LEFT SPORTS REVIEW
Let the Games Begin
Georgia Tech beats Notre Dame, Michael Vick, dog fighting and Bush
Georgia Tech upset Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Even more surprising, in what some are calling the biggest upset in college football history, Division 1-AA Appalachian State beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Thank you Appalachian State. Why?
The start of the football season has forced writers to start writing about the games. The thrill of a 1-AA school beating a powerhouse like Michigan. Who are these guys? Is Michigan still a powerhouse? Some have called for Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr to resign after the first game of the season.
And there is more. High schools across the country have started playing their games. Here in Illinois, Richards High school’s Xavier McKinney redeemed himself after missing a field goal by making another from 24 yards to beat Morgan Park High 23-21. Bizarre plays. Teenage exuberance. There is so much to write about.
Soon the NFL will start up. TV will show us highlights and actually talk about the games. At least we hope so. If I never see another Michael Vick story it will be fine with me. Vick is the Atlanta quarterback who pled guilty to his involvement in dog fighting.
At times it seemed like ESPN was all Michael Vick, all the time. The same film of a stern faced Vick, dressed in black, walking into a building that is presumable a courthouse. Just in case you did not get the fact that Vick was a very, very bad man after seeing this dozens of times, they started to show us footage of dogs while discussing how dogs are trained to fight. Or they report details of how the dogs are summarily killed in this shadowy industry.
Yes, Michael Vick was involved in the mistreatment of animals. He was involved in the killing of dogs and probably killed several dogs himself. There can be no doubt that he is the most scrutinized dog killer of all time. And we all know that dog killing is bad.
But please folks, a little perspective. Why not give this kind a scrutiny to a former Texas governor that could have stopped the execution of scores of people. If ESPN or its parent ABC had given a fraction of the treatment that it gave Michael Vick to George Bush, it is doubtful that he would have even attempted to run for president.
I completely don’t get the attraction of dog fighting. I too find it repugnant. But come on, this is small potatoes compared to the problems we face. What about Abu Ghraib? Don’t people count as much as dogs? The U.S. continues to hold hostages without charging them at Guantanamo Bay. Katrina victims are still homeless or living in trailers. Why is the press and a section of the public so much more angry at Michael Vick than George Bush?
While Vick is in jail, NFL fans will miss one of football’s most exciting quarterbacks. When he gets out I hope that the NFL allows him to play. He makes the game fun to watch. I can’t predict what Michael Vick will become, but I hope that he is able to move past being the latest black man vilified by the sports media.
Which brings us back to the opening of the football season. Can Indianapolis repeat as Super Bowl champs? Who do you like to win the Heisman Trophy? Where the heck is Appalachian State anyway? Where did I put that newspaper? Who is Senn High playing this weekend?
Left Sports Review is being circulated electronically by Fight Back! News Service. It is an experiment that will appear monthly. We welcome your comments at leftsportsreview@yahoo.com
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