Title This One: "And Sometimes She Blogs, Too"

So many of my convos involve sports these days, I am starting to believe that it's just a more enjoyable forum to do what I like to do most: analyze things. Here are a few things I've been talking about:

1. Kudos to those of you who correctly guessed - on the blog and off - Ray Allen, aka Jesus Shuttlesworth, as the "smart guy" in Saturday's Quickie. I wrote the Quickie after finally seeing his PSA with his wife and son who has diabetes about the JDRF, which I thought might help you all figure out who I was talking about, but what do I know. If you read the blog, you know that I don't often support "hype" but trust me when I say this guy is the real deal . . . and rare. First Kevin Garnett, then Ray Allen. Who's next?

2. Carlos Boozer just said he would like to be a Utah Jazz next season. HA. I will believe it when I see it. It's funny because people had him going to the Pistons when they seemed like a title contender but now that they've effectively blown themselves up, he probably feels he's a lot closer to winning in Utah than he is to winning one in Detroit. I can't say I blame him since he isn't getting any younger and the Pistons are at least a few years away from a championship . . . yet I'm not certain Jerry Sloan can get over the "always a bridesmaid" hump with Utah, but some people feel better about at least coming close even if they never win. Not me. When my team gets to the finals and loses repeatedly, it's bad for my blood pressure, and it just plain sucks. I don't know how Portland Trailblazers fans did it back in the day. If they just stink, then at least I know what I'm getting. I can't be alone in this . . .

3. Unless you're a sports writer/reporter, a prospective player (or a member of said prospective player's massive entourage . . . ) - basically, employed in some way by the NFL either indirectly or directly, the NFL draft is somewhat of a snooze fest. How anyone can retain interest in watching 240 guys get picked is beyond me. Most people I know don't watch past the first 10 to 15 picks, and only listen out for their own teams picks. I mean, there are so many people to choose from, let's just admit this is sort of a random crapshoot after the first round or so, eh? Or admit that the way the players in the later rounds are picked is based on some criteria like, say, "finished 2nd in the 40 behind the guy who tested positive for weed during the combine." And these late picks may well be the guys who mean the most to the team in the long run. I think any GM who continually makes successful picks in the draft deserves a bonus just for that.

4. Derrick Rose! Show them why you were #1! I'm happy to see him rising to the occasion in his first playoff series, especially after the way he and Memphis let the championship slip from their grasp in the '08 NCAA final. Perhaps that was just a freshman mistake . . . only time will tell.

5. They're still showing Michael Vick's rescued dogs in segments on national news shows. The one I just watched (no idea what channel it was) featured a woman who was taking her Vick rescued dog to a trainer to help with its behavioral problems. And while this is still ongoing, she's bringing the dog around her small children. The interviewer asked her about this and she indicated that she wasn't concerned because of all the love and attention the dog was now receiving. Well, here's an anecdote for her: Recently, I was running out the door and left some chicken out on my stove in an aluminum tray. When I returned home, I discovered that my small-ish dog somehow managed to jump up on the stove, knock the tray down, and eat all of the chicken and most of the aluminum foil that was underneath it . . . all of which she managed to expel over the course of the next twelve hours. This is only the second time this has happened in the time I've had her, the first being nearly four years ago when she and her partner in crime jacked a Christmas ham. The moral of the story is this: dogs will be dogs so watch your back. . . and at least wait for the dog to complete the training before you loose it on your kids. I'm certain she wouldn't have allowed it around her kids if we were talking about a human who was trained to only kill people . . .

To Tide You Over

No rest for the weary. Work hard, play hard, then work hard again. So little time, I can't even do a rundown. I'll try again tomorrow night, but I don't want to make promises that I can't keep. Something tells me my topic of choice will still be relevant any day of this season . . .

Instead, I thought I'd keep the smiles going into Tuesday . . . click here and here for past MYSM's. (Yes, one day, I'll make these into one label). Please watch Carl Lewis' rendition of the national anthem if you're in a bad mood. Studies have shown that it is impossible to feel down after multiple viewings.

So I'm adding Jerry Stackhouse's rendition, just to combat any idea that athletes must be tone deaf.



Or clickhere for my Michael Vick coverage since people seemed to like that. Not to mention he took up the most real estate on this blog over the past year or so. I must have missed this one, but it looks like he has been keeping up with his skills while he's away.

Hopefully, I'll be back in action tomorrow. . .

Running From City To City

So much excitement in the world of sports, just over the weekend. I wish I had another person to write for me, but thus far, it's just me (if you want to guest blog, let me know!) So that means not enough time to cover everything. My selection:

1. Exciting first weekend in the NFL. My brief observations: Brett Favre looks good in his new suit, eh? Did he really call them "New Yorkians"? As I told Novak Djokovic, I'm available for American culture lessons...Way to go Aaron Rodgers, even doing the "Lambeau Leap" like that other guy. Keep winning, they'll forget all about him...More and more the NFL seems like it stands for "Not For Long" with all of these significant injuries on day one, including Brady, Vince Young, Nate Burleson, at least 15 others. What gives?...What happened to the Colts?...The Philadelphia Eagles, and more specifically, Donovan McNabb, look very good...St. Louis looks...the same. And with the Lions performance, that makes two of them...Kudos, though, to Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan. Keep winning, they'll forget all about him...Happy to see Jay Cutler (with his Denver Broncos) doing well in his first regular season game since learning he has diabetes. Very much looking forward to seeing how the rest of this season shakes out, and I don't even have a fantasy team. Go figure.

