The Write Way

Enough Already!

So I wasn't going to comment on the whole Michael Vick thing as I think it has been way over done. But hey, I just can't help myself.

First, let me way that I am very disappointed in Vick and what he did was absolutely wrong. Having said that, I have to admit that I'm little amazed by the outpouring for these animals. While I believe that animals are God's creatures and harming them in the way that Vick did means you may have some serious demons to deal with, but I can't say that I remember the same outpouring when an athlete has done harm to a human being.

Kobe Bryant was accused of rape, get that, rape. During the trial and all of the drama surrounding it, Bryant would fly back and forth to court on a Laker plane and never missed a game.

Jason Kidd hit his wife in the mouth, allegedly because she objected to him eating one of their son's fries, and not once, did he miss play.

Many have been arrested for drunk driving, turning tons of steel into a deadly weapon, but they play anyway.

Now some may say hey, Bryant had a right to play until he had his day in court.  But Vick didn't get that chance. He was suspended immediately and tried and convicted before he ever rendered that guilty plea. And then there are those who say he should never be allowed to play again. Give me a break. Whatever happened to doing your time and then having the chance to redeem yourself and become a part of society?They allow convicted felons, child molesters, murders, you name it, to work. Sure, I don't think he should be allowed to be a manager in a pet store, but not play football? I don't know if I can go along with that.

He's pleaded guilty, he'll be sentenced and punished. After that, let the man move on with his life, what more do we want from him? Football is all he knows and like many athletes, I am sure he was given a pass on a lot of things he may have done wrong because he was good on the field. And now, because many of us believe he's taken his privilege too far, we want to strip him of it all. In my city a coach just recently suspended eight players for leaving campus more than once even when they were told not to, during the school day.

They didn't get to play in the season opener. Some parents thought the punishment was too harsh. I disagree. If we don't start holding them accountable for their actions now, then later, when we think they should know better, we want to impose rules that they've never had to follow - talk about a double standard. Say what you will, Vick was an awesome football player and no matter what the league does, no matter what anyone may think of him now, there's no taking that away from him.

Equal Pay for Equal Work

A story I heard last week left me so mystified I found myself checking the calendar. I wanted to make sure this was really the 21st century and the year was really 2007. It was hard to tell from the story I read.

The article came from the sports pages oddly enough and it had to do with Wimbledon and the pay received for men and women. Just last week, the classy folks at Wimbledon finally decided to give the same amount of prize money to the women's and men's champion.

Gee and it only took them, what, 30+ years?

According to several news reports, Wimbledon blazed the trail for Open tennis in 1968 and began the practice of paying women less money from the very beginning. Sure, over the years the gap between the genders has narrowed but get real, why was there a gap in the first place?

Three-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams said it best, "I am disappointed that the home of tennis is sending a message to women across the world that we are inferior," Williams said. Amen to that!

And so after stinging words from Williams and heavy lobbying from Tennis legends like Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, along with British politicians who voiced their concerns about the practice, Wimbledon finally caved in.

It's ridiculous that in 2007 it takes lobbying, pressure and well, down right embarrassment to get an establishment like Wimbledon to treat men and women equally. Wimbledon should have been a leader in such a forum. And Venus is right, the message you send is that women aren't as important, that their contribution to the sport is somehow worth less than a man's. How do you think that makes young girls feel - girls who are already grappling with self-image and self-esteem issues?

It isn't just about the prize money. Unequal pay is like saying as a woman, you just aren't as valued or needed. Believe me, there are a lot of tasks that would go undone were it not for women. Besides, how can you justify paying a woman less to do the exact same thing the man making more is doing. I mean, do they swing the racket differently or something?

I hope that women and men will read one of the many articles written about the Wimbledon equalized pay issue to their daughters, nieces and granddaughters. I hope they will explain the deeper meaning. It shows that even in 2007, when we've come so far, we still have a very long way to go, and while I am happy for the progress, as a woman, it still makes me sad. 

Football as a History Lesson

As most of you know, I normally update my blog once on Mondays. But this week there was just too much to say! So, you get two blogs this week. I just couldn't resist!

As an African American, I am beaming with pride. After 41 Super Bowls, a black head coach takes home football's greatest prize. Coach Tony Dungy was truly exceptional last night as he talked about his faith and how the win was not only an achievement for his race, but for his faith - two black head coaches who were also Christians, showing the world that you can be successful without all of the yelling, screaming or profanity. And while Coach Smith wasn't victorious, he too has much to celebrate. His part in the history of Super Bowl XLI (41) can't be denied.

Even with all of that, there's still one more reason last night's game meant so much to me. As a graduate of a Historically Black College (HCBU), I love it when HCBUs are highlighted and last night, my alma mater's band, Florida A&M University's Marching 100, took center stage, performing with Prince.

Last night was so much more than a game for me. It was a testament to how much we have achieved as African Americans and how far we've come. A few years ago, black head coaches were unheard of in the NFL. During a month that recognizes the achievements of African Americans, how could I not stop and comment? My children watched last night's game, not just because they like football, but because it was monumental - a history lesson in a football game, who would have guessed it?

Like many young African American boys, my son dreams of being a football player (he thinks he can just go from college to any NFL team he chooses, he's only six). But I am working to expand that dream, I want him to know he can do it all, there are still many barriers to breakdown - I'd say my son's name, C. Thompson, NFL Commissioner has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Football and the President of the United States

Over the weekend, Senator Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy for president. True, while she isn't the first woman to run for this office, she is the first woman to have a better than 50/50 shot at winning. But then, with Americans furious at our current administration for the bloody and divisive war we find ourselves in, any candidate the Democrats come up with has a better than 50/50 chance.

But politics is a fickle business and public opinion can change more often than the host of an awards show changes clothes. And the larger question still remains - is the country ready for a female president? Or what about an African American president? Without a doubt the media darling of the moment for the race for the White House is Illinois senator Barack Obama. And although he currently trails Senator Clinton in the polls of public opinion, he has opposed the war from the start and he seems to win the hearts of many every time he speaks.

I for one, would vote for either of them. Not just because I'm African American and female, but because I believe diversity in the office is sorely lacking. It bothers me that in more than 200 years of presidents, not one has ever been female or a minority. How is that possible? True, past presidents have diversified their cabinets and appointments and that is a step in the right direction, but when are we going to really practice what we preach?

To me, America can only truly tout that we are the land of the free and home of the brave, embracers of diversity and founders of the American dream, when we break this barrier. True proof, would be to allow a woman or minority to be our Commander-and-Chief, balance our budgets, find health care reform, relief from rising insurance rates and all the rest of it. What are we afraid of? Surely they can't do any worse than those who have been trying to get it right for decades.  I look forward to the 2008 race and I'm excited about casting my vote, especially if Barack or Hillary are on the ballot. It would be a chance to participate in making history.

And speaking of history I just can't end without telling you how honored I am to have had the chance to witness history, with not one but two Black coaches taking their teams to the Superbowl. In a sport that just a few years ago had very few Black head coaches, two of them are about to face-off in football's greatest race.  I for one plan to watch every moment of it. Even if you're not a football fan, this one, much like the 2008 presidential race, is worth watching.

- This blog is updated every Monday. Your comments to author Karin Davis-Thompson are always welcomed, just click on the comments link below.