Mike Vick: Can he live?

"I reside in VA, ride in VA
Most likely when I die, I'm gon' die in VA
Virginia's for lovers, but trust there's hate here...

Ironic, the same place I'm makin' figures at
That there's the same land they used to hang niggas at...in Virginia"

- The Clipse “Virginia”

For some reason, the Mike Vick story has really stirred something in me. Never expected to have as much emotion --or defense--for ole Ron Mexico! As previous posts show, he's one of my favorite f'ups to discuss. I mean, who has better stories than Ron? Stolen watches, herpes, water bottles with hidden compartments and now dogfighting! This guy has proven to be a piece of work. Before now, I had little to no sympathy for him. I admired his talent and accomplishments, but found him comical.

But, something has changed. I am now intrigued, saddened and concerned for Mike. Maybe it's our similarities? We were both born and raised in Virginia. Though our hometowns are seemingly worlds apart, I'm sure that's part of it. We're kinfolk...kinda. I know and understand growing up with an addicted and absent father. After years of bouncing in and out of prison, my own father died of a heroin overdose. I was 16. For the record, Mr. Bodie claims to have been there...but I believe Vick and his moms on that one!

Back to the point, I remember how those things changed me...and not for the best. When you don't have needed support at home, you turn to anyone or anything that will cure that feeling. Thankfully, my issues were minor speed bumps in my life. But, I fully understand how those feelings can have a stronger effect on different people. I've witnessed that with my own brother, who struggled to stay on the right path. So, I guess, I always thought Mike was like many fatherless men I know...immature because he lacked proper home training...which is whose fault?

The point is; I understand Mike. This dog-fighting thing is just an extension of previous behaviors. The details of the case were horrible and I will not dare defend his crimes. He knowingly committed them and should face punishment. But, I don't understand the hate and anger some Americans have dished at him. If I didn't know better, I'd swear people were describing Wayne Williams, the infamous Atlanta Child Killer. Scum of the Earth? Sadistic and mentally insane? Get out of here!

In the WP, John Feinstein wrote an article saying Vick should never play football again. Here's an excerpt:

...But Vick going behind bars doesn't mean he or his story are going away. Even with his plea eliminating the "he's innocent until proven guilty" argument, there will still going to be plenty of people who argue that Vick really isn't a bad guy or that he was set up by prosecutors or they will use the ever-popular cliché: "He made a mistake and deserves another chance."

Does Vick deserve another chance to go on with his life once he has served his jail time? Yes. But not as a professional football player.

There are certain crimes that people commit that make it impossible for them to return to society in certain jobs. If you commit a crime against a child, chances are pretty good you won't be allowed to teach children in the future. If you are seriously involved in drugs you probably shouldn't apply for a job as an airline pilot after your jail time is up. It isn't an absolute, but anyone who has committed a felony will probably find gaining admission to most law schools difficult.

Vick's crime is both brutal and cruel. Other than beating up a woman or a child, killing dogs for sport or entertainment is about as cowardly an act as exists. Those who make the weak "how is it different from hunting?" argument miss the point. I'm no hunter (never held a gun in my life and think the second amendment should be abolished) but there are legitimate reasons why hunting is legal in some places, some of the time. It is heartbreaking when dogs or cats are euthanized legally but at least their deaths are painless and do not take place to give sick people their jollies.

Vick and his friends are sick. Even if Vick can convince people he's truly sorry for what he did -- and it says here the only thing he'll ever be sorry for is getting caught -- that doesn't mean he should be allowed to play in the National Football League again.

If you play in the NFL, you are, by definition, viewed by a lot of people as a hero...Mike Flynn said, describing what it was like to walk onto the field in street clothes because of an injury as opposed to running onto the field in uniform during player introductions: "You go out there in street clothes, you're just another guy. You run through that tunnel in uniform, you feel like you're a God."

Michael Vick doesn't deserve to ever feel that way again. If he wants to go back to Virginia Tech and finish his degree, that's fine. There are plenty of jobs he can get when he's done his jail time. But football shouldn't be one of them.

Forget the money. He's forfeited his right to be a hero, to hear those cheers anymore.

