2008 Woodie Awards
Tony's Time Out: The gray side of the NFL's judicial system
Tony Patrico
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Sports
Having a certain skin color is not a crime. Being of a certain ethnic descent is not a crime. Being a certain religion is not a crime.
With this being true, why do these always seem to play a factor in any prominent court case that enters into the spotlight? By the end of the trial or the indictment, it seems as if the actual facts seem to be on the backburner and everyone looks toward race, ethnicity, religion and gender.
For example, a recent column by a senior reporter at ESPN discusses how the current cases of Michael Vick and O.J. Simpson are being blown out of proportion because of their celebrity status and their race.
Do you think that the exposure would have been different if the two parties involved in the separate cases were Tom Brady and Mike Alstott? No, but then again, these athletes have had no previous run-ins with the law. Both of these two athletes have gone through their careers with very little attention to themselves off of the field.
Vick, on the other hand, has had his hands full of trouble. If not with his brother Marcus and his continuing battles with the judicial system, Vick also has had his fair share of boisterous comments that have made headlines about things off of the field.
Simpson has also had numerous accusations thrown his way. Most notable is that double homicide case in the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Though he was not convicted in a criminal trial, Simpson was found guilty during the civil trial.
On top of that, Simpson has been in and out of headlines, especially after the attempt of the publishing of his book, "If I Did It." Now, Simpson is again in headlines for reasons he is probably not very fond of.
During a Las Vegas casino visit, Simpson was accused of an alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia in a hotel room. Simpson is being accused of numerous crimes including assault, armed robbery, and theft.
Vick, on the other hand, is just one of the many being accused of illegal dog fighting in their private homes. Vick, along with members of his entourage, are accused of the malnourishment, abuse and killing of numerous dogs in a dog fighting scandal.
With this being true, why do these always seem to play a factor in any prominent court case that enters into the spotlight? By the end of the trial or the indictment, it seems as if the actual facts seem to be on the backburner and everyone looks toward race, ethnicity, religion and gender.
For example, a recent column by a senior reporter at ESPN discusses how the current cases of Michael Vick and O.J. Simpson are being blown out of proportion because of their celebrity status and their race.
Do you think that the exposure would have been different if the two parties involved in the separate cases were Tom Brady and Mike Alstott? No, but then again, these athletes have had no previous run-ins with the law. Both of these two athletes have gone through their careers with very little attention to themselves off of the field.
Vick, on the other hand, has had his hands full of trouble. If not with his brother Marcus and his continuing battles with the judicial system, Vick also has had his fair share of boisterous comments that have made headlines about things off of the field.
Simpson has also had numerous accusations thrown his way. Most notable is that double homicide case in the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Though he was not convicted in a criminal trial, Simpson was found guilty during the civil trial.
On top of that, Simpson has been in and out of headlines, especially after the attempt of the publishing of his book, "If I Did It." Now, Simpson is again in headlines for reasons he is probably not very fond of.
During a Las Vegas casino visit, Simpson was accused of an alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia in a hotel room. Simpson is being accused of numerous crimes including assault, armed robbery, and theft.
Vick, on the other hand, is just one of the many being accused of illegal dog fighting in their private homes. Vick, along with members of his entourage, are accused of the malnourishment, abuse and killing of numerous dogs in a dog fighting scandal.
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