Bad Boys......Whatcha' gon' do?

In the past, stuff like this was covered up locally. The Herald Leader (better known as the “Yankee Liberal Lie Rag”), broke the mold by ratting out UK under Eddie Sutton. They received awards for that, and since then are being emulated everywhere. On the other hand, even trouble-makers need opportunities, without structure, they will never improve. I thought the college experience was about learning. Shouldn’t troubled kids get opportunities to learn life and academics in a structured emviroment? I appalud Marshall University for giving chances to Randy Moss and Jason Williams even with their checkered past.

but where does this end? And would any of these people have gotten second chances if they could’nt shoot a ball, catch a pass, or dribble and pass like the wind?? The question becomes how much is enough?? Show me where the line is. I have been all for allowing “indescretions” to be excused, but it seems as though the balloon keeps inflating. None of these people could even pass a background records check for most jobs. are we saying they arent good enough to work at a 9-5 job, but they are ok to draw millions for catching a ball?

As far as professional sports figures go, I agree with you completely. As far as collegiate athletes go, making mistakes is a part of life. When it comes to violence, there should be no breaks, period. There is the line. In Micheal Vick’s case, the man has served his time. As a dog lover, I find his actions reprehensible, but the man served his time. Part of the uproar over that came from extreme left wing groups who equate animals with humans. Since that group has no moral background, they do not know that the Bible gives dominion over all animals. But, it also preaches Stewardship, which he did not show. There can be forgiveness for all, but who is to decide when there is redemption. I personally am not the one.

Ro makes a good point. For many years sports figures inappropriate or illegal behaviors were ignored by the media. Ty Cobb was a notorious ass on and off the field. Babe Ruth was a drinker and womanizer. With the coming of cable tv, espn, blogs, internet, camera phones and technology in general, information has become easily accessible to us all. Our society actually revels in seeing our celebrities and sports figures with problems. Its pretty amazing to me how much actual news coverage is nothing more than sensationalism. Part of the problem is really not the sports figures faults. From very young ages they are held above others and allowed to get away with things that others could not get away with. Consequently, they dont understand that there are consequences to their actions. The fact is they never actually grow up.
Blucat, I think you are making a wide spread generalization about the sports figures of today. How do you know if they could not pass background checks or hold a job?? Do you have some sort of access to every NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB players transcripts and backgrounds??
Michael Vick was convicted and paid his debt to society. He went to jail for 2 years for gosh sakes. Do you actually think he should not be allowed to play football??? In your real world people convicted of dog fighting would be consigned to a life of obscurity and shame? I dont know what world you live in, but in my world dog fighting would not even make the front page if it was your average joe doing it. Heck, someone convicted of dog fighting would probably just get a slap on the wrist and they certainly wouldnt end up living a life of shame and obscurity. I personally think Vick paid a much bigger debt than most people would have paid just because he was a famous athlete.
We have thieves, killers, rapists, drug users,alcoholics, and common thugs living next to us and down the street. We also have white collar criminals, embezzlers, tax evaders, ponzi schemers, and CEOs of companies robbing their stockholders blind and running their companies into the ground and helping to cause a recession. These people are in every walk of life and not just sports.

I agree with UKTimmy. In the Ky River region I have spent most of my life in, Dogfighting and Cockfighting are accepted parts of life. I don’t like dogfighting, so I do not support it, but I do not judge those involved. It’s more a matter of Liberals coming down from their Northern Ivory Towers and trying to tell the ignorant hillbillies how to live. We have a name for that here , it’s “Carpetbaggers”.

this stuff is documented everywhere. 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, it was no where near this bad, and making Michael Vick the posterboy for second chances doesnt cut it either. Vick’s crimes, while disgusting to some, pale in comparison and everyone out there with a TV or a computer knows it. Try getting a real job with a felony on your record. I know because I have been subjected to those same background checks for employment in the past. You make a vaild point about Vick, though. He was singled out, and paid dearly for it, but he is the exception, not the rule. Look at the football player who while driving drunk hit a guy and killed him. The world I live in ostracizes individuals for that type of behavior, and since they do not have multi-million dollar contracts, they are then doomed to a life of less than acceptable conditions in most cases.

As to your assessment that it is not their fault, tell me who’s fault it is?? You go out and kill someone while driving drunk, you think you are not going to see prison for a very long time?

You are right about the world we live in, and the fact that these people are in all walks of life, but I do think that there should be a standard that athletes do have to live up to. I may be alone in this, and that’s fine, I can live with my morals all day. But the consequences for their actions ought to be much more effective than they are. It used to be that a lot of these guys were just simply walking reputations, now they seem to want to prove that they fit the stereotype, and I for one don’t like it. And the white collar criminals shouldnt get a pass either. they should be made to work to rebuild what they have destroyed. For free.

The Hip-Hop lifestyle that is being rammed down our throats is telling these young men to be the biggest gangster. They feel they that have to live up to some kind of thug standard to be the biggest gangster, so to impress their entourage, and get some “street cred”, they must live up to that"hard"standard. That is where educational opportunities may help show them another way, and hopefully, under strong role models, they can develope into productive members of society.

Athletes have always gotten in trouble with the law and they always will.

“The Running Man”?

Here’s the kicker though. They didn’t shoot themselves at a night club or torture innocent animals that I know of. A police veteran told me once that gang violence 30 years ago might have involved a knife. Today, the kids bring guns. Are they morally worse than their parents? I doubt it, but the tools are a heck of a lot worse.