2. U.S. Open wins by Roger Federer and Serena Williams. I love seeing people (around) my age still getting it done. Serena's final was much more interesting than Fed's, but the best matches were definitely played in their quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, respectively. Each got a "milli"* and a half for their efforts and regained their respective perch at the top of the rankings - Fed, of course, not having left that long ago. This is a huge deal for Serena though, hence the high racquet throw at the end of the match. Her win effectively silences all of the critics who said her and her sister weren't dedicated to the game. They don't need to do what everyone else does. They're really just that good. And so is that Oreo commercial featuring the Williams sisters vs. the Manning brothers (see video in right corner). I love the concept but must admit I'd prefer it was for something healthy like, PowerBar, rather than Double Stuf Oreos. Ah, well.

3. I am really curious to know what in the world Monta Ellis did to his ankle that would cause him to lie to the Golden State Warriors about its cause. He claimed he hurt it playing basketball, but then it was discovered that he tore his deltoid ligament and had multiple scrapes and scratches, "not typical of a basketball injury." I got scratched in basketball once and still have the scar on my arm to prove it, but yeah, he really should have made sure his story would check out better than this before he decided to lie. I don't know him, but I'll guess it's something silly that violates his contract like wheelies on an ATV or motorcycle, parachuting, extreme jump roping, bear-wrestling, etc. I'm kinda hoping it's one of the latter two and not any of the first three. The truth comes to the light eventually...

4. Marion Jones left prison. Sad. (Some of these news stories are a little harsh, don't you think? I don't see other admitted dopers getting treated this harshly.)

5. I saw an ad the other morning for a new show on National Geographic called Dogtown: Saving the Michael Vick Dogs. Normally, I would think this was a great idea...if it weren't the season premiere of the Dogtown series and if it didn't include his name in the title. It seems a bit exploitative, premiering not coincidentally within a day of the Atlanta Falcon's own season. Not that I expect much out of Hollywood these days, but I thought National Geographic was different. I guess I was wrong. Why can't we let sleeping dogs lie?





*If anyone caught the MTV VMA's last night (DVR is again my new best friend!), 'Lil Wayne has officially taken over James Brown spot as the hardest working man in showbiz. The Kid Rock set confirmed it. I think his pants are the same length as the sleeves of my coat, though - he's not even sagging, he actually has them cut to only come up to his hip. What next?

Some Good News

So much to do, so little time. If we could add about 4 or 5 hours to each day, that'd be perfect. Until then:

1. Michael Vick scored a legal victory. A federal judge known to be athlete-friendly overturned the arbitrator's decision that Vick had to return most of his signing bonus, finding that he only had to return about $3.75 million of the nearly $20 million he received. That's the first good news he's had in nearly a year. Hopefully they gave him an extra pudding cup or something to celebrate.

2. Bye bye, Bob Knight. I'm not 100% sure if this one will be official retirement or if he just quit at Texas Tech. He says he's done. And now son Pat Knight is taking over. Reports are that his team was a bit emotional. I'll let this marinate for a while and then give my ruminations later this week. " . . . but that would be an insult to Mickey Mouse." Ah, I'm going to miss him.

3. They're saying 97.5 million people watched the Super Bowl. That's enough for the most watched Super Bowl ever and the second most watched TV program ever. Ever. Wow. The media hype fuel is a powerful thing. Let's just hope the ads don't cost an arm, leg, and both ears next year because of these numbers. That's pretty amazing, though. And there were at least 50 people around each TV at the house where I watched the game, so that number may not be quite accurate.

4. Speaking of which, thoughts on the funniest commercial? Apparently, I missed Naomi Campbell and some lizards performing Thriller but it looked semi-humorous. My favorites were Shaq as a jockey, the guy with the spark plugs attached to his nipples, and the dog lapping up the Gatorade. The latter was mostly funny because everyone else was grossed out and trying to figure out what was going on, and that made me laugh. But maybe I'm weird.

5. It has been a pretty good year for the Cleveland Brown's Derek Anderson. First, he comes from the bench to start for the Browns and does a darn good job, leading them to 10-5 record, keeping media star Brady Quinn on the bench, and throwing 5 TD's in his first start and messing up my first week of fantasy football. And now, since Tom Brady is too beat up to attend the Pro Bowl (why go to Hawaii when you can go home to Brazil with Gisele?), Anderson will be replacing Brady at the Pro Bowl. Heck of a first season as a starter.

NFL = 'No Fun League'

The NFL sure knows how to put a damper on things. While most of the Atlanta Falcons organization has been trying to wash its hands of Michael Vick, a few of his fellow teammates decided to show their support:

Roddy White and four other Atlanta Falcons were fined by the NFL for
violating uniform regulations with tributes to Michael Vick during last week's
Monday night game.
. . .

After scoring a touchdown, White displayed a "Free Mike Vick" T-shirt
under his jersey.

