On MovieBob's recent video on "The Big Picture," he really gave it to pro athlete Michael Vick. Seriously.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/3032-Maddening
And it really seems like followers of MovieBob have suddenly built this image of Vick as the anti-Christ murderer son of Hitler, solely because of what MovieBob said. As somebody who is equal parts geek and jock, I can say that, if the only information you have about Michael Vick came from MovieBob's video, then you are horribly misinformed. If you are basing your opinion of Vick SOLELY on MovieBob's movie, then you should know that Bob isn't feeding you the whole story at all. With this post, I hope to re-establish the balance of forces, and help my fellow Escapist understand the other side of Vick's controversy.
Bob, as much as I respect you, I must respectfully disagree with you. Strongly.
For starters, many professional athletes have done far worse than Vick -- Stephen Jackson (currently playing for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats) brought a gun to a nightclub and opened fire in the middle of a crowd. He could've killed somebody easily, and he didn't serve 2 years in prison. He was suspended for EIGHT games. EIGHT. That's (literally) 1/10th of a season. For firing a full clip worth of ammo in the middle of a crowd, Jackson had to go for a month without basketball. Vick spent two years in Leavenworth.
Sure, that doesn't excuse what Vick did, but maybe this will. It's obvious that he's genuine about turning his life around -- he's abandoned his old friends (the ones who pressured him towards dogfighting). There's even been a reports of him RUNNING away from old friends who were in cahoots with him during his dogfighting days.
For three years, Vick was in exile. He used to be a cocky punk. Now, he's introverted.
He now actively campaigns against dogfighting, and has made countless speeches for the Humane Society, denouncing his old lifestyle. He spends his days off visiting local schools and condemning dogfighting and animal cruelty in general. I'm not saying he spends SOME of his vacation days doing this. I'm saying he spends the *overwhelming majority* of his free time doing this.
Don't get it twisted, though. I have two dogs myself; I love them both. I took a sledgehammer to my dad's car in protest when he wanted to get an electric fence. I love dogs with a passion. And I wasn't always a fan of Vick either. In fact, I used to hate Vick, even before the dog-fighting scandals. Now, after the time he has spent in jail, he's my favorite player in football because of the way he has changed as a person.
Sure, he's still wealthy. But think about this: He used to have a contract worth $100 million. He now earns $5 million a year, which is only a little bit more than, say, a neurosurgeon makes in America. So, yes, he's still filthy rich, but he only earns 5% of what he used to. And, for somebody in professional sports, Vick is earning a very modest living. Seriously. A *very* modest living.
Think about that. He literally runs away from his old friends like they're the plague. He has re-invented himself from a hated athlete into a redeemed humanitarian.
So there. That's my take on it. I'm not trying to tell you that Vick DESERVES your respect, or that he DESERVES to be on the cover of a video-game, or whatever. I'm trying to tell you that, through a combination of humiliation, rehabilitation, and hard work, the man has truly changed, and maybe some of the criticism and hatred you have for him is a little unfair.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/3032-Maddening
And it really seems like followers of MovieBob have suddenly built this image of Vick as the anti-Christ murderer son of Hitler, solely because of what MovieBob said. As somebody who is equal parts geek and jock, I can say that, if the only information you have about Michael Vick came from MovieBob's video, then you are horribly misinformed. If you are basing your opinion of Vick SOLELY on MovieBob's movie, then you should know that Bob isn't feeding you the whole story at all. With this post, I hope to re-establish the balance of forces, and help my fellow Escapist understand the other side of Vick's controversy.
Bob, as much as I respect you, I must respectfully disagree with you. Strongly.
For starters, many professional athletes have done far worse than Vick -- Stephen Jackson (currently playing for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats) brought a gun to a nightclub and opened fire in the middle of a crowd. He could've killed somebody easily, and he didn't serve 2 years in prison. He was suspended for EIGHT games. EIGHT. That's (literally) 1/10th of a season. For firing a full clip worth of ammo in the middle of a crowd, Jackson had to go for a month without basketball. Vick spent two years in Leavenworth.
Sure, that doesn't excuse what Vick did, but maybe this will. It's obvious that he's genuine about turning his life around -- he's abandoned his old friends (the ones who pressured him towards dogfighting). There's even been a reports of him RUNNING away from old friends who were in cahoots with him during his dogfighting days.
For three years, Vick was in exile. He used to be a cocky punk. Now, he's introverted.
He now actively campaigns against dogfighting, and has made countless speeches for the Humane Society, denouncing his old lifestyle. He spends his days off visiting local schools and condemning dogfighting and animal cruelty in general. I'm not saying he spends SOME of his vacation days doing this. I'm saying he spends the *overwhelming majority* of his free time doing this.
Don't get it twisted, though. I have two dogs myself; I love them both. I took a sledgehammer to my dad's car in protest when he wanted to get an electric fence. I love dogs with a passion. And I wasn't always a fan of Vick either. In fact, I used to hate Vick, even before the dog-fighting scandals. Now, after the time he has spent in jail, he's my favorite player in football because of the way he has changed as a person.
Sure, he's still wealthy. But think about this: He used to have a contract worth $100 million. He now earns $5 million a year, which is only a little bit more than, say, a neurosurgeon makes in America. So, yes, he's still filthy rich, but he only earns 5% of what he used to. And, for somebody in professional sports, Vick is earning a very modest living. Seriously. A *very* modest living.
Think about that. He literally runs away from his old friends like they're the plague. He has re-invented himself from a hated athlete into a redeemed humanitarian.
So there. That's my take on it. I'm not trying to tell you that Vick DESERVES your respect, or that he DESERVES to be on the cover of a video-game, or whatever. I'm trying to tell you that, through a combination of humiliation, rehabilitation, and hard work, the man has truly changed, and maybe some of the criticism and hatred you have for him is a little unfair.
