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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Vick’s apologists just want to see him play
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
He is a convicted felon who confessed and copped a plea, but they couldn’t care less. Dogfighting in the state of Virginia is illegal, but they couldn’t care less. He also was nailed by the feds for illegal gambling, but they couldn’t care less.
Not only that, his self-inflicted woes continue to mount, and include a lawsuit that claims he defaulted on a $2.5 million loan and a positive test for marijuana within days after his plea deal.
They couldn’t care less.
The same goes for how silly they sound by saying the media is picking on somebody who admits his guilt and keeps getting in trouble. The same goes for how even sillier they sound by ignoring the fact that their allegedly persecuted hero did get a second chance in his NFL life (the water-bottle thing). And a third one (the stolen-watch thing), and a fourth one (the-flipping-off-the-hometown-fans thing), and a fifth one (the stiffing of the U.S. congressmen in Washington thing), and a sixth one (the Ron Mexico thing).
So, after several hundred folks on Tuesday night represented many among the “they” by embarrassing themselves and an entire city on national television with senseless booing and hissing during what was supposed to be a civil debate, they couldn’t care less.
This is beyond disgusting, and it needs to stop. Those nationally and locally who keep suggesting that Michael Vick has become a martyr around Atlanta because of the city’s legendary ties to the civil-rights movement are spitting on the graves of Martin, Malcolm, Sojourner, Rosa, W.E.B., Booker T and Frederick.
Contrary to the belief of many, this isn’t that complicated. When it comes to the slew of Vick apologists who continue to suggest they are engaged in a righteous cause, something was clear from the start. It became even more so Tuesday night as I sat as a primary target on stage at the Georgia World Congress Center, where I was a panelist (and bull’s-eye) during ESPN’s live town-hall meeting on reaction to the suspended Falcons quarterback.
Here’s what’s clearer: As a whole, the fanatical support that Vick gets from his apologists has little to do with their belief that this is another African-American victim of a biased judicial system. They just want him to play. Not for Vick’s sake, but for their sake. In other words, Vick apologists are perpetrating a fraud with their selfishness, and many of them don’t even know it.
They are angry they can’t see Vick zigzagging anymore through defenses. They are angry they can’t see Vick reaching the end zone anymore after becoming a Flying Wallenda near a pylon. They are angry they can’t see goosebumps rising on their arms anymore with just the thought of Vick sauntering from the huddle.
Mostly, they are angry they can see the Falcons going from extraordinary with Vick to less than ordinary without him.
There was the aftermath of that town-hall meeting, for instance, when a middle-aged man approached me with a pained look. He said he was upset that I kept “attacking” Vick, and that Mayor Shirley Franklin wasn’t at the town-hall meeting, because, “People just don’t want to give Michael Vick credit for doing so much for Atlanta.”
For instance? “He’s the reason we’ve been on ‘Monday Night Football’, ” said the man, with others in the vicinity nodding after his every word. “We never would have been on Thanksgiving Day without Michael Vick. He’s just done so much, and ya’ll just won’t give the young man credit for that. Ya’ll just want to keep tearing him down, because he’s Michael Vick.”
Let’s see: celebrity. That’s why Vick apologists say their guy is being persecuted by the feds, reporters, the NFL, his estranged father, animal-rights people, his boys from Bad Newz Kennels and anybody else they can name. Well, celebrity also is the reason Vick apologists are hugging their guy so tightly.
Right? Uh-huh.
Permalink | Comments (296) | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Terence Moore
Braves need to keep Andruw
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Bring back Andruw.
For one, as Braves manager Bobby Cox likes to say about the historically streaking Andruw Jones at the plate, “He has RBIs in his glove.”
For another, Jones remains on a distant but steady march toward Cooperstown. Even though he is barely 30, he already is a seasoned veteran in his 11th year. He has spent 10 consecutive seasons with 25 home runs or more, and he is on the verge of a 10th Gold Glove.
Everything else is secondary. The high strikeout totals. The low batting average. His struggles with runners in scoring position.
The Braves have a powerful enough lineup to compensate for most of Jones’ weaknesses. Not only that, who’s to say he won’t dramatically reverse his nearly two-year hitting spiral next year?
Jones could. If he doesn’t, the Braves still would have the guy who helped put the “Cy” in John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.
Permalink | Comments (93) | Categories: Quick Hit
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