He, along with tight end Alge Crumpler and cornerbacks
DeAngelo Hall and Chris Houston, were fined US$10,000 each. Crumpler, Hall and
Houston all wore black eye strips with written tributes to Vick, which the
league called "displaying an unauthorized personal message."

Wide receiver Joe Horn was fined $7,500 for pullig up White's jersey to show the black T-shirt with handwritten white lettering. . . .

Hall (pictured above), was also fined for the poster he's holding in the picture.

Roger Goodell will do anything to suck the fun out of football. A regular 'ol Debbie (or should that be Dougie) Downer. What's the point other than to keep people from expressing themselves in an already over-regulated business? If they can't express themselves on the field, when can they express themselves? These guys aren't seen much off of the field. You didn't see Goodell fining any Washington Redskins or Baltimore Ravens players when they wore a similar display following the death of Sean Taylor.

Of course not. That would have been horrible for PR. Well, just because it's popular to hate on Michael Vick doesn't mean that the rules should be applied differently on a case by case basis. That's what makes the rule of law legitimate - applying it the same way to everyone. When you start picking and choosing who gets punished and how, you lose credibility.

BUT we know the bottom line in the NFL is dollars and (not common) cents so the league will only care about losing credibility when it results in a similar decrease in the wallet. . . which, judging by how terrible teams can still sell out every home game, will not be anytime soon.

Not The Game It Was Billed To Be

Tonight's Monday Night Football game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints was supposed to feature two of the biggest stars in the game: Michael Vick and Reggie Bush.

Only it didn't quite turn out as planned.

Bush is injured and is out for the rest of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs, too, if the Saints make it that far. With a win over the Falcons Monday night, they put themselves in a better position to do just that.

Vick, as you all know by now, did not play this year and will not play for at least the next two seasons after being sentenced to 23 months in prison and 3 years probation for pleading guilty to federal charges related to dogfighting.

Several of the players and fans made tributes to Vick, wearing his number. One Falcons player, Rodney White, donned a hand-written "Free Mike Vick" shirt under his jersey. Interestingly, most of the fans, and all of the players supporting Vick appeared to be African-American.

Vick received his sentence of almost 2 years in prison because the federal court judge said that he had lied. Lying to the government - and then getting caught - is an offense worse than death when it comes to the feds. Guaranteed to get you on the higher end of the sentencing guidelines.

Here, the prosecutors asked for a 12-18 months sentence, and the federal guidelines said the judge should sentence Vick to 18 months to two years. The judge pretty much threw the book at him, with 23 months. The feds don't really do that whole "early release" thing but he could about a month reduction, added to the month he has already served, and the earliest he could expect to get out would be the summer of 2009.

He's also looking at state court charges, but hopefully he can serve that concurrently with his federal sentence so that he would still get the same summer 2009 release date.

Well, I won't repeat everything I said before about the Vick situation (click here for my previous posts on the matter), but it is sad to see him become another statistic. Sports pundits on ESPN are saying he'll never play another game for the Falcons, but that's not what Falcons owner Arthur Blank said during Monday night's telecast. He, like NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, said that he would weigh the situation when it came time to do so. Prior to the game, he said that Vick was out of the picture. For now, Vick's contract will likely be tolled until he is able to return to the team. Blank's in this business to make money as much as he is anything else. I'm sure having Michael Vick, hopefully a new Michael Vick who's trying to keep his head above water, will be a money-making venture for which most teams that need a boost would pay a lot of money. Basically, if the Falcons are still struggling, I

Leave it to a federal judge to mess up my prediction that he would be back next year. Tolling that time for his prison sentence, Vick will be back as soon as he is free to do so. He will be sent to a "Club Fed" somewhere presumably not too far away from home, where he'll be able to stay in pretty good shape, but more importantly, he'll be able to put some distance between himself and this situation. Club Fed is nothing like being free, but it's the best he could get while still being held behind bars.

The one thing that the judge who sentenced him (not coincidentally, a George W. Bush appointee) said that I agree with is that he let a lot of kids down who looked up to him. But beyond that, he also has a chance to be a role model for those who have hit their lowest points to turn it all around. Now that he has almost two years to think about things, I sincerely hope that his story ends as one of redemption and not one of lost potential.

I'm pulling for you, Mike Vick, and in time, so will your previous fans.

BREAKING NEWS: Vick Gets 23 Month-Sentence for Dogfighting

I just saw this on CNN. I knew when I saw the time his co-defendants got that it wasn't looking good. This seems a bit much given the sentencing guidelines.

More details to follow . . .

Rundown From the Run-down (aka RFTR)

I need sleep. So that means one thing . . . RFTR Time!

• How come I'm just hearing the name "Portland Jailblazers" for the first time when Doug Collins said it during the Miami/Portland game Thursday night? Must have been when i tuned out the NBA while I was in law school. The name is just wrong, but gets points for creativity. The Blazers infamously passed on Michael Jordan and instead drafted Sam Bowie. That's got to be as jail-worthy as anything the players did. Seeing Greg Oden watch the game from a floor seat makes me think they might need to be sentenced again in the near future.
  

