“It’s really a sad day in this country when somehow Michael Vick would have been better off raping a woman if you look at the outcry of what happened. Had he done that, he probably would have been suspended for four games and he’d be back on the field.”
- Pittsburgh sports reporter Paul Zeise, who took a lot of heat, lost his job, apologized, but whose career (ironically like Vick's) is forever in the dumps because of the above comment.
Zeise's harsh comments and this MSNBC column got me thinking though, would Vick indeed have been better off committing other heinous crimes instead? Hundreds of professional athletes are consistently getting off on a wide variety of criminal charges, including rape and assault. The highest profile one, of course is Kobe Bryant, who has recovered to regain his status as one of the top icons in all of sports. Kobe's No.24 jersey was the top selling NBA jersey of this past 2006-07 season, topping Wade and Lebron.
While every situation is unique and different, media analyst Steve Adubato points out that "Unfortunately, women who are the victims of domestic violence are sometimes not seen as legitimate victims. Dogs have no free will and are brought into this sickening so-called “sport” and trained to kill and ultimately even be killed themselves if their owners no longer see value in them. For some people, the dogs Michael Vick allegedly tortured are seen more bona fide victims than a woman potentially beaten by a professional athlete. Sick but true.
"Let’s face it, many Americans may not have been overly shocked if Vick had been accused of beating up a woman he’s emotionally involved with. Not because it’s not a horrific act, but rather because we in the media, as well as the American public, have become somewhat desensitized to such a story."
There is no doubt that what Vick may have been involved in is definitely wrong. As a high-profile celebrity-athlete, the media circus surrounding Vick is completely understandable and expected. But let us not forget the countless acts of shameless men who have no respect for women.
