This time, it's personal

Hello once again.


First, I want to say that in this post, I'm really going to let fly. I'm saying this now because some people might not like what I'm going to say, but, like I said before, things like that get said in this forum. So, with that in mind, here we go.


It's been said that many people in life don't know the pain of losing a child. It's also been said that we might not know first-hand the experience of being involved in a drunk driving accident. Well, guess what? I qualify on both accounts, so here goes. I know in my last post I ripped Josh Hancock's father for filing his lawsuit. If you're new to the program, the short version goes like this: Pitcher for the Cardinals goes out, gets drunk, drives, kills himself. If you need the backstory or longer version, I invite you to look at some of the more recent posts in this blog. Now, this lawsuit is exactly the reason the courts are flodded in this country. Why is it that when something happens, we're all now conditioned to find fault somewhere, and sue them? Why is it, that a 29 year old pitcher that gets himself killed in a drunk driving accident wasn't put into rehab or dealt with in some way or fashion before this incident? Looking at this more closely reveals things that haven't really been brought to light. Like the fact that he (Hancock) overslept, and missed the start of a game almost a week prior to this incident. Or, the fact that he was involved in another accident that was swept under the rug before this incident. Or, even the fact that Hancock was well-known for being a guy who could close 'em down with the best of them, and I'm not talking about big league hitters. Why then are we not assigning some sort of blame to the support network of Hancock? I mean, where were his friends when he needed someone to take the keys? Where was his family when he exhibited this sort of self-destructive behavior? And, where was Josh Hancock's judgement to realize he was too impaired to operate a vehicle? Sad to say, we'll never know the answers to any of these questions. But, to assign blame to the wrong parties is absolutely absurd. It's not the tow truck driver's fault for doing his job. He was called out to assist a motorist. It's not the stranded motorist's fault. Cars stall where they stall, and one cannot predict where that may or may not be. It's not the bars fault. Their job is to serve drinks, period. Bartenders are usually running at a fast pace, and they usually keep that pace up for most of the night. And, being that the bar is owned by a former Cardinal player, now Cardinal broadcaster, why then isn't the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team being sued as well? I really don't get it, and if someone out there does, try to argue with me on this one. I guarantee I'll win. Accountability means taking responsibility for one's actions. Nobody forced Josh Hancock to do what he did. And, at the end of the day, nobody else is responsible for anything that occurred on that night but Josh Hancock himself. This lawsuit, as most are nowadays, is ridiculous, plain and simple.


If there are any more Michael Vick fans out there after all that has gone down regarding him in recent weeks, then I really feel for you. If you are still on the fence regarding the whole Vick-dog fighting issue, I invite you to read this week's Sports Illustrated which has a brutal tale of the events that occurred at Vick's property. Here's hoping that the prosecutors in this case will get the evidence they need to shut this operation down, and take everyone associated with it down as well. I won't go into details about the article, since it's quite graphic. But, let's just say that the Falcons, if they are smart, are looking into getting out of the deal with Vick. Now, will someone else come along and pick him up should the Falcons get rid of him? Of course they will. It's the nature of professional sports. But, if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell boots him out of the league, then that's a horse of a different color. He could always play for the Edmonton Eskimos, I guess. This case gets more disgusting by the day, and as more evidence comes up, it seemingly adds another nail in the coffin of Michael Vick. Will we get to that point? Hard to say. Like I said before, read the article for yourself. It's brutal. After that, if you have any Vick memorabilia, throw it away. It's trash, just like Vick is.

That's about it. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.


Till next time........



Patrick