The Modern American Sports Scandal

You've probably been forced to feel one way or the other about Brett Favre. I think most sports fans will be able to separate the great moments Favre gave us, from ESPN’s tabloid feeding fevre. Ha!

There's definitely been deception from the Vikings and Favre for the last 5 months. They’d been making eyes at each other for nearly 20 months, and we all saw it. Why they insisted on lying I will never know. We buy them like Bradgelina on the cover of US Weekly. No matter what you feel about Favre and the Vikings, you’ll have an eye on their games this year.

Being a Bronco fan I have interest in Jay Cutler and the Bears...probably rooted in jealousy. The Denver Donkeyshow has been painful to watch and I’ve become numb to it all. You’ve got Dan Conner abusing DJ…and somehow I actually think it helps the Raiders. I am enthralled with Hard Knocks and the Cincinnati Bengals…I think they might be competitive. There are a surprisingly high number of teams that will/could be competitive. It should be a great season.

The NFL Headlines that pull through to the mainstream are of the Mike Vick and CheddarBob Burress variety. They’re both unfortunate situations of talented young men who’ve put themselves in position to lose more than many people will ever gain. PacMan n’dem are to the NFL what Performance Enhancing Drugs are to Baseball. They are the nagging suspicion Tim Donaghy has provided to the validity of NBA games in the first half of the decade. They are a blemish on sport.

I’m one who finds more wrong with what Donte’ Stallworth and Leonard Little have done, than what Michael Vick has done…they drove drunk and were involved in car accidents that killed people. I’m definitely disgusted and confused by Vick’s operation. I find it hard to believe he couldn’t get his hands on some rational form of euthanasia…that’s just my first thought. I can’t believe Vick got off by doing harm to dogs…I think he got off on raising the baddest dog. He too was usually the baddest dog. The guerilla enterprise operated by Vick is horrifying but he did not directly harm humans.

I’ve got three words for you…George W. Bush. Oh…and one more. Katrina.

Even as a dog lover and owner, I find it difficult to muster the hatred many have for Vick. And any ill I’ve ever felt for Vick has become encouragement towards his redemption. A positive outcome for Mike Vick is a positive outcome for America.

Some have called Donte’ Stallworth’s punishment light. He’ll never legally drive a car again and he’s reached a settlement with the victim’s family. He got less than 30 days in jail and 3 years on house arrest. Most damaging, he’ll live everyday knowing that his actions directly led do the death of another person.

Plaxico Burress’ self-shooting incident is a very sad joke. No private citizen should be carrying a gun on their person in Any Major American Metropolis. Keep it in your car or on the hip of a trained and licensed professional, if you must. But you shouldn’t be in a position where you have to.

2 years in a prison is too heavy for being stupid…especially when correctional facilities and their costs are maxed around the country.

As a Bronco fan I remember my shock hearing of Darrent Williams’ death, hung over on New Year’s Day 2007. Sean Taylor’s death later that year was incredibly tragic. Noah Herron's home defense on an intruder with a bedpost was awesome. Plaxico’s teammate, Steve Smith getting robbed at gunpoint in the weeks before Burress’ incident may have given him all he needed to think about after the above mentioned incidents. Steve McNair got it in his sleep from his girlfriend. Tank Johnson stockpiled enough ammo to take on Bin Laden…for one reason or another some of these guys have reason to fear for their lives.

The sport scandal that will undoubtedly receive less scrutiny is John Calipari and the University of Memphis. If Derrick Rose comes clean in a statement, accepting full responsibility and clears Memphis Basketball of any knowledge re: his SAT stand-in, then this is a non-story. Given John Calipari’s history, the above is unlikely. Coach Calipari has been playing Blue Chips for the last 15 years. And somehow he managed to slide away from the scandal into a promotion (and take recruits) at one of the premier jobs in college sport.

I can understand Derrick Rose’s urgency in qualifying academically for college. The NBA’s rule forces players to be one year out of high school before they can enter the draft. After his year at Memphis he was the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and he’s now one of the best young players in the NBA. You can understand Coach Calipari’s urgency in getting his hands on such a talent.

If the leaders of college athletics are serious about their programs operating above board (which is essential to their success), they will have to take a serious stance with Calipari if there is further wrongdoing found. This is not his first incident. They will have to follow through with any offenders in the future. Whiting out the record book does not change what happened in the arena. What was bought and sold. Taking away monies won is a slap on the wrist.

I guess my point is that I can find forgiveness for being human. For being indecisive, for a moment’s lack of judgment that leads to an unfortunate event and for not being able to say no to something that had always been an accepted part of your life. More than anything I feel bad for these guys who have all the talent and opportunity in the world and mess it up for themselves, their families and their teams.

These men have made mistakes and paid their debt to society. Their redemption is crucial in a time where we are challenged in ways that don't allow concern for the personal lives of celebrities.

I find less forgiveness when the powers that be provide lip service to issues they are not really interested in solving. Remaining complicit. Buying amateur athletes, performance enhancing drugs and general knuckleheadedness will always be around in some degree.

I want to see sport draw a line in the sand and stop operating in ambiguity. Each of the issues facing sport are essentially of a moral ground. Business and continuity keep the status quo. Either you're concerned about it or you're not.

The Congress mandated Mitchell Report provided it’s assessment of doping in MLB, and somehow it incriminated no Red Sox players. Maybe George Mitchell should not have been the head guy given his interest with the Boston Red Sox. And now that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz have been tied to drug use, baseball’s best story of the past 100 years has dirt on it.

The NFL should stop treating its talent like cattle and take a sincere interest in the lives of players. It would start with taking care of the ailing and impoverished men in their golden years who built the game. Providing mentors, incentive, penalty, security and adequate medical care to minimize the likelihood of any incidents that compromise the league’s integrity.

If the NCAA carts John Calipari out and slaps his wrist they should just never punish anyone again. They shouldn’t be taking away wins from Bobby Bowden. They can’t just say events did not happen and call it a punushment. You play to win the game. They are wasting time and attention while permitting the auction of children to America's Universities.

If ESPN insists to sensationalize the scandal to feed the 24 hour cycle, they should be prepared to lose a portion of their audience. When Usain Bolt gets bumped for drama, it’s a problem. When Brett and the Vikings become Jon & Kate, we’ll be looking to the Food Network for nacho inspiration…for the game.