• Speaking of sentencing, Barry Bonds makes his first court appearance on Friday. Monday is Michael Vick's sentencing. Barry should be sending Vick a thank you note right about now for the distraction.
  

• "Sources" are reporting that Jason Kidd sat out the New Jersey Nets' game against the New York Knicks to express his displeasure over contract negotiations, not a migraine as he said. Kidd says hogwash. "I would never abuse the game of basketball." Avoiding very obvious (and inappropriate, if you're in the Kidd family) jokes here, all I will say is that I'm glad to hear that.
  

• The Knicks are the most valuable NBA franchise, according to Forbes. This is the 3rd straight year that they have topped the list. And you wonder why James Dolan would rather build a team of good names instead of a team that's really good. They also have the most 1st round draft picks on their roster with 12. No comment. It's too easy.

• The Washington Redskins beat the Chicago Bears last night, in a game they needed if they want any chance of going to the playoffs. After attending their teammate Sean Taylor's funeral on Monday, I can't think of a better way to honor his memory than to come up with a win when it really counts.

• The Dallas Mavericks lost pretty badly to the Denver Nuggets last night. Allen Iverson didn't have 51 like in their loss the night before to the L.A. Lakers, but he did drop in 35. Way to be a team player, AI. And way to provide further proof that the Mavs are going to make the playoffs and that's about it.
  

Happy Friday!!

Living Like A Star

(The following post is long enough to be the only one for today. Your comments are welcome and encouraged.)

The death of Sean Taylor has been discussed at length over the past few days. They're saying that this looks like a random, failed burglary attempt, but I don't know if I believe that (and they could well be lying in order to make the culprit(s) get his/their guard down). The bottom line is that, regardless of who killed him and why, Taylor not only died senselessly, but he died trying to protect his family. I don't have to tell you that this is a very sad occurrence, for so many reasons.

I read an interesting article by Mike Wilbon in the Washington Post entitled Dying Young, Black, which discusses the implications of the Taylor situation.

Unfortunately, what happened to Taylor (the incident itself, not necessarily the end result) is not necessarily unique. If you've perused any of the Taylor stories by several prominent African-American sports writers, you may have seen the names of other athletes who have found themselves literally caught in the cross-fire, such as Eddy Curry, Antoine Walker, or Julius Hodge, Jerome McDougle, and even more recently, the death of Darrent Williams.

Williams' death occurred on New Year's Day 2007, when he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting following the birthday party of Denver Nuggets player Kenyon Martin. The shooting stemmed from an altercation that had occurred previously. Williams was not involved in the altercation but he is the only one who paid the ultimate price.

I found myself extremely saddened when that happened, and I hadn't even heard of him before he died. To me, it's always sad to see a young life snuffed out in an instant, particularly for something that is not nor could ever be as serious as death.

Now, some people may take issue with my discussion of race here, but I would ask those people how many white, professional athletes do they know who have been robbed at gunpoint, shot and/or killed, or are even going to jail for misdeeds? Not too many. Race is intertwined in the issue. I think we have to call a spade a spade here.

The truth is that young, rich, successful African-American athletes are a rare commodity in this society. Sure, we see them on TV everyday, but for every one of them who's in a professional league, there are millions of others who did not make it - of all races. Those who are jealous. Those who want nothing more than to bring that man down, and don't value themselves enough not to take from those who have more than them.

And it's not just about the tangible things that these athletes, the "stars," have, it's the having "it all" that these have-nots, the "dream snatchers," can't stand. The dream snatchers feel that they are somehow lesser just because these stars exist. The dream snatchers feel that because they aren't "in the league," and they don't "have it all," somewhere, deep down, they are entitled to literally take away these dreams.

In his article, Wilbon discusses what he wishes Taylor had done, and what I, in retrospect of course, wish Taylor had done, in light of the conflict between stars and dream snatchers: left his home behind.

A man's home is no doubt vitally important to him, and it is this import that is the subject of numerous quotes, adages, and the like. Where he comes from is the essence of who he is, and serves as a measure of what he has been through to get where he is today.

In the African-American community, though, staying true to one's home has a much deeper significance. It's important to "be real," to "keep it real." As the Notorious B.I.G. infamously once said, "I'm blowin' up like you thought I would, call the crib, same number, same hood. It's all good." The message is clear that it's important to remain true to your roots.

But like most things, this mentality also has its downside. I was discussing Dave Chappelle's sketch about "when keeping it real goes wrong" with a friend earlier today. I was saying that we all laughed when we saw it, but in actuality, it is both funny and sad because it's true.

Let me be clear that there is absolutely nothing wrong with showing love for your hometown. Some things (and people) are just better loved from afar. Just because you're from there doesn't necessarily mean you should stay there when you do "blow up."

Just as I was writing this, I was forwarded crowd favorite Jason Whitlock's view on this situation. Weeding through his journalistic grandstanding ("black KKK"), and putting aside his ultimate conclusion, the man's piece looks markedly similar to what I just wrote above (if I had published this already, I might accuse of him of reading my blog. Ha.) . He expands the concept to African-American men as a whole rather than just athletes, and I certainly agree. I think what I said applies to any "star" on any level, in any "league" that matters to the dream snatchers (usually, making money or the appearance of doing so).

