Michael Vick and The Umbrella Drink at Airport. Wtf?!?
Aug 25th 09
JT The Brick is even surprised at the aftermath of Michael Vick reportedly drinking an alcoholic drink at the airport. At the same time, Brick also stated on his show today ( Aug. 25th ) that Vick shouldn’t be consuming alchohol in public and agrees that Dungy was in the right for getting mad at Vick for this situation.
My view is two-tiered.
1. Who Gives A F&^K!
Michael Vick is a man that was sent to prison for gross abuse of animals. He wasn’t harming any animals at the airport, he didn’t have a Leonard Little/Stallworth binge and put anyone’s life in danger, and he was drinking a cocktail with an umbrella in it!
An umbrella? A husky male who plays football as a profession and did hard time for some bad things, he is getting attention because he had a cocktail? If one thinks about this clearly, in most other cases Vick would be getting scolded by the media for being a pansy for drinking a chick drink. How many men you know in your life drink cocktails with an umbrella in it?
I know, masculinity is compromised in this situation because men aren’t suppose to be drinking these types of drinks. But that is another argument based on the perception of the hyper-male in American society, which I won’t go into right now.
But he was drinking, and he was at the airport. Who gives a sh*t? I understand that he must keep up an amazing image, and I understand that Tony Dungy doesn’t want him to compromise his image by doing these things. At the same time, one has to wonder at what degree can is Vick able to live his life? Will he be banned ( through public opinion ) to not be able to be somewhat informal in public places? Will he always have to wear a suit and cry and hug cute restless pugs to show that he is sorry?
This story is majorly overblown, and it also shows the apathy we place on real issues at the expense of sensationalism of a non-issue. We should be focusing more on the drudgery of dog-fighting practices, and not on what Michael Vick is drinking. The reason we put him in prison was not so we can microscope every controversial aspect of his life, but to send a message that we must aware and adamant against the abuse of animals. Period.
2. He Represents the NFL brand, and the decision to allow him to manipulate the brand.
I will say that Dungy has a point: The media can get negative at these situations he could put himself in. Even though this drink may be meaningless, the reaction can teach him to regress away from the spotlight for the sake of showcasing his dedication to football, and Roger Goodell’s decision to bring him back. If anything, this event will keep both Michael Vick and the NFL on its toes, and hopefully Vick will understand the enormous public relations tasks to position himself toward something positive in the eyes of those that will keep a close watch.
Verdict
Sorry Vick, you gotta drink at home. Or conceal your booze in yellow-colored screwdrivers until people believe you are a born-again Christian that can do no wrong.
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