EURweb |
THE SAGA CONTINUES: Michael Vick, A Legend Before his Fall
Dogfighting is what Vick is accused of; his inability to grow beyond the ghetto is his true crime.
From the mythical John Henry making his hammer sing, to the great Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color line with a mighty bat swing.
From the gazelle-like strides of Althea Gibson on the tennis court to the great Walter Payton, whose genuine kindness transcended the sport.
Looking to the past and finding African American athletes with great character is as easy as looking into the night sky and finding stars. There were also those whose acumen for activism and outspokenness caused many fans to shy away from them. Muhammad Ali is primary amongst them.
Everyone makes mistakes. To do so is as human as standing upright. There have been those athletes that have fallen from grace only to resurface as a more dynamic, wiser individual. Sugar Ray Leonard and his cocaine addiction come to mind here. Though athletes are our modern day Hercules, with the ability to run faster, jump higher and lift more than mere mortals, recent developments have shown that these persons are all too human. Recent mistakes made by high profile athletes have littered the headlines at a seemingly accelerated rate.
As African Americans it is imperative for all of us to be aware of our dualistic nature. Our genetic origins find themselves on the continent of Africa while our cultural base is definitively American. We have combined the two to create a cultural soup that is both the envy and bane of the world. That combined "love-hate" phenomenon appears to cause some emotional resistance in the hearts of some African Americans. It is in these situations that morality is skewed. In many places morality is a luxury that, if exercised too freely, could lead to one's demise. This causes some African Americans to live in environments of constant social rebelliousness, no matter the economic status of the family in which they were born. But this is especially the case for those that were born below the poverty line. In such instances, breaking the law and "getting over" on the establishment is something that is accepted and often expected.
Everything from school truancy, to minor shoplifting and underage drinking are deemed acceptable behavior in locations in which rebelliousness is the norm. Those that do not partake in these tasks are deemed unworthy of the moral support of others in his or her community. In essence, they are considered "not down."
And who doesn't want to be "down?" Who doesn't want to feel as though they are loved by those in their community? When it comes to athletes, that phenomenon is far more prevalent. Rare is the star athlete who isn't looked upon as the cool guy. Rare is the athlete who does not feel as though he needs to behave in a certain manner. Rarer still is the athlete who is not pressured to 'lookout for a brother' once he hits the big time.
On Monday former NFL superstar Michael Vick plead guilty to charges stemming from his involvement in a dogfighting ring. The NFL world seemed shocked and appalled. How could an NFL superstar risk tens of millions of dollars by associating himself with such a thing? It's not as if Michael Vick needed the money. It is a cultural thing and culture based habits are more difficult to relinquish than drug addiction. Dogfighting has long been a part of the "lifestyle" of street hustlers and tough guys. I have witnessed more than one dogfight.
It is a gut-wrenching, horrifying adrenaline rush. Of the fights I have witnessed in my youth, none have resulted in the death of either of the combatants at the hands of a handler or by the jaws of one another. I am certain that had I witnessed either it would have been a deplorable affair.
In the case of Michael Vick it would appear as though he was involved in the aforementioned activity for quite sometime and perhaps it predates his collegiate days at Virginia Tech. Born into a poor family in a Virginia housing project, Vick undoubtedly learned of dogfighting there. Michael Boddie, father of Michael Vick, recently told the Newport News Times that his son was keeping fighting dogs at his home in 2001. He said he disapproved, but the younger Vick would not listen. The elder Vick says he felt obligated to nurse the dogs back to health.
Another portion of the "How To Kill Your Career" enigma that is Michael Vick is the tagalong homeboys from the hood. In fact, if it were not for his so-called friends the public would have never been aware of the dog remains in Vick's closet. The reason why law enforcement officials were initially drawn to the location was because of suspected drug activity and, as is often the case in dogfighting, they stumbled over the paraphernalia. Because of Michael Vick's insistence upon holding on to a violent subculture and his allegiance to bloodsucking friends, he has cost himself a king's ransom in money, a almost certain place in the Football Hall Of Fame and at least one year of freedom. How sad that he, in dancing between a love for capitalism and a poverty-based rebellious mindset, has doomed himself. Even the most elusive quarterback in NFL history can not escape his fate.
