the same interview, he also said, "I want to do things to influence children ... I have nine years to bring this message to children."
What message is that? That cheating doesn't work? Because in your case, Mr. Rod, it did. So what kind of "message" is that?
Rodriguez not only used steroids, but he also cheated on his wife (allegedly, but there were photos of A-Rod and a blonde that he wasn't married to). And before his dog-fighting conviction, Vick flipped the bird to fans when they upset him after a game.
But, please. By all means. Let's get these guys together with some kids.
This is not to say that Vick shouldn't be allowed to play professional football. The NFL has a number of players who committed serious crimes and came back to the league.
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis spent four months in prison on drug charges. His teammate, Ray Lewis, was arrested for murder along with two other men. Ray Lewis eventually plead guilty to obstruction of justice in exchange for testimony against the other men charged, receiving one year probation and a $250,000 fine from the NFL. (He also wasn't allowed to say "I'm going to Disney World" when he was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. Wah.) Both men played this past season.
Athletes who commit crimes are certainly entitled to attempt a comeback in professional sports.This is true of anyone who commits a crime and is punished, no matter what his or her profession may be. But why is the first thought "get me some kids to talk to?"
Over at the sports blog Deadspin, Tommy Craggs writes, "Do we really have to drag The Children into this again? Must every scary development in American life be filtered through the eyes of The Children?"
Personally, I don't think the steroid issue is nearly as big a deal as pundits make it out to be, and I agree that "OMG! What about The Children?" is thrown into the punditry mix far too often. But The Children are getting it from both sides. There are the tongue-clucking pundits who bemoan the effect that news of famous athletes messing up has on the youth of today. And then there are the athletes themselves, who immediately reach for the kids as soon as they get caught doing something they shouldn't be doing.
Basketball player Gilbert Arenas was suspended indefinitely by the NBA for bringing an illegal handgun into the Washington Wizards' locker room. In an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Arenas said that from now on he wants to "help guide children into brighter futures." (To be fair, Arenas does sound more contrite than other athletes who screwed up.) An article from the UPI had an inadvertently honest headline: "Suspended Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas said he will deliver a message of non-violence to young fans in an effort to rebuild his reputation."
This isn't about The Children. This is about The Athlete.
Is it wrong for athletes who screw up, no matter what the offense, to try and make amends by doing some good for the world? Of course not. But can't they think of something to do that doesn't involve kids?
When the A-Rod story broke, Michael Kruse of the St. Petersburg Times asked Little Leaguers about the news. One of the kids said, "If you take steroids, you'll become mean, and you'll disrespect your friends or something. I learned that from my dad."
From his dad. Not from A-Rod. Let the athletes play ball. We'll take care of the parenting.
Related: Anabolic Steroid Abuse
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ReaderComments (Page 5 of 9)
2-09-2010 @ 1:09AM
tom ball said...MIKE VICK is a filthy PIG . HE IS THE SCUM OF THE EARTH! IF i saw him lying in the street in dire need of assistance I WOULD SPIT ON HIM!!!!!
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2-07-2010 @ 10:50PM
pugz said...Vick's crime was to victimize totally innocent and defenseless animals. oh yes, we should all let our kids sleep over to his house. any parent who isn't brain-dead should really have a problem with a school that allows convicted felons to be around students anyway. but it happens because these spoiled self-centered cry-babies don't have to follow the rules like everyone else.
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2-07-2010 @ 10:55PM
holly3723 said...Vick is a piece of crap. That's all I have to say !!!!
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2-07-2010 @ 10:56PM
Jan said...I trust you were being sarcastic with your "know he's paid his debt..." This man will never be able to pay the debt he owes dogs. What he has participated in is horrible. The very thought of Michael Vick being around kids makes me sick. If the Eagles think they want to give him a chance they are welcome to him. At the same time they will certainly be forfeiting my attendance at any of their games, nor will I watch them on TV. "Everybody deserves a second chance" ??? Nope. They don't. We have learned that when people commit crimes horrid enough, giving them another chance only puts them in proximity to their next victim(s). He is, notice I say IS, an animal torturer and an egotistical "it's all about me" creep. Keep him away from kids and dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, parakeets, whatever. No one is safe around people like Vick.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:07PM
dakotaraec said...He will have paid his debt when he goes through what those dogs did. I hope to never have to look at his face again.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:01PM
james said...I agree he did some horrible things and he wants people to forget about it and think he is changed because he talks to some kids.
I am not buying it and I think most people aren't buying it. He looks like an idiot thinking he is tricking people.
There are players that choice to help kids out because they feel like it is the right thing to do. And guys like Vick give them a bad name.
