Tragedy and Shame

Yesterday suspended Atlanta Falcon quarterback was sentenced to 23 - months in federal prison for dog fighting and cruelty to animals, yadda yadda yadda. You would think that with the sentencing and everything, most folk and media members would let the subject go, bask in their enjoyment that yet another black star athlete is getting his come uppance for a crime, that some deem mortifying and horrific. But they're not.

Last night on KNBC-4 (Los Angeles), TV sports reader Fred Roggin read a few e-mails and a poll asking if Vick's sentence was enough. And of course, all the e-mails were from people still angry and apparently mortified of the case. And the poll, was 2 to 1 in favor that Vick did not get enough jail time according to some sixty percent of the poll takers.

What does this prove? Well for one, folks need to get a life. And it seems to be something missing when folks care more about an animal than a human being. Someone killed in heinous way, it's oh well, lets move on, but if Fido is done wrong, it's on like Donkey Kong! It's picante sauce from New York City instead of San Antonio, and if ain't white it ain't right! kinda of commotion.

Why?

Your answer will be good as mine, cause I don't care. They're animals and in regard to pit bulls, if one of these animals attack and kill a child or elderly adult, we're talking about city and county legistlation outlawing these dogs. Is there a dog more revered than a pit bull? I remember growing up it was someone's german shepherd named, King. If you had a german shephard you had a bad ass dog, then it was doberman pinscher, these dogs had their own tv show! How about Cujo? A damn st. bernard had movie goers scared of their backsides and fearing these slobbering big dogs, never mind the fact that cartoons had them serving either a hot drink or some "drank" for a drunk lost in the snow. But pit bulls, go back to the little rascals, with petey, but as soon as petey starting mauling people they were outlawed in some cities and heavily legistlated. If they looked at you wrong they were put to sleep, so why all the love and hate for these dogs. Who said it was love, it was the hate for the act caused by Vick and his boys.

Now I'm not excusing Vick's action, he admitted to doing so, he plead guilty to it and he's serving what the people of Virginia has deemed an appropiate punishment. After that, it's over and everyone should be pissed about not getting good news stories or in this case sports related stories relevant to the world news or just sports.

And this should be it, no polls or e-mails still crying about an admitted crime, like someone killed your relative. And having said that, last night Vick's team-mates paid homage to him by wearing t-shirts, saying "free Mike Vick," and brought posters with Vick's image on it. Look, Falcon players, your boy was not Sean Taylor, who was tragically shot in his home and died from those injuries. No, your boy was involved in what some called a heinous act of cruelty to animals and now in the pokey on tax payer's dime. Whereas Taylor was being a responsible man for his family, Vick was on the road and reached his destination to something awfully wrong.

I stil see one as tragic and the other a damn shame!