Mike's Con-Vicktion Should Be Change

I am sitting here mentally refreshing myself from a very hard first year of law school. Just thinking about how much home has changed…or did I? I think about all of the things that made Boston, MA also made me and at times, I reflected the worst of my hometown while at other times, I displayed many of the positive things. The whole goal in life is to get better and recover from the mistakes we made and if we do something well, to continue doing it. I was far from a choir boy in my formative years and I still made some serious gaffes in my young adult years. However, through it all, I maintained a positive view of the future and took the words of the more experienced elders to heart. Believe it or not, I ended up in the place where I always wanted to be: law school. I also have put forth the dedication of providing readers with informative nuggets of my personal insight on the world of sports. To all of my readers, you are an inspiration for me to continue to do this and get better at it the more I put my fingertips to the keys. Despite the challenges to my will this past law school year, I believe I have come to realize what is important to me and how I can utilize my newfound knowledge of the law for the betterment of not only myself, but the community at large.

While on the subject of my personal growth, I cannot gloss over the hot button topic of former NFL quarterback Michael Vick and his journey back to his profession despite public outcries to bar him from his chief source of employment. Yes, what he participated in was egregious to say the least and his actions in regards to his forthrightness in response to questions of his knowledge of dog-fighting on his private property did not inspire faith in his character. As a result of his actions, he spent over a year in federal prison, which in my opinion was way too excessive. Leonard Little, a defensive lineman for the St. Louis Rams killed a woman in a car accident years ago and did less time in prison than Vick. Former NFL running back Lamar Smith (pictured on far left) was impaired while driving which led to an accident and the permanent paralysis of a teammate, yet he was allowed to come back to the NFL and play another day after serving time in prison. In 1984, former NHL player Craig Mac Tavish (pictured on the left) was involved in a fatal car accident after leaving a Boston area nightclub that killed a woman. He spent a year in prison and was allowed to return to the league and play with the Edmonton Oilers. Now, I understand the PETA side of the argument in regards to Vick, which predicates its argument on the cruelty of defenseless animals and making an example of those who participate in such activities. It is no question that Vick became the face of animal cruelty, but is this enough to keep him from earning a living? Does the public at large have the right to deprive one of pursuing their happiness even after he has served his debt to society in prison?

I firmly believe that the life of a human being is worth more than an animal based on the one thing that separates us: the potential to change the world. Any individual has the potential to alter the lives of others at any time while animals, which can provide happiness and are sources of unconditional love on a level that even humans at times cannot match, still cannot change the world. Why would anyone feel that Vick should be deprived of his right to make a living based on his mistakes in regards to dogs while others who kill humans can return to society and take advantage of gainful employment? Some may say he can work as a painter or in construction; he can bag groceries or drive trucks across the United States right? However, why should he be forced to do so? Is making money based on a physical talent punishable a privilege that should be taken away based on mistakes not related to what one does in their line of work? An elementary teacher who gets caught in a sex sting operation with a school aged child being used as bait is understandably a good reason to keep that individual out of the classroom; but what does dog fighting or killing dogs have to do with playing quarterback in the NFL? Are people of the belief that because he made a large amount of money playing professionally, he should be punished by not being able to do so based on his mistakes? If so, that is a poor reason. If these people understand anything about the elements that make this country different from others is one always has a chance to redeem themselves; they have a change to make something out of nothing and can change their lives based on the work they do for themselves and others. Although there are portions of American society that take on the distinctions of a caste system, the positive elements of the Constitution still lay out a classical view of American life…life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. It is not meant to be construed as life and liberty if the public at large allows and pursuit of happiness being conditional on how one is perceived.

I see our society moving towards a culture of taking away rather than providing…we are living in tough times where funding towards education, retirement and care for the mentally/physically impaired are being cut by governmental entities in all states and federal levels. It is not a good precedent to bar a person no matter what their socioeconomic or celebrity status from being able to earn money based on their talents. Michael Vick needs to play football as that is his skill, just as another person is a horseshoe maker and another is an auto mechanic. It is not fair, nor feasible to force him to do something else based on his mistakes. There also appears to be a little jealously abound because there are many of us who will never make the money Vick has made in a year during their lifetimes who love to see another knocked off the pedestal of wealth and cast down into the tax brackets of the ‘commoner’.

