This week in Sports

So many things to write about these past few weeks but I just couldn’t find the time. There is the Michael Vick scandal. The big Celtics are back apparently after a monster trade that sent my favorite player in Ryan Gomes to Minnesota along with others for Kevin Garnett, one of the best ever. It’s really hard to imagine a move that could have put the Boston Celtics “back-on-the-map” after 20 years like this one. Then Iraq winning the Asian Cup that had united, albeit shortly, as no other person, event, party, or occupation could. But with the heat as it is (95 degrees) all I can really ponder is a nap and virgin relaxation.

Michael Vick is a huge disappointment. Any way you try to spin torturing dogs in a backyard can never change the evil face that this scandal has cast. No matter what black/white arguments or “if Tom Brady scenarios are presented, there is no escaping the huge let-down of this athlete phenom. I don’t even like dogs, but torturing animals and the methods used at the Vick estate for their removal are inhuman.

Another argument is that he did not know what was going on there, he is rarely even there. Can anyone really buy that excuse and be a sane person? Of course you know if there are dog-fighting facilities on your property. So either he was directly involved or had the intimate knowledge of what was going on. So let’s throw that one out.

Now here comes the black athlete excuse. I have to admit, a message from the NAACP was unexpected, and irresponsible. If this was a white athlete (Manning or Brady perhaps) the same shock and disappointment would follow. In my opinion the victim is not Vick or Atlanta fans, but caged animals that have no NAACP to back them up, or give them voice. No, the black athlete excuse has been overused and I think most of us, and I don’t speak for a certain race or ethnicity but for Americans, has been used up in this regard. Vick isn’t victimized by racist media or a vast conspiracy to bury the black athlete. This is his own poor judgment and misdoing and should stand to be punished if found guilty.

I am not convicting here before the trial, I am merely going by what facts have been released about the indictment. With the facts, it is hard for a reasonable person to deny the shadow of culpability on Vick. But please, stop making this a black/white issue. And if an argument is brought up that torturing dogs is a cultural difference then even more reason to bridge the cultural gap and remove this cultural behavior from America. There is simply no place for the torturing of any animals here.
----
I am not a greedy sports fan. The departure of Ryan Gomes from the Celtics ends a personal era shared by a few other New Englanders. I “discovered” Ryan in his freshman year score 18 points against a nobody Southern Connecticut State College. Since that night at the Dunk, he has been my favorite player. I couldn’t have been more excited seeing him drafted by my hometown team and develop as an NBA player. So when I heard the trade to Minnesota I couldn’t help but dislike it. Not because we aren’t now a legitimate contender with the addition of one great player…of course I want the Celtics to be successful, but I lose the one motivation that really made me watch the Celtics. Here it is: I would rather lose more than we win, but have Gomes, than win more than we lose without (and still not win a championship).
----
And now to the Iraq National Team’s victory over Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Cup.
The victory gave Iraqis something to cheer for, some hope and a bond of unity during a time of such despair. But good things sometimes don’t last long as the bombs were exploding again in no time. The outpouring of celebrations for their national victory proves that Iraqis want their country to succeed.