Little Big Man

Huh. A lot of bad craziness going on in the NFL lately. Tom Brady's knee. Ocho Cinco. Vince Young was so depressed after a bad game, his coach sent the police to the troubled quarterback's home to be sure he was all right. T.O. won't shut up. A Jacksonville Jaguar player was shot in his car. Matt Millen still has a job. When Tatum Bell was cut by the Detroit Lions, he stole teammate Rudi Johnson's luggage. Ocho Cinco? But in the middle of this lunacy, there is some good news to be found. USA Today's Tom Pedulla writes about running back Warrick Dunn's return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "What a great team guy he is." coach Jon Gruden says, "so we're really happy to have him back in Tampa." The community feels the same way. When it comes to giving back to the city he plays in, the league can point to Dunn as a model of excellence. In fact, it already has. He was honored as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2004 for his combination of community service and on-field excellence. The Warrick Dunn Foundation has been based in Tampa since its establishment in 2002. It provides opportunities for single parents and their children who have demonstrated a commitment to achieving financial independence and stability. His Homes for the Holidays program allows single mothers to become first-time homeowners by giving them down payments on new, completely furnished houses. The program is a tribute to Dunn's mother, Betty Smothers, a single parent with six children. She worked as a police officer in Baton Rouge and was killed while working a second job as a security guard in her effort to save money for a house. "Not everyone can donate homes to people," Dunn says, "but you can be a good person and help people better themselves in your own way." Warrick Dunn is a class act. For a little guy, he stands heads and shoulders above the usual herd of savage nacissists in the NFL. It goes to show how overrated sports are. No, I'm not talking about their talent. That ain't no joke. Hey, hitting a nasty, 98-mile-a-hour fastball aimed at your head takes bigger cojones than I got. If Ray Lewis wants the football, I'm gonna give it to him. And don't even think of asking me to box with a guy who could punch a hole in my chest. Is you crazy? However, what is overrated is the psuedo-mythical status athletes enjoy in our culture. I think it's bullshit, but most people eagerly go back for seconds, happily licking the tasty brown goo from their fngers. Yummy. To be fair, if a crazed fan decides to drop a grand for an autograph or a silly couple wants to get married in football jerseys, that's their business. Whatever gets your nipples stiff, it doesn't bother me. But when idiots decide that a new multi-million dollar arena downtown is more important than keeping the libraries open, that's insane. Unfortunately, it happens a lot, and too many athletes take advantage of it. I have a question for you Mr. Clemens. Yes, senator? Can I have your autograph? Warren Dunn is smarter than that. Moving on from a tragedy that easily could have left him angry and bitter, Dunn chose to instead build an enduring legacy that his late mother would have been proud of. Compassion is never overrated. And it makes more sense than a guy named Ocho Cinco.

Gone To The Dogs

ABC News: Vick to Enter Plea on Conspiracy Charges Michael Vick was due in federal court Thursday to start a legal process that jeopardizes not only his career, but also his freedom. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was expected to appear at a bond hearing and enter a plea on dogfighting conspiracy charges. Vick is accused with three others of conspiracy involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Federal prosecutors allege the operation known as Bad Newz Kennels operated on Vick's property in rural Surry County. The grisly allegations detailed in an 18-page indictment sparked protests by animal rights groups at the headquarters of the NFL and the Falcons, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from training camp while the league investigates. Falcons owner Arthur Blank said the team wanted to suspend Vick for four games, the maximum penalty a team can assess a player, but the NFL asked him to wait. Instead, Blank has told his embattled player to focus on his legal problems, not football. The Falcons opened their first camp under coach Bobby Petrino on Thursday. The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at the home found 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment typically used in dogfighting. Items such as a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth in a fight were seized. Great. Thanks for giving racist clowns like Rush Limbaugh more ammunition, Mike. The pocket is collapsing on Michael Vick, and there's no place to run. Already the NFL has suspended Vick for a year. Now, one of Vick's "friends", a nobody named Tony Taylor, has agreed to drop a dime on the troubled part-time QB and head of Bad Newz Kennels in return for immunity. When this is over, I don't think he'll go to jail, but he won't be playing in the NFL again anytime soon. Idiot. Yeah, I know it sounds harsh, but I just can't bring myself to feel sorry for Michael Vick. He betrayed his teammates, his community, his fellow African-American quarterbacks, and his talent and he has no one else to blame but himself. I believe every person is born with a special talent that they can do better than anybody else in the world. Tragically, some people never figure out what it is, and others can’t express their gifts because bad luck keeps them ordinary. However, it’s not tragic if you piss away your talent by being lazy, mean, stupid, or all three. Do you think legends like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods ever wasted their precious time by running a shady dog fighting operation? No, the reason these great athletes dominate their sport and give such lousy interviews is because all they think about and all they do is try to get better. Nothing else matters. But Michael Vick made the disastrous choice that being “great” once in a while was good enough. It's not.