But, I think everything happens for a reason, and the fact that he was a professional athlete will speak to others who identify with him, whereas other situations may not hit home as hard for the people who need to hear it. So, for example, while a number of people have been involved in nightclub shootings, when Pacman Jones got in trouble, those NFL players who were "partying" like he was definitely took notice.

And my concern is not so much with any "unsavory" characters that Taylor wouldn't leave behind (according to Whitlock) as it is with the fact that he remained in an unsafe situation.

According to one of his numerous former college teammates now in the NFL (but apparently also one of his closer friends) Antrel Rolle of the Arizona Cardinals, Taylor had been a target in Miami for many years, and he lived in fear.

Now, he undoubtedly had legitimate reasons why he did not want to leave Miami, and no one can say for sure what he or she would have done in the same situation. If what Rolle said is true, then hopefully this serves as a warning to others like Taylor that it is just not safe to live in the general population, around the people you've known all your life, when you "have" and others do not. This is not to suggest that he lived in a bad neighborhood, because he certainly did not, but he apparently lived in an "accessible" dwelling, and therein lies the problem.

The harsh reality is that if you become a "star," you must give up some things that the ordinary man or woman do not, including the use of ordinary means to protect yourself and the ones you love. As long as there are jealous people, then stars will have to behave like stars to some extent, and there is really no way to avoid it.

It is sad that you cannot just "keep it real" and live like a normal person, but it is even sadder when the dream snatchers accomplish what they set out to do.

Michael Vick, I hope you're watching. You still have a chance.

Rundown from the Run-Down

I've been a little under the weather, so here's a snippet of today's stories:

• The Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Boston Celtics their second loss of the season. The only two free throws that Ray Allen (88% FT shooter) missed came when the Celts were in a position to seal the game. LeBron James and Kevin Garnett exchanged some words near the end. You mean everyone doesn't love LeBron?

• Michael Vick is set to stand trial in April on state charges for dogfighting. A plea deal is expected to be reached, so no April circus. 12 more days until we find out how long he'll be in jail on the federal charges.
• Race car driver Helio Castroneves beat out Mel "Scary Spice" Brown for the Dancing with the Stars title. Floyd Mayweather was scheduled to dance during the finale but pulled out due to an anke injury. Right. He's just trying to get ready for that fight he joined the show to promote. December 8th. Pay-per-view. (Yes, the advertising did work.)

R.I.P. Sean Taylor.

Not Hard Out Here For A Pit

The Michael Vick story continues . . .

Now the feds want to take about a million bucks of Vick's assets and use it to take care of his dogs, including finding them new homes.

How many dogs is this again? 54? I don't spend more than $10-$15 every 2 or 3 weeks on my two dogs. How much could it possibly cost to care for a dog and find it a new home?

Leona Helmsley, as you may recall, left $12 million to her one dog for the duration of its life. A million bucks for the care and housing of Vick's pitbulls?

I know his dogs may have suffered, but I swear dogs nowadays really have it better than humans.

And in case anyone is interested in the jail where Vick will be held for the next few weeks until he is sent to an actual prison, an AP writer did a feature on his new digs. No weight-lifting, just running and playing basketball. But at least he gets traditional Thanksgiving dinner. That's all that really matters.

Vick Spending Thanksgiving With New Neighbors

Michael Vick turned himself in to federal authorities today, several weeks ahead of his December 10th sentencing date. If you really lived in a hole, a hole without TV or internet, or you just want a refresher on my take on the whole Vick saga, click here for the Pleats 'n Cleats series, including an exclusive eyewitness account from the Vick court room the day of his plea hearing.

By reporting ahead of the holidays, I would have to assume that this is a move to show the judge that he is repentant for what he has done, but more importantly (to him) to help him come back to the NFL by next year. If he gets sentenced to under a year then he could be ready for training camp next August. This time he is spending ahead of the sentencing date will count as time served toward any sentence that he receives. It's probably better that he's spending the holidays away from his friends and family. It might be just what he needs to distance himself from bad influences and get his life back on track.

His attorneys claim that he didn't report earlier because of another violation of his bond (like last time when he tested positive for weed smoking).

I think this is a good move. It shows that he understands that he'll probably get some time and that he's not going to try to stall and delay the process. It's best for all involved if he can put all of this behind him.

This could cut both ways, though. The district court judge is not dumb so she knows what his motives are, and may not be more lenient on him because of it. But on the other hand, with the spectacle it has brought to her Richmond courtroom, she may be pleased that he is not trying to drag out the process. Especially in a jurisdiction that prides itself on the speedy resolution of cases.

I'm still taking odds that he will be back by next season, even with any NFL suspension. Any takers?

'Cuz They Want It All . . . Or Nothing At All

In a move to clear more space under the NFL salary cap, the Atlanta Falcons scored a "victory" over their beaten down QB, Michael Vick. The Falcons asked arbitrator and law professor Stephen Burbank to order that Vick return to them over $20 million in signing bonuses received. Burbank obliged. The NFLPA, which represents Vick, is now appealing the case.

Two things here. First, the Falcons' argument

The Falcons argued that Vick, who pleaded guilty to federal charges for his role in a long-running dogfighting operation, knew he was in violation of the contract when he signed a $130 million deal in December 2004.

