Credulous Where Credulous Is Due
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While browsing through my usual sports links for the day, it seems like I’ve read nothing but negative stories about several sports figures. We have all read about Michael Vick and his dogfighting scandal. I’m not going to defend his actions, but he gave a seemingly sincere apology. I mean…he didn’t use notes, he didn’t sound coached. And best of all he’s willing to take responsibility. That doesn’t justify his actions, but he’s on the right track to redemption…even if it takes him a lifetime.
Enter Lance Briggs. Wrecks his beautiful Lamborghini Murcielago into a light pole, flees the scene, reported the car stolen, then fessed up, and returned to the scene…all because he “panicked”.
Yahoo! Sports reported that there are drug allegations against Tim Couch. In the story, they quote Couch as saying,
“The bottom line is I was not in the NFL during any of the period of time (when the regimens called for the use of steroids), so that also makes me feel like, what’s the story?” Couch said. “… I don’t know where this stuff comes from. I don’t know where you got any of this.”
Well, “Mr. Football”. This comeback talk makes me feel like, “Dude, give it up already!”. Besides, he wasn’t in the NFL at the time, so it’s all good. Right?
And then there’s Houston Rockets guard, Rafer Alston, who allegedly shanked some poor schmuck in the neck. This about a month after he apparently applied the jounce to some valet guy’s arm at a Houston nightspot after his car was towed…not to mention he spit on the guy. Can you say “anger management”?
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My friend and namesake, Derek, poses the question “Have athletes been conditioned to think that the law does not apply to them?” in his post, Above The Law. I agree that most public figures wield this attitude primarily because people let them. But I definitely think that in the case of these four instances only Ron Mexico and Tim Couch fit into this category since their actions were premeditated. Alston is included for not having learned his lesson the first time he thought he was above the law, and Briggs just gets a Darwin Award nod.
This brings up another observation — why are we talking about dogfighting, a car crash, and a Miss Teen USA contestant that speaks in tongues? Ok. I’ll leave her out of this. While listening to sports talk radio today, all anyone wants to talk about is whether or not Michael Vick is sincere and what was going through Lance Briggs’ mind eaarly this morning. Seriously. Put these into order of severity. All are bad to some degree, but I think neck slashing takes the cake. How about you?
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August 29th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Derrich, thanks for the mention of my post.
I do agree with you that the attention appears to be strictly related to the stature of the celebrity rather than the severity of the crime.
The issue with Alston is hardly a footnote on many of the news feeds. There isn’t as much sensationalism with someone like Alston so the focus is on top names like Vick or Briggs or Bonds.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Sensationalism by its very definition. Don’t you love how that happens? Alston slashes some guy and gets relatively zero coverage. That guy is way more in the wrong than Briggs who wrecked his car and hurt no one. Ridiculous.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:50 am
i hope michael vick rots away slowly in jail. but that’s just me…
August 30th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I think you’ve got some supporters in that category, Danielle.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:20 am
I am with you, Danielle.