If someone participates in, or even attends, a dog-fighting match, I am willing to bet he's not a member of PETA and has little to no concern for the life of a dog. For whatever reason (e.g., southern upbringing, ignorant, childish), he does not value dogs. In the same way, I do not value fleas, spiders, rats, roaches, ants and the like. Say what you will--and I'm NOT advocating dog-fighting or breaking the law--but that's a valid argument! We have varying levels of respect for animals and one man's lack of respect for dogs cannot be called insane. Not without additional evidence to prove that. Mike may be immature, but I don't think he's insane or crazy.

These dogs battle it out and often die DURING the match or are so injured they must be put down. So I find it hard to make killing a dog a worse act than viewing a dog fight. I won't pretend to understand why anyone would enjoy a dog-fight, but I've known people who have. I always figured it was fairly similar to enjoying a boxing match or...gasp...a brutal football game! This I know for sure; it is not unheard of in the south. Mike's participation is related to the company he kept and the prevalence of dog-fighting in our country. He is not alone in that world and while we may not condone or understand it, death and injury are part of it. Now that he's pled, animal rights activists are calling for the dogs to be put down--as they do with THOUSANDS of animals. Feinstein says euthanizing, when done legally, is less brutal. Dead is dead. Which reminds me of an interesting and slightly off topic point; we legally electrocute and suffocate humans in many states.

But, Feinstein and many others are calling for an end to the man's life because he fought dogs. What I don't understand is; how does that help anyone? What does taking away a man's right to earn a living--using PURE God-given talent--do to better society? He pled guilty and should serve whatever sentence he's given. However, the public interest should stop there in my opinion. What else does he owe US? Nothing. And the notion that he has lost his "right" to be a hero is silly! What hero, besides the fictional kind, was/is perfect? Every hero of mine, from Martin to Malcolm, had well-documented flaws and imperfections. Even heroes are HUMAN.

Rightfully so, his employer will impose a punishment. So long as it's not done to make an example of him (a la Pacman) and follows standard procedure, I think that's fair. But, I do take issue with us outsiders calling for the man's ban. Again, I ask why? What is it, inside of us, that makes us feel good to see another man's life OVER? Insecurity? Jealousy? I don't know, but I know I am sickened by comments like the above. Everyone DOES deserve a second chance, if not we'd all be up the creek.

"Happy to be escapin poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation for dips
...Can I live?"

- Jay-z "Can I Live"

More Evidence of Southern Hospitality

So I came across an article, in the AJC, regarding the growing Hispanic population in Gwinnett County (an Atlanta suburb.) A sick hobby of mine is browsing http://www.ajc.com/ and reading the reader comments...especially the "Vent" section. It's pure comedy for a moderately-liberal-Black-yankee like me ;) I sometimes get caught up and write these long rants. Today is one of those days, the comments turned to how this is the second time moving was necessary...the first being when "the Blacks" came. Here's my rant:

Interesting comments. Can't say that I'm surprised by any of it. Yes, I'm a "Yankee" who chose to live here. But, I remain surprised at the level of bigotry and ignorance some of you have.

I grew up in a majority white--but fairly diverse--surburb outside DC. I knew several Black families that owned--and maintained--nice homes. When I lived in Maryland, my child attended a private school which was nearly 100% Black. Parents were very involved and the students tested well and were good kids.

Reading these comments leads you to believe these things aren't possible. But, I know several Blacks, in and out of Atlanta, that tell me differently. I AM one of those Black people and find your comments highly offensive! Is it that you haven't left your front stoop? Or are you that blind?

White folks did not invent morality or "goodness." Let's hypothetically agree that Blacks/Hispanics/Others are somehow morally corrupt or less than Whites. Well how do you, as good ole Christian boys, explain that? Did God somehow corrupt an entire race of people? I mean you claim Blacks do most of the violent crimes (more on that later) and that we are stupid and low level, so how do you explain that? How do you explain Blacks who don't fit those stereotypes? I will agree Blacks are disproportionately represented in our prison systems and that we are falling behind in many categories like education and income. It's not crazy to expect that poverty leads to crime. No matter the race, that is the truth. You can go to the trailer parks of Wisconsin and find a higher crime rate than other areas in the same town. It's the same with Atlanta and America overall. Poverty leads to crime.

I love how nonchalantly a few of you write off slavery. It's time to get over it? What am I getting over?The fact that I am a CREATED race? Remember the story of how your ___ immigrated to America? Doesn't that give you pride? When learning the story of MY heritage, I didn't exactly feel pride. As a child, that's a lot to wrap your head around. I asked myself, what can I take pride in? Thankfully, my mother, education and maturity taught me to value that history and I allowed it to empower me. But that's a tall order and we're dealing with generational issues of low self-image and feeling very un-empowered.

