Over the last few weeks, we have covered a lot more of Michael Vick’s conviction and likely next steps or mis-steps.  We  have also covered a good deal about the dogs.  Its been a few months since we talked about all the kids, high school students and athletes, even the college players that are getting some really bad messages from Michael Vick.

So I wanted to take a moment to throw out the question, especially to any of you that have kids preparing to go into high school sports or that are in high school sports, What do you think Michael Vick’s Actions say to kids?

• Do you think kids feel like Michael Vick was victimized?
• Do you think that kids feel that dog fighting is cool?
• Do you think that kids feel that gambling on things not directly related to the sport they are in is acceptable?
• Do you think that Michael Vick has created a persona of himself that says its all about the money, if you earn enough it doesn’t matter how you perform or what you do in your personal life, just get the big contract and let the world do its own thing?
• or do you think something entirely different? 

Promote the Kids – Promote the High Schools

I came across a great site called Takkle that seems to be sponsored in part by Sports Illustrated.  Its a social network that enables high school athletes to come together and learn from each other.  I wonder if this might actually be part of the solution to the problem that Michael Vick and other bad example public figures create.

Maybe kids will work through these issues just fine if they emphasis is not placed on a twenty something athlete that makes a quarter of a billion dollars, but instead places the emphasis on the kids themselves.  I suspect that it should be about the kids emulating Michael Vick at all no matter how many Nike dollars push it. I think that maybe kids will start to come together to support and promote each other.  I’d rather see those hundreds of millions of endorsement dollars go to high schools than to a professional athlete that uses the money to buy dogs for torturing and killing any day.