A Sports Fan’s Lament: Part II
Football
What you know: Oh buddy, where do I begin? Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted on Federal charges that he ran a dogfighting ring from one of his residences. There are dozens of rumors to go along with this, but here are the facts. The FBI raided this specific place (the home of “Bad Newz Kennels”) twice. The second time they were looking for, and I am not kidding, dog carcasses. And they found 30+ of them. The rumors that go along with this are that Vick was a high dollar better and that he not only collected the money at one of these matches, but that he was there for some of the brutal killings of some of these dogs (including electricution, hanging and drowning). It pains me to even think about, as I used to have a dog of my own and I still think about how much I loved him. This is grotesque and just plain repulsive. That being said, Vick has only been charged with running it, not actually doing any of the killing or betting. Does that make it any better? Hell no. This is not just against the law. It’s betraying the trust that every dog puts into its owner. This is the one story that just disgusts me and one that I pray to God is not true, but count me in with the skeptics.
What you should know: While the NFL is cracking down on athletic idiots (see Adam “Pacman” Jones and his involvement in a strip club shooting that got him suspended for the entire year WITHOUT pay), there are some great comeback stories. Cleveland Browns center LeCharles Bentley is back after injuring his knee in the first contact drills of training camp last year. It could have been career threatening. But he’s had four surgeries and looks to be good to go. Also, the New York Jets gave Defensive Tackle Andre Wadsworth another shot at stardom. He had been running a few restaurants in Florida and hasn’t played since 2000. You try being 300+ pounds and stay in shape waiting for a phone call for seven years.