I believe that a trash collector who is convicted of a death of another human being or animal should not be forced to sweep floors in a warehouse after serving his time in prison and has adequately showed his/her positive changes. I hope Vick has a chance to resume his career in the NFL and has made the necessary improvements as a man in order to ensure he does not put himself in a similar position in the future. I would hope that any of my law school colleagues, if they make mistakes in their professional career that are not serious enough to disbar them will have the opportunity to redeem themselves. That is what it is all about…that is what’s fair. Good luck Mike.

The Importance of Sports in 'The City'

I just finished watching the athletic phenom himself, LeBron James, win a game in the last second on the brightest stage of his career. This made me reflect on the effect on people's emotion that sports has and how it effects lives. How many times have you been at the office or at school the day after the home team won or lost a big game? Being on either side, you will notice that the environments can be very positive or very moribund. I remember the day after the New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl in 2002, the boss in the office was more aloof than the the employees. We didn't get anything done on that day. On the flip-side, when the Pats lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, man we got so much work done on that day, it was unbelievable. I mean, people did not want to talk about the game and would have rather gotten lost in work than discuss the disappointment of a beloved team losing a big game.

In regards to Game 2 of the 2008-09 Eastern Conference Finals, I cannot help but think about the effect of James on the city of Cleveland. The Cavaliers franchise is located in an area of the United States commonly referred to as the 'Rust Belt', where in the early parts of the 20th Century, the steel manufacturing industry kept cities afloat. As the industry waned in the latter parts of the century, the cities declined and interestingly, so did the fortunes of the sports teams in the area. The Cavaliers were atrocious in the 90s as were the Browns in Cleveland, which was moved and re-named in 1995; the Detroit Lions still are affected by the crumbling economy that is interwoven into the day to day operations of the organization; the Cincinnati Bengals haven't even sniffed any semblance of true relevance since 1989. The Detroit Pistons and Pittsburgh Steelers are pretty much the only organizations who have relatively sustained themselves throughout the changes of society. The Steelers have done so due to a commitment to a manner of business that is deeply rooted through family lineage while the Pistons learned to adapt and change with the times without adhering to the same business paradigm that brought success in the past.

Getting back to the subject of this entry, I am very happy for the people of Cleveland. I had a chance to visit there during a research project in 1998 and I saw a ghost town in Downtown Cleveland. Cleveland Browns Stadium was still under construction, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Jacobs Field were pretty much the only attractions for the out of towner. As I walked about the burned out remnants of a city that boasted the dubious distinction of having a lake so polluted (Erie) that it caught on fire, I thought if there was something positive and transcending, it would bind the people. If I were to visit Cleveland today, the downtown area that I saw ten years ago all but abandoned would have life...thanks to LeBron James. The city is now in the epicenter of the sports world and the city has money coming in via the NBA coverage and increased tourism. Even though the city is divided at its core due to it's history, the fans are united under the success of a common interest. However, what happens to the city if James leaves for literally 'greener pastures' when he opts out of his current contract in 2010? The rumors of Nike paying him extra money to join a large market team are false and impractical in these economic times, so his staying where he is will be motivated by his desire to continue the transformation of his 'hometown', which will not only have a tremendous impact on the fortunes of the team, but the city as well. If Eric Mangini can turn around the Browns and James leaves, then maybe it would lessen the blow, but Cleveland's resurgence was built by James and could hollow out without him. The unity under the thin veneer of a winning team led by an iconic figure disappears and the positivity and economic growth associated with it likewise disintegrates.

The fans of Cleveland sports should enjoy this moment. The reason being is that it is easy to be spoiled by greatness when it is around on a year to year basis...just ask the fans of the Patriots, the Chicago Bulls or Montreal Canadiens. I constantly remind my friends that victory and success can be fleeting and things never remain the same in the sports world; ACLs tear. Players age. Overrated player are bums. Coaches get tuned out. Ownership changes. It all connects with us on so many levels as we work, study and live. Sports gives us a creative outlet and inspires us all. I know we all remember the camera shot of the young fan sporting the James jersey incredulously holding his head after Hedo Turkaglu hit that potential game winning shot tonight. That same kid's emotions swung 180 degrees after the winning shot by James. Imagine going into a holiday weekend on the losing end of the stick and now think about how many bars are breaking the bank as people celebrate. Cab drivers are making a killing and I bet Trojans are making thousands of 'entries' this evening. Winning changes everything and everyone is happy. That is why in these trying times, sports fans located in the 'Rust Belt' deserve to taste winning on the same level as those in Boston, Los Angeles and New York. Congrats, folks...enjoy it while it lasts.