Rant

"It's this stuff, this gangsta stuff, the gangs getting into the sports that made me turn away from the NBA. I'm close to doing that now with the NFL." - a caller on Mike and the Mad Dog


"Man, I never see white motherfuckers doing shit like this. These niggas don't know how to handle their money..." - A Hispanic, former semi-pro football player who's a truck driver



Sometimes you wonder what makes people do things. Some guys have the world at their feet, they got life made in the shade, and yet... they still push. I'm not talking about pushing in a good way, either- some men can never be too successful, and will burn with a passion for power or money forever (though I'm not like that, I can understand where it comes from). No, what I'm talking about is the fellas who get so successful that they think they can't be touched, be it by man, law, or God. We've seen it all over in history- Louis XIV, Al Capone, Whitey Bulger, Sharpe James... all men who never knew where to draw the line. They amass so much money and fame that they believe that there is never a true threat to their lives, and that there is no way I, I, could end up in jail.

You might already know where I'm going with this. Michael Vick was indicted this week for having dog fights on his property. Well, he's from the ghetto of Newport News, so I can't judge him for this because there are countries where it isn't looked down on, similar to the way Mexicans dig cockfighting. I could care less about cockfights, but I have a big soft spot for dogs, being as I have two. Of course, some folks probably have that for roosters, and fur does not make one animal more worthy to live than another. That being said, I could not watch a dog fight, and I am glad it's illegal.

What bothers me is what Vick did with the dogs that lost. "At the end of the fight," court documents say, "the losing dog was sometimes put to death by drowning, strangulation, hanging, gun shot, electrocution or some other method."

Hey Mike... you fucking kidding? In the first place, you're a cretin for doing this to these dogs. Dogs are long past the evolutionary point where fighting is a day to day thing, and some of them had to be starved to get them to fight more viciously. Secondly, how the hell can you kill an animal that is so bound to humans in so many ways so easily?

I used to play football. It is unlike any sport because of two reasons: the absolute violence of the game, and the extreme team nature (boxing is as violent, but there are only two men in the ring, making football unique). When you step on that field, it is a field of battle where not paying attention, not watching your buddy's ass, can get both one or both or you seriously hurt. You depend on the character of the guy behind you, in front of you, to do the right thing and take care of their job. No one is as important as the quarterback in this endeavor- he is the field marshal, the general with the binoculars who watches the flank and makes sure a slaughter isn't imminent. If I looked at a man and knew he was capable of such extreme acts of violence against relatively defenseless creatures... well, let's just say that it would not inspire unwavering confidence.

There is a complex that these athletes are getting, specifically those who come from this gangbanger mentality that thrives in the ghettoes. Pacman Jones, Albert Haynesworth, Marcus Vick, Ricky Williams... the NFL is becoming inundated with men who are more criminals than athletes. You throw them a couple bucks, some coke, maybe a gun or two, and all of a sudden everyone is invincible, and above the strong arm of the law.

Well, let me tell you, you dumb motherfuckers, there were a lot better criminals out there than you guys. You want a real gangster? How bout John Gotti? How about Mickey Spillane, or Jimmy Coonan, or Mickey Featherstone? How about Whitey? How about King Mike McDonald? These men ran cities and presidential elections, not fuckin' dog fights. If you're going to do this shit, then do it, have some ambition. You guys aren't even trying.

You know the only thing you have in common with these guys? You all get caught. You all end up in jail. And if those guys can get caught, you sure as shit will, because their setups were alot better than yours.

You want to call yourselves "Gangstas", more power to you. It ain't gonna be me crackin off in a jail cell, or having my mother weep over my closed casket. The worst thing is, jerkoffs like Vick and Pacman... you got little black kids with no fathers looking up to you all over the place. And this is what they see... and this is what they will emulate. One day, maybe these dipshits will realize that their actions go far beyond their basements and clubs.