Slavery forced Africans to let go of their history, family, language, religions and culture. In one fail swoop, my heritage was wiped away and there was no turning back. There was no way to solve the damage done and now we must all deal with it. How are we going to deal with it? As this article shows, minorities are not going anywhere. Where will you run to? The moon?

Names were replaced and chains (tangible and not) were placed on us. After slavery, there were over 100 years of legalized chains which prevented Blacks from having equal rights. Take any group, ANY GROUP, from its home, force a new EVERYTHING on them, enslave them for hundreds of years and what can you expect when you release them? Especially when society continues to say they are less and expects less from them? Those Africans didn't have $20 in their pockets or the freedom to start anything. They were prohibited from READING! And this was less than 100 years ago! Yet, their descendants should somehow measure equally to Whites? And slavery doesn't hold any weight today? Give me a break!! Slavery is alive in kicking in ALL of us. As witnessed by you pompous folks who think you are too good to be around minorities and see all in one way.

RE: Crime Stats. I will not deny that Blacks are disproportionately represented in the prison system. As I said, poverty can do that. However, you should be more careful with your sweeping allegations and how you word things. Studies have shown minorities and/or those with older vehicles have much higher pull, arrest, and conviction rates. Cops, whether on purpose or not, see "suspect" with certain people more than others. That does NOT mean certain groups COMMIT crimes more than others. Also, and maybe this comes from living in GA, but you need to remember Blacks are only 12% of this country! And some areas have little to none. It's not even possible to blame Blacks for committing MOST crimes. Check out what the FEDERAL GOV has to say about it http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus/current/cv0540.pdf.

Also it's important to note that most crimes are not interracial. Again check out the FED's stats, MOST crimes committed against you are done by your own http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus/current/cv0542.pdf

Your fear and white flight are mostly unfounded. Yes, Blacks are ARRESTED and CONVICTED at higher rates for some violent crimes. But it is impossible to say we commit more. How can you quantify that? Rape is the most common violent crime. It is also mostly unreported. Based on the demographics of this country, I'm all but certain your assumptions are incorrect. But this is a silly game and we shouldn't even go there...why should we have to prove ourselves? Can we not get acceptance based on being human? Or are we still stuck in slavery? It's either one or the other.

The real issues are poverty and education. Until everyone has access to good schools and a decent quality of life, we will have citizens (of every color) who are more likely to commit crime, use drugs and become disconnected from their communities. How can you expect people to care about YOUR community? You make it so clear that they are beneath you and that this is somehow your pristine territory, so again where's the motivation to change their "ghetto ways" or whatever you call them? It's time to realize we live in ONE community.

Pacman, Pacman, Pacman

Oh Adam why? Why did you have $80,000, in ones, at the Vegas strip club? Why do you look like you smoke an ounce a day? Why have you behaved in such an ignorant and embarrassing way? First it was Ron Mexico and now this!

I caught bits of Pacman Jones' interview with my favorite bama (Deion Sanders). Interesting stuff indeed! First off, why did Deion look like the Burgundy Bandit? *sigh* he hasn't a clue. But, seriously, the interview was actually very entertaining. I cannot say that I believe Pacman has learned anything but why would I? Why would anyone believe that? Why would anyone expect these athletes to be saints?

A little background for those who are oblivious to what I'm talking about…NFL/NBA ballers can't stay out of trouble! Most recently, two guys, with Atlanta ties, have received a lot of local (Atlanta) and national attention. The biggest story involves Pacman Jones, an Atlanta native and current NFL player for the Titans. He was allegedly involved in 10 criminal incidents over the past two years. He is now facing a stiff penalty with many calling for indefinite suspension. Then there is Michael Vick, the starting QB for the Atlanta Falcons. He has had a few brushes with the law himself! After his water-bottle incident, people were calling him a "thug" and saying he should be suspended

Our society has set them up on a pedestal and allows them to get by in too many ways. Given that our society overlooks things like school performance and violations, in favor of having the players play, how can we expect good behavior? This question is especially valid when we consider many players come from less than perfect circumstances (broken homes, crime-ridden neighborhoods, poor families, etc.).

If you take an immature teen/young man, who has never had money (and/or much stability), give him millions and treat him like he's above everyone else, how can we balk when they do stupid things like bring a trash bag full of $80k to a strip club or sneak marijuana on a plane?

