and don’t come back
posted by TheDon
A local station is reporting that two-sport star Michael Vick is about to take a leave of absence. Nobody is sure if the leave will be paid or unpaid, or who forced the issue, but they are reporting it as a done deal. I have been predicting that Vick will never play for the Falcons again, and this is probably the first step towards kicking him off the team. The image of Vick throwing puppies to the ground as hard as he can to kill them has completed the fall from grace for this athlete who was embraced by the whole city 6 years ago.
He won’t be missed. This story, with the revelations about the extensive involvment of professional athletes and musicians in this vicious gutter sport, has made me rethink my attitude towards professional sports. I have been able to smother my concern over the upside-down societal priorities which make people who can throw and hit balls fabulously wealthy, but keep the people who teach our children in poverty. It’s the whole modern gladiator thing, where we cheer for our local heroes – I get that. But I think I’ve reached the tipping point. At least for now, I’m through with the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, etc. I’m sending them packing from my house, and asking them to not come back.
3 Comments.
thankyou
I wouldn't discount all athletes because of the actions of a few. The counterpoint of teachers was used. We've all seen the hyped stories about teachers molesting students. We don't discount all teachers. I agree that athletes are overpaid, but that's life. They're paid millions because they are able to garner TV contracts and sell out stadiums.
Personally, I think the hoopla over the salaries of professional athletes is a distraction from what should be a real issue – the salaries of CEO's.
I remember listening to an NPR story about a study comparing professional athletes to CEO's. There was one big difference between athletes and CEO's – At least a pro athlete's salary is a reflection of his performance. The same cannot be said of most CEO's.
That said, I hope Vick rots in prison. As a responsible Rottweiler owner, I can relate to the difficulties faced by responsible pit bull owners. People who take part in dog fighting are contributing to the image that pit bulls are all psychotic killers who should be exterminated.
I've known too many pit bulls to know how wrong that is.