On one hand, I really want to like Stephon Marbury, the point guard for the New York Knicks. He's a fun player to watch, and he created a low-cost line of sneakers for kids with his name on it. He wears the shoes in NBA games, so kids think they're cool, and they only cost $15! Sounds like a great guy, right?
But here's where it gets troubling. Talking about the recent Michael Vick dog fighting scandal, in which Vick is set to plead guilty on Monday, Marbury said this:
"I think it's tough. I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what i hear, dog fighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors. I think it's tough that we build Michael Vick up and then we break him down. I think he's one of the superb athletes and he's a good human being. I just think that he fell into a bad situation."
You can also watch it here.
Let's break this down, shall we? First, he compares hunting to dog fighting. I don't have a firm position on hunting, but a guy going after an animal in the woods is nothing like siccing two dogs bred to kill on each other, for your own amusement. Then, he says "from what he hears" it's a sport. I really want to believe he's naive, that he just hasn't put any thought whatsoever to this kind of animal abuse. But that's inexcusable, too. An adult thinks about what he says before he says it, especially what that adult has such a high profile. Next, the "it's behind closed doors" comment. So doing something horrifically cruel is okay, when it's hidden from public view? I guess that's why child abuse is perfectly acceptable, too.
Marbury then implies that the public is gleefully ripping down Vick because he's famous, or in the NFL. The only person who tore down Mike Vick is Mike Vick. The only part Marbury gets right is "build him up" thing. Vick is one of the most overrated, underperforming athletes in all of sports. The guy was 20th in passing last year, but has one of the best selling jerseys in the league.
Perhaps most galling of all, is the last part of Marbury's statement. He says Vick got into a bad situation. He's been doing this since he got into the NFL in 2001 or so. Bad situations don't last for 6 years. Illegal dogfighting rings apparently do.
So I rate Marbury's comment 2 studded collars on the Rating System. It would be zero, if not for the whole tennis shoe thing.
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2 comments:
Idiocy is such a sad handicap.
I don't know if I can even give him credit for the shoe thing- did he really come up with the idea himself?
He forgets that when deer hunting, as opposed to dog fighting, you eventually eat the animal. Perhaps he's under the impression Micheal Vick has also been eating his dogs?
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