I think the leagues have done a poor job in mentoring and getting players acclimated to this new lifestyle. I am reminded of how the NBA changed its rules and now requires players to wear suits to games. The commissioner was concerned the league was developing the wrong image (too much hip-hop/urban influence.) That may sound good to some. But, in my mind, he was barking up the wrong tree. What the players wear makes little difference when they are acting like hooligans.

It's time we stop treating players like they are above everyone else AND for the leagues to take more responsibility for these young men. Yes, it is ultimately up to the players to behave. But, a normal employer runs criminal background checks and consults references. If the NBA/NFL wants to hire troubled youth or those with limited exposure to civility or wealth, it becomes their responsibility to help these players….especially if they/we EXPECT them to behave!

Marta is NOT Smarter (Only in Atlanta #3)

So I was compelled to respond to the AJC's article on Marta's "cold snap." I doubt it will see the light of day. For starters, the AJC only accepts letters shorter than 150 words! Second, my letter is a little late and I'm sure they have moved on...But, it seemed to help ME. You know how they say one should write a letter to their abuser? It's meant to allow the abused to release the emotions and move on. So I guess, this was my release....

Paul Donsky's "Marta runs late in cold snap" almost led to my head exploding. As a newcomer, I was certain the rumors of cold weather shutting down trains were just rumors. After experiencing three breakdowns, in one very cold week, I started to wonder if the rumors were true. Thanks to this article, I am left with even more confusion. The article placement and ludicrous MARTA defense seem to imply this is an unimportant issue. I am appalled at the level of “customer service” MARTA provides and I blame the media and complacent passengers for the problem. When both customers and the news treat these issues as normal, where is the motivation for change?

My family and I recently left the Washington, DC area behind. With DC being my hometown, public transportation is not just a good idea, it is the best idea. When I first moved, catching the train, and avoiding the hideous "Spaghetti Junction", seemed like the natural choice. As a wife and mother of two, my commute is the only time I have to myself. During this time, I collect my thoughts and spend a few moments away from meal plans and checking homework. The idea of giving up my peace, in order to curse every idiot on I-285, scares me. The fact that I can save time and/or money, by riding MARTA, is simply icing on the cake. So, I am a faithful, yet frustrated, MARTA customer. Every day, I spend two hours riding the train back and forth to Dunwoody.

As stated, I have heard many horror stories about MARTA. Co-workers have missed flights and appointments. Friends have gotten lost and found no one to assist them. But, the funniest warnings related to the weather. "Be sure to drive when it gets too cold or hot," one friend said. Being that I arrived during a record breaking summer, I wondered how bad it had to get. I also wondered how any of this could be true. Certainly, other cities have worse weather and subsequently more weather delays right?

Well according to MARTA officials, the winter air in Atlanta is more humid than colder cities. This did not sit well with me. I surely remember Washington being a humid city and the underground stations were always twice as humid. It seems the National Climatic Data Center agrees. A quick trip to their website confirmed Washington, Chicago and Atlanta have similar relative humidity during the winter months. Washington has more humidity in the summer, followed by Atlanta. However, Chicago is not far behind. Yet Washington, Chicago, and cities around the country, manage to operate train systems without constant delays from the weather and other random scapegoats.

Knowing there is more to the story should make me feel better. But, when I remember being dumped into the cold and wet pre-dawn morning, I cannot feel anything but angrier. When you add in the ten minute wait with hundreds of late and incensed passengers behind me, and the very same thing happening on my northbound train, you would understand why I am fuming.

MARTA is not relatively expensive, but it is not cheap either. For nearly four dollars a day, I should have some level of comfort with the system. I should be able to trust that I will get to work on time and in one piece. Absurd weather delays and the much talked about security issues should never cross my mind. How someone can silently take this abuse for years is beyond me. If you wait for more than five minutes it is a delay where I'm from, yet Atlantans accept 10 minutes as a customary rush hour wait and deal with waits of twenty minutes or more!