Up until Michael Vick's unfortunate situation, Tennessee Titans' cornerback Adam "Pac Man" Jones was the poster child for all that is wrong in the NFL. Unlike Vick, Pac Man wore his disdain for the establishment like a badge of honor. He appears to enjoy the notoriety of being a knucklehead more than he enjoys being a pro athlete. But this is nothing new. His deplorable behavior dates back to his dates at West Virginia University. As of the time of this column, Adam Jones has been arrested 5 times. Felony assault, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession are only the tip of the iceberg. That's not even mentioning his particularly soft habit of allegedly spitting on and hitting women. Police have also learned, through the wire-tapping of a Jones associate, that he has admitted to betting on college football games to earn quick money while in college.
Again, a black athlete exercising rebelliousness for no apparent reason.
By displaying rebellious behavior in this manner Michael Vick and Pac Man Jones have, in essence, rebelled against themselves and the status they have worked so hard to obtain. It is only a matter of time before Jones finds himself in a jail cell as well. His entourage is full of social pariah the lowest of which is convicted drug dealer Darryl Moore. When interviewed by Bryant Gumbel for HBO's "Real Sports" Jones said he did not know Moore was a drug dealer and felt shocked and betrayed. The lie was so feeble that it was laughable. He is yet another example of an athlete who was raised in an environment of rebelliousness and violence. Despite reaching the pinnacle of financial freedom, he is risking his physical freedom by not being able to let go of rebel thoughts. But once a person rises from poverty and reaches a certain level of prominence, to rebel against the status quo is to rebel against self. This is exactly what Jones, Vick, et. al. are accomplishing with their behavior. Why rage against the machine? At 10 million a year you are now a big part of the machine!
To say that only African American athletes from impoverished backgrounds are the only individuals to fall victim to their own behavior due to some heretofore undiagnosed mental condition that causes individuals to self-destruct is a great misnomer. Football's Paul "Golden Boy" Hornung was once suspended for a entire season back in the 60s for gambling. Up until the suspension of Jones, Hornung's suspension was the longest in NFL history. Unlike the situations involving Jones and Vick, in Hornung's case there was never any jail time looming.
It is puzzling how some of the richest and most recognized faces in the African American community could throw away their livelihoods over lack of self-control. That is truly what both of these situations are marked with. In Vick's case it is obvious that he enjoyed fighting dogs and had enjoyed it for a long period of time, but you mean to tell me he couldn't find something legal to quench his obvious blood lust? Pac Man Jones refuses to stay away from strip clubs. It appears as though he feels more at home in deviant environments and with deviant individuals. "Oh, but he grew up rough," says his supporters. I am so sick and tired of hearing that excuse that it is not even funny. I, and millions if not billions of people the world over, have survived hardcore environments, but those situations made us all want something more. In truth, there have always been people that are still back in the hood that I have thought about and wished I could save. But if Jones' and Vick are to serve as examples, this way of thinking is crippling to the person being helped, and destructive to the helper. Especially if that person wants help in changing his geographic location without changing his or her own way of thinking.
The list goes on and on. Vick and Jones are only the two most recent additions. That's not to mention a young idiot by the name of Rae Carruth. The former Carolina Panther will never again see the light of day, let alone play professional football because of his rebellious and ghetto way of thinking. His situation would be comical if it were not so sad. As the old saying goes "A fool and his money are soon parted." These fools are losing millions of dollars. It is truly hard to believe that no one learned anything from the Rae Carruth situation.
All that money, all that talent, and not a lick of sense.
These mighty titans of the grid iron do not deserve our support. By their inability to let go of deviant cultural habits they have doomed themselves and shown they are truly weak-minded. If someone came up to you and gave you a million dollars to stop some low-level deviance you'd stop yesterday, wouldn't you? I know I would. Some might say these are examples of athletes that are used to not being told no, I feel as though that is a rather small part. The primary issue in both the Vick and Jones cases is their inability to say no to the hood that spawned them. That decision has doomed Vick's career and is certain to doom Jones' as well.
Ricardo A Hazell is a freelance writer based in Dallas, Texas. He can be reached at rick_hazell@yahoo.com.