I usually to point someone out like this but to Cindy you made this comment "The bottom line is that this man (Vick) is still powerful, rich and is STILL recognized as one of the greatest football players to ever wear a uniform. GET OVER IT! And the world does not like White people, sorry it's sooo true"
He is rich because the Eagles decided to give him a second chance and he hid money from the government so they won't take all of it. But to say he is powerful, questionable. Yes he makes a lot of money which gives him some power, but not enough to call him powerful. to say he is one of the best football players ever, most nfl fans won't agree with that one. he is a third string qb right now, he is simply there for trick plays, in the past he was able to complete passes because he is a running threat and able to run because he is a passing threat. but even with all that he completion percentage was below average, and nowadays most teams have a guy that can do the same exact thing he does, or do it even better. if you want great qbs that could run, look at steve young the guy is one of the few qbs to have a perfect game and he is one of the top running qbs of all time.
and finally, you say the world doesn't like white people, Yeah most of the world doesn't really like black people or any other race then their own. so that was pointless.
I have no problem with any race, i just don't like it when someone that gives opinions and tries to pass them off as fact, you end up looking stupid.
Reply
2-10-2010 @ 2:01PM
Gloria said...Forgive Michael Vicks??? I won't, but he hasn't asked me to. Will I be punished for not forgiving him? It's yet to be seen. He is a heartless, souless, boil on the ass of humanity. He wouldn't make a pimple on a REAL mans ass. I'll sleep just fine tonight. I know that as long as I don't do anything to Michael Vicks( which I'm not that kind of person) God has no agenda with me on this issue. I for give my trespassers as I ask to be forgiven. I will never have to ask to be forgiven for something as Henious as his transgressions. So I say to God, Let vengence be thine.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:05PM
pnc2129 said...Honestly there are far worse cromes than dogfighting so GET OVER IT!!!!! The man is playing football again and he deserves to after being made an example of for something that he should not have even gone to prison for.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:05PM
LarryB said...I grew up watching the NFL. I worked as a sports broadcaster for many years and covered quite a few NFL games. I bought tickets to many NFL games to attend as a fan. I was a die-hard.
I did not watch the Super Bowl tonight, nor did I watch any NFL games all season, and I am very unlikely to ever be enthused about the NFL again.
The reason? Two words- Michael Vick.
The NFL, and other sports organizations will bring in any piece of garbage as long as they can play their silly sport. That has been going on for a long time. But, hiring Vick took the Eagles and the NFL to a new low. The people who defend Vick sicken me as much or more than the low-life himself.
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2-08-2010 @ 1:40AM
Brenda said...Thank you! I couldn't agree more and I admire you for the stand you've made. It sickens me to think of the atrocities committed by Vick and his crew but the truth is, he isn't the first and he won't be the last. I suppose we should be thankful that his high profile case brought dogfighting directly into the public view. The issue isn't whether dogs are more valuable than humans, or who should be forgiving who, or whether Vick is sorry and it certainly isn't about G. Bush. Vick gets to go back to his old life because football is nothing but big business and until more of us, like you, get disgusted enough to boycott professional sports (not just football), we will continue to see criminals (and not just Vick). collecting our hard earned money and laughing all the way to the bank. The last time I checked, if I am convicted of a felony, I'll be lucky to be working at the local 7-11 for minimum wage. Why do we continue to reward these criminals for bad behavior? We need to take some guys off the bench and give THEM the chance of a lifetime to be role models for kids--maybe they won't screw it up. As much as I agree with all the Vick haters out there, we need to quit focusing on one act of cruelty to animals, as heinous and unforgivable as it was, and get to the root of the problem----GREED. You are on the right track--we all need to join you and send a loud, very expensive message to all professional sports organizations. We need to tell the next generation that there are serious, and permanent consequences for ILLEGAL behavior.
2-07-2010 @ 11:11PM
james said...I agree he did some horrible things and he wants people to forget about it and think he has changed because he talks to some kids.
I am not buying it and I think most people aren't buying it. He looks like an idiot thinking he is fooling anyone.
There are players that choice to help kids out because they feel like it is the right thing to do. And guys like Vick give them a bad name.
I usually don't like to point someone out but Cindy made this comment "The bottom line is that this man (Vick) is still powerful, rich and is STILL recognized as one of the greatest football players to ever wear a uniform. GET OVER IT! And the world does not like White people, sorry it's sooo true"
He is rich because the Eagles decided to give him a second chance and he hid money from the government so they won't take all of it. But to say he is powerful, questionable. Yes he makes a lot of money which gives him some power, but i wouldn't call him powerful. to say he is one of the best football players ever, i think most nfl fans won't agree with that one. right now he is a third string qb, he is simply there for trick plays, in the past he was able to complete passes because he is a running threat and able to run because he is a passing threat. but even with all that his completion percentage was below what most teams would want out of their qb, and nowadays most teams have a guy that can do the same exact thing he does, or do it even better. if you want great qbs that could run, look at steve young the guy is one of the few qbs to have a perfect game and he scored a lot of tds by running and he actually won a super bowl.
and finally, you say the world doesn't like white people, Yeah most people in the world doesn't really like black people or any other race then their own. so that was pointless.