The team said he used proceeds from the contract to fund his illicit activities and sought the repayment of $19,970,000 in bonuses he was paid over the last three years.

And here is Burbank's ruling:

In a highly technical, nine-page ruling, Burbank said the Falcons were entitled to $3.75 million of the $7.5 million bonus that Vick was paid after signing the deal in 2004, $13.5 million of the $22.5 million in roster, reporting and playing bonuses he was paid in 2005 and 2006, and $2.72 million of the $7 million roster, reporting and playing bonus that he received this year.

So he pretty much gave them exactly what they asked for. I don't have the time to really analyze this like I would like, but I'd also like to track down the opinion if I can before I give my full comment. Suffice it to say that I think the arbitrator made the wrong decision based on what I've seen so far, particularly the part about the bonus applying to future services vs. money already earned. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the meantime.

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Designs A T-Shirt With Vick Hanging A Dog

So some frat boy at Texas Tech, Geoffrey Candia of Theta Chi, came up with (I think) quite the ingenious concept for a t-shirt. As you can see above, the front of the shirt has the words "VICK 'EM," a play on the Texas A&M Aggies slogan "Gig 'em." The back of the t-shirt bears the likeness of Michael Vick hanging the dog mascot of rival Texas A&M.

Apparently this t-shirt was deemed too shocking by Texas Tech, which not only banned him from selling the shirts, but also temporarily suspended his fraternity, which will now "face judicial review for allegedly violating the solicitation section of the students' code of conduct."

The school is saying the shirts were in poor taste and that he exercised poor judgment. Of course, the censorship/free speech people are out there, too.

Candia says he knew that he shouldn't have made the shirts (I think in order to keep his frat out of trouble). Candia posted this note yesterday on his Facebook page: "a little tshirt get aggies all worked up... its a t-shirt people!"

Says one commenter on ESPN.com calling himself (I'm going to assume this is a man) ttech06:

This is what's wrong with people these days. Because this shirt has to do with a dog, it's all the sudden tasteless and horribly crude. It's ok to print shirts that say "Tuck Fexas" (I saw these shirts at the UT-OU game too) but it has dog on the back so it must be horrible. You can say Book 'em horns making fun of the fact that UT has a bit of a run in with the law but there's a dog on the back so it must be classless. You can even post pictures with the longhorn upside down with a bullet hole in the head and say "bevo, its what's for dinner," but now all of the sudden its not ok to have michael vick with Revielle. You can have A&M people talk about how they want to saw off Bevo's horns and roast Bevo but when it comes to their own mascot and Michael Vick it's not okay. This is completely hypocritical.

The majority of the people who are for animal rights are generally the same people who are always referring to freedom of speech. Now there's a dog involved and it's "how could anyone say such a thing. This should be banned." But if they were saying something and it was banned it would be all about freedom of speech. This absolutely ridiculous. Candia was right when he said it's just a shirt.

I get what this guy is saying, but given all the heat Vick took and the fact that he not only fought dogs but killed them, I would have erred on the side of not printing this shirt. People love their dogs enough for this to be comparable to a picture of a woman being hung by, oh, I don't know, O.J. Simpson.

Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame, kid.

Vick Betta Have My Money!

So Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons want the money returned that they coughed up to Michael Vick. They had threatened it before but now they're really going for it. They don't trust their odds, so they have two actions going simultaneously, one with the NFL's non-injury grievance arbitrator for recovery of $22 million, and one at a hearing with the NFL's special master, an Ivy League professor, asking for $16 million.

Although I am only mildly familiar with these proceedings from a class I took in law school, I do know that this is one area where the "man" does not always prevail. After all, fights with leagues has led to everything from the creation of modern day free agency to salary cap exceptions. The league will argue that he didn't live up to his end of the bargain, while the NFL Players' Association, which represents the players in these matters, will argue that his bonus was already earned and may not be taken back. Catch the rest of the details here.

I understand that the Falcons want their money back, but in the real world, this just would not fly. Just by way of example, let's pretend that my job gives bonuses, that they gave it to me when I first started, and that they wanted it back if I did not stay employed there for, say, 15 months. No way they're getting that money back.

My motto is "If you give it to me because I earned it, consider it spent. And don't come back for it, either because it's gone." With legal fees and no paycheck, I'm guessing Vick could use every dollar he can get these days. But at least he lightened his payroll by no longer supporting those cousins who sold him out!

Pass the Dutchie To ANYONE But Him

Michael Vick was concerned that we would have no news on him until October 3, the date he is to be arraigned on the state court charges. But no fear Mikey, you have given us bloggers enough to keep talking through the weekend.

Today, after Vick tested positive for marijuana on September 13, the judge in Vick's federal case ordered him confined to his (Vick's) home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. He also has to be subjected to random drug tests, and if he fails again, he may end up in the pokey.

I've never done drugs nor do I in any way condone drug use, but I can see how this situation might make him feel the need to get high. Now, do I think his smoking weed has anything to do with his legal woes, though? Um, no comment.

I don' t know about you, but I think his punishment for failing the drug test is a pretty good deal. It's not like Vick's living in a one room efficiency or a trailer. If my home looked like Vick's probably does, I don't think I would mind being confined at night, either.

