The Price of Friendship

"In a way, I feel sorry for him. He had so much talent and so little insight into his own life. He had a great instinct for helping kids and no instinct at all for the true nature of kindness. Most of all, when he landed the big bonus and the big endorsements, he never noticed that the guys with whom he was keeping it real were destroying everything he’d worked so hard to get.

And in the end, when the feds came down on him like a pack of, well, pit bulls, his buddies forgot all about keeping it real and thought only of keeping their own worthless backsides out of jail. Their keen sense of self-interest led them to attach themselves to Vick’s wallet like moray eels. That same sense made it easy for them to turn on him.

But that’s what always comes of buying friendship instead of earning it."

Vick's NFL career is over

If found guilty he should go to jail

First of all, I view Michael Vick as a underachieving quarterback with an attitude. Not a good combination. This is no longer important.

If he is found guilty for doing unspeakable things to animals, he should go face the music. Getting kicked out of the NFL should be the least of his problems.

The "why" is no longer relevant. Maybe he is just a bad person. Vick was given a gift. He has an opportunity to play a sport that he loves AND get paid for it. Who wouldn't like to get paid a livable wage to do something they love?

Sigh.

The meaning of team

I am a huge fan of team sports. Done right, it gives an individual the opportunity to set aside "me" for team. It is amazing how a good coach and a team of peers can help an individual grow a person.

The wheels fall off of the team bus when a "star" is anointed. The star is set up as something special. The rules don't seem to apply to them because of their gift. A times the gift can be a curse. After not having the rules applied to them because they are special, people are stunned to see these men act well "special."

Michael Jordan was iniitially cut from his high school team. He had to WORK to become MJ. The work ethic he learned carried him to several NBA championships.

My parents ALWAYS said that you are judged by the company you keep. Would "his boys" be in Vick's life if he wasn't underwriting their bad behavior? Your friends want nothing from you but your friendship. Your true friends more importantly are willing to have the hard conversations if your behavior or attitude is not cool.

The most valuable lesson Michael Vick can learn from this whole sordid affair is that he needs to grow up and sort out who really are his friends. He may find the room a little less crowded.

Is that so bad?

To hell with his career, it may save his life.

QB career in peril

Michael Vick's career was not exactly setting the world on fire. He is an overpaid, underperforming QB with an attitude.

If he was involved in doing really bad things to these animals, Vick should go to jail for a very long time. A tragic end to a mediocre career.