Listening-in

While I was on the subway yesterday I saw a deaf/hard of hearing gentleman holding a conversation with the lady sitting across from him.

I was floored, having a younger brother who is hard of hearing and not being able to sign myself, I con only imagine how tough it is for this guy to find someone to talk to.

It got me thinking, as I sat there with my ear buds plugged-in blasting at full volume in an attempt to avoid the outside world- Man, I am a lucky SOB.

Which is not to knock the gentleman I saw on the train, but as I sat there listening to my music I tried to think of a life without sound.

And it is simply something that I cannot fathom.

I love music. I love the sound or rain falling. I love the sound of laughter, especially giggling. 

So when I tried to imagine a world without sound, it was actually kinda scary to me.

I enjoy sound so much that I sometimes just close my eyes and try to figure-out what is going-on around me. It’s actually pretty cool. 

Give it a try, just close your eyes for 5-10 minutes and listen…it’s amazing how many of life's little details you are missing by plugging those ear buds in everyday.

So I guess the next time I hear a horn honking for no damn reason (an interesting NYC phenomena) I won’t get all fired-up.

I’ll just be glad it added to the experience. 

A Vick-tim?

As much as I hate to admit it, I have been pondering this Michael Vick situation all week.

For those who don’t wake-up daily to ESPN like me, Vick is a former NFL quarterback who was convicted of running an illegal dog-fighting operation out of one of his houses.

Now I wasn’t debating the morality (or immorality) of dog-fighting, (I am whole-heartedly against it, BTW) but more of what is next for Vick?

When I first heard of Vick’s conviction, I was dead-set against his return to playing professional football. In my mind, playing pro football is more a luxury than a right.

Why give someone another chance after they had thrown away a once in a lifetime opportunity? Aren’t they just going to do it again?

I was so enraged at the atrocity of his actions that I thought 2 years in prison was not enough.

But as I really thought about it, it was jealousy that fueled my anger.

This guy was not only an NFL player, but a starting quarterback in the NFL…there are only 32 of those guys in the entire world. How could Vick not appreciate what he had been given? How could he throw it all away just to ‘keep it real’ for his buddies?

Ok, I had to cut that last paragraph short as I could go on for awhile.

As a dude, being a pro athlete is pretty much what you aspire to do from birth. But as you get older and come to grips with your own athletic mediocrity, you gain a certain appreciation for the guys who made it happen.

So to see Vick F-it-all-up is infuriating.

All that being said, you’d think I am still against Vick being allowed to return to the NFL.

But I am not.

Vick was convicted by a jury of his peers and paid his debt to society.

To further penalize him would be unfair and well, un-American.

We are a country based on the rule of law, (unless you rich/white or poor/minority- OJ doesn’t count) and for me to say Vick cannot return to the work that he is best runs counter to fundamental American faith in the justice system.

Do I think Vick is sincere in his volunteer efforts with the Humane Society? Hell no.

But it doesn’t matter.

The terms of Vick’s conviction were to spend two years behind bars. Vick was an NFL star(ter) at the time of his conviction and the lost wages/revenue from endorsements over that time period is more money than most folks could make in 4 lifetimes. So he’s paid his due both fiscally and physically.

I thought the whole idea of the justice/penal system was to rehabilitate. To further punish Vick by keeping him from doing what he does best, which is play football, just seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all had to ask for forgiveness. We’ve all had to grow-up.

It just seems unfair to make an example out of Vick after he’s come clean and paid his due.

So I think Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL. But that doesn't mean I'll be very happy about it.

For a look at some of the reactions to Vick check-out this site:
- http://www.cosellout.com/?p=100

Where's my 15 mintues of fame?

So I have to admit it, I have been paying a lil attention to the NBA this season.

I know, I know, I swore-off the NBA when they screwed us and stole the team formerly known as The Seattle Supersonics.

But I am a basketball fan. I love the game and just can’t stay away.

But I digress, back to my point.

I was watching a playoff game between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic earlier this week. During an intense play, Celtics forward Glen Davis spilled into the first row of the audience and bumped one of the fans. The fan just so happened to be a 12-year-old kid.

Let the uproar begin.

The ‘altercation’ garnered national attention, as the father of the ‘victim’ demanded an apology from Davis, the NBA, President Obama and God himself…

How dare a professional athlete come into contact with a member of the audience seated mere feet from the court.

The father referred to Davis as an ‘out of control animal.’

Can you believe the audaciousness of Davis?

Hmmm, last time I checked, chasing down a loose ball was called hustle.

This incident is yet another example of the ‘Hey look at me!’ desperation sentiment that seems to pervade American society.

From the Octuplet mom to Youtube, the idea of ‘15 minutes of fame’ is entrenched nowadays.

For the record, Davis issued an apology to the little fella, who was no worse for the wear.

But the hullabaloo raised over such an innocent mistake, has me shaking my head.

This was totally blown out of proportion by the so-called victim’s father and in-turn the media.

I am pretty sure that there is a warning on the back of the ticket stub expressly stating that this is a live sporting event and that items/people may come flying off the field of play. So it’s not like this should have been a surprise to the spectators, especially considering these were court-side seats.

Instead of a making this a once in a lifetime experience for his son, the father chose to ruin it, by exploiting it for attention in the media.

I’d like to say I am surprised.

But I am not.

Sigh.