Michael Vick vs. Wild Kingdom

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlarge From ABC News: The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was expected to appear at a bond hearing and enter a plea on dogfighting conspiracy charges. Vick is accused with three others of conspiracy involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Federal prosecutors allege the operation known as Bad Newz Kennels operated on Vick's property in rural Surry County. If just 10% of what Michael Vick is accused of is true, he needs to be put away for life. I have, however, come up with some other choice punishments. 1) Drop his ass in the middle of Baghdad, without body armor and no gun, while wearing a t-shirt that has an American flag on the back and the front reads "American Mo-Fo." 2) Strap him down in a kennel with starving pit bulls, or hogs. Either one will do. 3) Stake his arms and legs to the ground near a fire ant colony and pour honey all over his body. Got any good ones? drop them in the comments. P.S. You can view today's rejected strip HERE.

Idiot in a Jockstrap

Michael Vick is a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and this supernaturally-gifted young athlete was going to be the Next Big Thing. "The Michael Jordan of the NFL!" the talking heads on ESPN squealed happily. Yes, he was a rookie who made the usual silly mistakes, but his raw talent, intelligence, and charisma promised a bright and successful future. People are still talking about Vick but, unfortunately, it's for the wrong reasons. ESPN has the story: SURRY, Va. -- Federal law enforcement officials descended on a home owned by Michael Vick on Thursday armed with a search warrant that suggests they're taking over an investigation into the Falcons quarterback's possible involvement in dogfighting. More than a dozen vehicles went to the home early in the afternoon and investigators searched inside before turning their attention to the area where officials found dozens of dogs in late April and evidence that suggested the home was involved in a dogfighting operation. A search warrant affidavit said some of the dogs were in individual kennels and about 30 were tethered with "heavy logging-type chains" buried in the ground. The chains allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact, one of myriad findings on the property that suggested a dogfighting operation. Others included a rape stand, used to hold non-receptive dogs in place for mating; an electric treadmill modified to be used by dogs; a "pry bar" used to open the clamped-down mouths of dogs; and a bloodied piece of carpeting the authorities believe was used in dog fights. Carpeting gives dogs traction in a plywood fighting pit. Vick has claimed he rarely visits the home and was unaware it could be involved in a criminal enterprise. He also has blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity. Vick's cousin, Davon Boddie, was living at the home at the time of the raids. Vick, a registered dog breeder, has said in more recent interviews that his lawyers have advised him not to discuss the investigation. What happened? Nobody's talking about Michael Vick and Michael Jordan in the same sentence anymore, but it's his own damned fault. Ever since Vick's once-promising and exciting debut in the NFL, the troubled young quarterback has been in trouble. If it's not being sued by a woman claiming Vick gave her herpes, he's getting stopped at an airport for carrying drugs or stupidly arguing with his coaches and teammates. And now this. What the hell, Michael? You're rich, and you're spending your money on watching dogs tear each other to pieces? It appears Vick is just another lazy idiot in a jockstrap who didn't want to put the necessary hard work into his career. Years from now, Michael with be a sad and forgotten footnote in the "never was" category of football history. What a waste. Oh well.