Michael Vick Answers

1. After Michael Vick was found guilty of holding dog fights on his property, the media and public voiced opinions. The media went as far as calling him a fascist and the majority of citizens drew disgust at the thought of the quarterback. However, some African American citizens believed that racism was being shown towards Vick in his treatment by the media and public.

2. The author says that Vick was addicted to gambling, an addiction that many cannot give up easily. He also stated that if it were a more understanding society, Vick could have been treated with rehabilitation and education instead of punishment.

3. The author claims that when black athletes are guilty of foul play they dominate the media as opposed to white athletes who's stories are easily forgotten.

4. The author brings up a good point by asking why Vick should be demonized and sent to jail when the New Orleans police officers were not investigated for slaughtering animals after Hurricane Katrina.

5. The author wonders why Bush and Cheney are not sentenced to time in prison for their crime of indirectly killing many people in the Middle East.

6. I do not agree with this statement because Michael Vick was caught conducting these dog fights and could have chosen to stop this disgusting scene whenever he pleased. Vick could have made money off endorsements or regular gambling, but instead chose to take the lives of innocent animals for money he did not need.

Possible NBA Finals Preview On Display

2/27/12

http://espn.go.com/nba/allstar2012/story/_/id/7619510/nba-possible-nba-finals-preview-display

Summary:

Last night, the NBA All Star game ran through the records books. The first half was the highest scoring half of any All Star Game, Kobe Bryant became the number one All Star Game scorer of all time, and the final score was also highest in history. However, the main point of interest was the battle between Kevin Durant and Lebron James. While both superstars finished the game with 36 points, the West won the game and Durant earned MVP. Although James had better stats all around than Durant, the award was given to the man on the winning team.

Significance:

Both men are basically considered the two best small forwards in the league, even though their games are quite different. Lebron averages better all around stats than Durant, but Durant has the edge on him in scoring. Also, Lebron has Miami atop the East Conference while Durant has the Thunder atop the West Conference. As spectators nationwide watched the game, they saw what could very well be the battle during this next NBA Finals.

Alternate heading: A Preview of the NBA Finals

Question: What is the Heat's record against the Thunder this season?

Possible NBA Finals Previewon Display

Comeback Athletes

1. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer to ever live, was caught cheating on his wife with 121 different woman over a span of multiple years. This put a major blemish on Woods career and caused him to lose many fans, along with sponsors. However, after a divorce, sexual rehabilitation, and time away from the game, Tiger finally recuperated and got back to being a great golfer. He has only won one tournament since then.

2. Eric Abidal

Eric Abidal is one of the best soccer players to ever play for Barcelona. He plays defense for Barca as a right back and plays internationally for France. Last year he was diagnosed with a tumor and missed six months of action with his club. However, he miraculously recovered from his battle with cancer and came back in time to win the Champions League Final as part of the starting 11.

3. Ben Rothelisberger

Big Ben has not only comeback once, but twice. Early in Ben's career, he was riding his motorcycle in Pennsylvania and fell off at a high speed, suffering severe head injuries. It took Ben a couple of months to recover, but amazingly he got back to quarterback for the Steelers and won two championships.

4. Michael Vick

Michael Vick was convicted of holding illegal dog fights for money while playing for the Atlanta Falcons and in result was sentenced to time in jail. After he served his time, he came back to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and had one of the best seasons of his career. Also, he was an MVP candidate his first season back in the NFL.

5. Plaxico Burress

Plaxico played the best years of his career as a receiver for the Steelers and the Giants; he won one Superbowl with the Giants. After shooting himself in the leg in a bar, he was sentenced to time in jail. After serving time behind bars, Plaxico returned to the NFL to play for the NY Jets.

Lakers Survive Road Trip Finale as Kobe Bryant Seals It In Final Seconds

2/13/12

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320212028

Summary:

In the latest of NBA action, the Lakers defeated the Raptors in a close game by 2 points on Saturday night. Kobe lead the Lakers with 27 points, while Jose Calderon lead the Raptors with 30 points. As the game came down to the wire, the Lakers were winning 91-90 with 30 seconds left. Jose Calderon made an inside jumper to put the Raptors ahead with 10 seconds left, but the game was far from over. The Lakers started the play and gave it to who else but Kobe Bryant, who took a dribble baseline and made a fadeaway jumper to put the Lakers up by 1 with less than 5 seconds left. Kobe ended up shooting another free throw before the game was over and the Lakers won another game.

Significance:

Although it is only a regular season game for the Lakers, they currently find themselves sitting 7th place in the West. The Lakers are one of the older teams in the league and need to keep winning consistently to make the playoffs. This win was essential for the Lakers because out of all the teams in the league they cannot afford to a loss by a team as bad as the Toronto Raptors. Also, Kobe added another game winning shot to his repertoire.

Alternate Heading: Kobe Does It Once Again

Question: Were the Lakers prone to losing due to their age?

