Just Sayin'

Michael Vick has received some harsh criticism by Eagles fans ever since they signed him.

What he did was indeed downright disgraceful, but I personally wonder if it has something to do with the fact that people care more about their pets than their fellow human beings.

To wit, Brett Myers had an incident of hitting his wife in public (a case where charges have since been dropped), but now Philly fans are clamoring for him to pitch as a closer in place of the struggling Brad Lidge.

Eagles fans also went nuts when Cowboys' receiver Michael Irvin was taken off on a stretcher.

Let's not forget that our fair city's favorite sports icon is Rocky... a guy who punched meat and bloodied many an opponent (albeit in a fictional world).

And speaking of meat... that hamburger you're eating right now? Think about how much abuse that cow went through to get to your mouth.

I'd like to see us live in a more civilized world, but until then, let's at least be consistent in who we love and hate in this world.

Vague as Vick

The controversial signing of QB Michael Vick by the Philadelphia Eagles has raised much uproar throughout the country, though particularly here in the Philadelphia metro area. Some fans are downright belligerent about his signing, saying that he's a dog killer and he doesn't deserve the chance to play again; others are all for it, saying that he paid time for his crime and everybody should have the opportunity to get a second chance in life.

So with this controversy, I figured there would be some corporate reservations about endorsing this polarizing athlete. But unfortunately I haven't seen much of a stance one way or the other from the corporate world thus far. The closest I've seen has been a Philadelphia Inquirer article which discusses Dick's Sporting Goods and their stance on the issue of selling Michael Vick jerseys in their stores. In a nutshell: if people want them, Dick's will stock them, if not, they won't. Gee, don't go too far out on a limb there, guys.

I would like to have seen somebody take a stance on this issue. Either hold the line and say we choose not to stock Michael Vick jerseys because of his questionable character, or say, yes, we will stock his jersey and we have decided that 10% of all revenue from the sale of his jerseys will go to the ASPCA, to help animals in distress. To me, it's pretty lame to act vaguely and say that you will wait and see how people react, or just glaze over the issue until it subsides. Grow a backbone for once!