Regardless of how things seem, the customers and constituents have the power. Instead of debating toll roads and HOV lanes, our legislature should find a way to make MARTA smarter. MARTA is the largest public transportation system without state funding. All the while, Washington’s WMATA receives funding from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Both Washington and Chicago receive hefty federal funding as well. MARTA needs to increase its staff dramatically. More train operators, station assistants, police and engineers are needed to make the system user friendly, efficient and safe. Instead of creating temporary allowances for a $100 million Breeze system, legislators should force MARTA to actually improve the infrastructure as the law demands. Citizens should demand change and question why the state is so bent on toll lanes instead of public transportation. If done correctly, it will work wonders for traffic. Trust me I know.

Only in Atlanta #2 (Marta edition)

...Marta trains break down because it's cold. Marta is NOT smarter!

To be fair, I'll add a few nice comments

....male passengers give up their seats for young women like me ;)

....men carry scared children down escalators because their mom, a stranger, is busy carrying the baby sister (I witnessed this yesterday!)

...the stranger sitting next to you will ask how your day went or tell you all about theirs. On the metro, in DC, someone would have moved seats and called you crazy!

If you're moving to Atlanta (or anywhere really)

I wrote this in response to a post on AOL Blackvoices and thought I'd add it to my site. The poster asked "where are the best areas in Atlanta?" After several posts that seemed to limit the city to a handful of neighborhoods I wrote:

I think it's important to define, for yourself (and family if applicable), what "best" means. Do you need 100% of the kids exceeding standards? Do you want social and ethnic diversity? Are you willing to drive X number of miles to work, church or to shop? Would you like neighbors who are friendly and interested in getting to know you? What do you need to feel safe? What can you afford? I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the point! It's very easy to define an area based on surface level things like test scores or how the residents look. But, I believe so much more should go into these decisions.

We recently moved here from the DC area. I attended school in Northern Virginia and my county's system was considered THE best in the nation. My mother moved there, from DC, because of the school system. So it's ingrained in me to think those numbers are a big deal. However, I was one of few (and in some cases the only) Black kids in my classes. I struggled with my identity b/c the non-Black kids thought I was the stereotypes they see on TV. My mom had to put in double duty to expose me to things relevant to my culture and history. My husband grew up in NC. His neighborhood was a middle-class majority Black neighborhood. His school was split down the middle (50% Black/White).

While ALL of the highschools, in my county, were listed in the top 200 (Newsweek HS ranks), his HS landed at 740 a few years back. But he is a very bright man and all of his friends are college educated and doing well for themselves. They all have a definitive confidence in who they are and their apparently "average" or in my eyes "poor" school system didn't hurt them. It's important to check into school test scores. But don't write an area off without analyzing the situation. If 75% of the kids meet standards at school A and 85% do at school B, what does that REALLY mean? It doesn't mean the first is a bad school! We're only talking about a 10% difference, and the schools have unique student bodies and number of students which affect those stats. Most teachers want to teach and most students want to learn. You will have issues at any school. It's up to you to determine which kind you can take and what may/may not hurt your child. But, perfection is not possible and it's dangerous to get too hung up on those numbers. You have to look at the overall picture. I wouldn't jump at the chance to live in Clayton County for various reasons. But I wouldn't assume North Atlanta or Gwinnett are the only good options either!!!

When planning to move here, we had many a debate on what we wanted for ourselves and our children. Above all, we wanted freedom to be ourselves. Several visits and conversations later, we realized some of the "good" counties/areas would not afford us that luxury. Some are full of lifetime GA residents who resent the influx of Black folks. Others have transplants that are overly focused on status and themselves. We wanted a place where we would see folks who look like us. It didn't have to be 100% Black, but we never wanted to be the only/token in the grocery store or at the school. We also wanted them to have exposure to other ethnicities and people who aren't living at the same level (socially/financially) as we are. For us, these things are important in order to build socially aware and connected children.

We went with an area in east Atlanta that is near the perimeter. When mentioning where we live, we get occasional looks from the bourgeois who have determined these areas, and the people who live there, to be unworthy and disposable. However, I love where we live. It is both ethnically and socially diverse. Our neighborhood is safe and my children are happy. The stores and restaurants reflect our tastes and not the mass produced stuff that corporate America sells us. But, when needed, I still have Wal-mart, Target and Applebees just around the corner. So I wrote this novel to say, there are no good/bad areas. It's depends on what you're looking for. There are great neighborhoods throughout Atlanta.

Race Rants #1

For my first issue of Race Rants, I have to call out these Georgians! Now, don't get me wrong, I love Atlanta. I would not have moved here if I didn't. But, that doesn't stop me from being surprised by some of the mess Georgians focus on. It's quite racist and ass-backwards down here. I hear so much about Yankees and how they have "ruined" the city. Well, I for one am THANKFUL for the Yankees. Heaven only knows what Atlanta would be without them!