Zambia Stuns Ivory Coast on Penalties

2/13/12

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/7568767/zambia-wins-african-cup-nations-dramatic-finale

Summary:

As of February 12th 2012, Zambia won its first African Cup of Nations. The African Cup of Nations is the main international football competition in Africa. Each nation is represented in the Cup, but only the top six teams will advance to play in the next World Cup. Zambia went into the game as underdogs, but came up victorious after 120 minutes had gone by and a penalty shootout decided the fate of the game. The shootout came down to 7-7 when Kolo Toure of Ivory Coast had his shot saved, the first of the shootout.

Significance:

Although the six best teams of the cup advance to the World Cup to represent the continent of Africa, Zambia has ensured that they will be playing in Brazil in 2014. Nineteen years ago, a plane crash killed 18 members of the Zambia football squad. The significance of winning this cup means more than anything to the players because they finally have brought some positive light to the club and to their poverty stricken country.

Alternate Heading: Zambia Finally Shines

Question: Has Zambia ever made it to a World Cup before?

The Story of Marcus Dupree

1.) Although Dupree was an extremely talented athlete, he had multiple factors that contributed to his downfall. First, Dupree was treated like a king in his hometown since he brought attention to the small community and became known nationwide. When he moved out of his home state and into a much larger football program, playing for the University of Oklahoma, Dupree was under much more pressure. He was pushed further and harder than he had ever been pushed before; he was not used to being professionally taught rather than being adored. Also, Dupree was large for a running back and began to gain injuries due to his size, the amount he ran, and the amount he got hit. On top of the injuries, the stress from the media got into Dupree's head.

2.) I only feel bad for Dupree because he had so much talent and let that all go to waste by not sticking with Oklahoma. I do not believe that he was mistreated enough that he concluded it was not enjoyable to play for one of the best college teams in the nation. A large reason why I also don't feel bad for Dupree is because I think he is a quitter for leaving his teammates and fans midway through the season.

3.) The only connection I can make for Marcus Dupree and Roy Hobbs is that they both were in some ways "cheated" out of the glory and fame they potentially could have had.

Man U earns point with furious rally

ESPN

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/7543189/manchester-united-storms-3-0-tie-chelsea

2/5/12

Summary:

On Sunday morning, a new chapter was added to the rivalry of Barclay's Premiere League Clubs Manchester United and Chelsea. Going into halftime, Chelsea had the lead at 1-0. Soon after the second half had commenced, Chelsea proceeded to score two more goals. With 40 minutes left to go, Wayne Rooney netted a penalty kick to put United on the scoresheet. After another ten minutes Rooney netted a second penalty shot and United had 20 minutes to come back. In the 84th minute, Javier Hernandez scored United's third goal and earned his team a point on the league table with a tie.

Significance:

Although the match was a major rivalry, Manchester United's comeback was extremely significant because instead of getting no points they received one. United currently sits second in the league, two points behind Manchester City. With a tie, United put themselves within one game of the league leaders.

Tom Brady's Wife Blames Husband's Teammates For Loss

The Post Game

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201202/tom-bradys-wife-blames-patriots-teammates

2/6/12

Summary:

An hour after the Superbowl concluded, Gisele Bundchen threw her husband's teammates under the bus for the Patriots loss. Tom Brady was mentally drained after losing to the Giants for a second time in the Superbowl, but his wife's reaction added to the chaos. Gisele was recorded on video saying, "You have to catch the ball when you're suppose to catch the ball. My husband cannot throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time"

Significance:

With a bunch of tired and upset men, the last thing the New England Patriots wanted to hear was a supermodel telling them they did not live up to their leader's standards. Also, Gisele being husband of Brady affects his image by slandering the captain's teammates.

Five Superstar Athletes

5 Superstar Athletes

- Tom Brady

- Cristiano Ronaldo

- Kobe Bryant

- Derrick Rose

- Ray Lewis

5 Qualities of Superstars

- Leader of the team

- Daily hours of practice

- Motivator

- Performs in the clutch

- League leader in statistics

Final Exam Topic: The Scandal at Penn State

On November 5th 2011, Jerry Sandusky was arrested on accusation of 40 counts of sexual assault. Sandusky was assistant coach at Penn State to legendary Joe Paterno from 1966-1999. The Pennsylvania State University sexual abuse scandal is a colossal societal problem within the college itself for the entire student body, fan base, football program, and school administration. On top of the damaged reputation to the university, Paterno was fired from his position. Paterno was not only the head football coach at Penn State, but had made himself an icon of the school over a 46 year span. Apart from Paterno losing his job, the athletic director and senior vice president of the university were fired as well. Students or athletes who were planning on attending Penn State next year as a freshman might reconsider their decision based off this scandal. The scandal at Penn State is a colossal mess that has to be cleaned to re-establish the schools highly regarded reputation and football program.