News Rodeo 7/29

Posting by me will continue to be sporadic until August 6th, but let me take this rare, sober, free time and cover some of the doings-a-transpiring this past week or so.

Michael Vick: Editorial Mimeograph

I'm sure you've read, heard or caught wind of a thousand permutations of this basic idea: Michael Vick is a scumbag. Vick reminds me of a shift-leader I once had at a local Pizza Hut, James Leto. James Leto used to smoke crack in the store bathroom at 9pm each evening. We used to joke that he was in there masturbating, because he would be in there so long. Eventually he'd reappear, frazzled, bewildered and then disappear again for the rest of his shift. Vick reminds me of James, because both are skeevey guys sabotaging a great opportunity almost haplessly. Leto had a decently paying job and a pretty girlfriend at the adjoining Baskin Robbins. Vick, millions of dollars, celebrity and privilege. Eventually, Leto was fired for stealing $800 bucks from the safe, though he was never prosecuted because the store manager had outstanding warrants. Vick, likewise, will lose endorsement deals and probably his starting job, but it's doubtful he'll serve any jail time.

The other comparison I see though is this, I never actually saw James smoke crack in the bathroom. I witnessed his strange behavior and smelled the chemical funk that surrounded the bathroom each night, even had the store manager (who was slinging bags across the counter) tell me he knew Leto was smoking rock in the can, but that's circumstantial evidence at best. Likewise, no matter how damning the accusation, Vick is an innocent man and shouldn't be punished just for being accused. I'm not going to throw out the worn and often naïve cliché that Vick is innocent until proven guilty, his wealth and influence make a "fair trial" almost laughable. Thus, we, the football watching public, are left in this impossibly awkward position. The American court system is flawed, allowing lawyers to exonerate the wealthy and prominent through chicanery and loopholes, but the court of public opinion is, inherently, an ugly, base mistrial. Do I have a solution, some silver bullet for one of history's greatest judicial dilemmas, no, not really, but I do have a suggestion. Think of Vick what you will, among friends, family, say of Vick what you will, boo him, don't buy products associated with his name, but allow our justice system to determine his guilt or innocence and mete his punishment if he deserves it, because flawed as it may be, it's orders of magnitude more fair than the justice of an angry mob.

Marcus Tubbs, PUP

Without any hard data all we can do is speculate. Here's the three basic opinions I can see having.

Pessimist: Tubbs' body isn't reacting well to the treatment. The Hawks are boned. Tubbs' career may be over. The Hawks are fucked. Frank Gore will once again eviscerate our defense. I'm becoming a Niner fan.

Optimist: The Hawks are just being cautious. Why risk Tubbs health before the season starts. In the spring it was reported that Tubbs is in the best shape of his life, by the time the season starts he'll once again be a force in the middle.

Realist: It's very possible the Hawks are just being cautious and there really is no reason to risk a setback in training camp. At the same time, Tubbs' surgery was just six months ago and while recovery can take as little as four months, that's rarely ever the case.

I expect Tubbs to play this year, how much and in what capacity is very hard to determine. And that's about all we can know right now.

Football Prospectus 2007

My copy arrived a couple days ago and, once again, it's practically indispensable. I hope to do a full review in the coming week. Don't wait for me though, go out and grab your copy, not only for the great info and essays, but because by buying a copy you support one of the coolest things to happen in football analysis, perhaps, ever. Huzzah, Outsiders.

Speaking of FO, here's their remaining rankings for the NFC West:

Training Camp Begins

I didn't have time to detail all the questions I think will be answered in training camp, but here's an abbreviated list:

Can Ray Willis stick at right guard?

Does David Greene finally earn some respect?

Is Sean Locklear hungry, ready to prove himself?

Can Nate Burleson work his way into the starting rotation?

Does Max Strong have any thing left?

Is Leonard Weaver our third down back?

Can Mebane be effective against NFL blockers?

Does Josh Wilson stick at Nickle?

Is Shaun Alexander cooked?

-and-

Will Baraka Atkins finally commit himself to football?