Although my hits quadruple every time Vick does something . . . or is accused of doing something, in all honesty, I really hope this is the last we hear from him before either of his arraignments.

No trees. No leaving.

(HA.)

Hit Me, DA ,One More Time

Today, a grand jury sitting in Surry County, Virginia indicted (i.e., found enough evidence to support a formal charge) Michael Vick with one count of "beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs" and one count of "engaging in or promoting dogfighting." While each is punishable for a maximum of five years, these are Class 6 felonies in Virginia, so the jury, or the court, may choose imprisonment for one to five years OR jail for up to 12 months and a fine of up to $2,500, either or both. Poindexter the DA (sounds like a rapper) in Surry County, had threatened at least 10 charges, but it seems the grand jury found only 2 charges supported by the evidence, declining to indict him on 8 other counts. One of his co-defendants was not so lucky, getting hit with four .

This ESPN article says that Vick's attorneys are challenging these charges on the grounds of double jeopardy. Unless I missed something, I thought there was no "double jeopardy" across jurisdictions. That would mean you can be charged with the same crime in two different state courts, or in federal and state court. It seems other lawyers have weighed in on this (click here and here for confirmed attorneys) and have all come to the same conclusion. These sites are placing the blame on Vick's attorneys for not working out a deal with the state beforehand once he pled guilty to the federal charges.

But back in Surry County, Virginia, Poindexter says that he can't wait to get rid of these cases. So he can keep trying Jethro for DUI's on tractors? Yeah, not buying it.

What I'm also not buying is the skepticism or should I say flat out denial that race has anything to do with this case, because I'm about to show you that it does.

Earlier today, CNN.com posted an article discussing Vick's indictment:

The grand jury is composed of six people, two black males, two black females and two white females.

That was all the article had to say about race. No mention was made of why this mattered or was worth mentioning. Now, here is a link to that same CNN article. As of the latest update, you will notice that this sentence appears nowhere in the update, nor is there any mention in the article whatsoever of race. But it was in there, and you can do a Google News search for the sentence if you don't believe me. You should hurry because that may disappear, too.

Even ESPN tried to couch the race issue in terms of questions posed to Poindexter:

In a written statement, Poindexter and Sheriff Harold Brown attempted to diffuse in advance any suggestion that race influenced the grand jury. Brown, Poindexter and the four defendants are black, as are four of the six grand jurors.

"These are serious charges, and we can assure you that this grand jury was not driven by racial prejudice, their affection or lack of affection for professional athletes, or the influence of animal rights activists and the attendant publicity," the statement said.

I read this very interesting article by Howard Bryant on how race is intertwined with the Vick case. He talks about how we accept difference in other facets of life, but we can't agree as a whole to accept that one's race makes a difference. He even includes quotes from letters that he has received over the course of the proceedings, which are interesting all by themselves because he takes heat from both sides, white and black. Please take the time to check it out for yourself, but here's an excerpt from the last two paragraphs:

When it happens again, when the next story hits us like a flash flood and we're asking, dumbfounded, how race again became so prominent, remember that Vick has already provided the answer: It always was. Go back to W.E.B. Du Bois and read the first paragraph: "The problem of the 20th Century is the problem of the color line, no longer in opportunities, perhaps, but certainly in thought."

Take the umbrella words -- equality, reality, justice -- and throw them in the trash. Umbrellas are useless, because here, it always rains sideways. One day, maybe we'll believe in truths that aren't our own. Start from a new place. Maybe then we'll have a fighting chance next time.

Of course, one glance at the comments following the article, and you can see that all of this went in one ear (or eye) and out the other. Speaking of comments, check out Montez's comments to my Vick post yesterday. I mean, seriously, is he lying?

Maybe you were like me and said the pledge of allegiance every day at school. If you did, I bet you, also like me, never really questioned what "with liberty and justice for all" meant. Maybe we should have, because evidently some people actually think that's true!

Virginia Taking Its Turn on the Punching Bag

It appears that Virginia's Surry County Commonwealth's prosecutor has decided today is the day to catapult his name into the national spotlight by seeking an indictment against . . . you guessed it, Michael Vick:

"Most of the matters that I'm presenting have already been admitted in sworn statements authored by the defendants in the federal proceedings," [Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G.] Poindexter said.

He couldn't detail the exact indictments he will pursue, but said the local investigation and the federal investigation largely focused on different crimes.

"The killing of dogs is one of those statutory prohibitions. Dogfighting is a crime, the mistreatment of animals is a crime, so you could take your pick, or take them all," Poindexter said before cutting the conversation short. "I don't have anything else to say about it. I'm through with it. Hopefully it's coming to an end."

When he says hopefully it's coming to an end, I am certain that he means the indictment process and not the circus that will be his rural county courthouse, which I'm also certain has seen its fair share of crimes involving animals . . . HA.

Let's just wait and see what the charges are. While I'm sure Poindexter (what a name) is salivating over the idea of putting a Vick conviction on his resume, I am interested to see how willing he is to put Vick's career on permanent hold. Especially since he was already angry at the Feds for moving in on this case before he was able to charge Vick under state law. When he appeared to be taking his sweet time, the Feds decided to go ahead with the federal charges, and here we are.