I have no problem with any race, i just don't like it when someone tgives opinions and tries to pass them off as fact, you end up looking stupid.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:12PM
G said...I think Michael Vick has repented for his crimes. He has the backing of the Head of the U.S. Humane society backing him. I think that animal abuse is one of the worst crimes that someone could commit. I am an animal lover and sponser 2 cats at homeless animal shelters, but I feel Michael Vick is realy trying to make up for the horrid mistakes he made in the past. I guess only time will tell but he has my support. Good luck Michael and I pray that you mean what you say.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:15PM
What?! said...Michael Vick, according to the law, had paid his debt, period. Maybe you should go chasing the Chinese and other countries for EATING the dogs. Dogs are FOOD to them. Who are you to tell the world what they can and what they cannot? Screw you! You made me sick!
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2-07-2010 @ 11:50PM
Pat Lukes said...The difference between Michael Vick and the Chinese is that Vick lives here and the Chinese don't. Not to mention that Vick is a role model, or was... I would like to think that if Vick was not a football player, we would have made a big deal out of this also.
Don't defend Vick...he's not worth defending.
2-08-2010 @ 8:45AM
davis10oregon1 said...NOT ONE MENTION OF THE HORSE RACING . ( professional sport ) DID I READ ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL DOG TRACKS ? OH , MAY WE TALK FOR A FEW MINUTES ABOUT ANY CIRCUS . BUT A BETTER TOPIC FOR DISCUSSING IS THE ZOO . NOW THAT REALLY IS A VERY INTERESTING TOPIC . ESPECIALLY, THE TRAPPING OF SAID ANIMALS , THOSE CAGES , THE TRANSPORTATION OF THOSE FROM THEIR NATIVE HABITAT . THE LACK OF FREEDOM TO BECOME A SPECTACLE FOR THE HIGHEST FORM OF INTELLIGENCE ON THE GREAT PLANET " EARTH " . THIS CAN AND DOES GO MUCH DEEPER . HOWEVER, I WILL NOT BE THE ONE, TO INDULGE YOU FURTHER ON THIS SUBJECT MATTER . CLOSED , MINDS TEND TO REMAIN JUST THAT WAY .
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2-10-2010 @ 11:26AM
Michelle said...Yet AGAIN I say, davis10oregon1-- #104--this is not a discussion about the injustice of racehorses, greyhounds or circus animals, they have their own champions and rescue groups trying to save them.National Zoo's are among the best places for exotic animals to enter captive breeding programs when canned hunts,"ancient" medicine and claims of improved human performance or "miracle" cures calls for thousands of animals to die needlessly and threaten their very survival in the wild.And since you are so keen on animals' plights, you forgot to mention the guys parading around in bright costumes looking like they have a tampon stuck up their butt murdering bulls, and you failed to mention the sickness of humans who fight roosters where it is actually legal in LOUISIANA.So keep to the subject line,if you want to talk about greyhounds or canned hunts,google it, this article is about an NFL player that could have used his millions for good causes and chose the barbaric act of dog fighting.He would still be doing it if he hadn't been caught.
2-07-2010 @ 11:28PM
Angie D said...nickibeme 2-07-2010 @ 8:09PM
You people who JUDGE and JURY others.. Need a class or something in Hypocrisy.. You all.. And I mean ALL have done something WRONG
------------------YES, I HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG IN MY LIFE BUT AT LEAST I HAVE NEVER SUBJECTED A HELPLESS ANIMAL TO INHUMANE TREATMENT AND INJURY BEYOND BELIEF FOR MONETARY GAIN.Not once in his new show, which is just a money making scheme, has MV mentioned how bad he feels about subjecting innocent creatures to torture. Seems he is just mad he got caught. His family is depicted crying hysterically when he went to prison. I am sure they did not cry half as much about the pain those dogs were in. All they cared about was to be hangers on and getting their piece of the pie.
He is a disgrace to the human race. You can take a boy out of a ghetto but you cannot take the ghetto out of the boy. No redemption here in my eyes
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2-07-2010 @ 11:31PM
Tyrone V. Hoofendorfer said...Hey Brett (the author), you are an A$$!! I am not a Michael Vick fan AT ALL!!!! I'm also white and I love dogs. But not everyone is capable of living a perfect life, though you seem to suggest by inference that you have led one. Kudos to you, but why can't you at least give Vick a chance. He served time in prison for his crime. Does he need to keep on being punished. Let's see if he has grown. Let him at least TRY to do some good. See what he does. See how he does it BEFORE you tear him apart. Watch his show and THEN pass judgement, AS I'M SURE YOU WILL DO!!
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2-07-2010 @ 11:46PM
Stanley said...What a bunch of self righteous cretins. Michael Vick has as much a right to buy his way out of trouble as anyone else. Besides, this country has so many dogs that it has become a plague, and thousands of people are dropping off "one of the family" because they can't afford to feed them. You've heard of euthanasia. The Chinese eat their dogs, which is a better idea than making them part of the family. Michael Vick only killed dogs, while a lying, pretentious phony like Sarah Palin, with the help of a lot of so called good Americans, could cause untold human suffering with her ignorance and phony values. Go ahead and worry about dogs, but for God's sake don't worry about the one in four kids in this country who have no health care and don't get enough to eat. It is your fault.
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2-07-2010 @ 11:34PM
alabama334 said...u so stupid
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