Eddie & Mike

It was reported late last night that ex-Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin was killed last Friday when his sport utility vehicle crashed into a moving train in Houston, Texas. It actually took four days to identify the body because of the severity of the crash. It has also been reported that Griffin disregarded the railroad warning signs before crashing into the train. He also had a long history of drug and alcohol problems, and was a classic underachiever on the court.

Now, this may shock you, but I have been known to needle some professional athletes who do not conduct themselves well from time to time. Griffin was one of those athletes that I threw a few jabs at. At best, he could be described as "troubled," and it is not good to see any man's life end in this fashion. Unfortunately, he was one of those individuals that, when they die, nobody is surprised. This act has all the markings as being "intentional." That is really too bad.

Griffin was described as "gentle" by ex-teammates, and even "a beautiful person" by ex-coach Dwayne Casey. It makes you wonder what goes on in the minds of these athletes (or actors or musicians) that seemingly have the world handed to them and then "blow it all." I have not doubt that the pressure that is put upon them by fans, media management, etc. is immense (along with their compensation). Is this pressure to blame, however? It's hard to understand - which leads us to Micheal Vick.

We all know the story of Micheal Vick. Arguably the #1 star in the NFL is ready to plead guilty to felony dog fighting charges that could land him in prison for 1 to 5 years. Quite a fall for the all-pro Falcons QB. I don't need to rehash Vick's alleged crimes against dogs, but they were sickening. The discussion, like I mentioned above with Griffin, has moved to "how did this happen and who is at fault?"

Before I forge ahead, I have to add the quote from New York Knick and budding philosopher Stephon ("everything is not always going to be peaches and cream") Marbury. Marbury rushed to Vick's defense today with this diddy:

"I think it's tough," Marbury said, according to Albany TV station Capital News 9. "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."

Yep. Except, Stephon, most people don't electrocute the deer or hang them while they are still alive. I hope Stephon never takes my side on anything. But, enough about him.

The Pioneer Press recently published some commentaries on "who is at fault" for the Michael Vick saga. Most blamed Vick personally. However, I want you all to read the commentary by Shaun Powell of Newsday. Here it is:

BY SHAUN POWELL
Newsday

Michael Vick is not guilty.

No, really, in one sense, despite his plea Monday, this is the wrong guy. For months, investigators circled their wagons around the Atlanta Falcons quarterback with the intensity of blitzing linebackers and implied that Vick masterminded the slaughtering of dozens of dogs who couldn't cut it in the ring. They cut deals with members of Vick's posse, who snitched about those brutal dogfights held on his spread in Virginia. Vick, the feds believe, created this.
But who created Vick? Who gave power and money and influence to someone who has done nothing, other than sling a football, to deserve it?

Those are the real guilty people. If the feds are correct about Vick's role, then those people also helped strangle and shoot and drown animals that in essence were poisoned by a man who was poisoned himself long ago.

He wasn't a spoiled, immature and misguided animal abuser from birth. Actually, he was exactly like your child: an innocent sponge, ready to absorb the world around him. Except his world was probably a lot different from the one you exposed to your child. He was born to a mother who was still in high school, and by the time Brenda Vick was 21, she had four kids. She was a baby with babies, not unusual in poor black America today. How could she teach them about life when she hadn't experienced life herself? How could she watch her kids when she had to work enough jobs to feed them? Plus, she raised them in the projects, where too many influences are bad.

Born to a teenage mother, raised in the projects, consumed by a negative culture, back-slapped by vulture "friends" and elevated by a sports-mad society, who's the real Vick-tim here?

Interesting. Personally, I agree with the points Powell makes about being raised by a teen-ager in the ghetto. One side of me has no doubt that individuals raised in this setting start life "with two strikes." The other side of me, however, thinks that these statements are a "slap in the face" to people who were raised in this same setting and do not engage in such things. Vick was not stealing food from a grocery store to feed his family. He was allegedly the ring-leader of a heinous dog-fighting ring.

Lastly - a "sports mad society" is to blame? That's me, I guess. It's my fault Vick did this. And the owners who gave him tens of millions of dollars to play a game. And the kids who bought his jersey. All to blame. Right? I guess we're to blame for what happened to Eddie Griffin too.

I'd like to know what YOU think about this. Who is to blame for these acts? Who is to blame for this "pressure?" Please feel free to chime in.

Peace,

Jeff