More than likely, there won't be a trial because of the admissions made in federal court, but there will be enough hearings with this Poindexter guy to feed the late night comedians for at least a week.

The saga continues . . .

UPDATE: Must Love Dogs? Nope, Don't Have To

So as it turns out, every dog may not actually get his day. Since the time of my previous post Pleats 'n Cleats: Trouble the Dog - $12 million . . . Flesh and blood - $0 , it turns out that everyone doesn't love Trouble.

Leona Helmsley's attempt to leave $12 million to the care of her dog, Trouble, may not succeed because Helmsley's brother doesn't want to care for the Trouble-maker. Not only that, but Helmsley's wish that Trouble be buried with her in her mausoleum probably won't be granted either. The cemetery where Helmsley is buried claims that state law forbids animal remains to be buried in human graveyards. Eh. This sounded fishy (no pun intended) but it seems to be true. Any guesses on the purpose of this law?


Helmsley chose to be buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Yes, that Sleepy Hollow (Not to be confused with this Sleepy Hollow, resting place of Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.). Look out for the graves of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horsemen - nothing better than a cemetery with a sense of humor. This may be one of the most disturbing websites, without meaning to be so, that I have ever seen, with quotes like this on the main page:

The original Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is an historical, yet active, cemetery. There are still burial lots available in this most hallowed ground. However, perhaps you are more curious about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

This is followed by a letter from Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. If I was more curious about the burial lots, I'm not sure I would be after seeing this. I guess everyone has to target their message to their audience. . .

While I am sure, or rather, I hope that Helmsley's brother would have taken her human offspring, I'm glad that he drew the line at taking her problem child dog. As much as I love my dogs, I would never make anyone care for the crazy one. And she's certainly not getting any part of my fortune (ha) or my family's mausoleum (double ha).

I think this is Mike Vick's first (and maybe only) point in the regular season.

Exclusive! Eyewitness Account from Vick's Courtroom Plea

Today, Mr. Michael Dwayne Vick finally entered his guilty plea. He also commented for the first time on his case. Someone said that he must have been reading my blog because he was saying all the things he needed to say if he ever wants to play in the NFL again. Watch the man apologize to the public and judge for yourself. My favorite part is at the end when all 900 reporters try to ask a question at the same time. Can't fault them for trying.

A good friend of mine in Richmond actually attended today's hearing in person. She said it so offhand, I thought she was joking. In the interest of protecting her anonymity, here is our redacted (and spellchecked) Google chat conversation about the Vick hearing:

Friend: i sat in on the plea hearing today
he looked so sad
me: you did?
Friend: i know it was crazy
me: i write about this on my blog
Friend: it was a typical plea hearing nothing exciting
he is set for sentencing on dec 10
me: ok, first off, that's not true
Friend: there were crowds lining the street though -- protesters and supporters
me: this is a spectacle
Friend: yeah but it was pretty much by the book in the court room
me: would you mind doing a short little paragraph
me: :-)
Friend: when he left the court people were chanting but we couldn't make out what they were saying
Friend: his mother, brother, girlfriend and other family members were there
the court was mostly filled with reports
reporters
i can say people were lined up as early as 7:20 when i got in to work today
me: how did he look?
Friend: hard to describe - first thing that comes to mind is that he looked like he gave up
sort of accepting the situation and making the best of it
at the end he did turn around and lay a comforting hand on the girlfriend who was crying -- sort of like it's ok
he also looked sort of ashamed
me: did he look near tears himself?
Friend: no
he looked like he was trying to put up a strong front but you could feel the disappointment and sadness - it was heavy
odd thing is that it seemed like no one in the court room cared but his family and one guy who came in his jersey -- don't know who he was but -- he walked by and told him to keep his head up
me: any teammates or friends around?
or people that looked like football players, etc
Friend: umm not that i could tell -- but the court room only allowed a limited number others watch on closed caption tv in an over flow room so there could have been
me: you were in the actual room or in the overflow room?
Friend: courtroom but gotta run talk to you later
me: ok
cool
thanks!
take care
Friend: everyone else was there to get the story

Orson Welles once said “We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone.” So even though millions of people have watched him on TV, hundreds have played against him, three friends turned c0-conspirators have apparently run a dogfighting ring with him, today, Michael Vick is all alone.

As my friend noted, he will be sentenced on December 10 (the same day the Falcons play the New Orleans Saints - I knew the connection was more than passing), and then the fiasco begins again. This Washington Post columnist says that he should never play in the NFL again. I say, as I said before, that the NFL will never go that far, and Vick has helped his case and been as remorseful as they need him to be to make it acceptable to let him play again. (Exhibit A: Falcons' President/GM Rich McKay's and owner Arthur Blank's statements earlier today about Vick). I expect to see him return just in time for fantasy football in the 2009 season (Jemele Hill says 2010, but I'm more "optimistic.").

To Vick, I hope that you meant what you said in court today. I am rooting for you now, even when it may not be popular to do so, because I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and I think you deserve a chance to redeem yourself and your name. And rest assured that if you don't start surrounding yourself with better people, you will be right back here all over again.

Alone.