For those who don't know, the modern day KKK was founded in Stone Mountain, GA, which is a suburb of Atlanta. On any given day, you can drive down any ATL highway and see several cars draped in confederate flags. And yes, they are draped! It seems one flag is not enough. To make SURE we get the point, these hillbillies place SEVERAL flags on their cars. They come in the form of bumper stickers, license plates, waving flags, and pictures taped to windows. If you didn't know better, you would think the civil war is happening right now....perhaps "they" have confused the influx of Blacks (into "their" suburbs) with a new fangled civil war?

These folks are downright crazy with hate for others. Recent news reports have shown everything from pointless declarations of an official language, to efforts asking us to “take back Georgia” by doing things such as; making it a crime to rent to illegals and limiting who a HOMEOWNER can have in their home. While I’ll admit to believing in immigration reform and doing “something” about the issue, I prefer a humanistic approach that will benefit all and not hurt the children. In my humble opinion, most of this stuff stems from shear hatred!

Yet, I was STILL in shock over this story. A high school, in Gainesville, GA, had to remove a flag display honoring diversity. Somehow, this school managed to enroll a diverse student body (most Georgia schools are limited.) To honor that, they placed flags, from all over the world, in front of the school. Officials thought it a wonderful way to pay homage to their students’ beginnings and to spark intelligent conversation for the kids. But, some Georgians didn’t agree. A few thought the American flag was too small and should be taller and much bigger than the others. Some thought this a bad idea because, this IS America. The school was forced to bring the display inside. I think they are all racist pigs!

Random thoughts for the day....

So here's a few random things I need to get out....

Only in Atlanta:

Multi-colored weaves are NOT cute. In Atlanta, the trend seems to be "find the most colors and blend". But that's NOT the business!

Old women/men, with grills, is NOT the business either! I can't tell you how many 40+ folks I see rocking grills and gold teeth. And why must anyone with a grill/gold teeth insist on cheesing or holding their mouth open. It looks SILLY and oh so ignorant!

I understand that Southerners are content being themselves. I appreciate coming to work and not feeling the need to be someone else or talk like someone I'm not. I LOVE that about the South. But...must we be SO, for lack of a better word, ghetto? The things I see on Marta would blow your mind. In fact, I think I've started a new section. Check me out for more "Only in Atlanta" commentary.

Entertainment:

Eddie Murphy is not gay. I too, believed this and perhaps it is true. But, for now, I think he's just a feminine dude. I have a lot of respect for Tracy Edmunds and she seems sensible. So, unless she's being paid, I've changed my mind.

R. Kelly needs a trial. I've been waiting for years! Now, he's doing songs with Ciara and Bow-wow....leave the kids ALONE Kells.

Tru-life is a funny guy!

Oh, no Mike didn't!

Oh, no Michael Vick didn’t escape another one! I swear; Ron Mexico is the master. I mean who gets away with hiding an STD behind the name Ron Mexico?! And now, he has somehow managed to turn weed found in a hidden compartment into…basil or something that isn’t worthy of a criminal charges. Last week, we heard the odor was “pungent” and it seemed all but definite that ole Ron had done the stupidest thing ever. We all thought “Damn Vick, was it that good?” when we heard the news. Or at least, I did! I mean, what multi-millionaire thinks so highly of his stash that he has to smuggle it in a post-9/11 airport?! The fool could have bought POUNDS of the good stuff in any state. He DEFINITELY could have copped something in Miami…I mean isn’t his brother there?! Or what about Ricky Williams, I know he has some connects!

After the drama unfolded, pundits and soccer moms called for his dismissal. He was determined to be an overpaid and underworked Negro who was a poor example to our children. And you know we can’t have that! Well, it appears Ron has the best legal team in the country because these allegations are all but ghost now. I’m just waiting for Ron to slice up two people and drive down 285 in a White Bronco. But he better watch out, because I’m hearing trade rumors and the Falcon’s response (see below) seems to say they’ve had enough of Mr. Mexico…

From January 22, 2007 Falcons’ press release:

"We are pleased to learn of the outcome of the investigation," Falcons vice president of football communications Reggie Roberts said. "This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting this matter behind us."

Get the whole story here: http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=90891&provider=top