T.O. admits to attending dogfights (1 Viewer)

[GreenNGold]

Just reporting it because I haven't seen it here. It appears to be a past thing, I doubt the NFL would take any action on this. I still don't see why he would want to admit it though. And it is nothing like deer hunting like he tries to make it sound, but i'm not getting into that debate here.

http://fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/20435

 

[The Man Who Met Andy Griffith]

Just reporting it because I haven't seen it here. It appears to be a past thing, I doubt the NFL would take any action on this. I still don't see why he would want to admit it though.

http://fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/20435

I'm one of the select few who has always sort of liked TO (I think he's immature but not a bad guy, unlike many pro athletes). But it is really amazing how much he has matured since coming to Dallas. He is much more diplomatic now. A few years ago he would have just said "I've gone to them, it's not a big deal".

 

[Tremendous Upside]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...

That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

 

[flapgreen]

I don't know that there's a lot that could change my opinion on TO at this point.

 

[Yenrub]

Terrell Owens said he saw some dog fights growing up in Alabama. In a recent radio interview with Jim Gray, Owens said he witnessed his uncle fighting dogs and said it is part of a culture. Owens, who said he loves animals, said people need to put dog fighting in perspective. "When I mentioned cultural thing, [it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said. "I don't condone Michael Vick's actions with the dog fighting," Owens said. "I've been exposed to it and it's something that's very unfortunate for Mike. I think he'll learn from this situation and move on from it."

 

[GreenNGold]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

So your saying he watched the dogs fight at something other than a dog fight then?

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Apparently there is a huge underground dog fighting culture in the United States. Us Scandanavians in the Midwest didn't have a clue.

 

[kupcho1]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

So your saying he watched the dogs fight at something other than a dog fight then?

Vick watched dogs fight each other. TO watched his uncle fight against dogs.Big difference.

 

[packersfan]

[it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said.Other than the fact one is legal and the other is a felony, yea they're exactly alike.

It's comments like this from TO and Marbury which really lend credence to the belief that sometimes it's just best to say "No comment" and move on.

 

[mad sweeney]

Just reporting it because I haven't seen it here. It appears to be a past thing, I doubt the NFL would take any action on this. I still don't see why he would want to admit it though. And it is nothing like deer hunting like he tries to make it sound, but i'm not getting into that debate here.

http://fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/20435

A real mature player wouldn't comment it , an especially not compare it to a legal sport and slough it off as just a cultural thing. He basically did say it's no big deal. A mature player would say no comment on the dog fighting and hope that Mike does what he needs to get his life back together.There's a huge subculture of it, especially in the South. Even LT admitted to seeing them when he was growing up. Everybody does or sees questionable things. The key is to get away from them once you realize it;s wrong and/or realize you have much more to lose than gain by being there or doing it. And when it's a divisive hot button issue, count on TO to say something silly about it instead of the smart and mature thing: nothing.

Up until now, I thought he ws doing a great job of being good. Not that this is a huge problem, but it shows his tendency of opening his mouth about stuff he shouldn't is still right there ready to go.

 

[ditka...mike ditka]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

this doesnt make sense.

 

[faux_bear]

I'm not from the deep south, but this sort of thing doesn't surprise me. It IS a cultural thing. It's probably the case that while growing up in Virginia (or was it West Virginia), Vick had family members and friends that aculturated him to dog-fighting as a sport, rather than a crime.

Amongst certain populations in rural communities, this sort of thing is not considered to be such a big deal.

It is very difficult for middle white class America to understand this, but it's just the way it is.

 

[thayman]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

I think this may be the stupidest thing ive heard in a long time.

I can see the difference between TO growing up and his uncle taking him while he was fighting his dogs when TO was 10 or 12 years old. And Vick a grown man, breeding and fighting dogs.

 

[Crusaderfan]

I just wish TO would shut up. I have no interest in what his opinions are about anything - I just want him to catch the ball and last the whole season. The more he flaps his mouth the closer we come to something bad happening.

 

[RedZone]

I posted this August 13 in the Vick suspended one year topic Vick Suspension topic

Micahel Vick is an adult who was granted many privileges due to his immense talent and skill as an athlete. Assuming he was raised in a culture wherein dog fighting and possessing an aggressive dog for personal and property protection was common and accepted (from my observations, this appears to be true in many low-income communities, understandably so given the rate of crimes against person and property), one can understand the escalation of his interest in this practice as his income and resources increased exponentially as a professional football player.

Vick's suddenly acquired finances offered him an opportunity to escape/avoid the environment wherein a person need be constantly vigilant and aggression is used as a form of protection, but he instead chose to promote the anti-social (by mainstream American standards) behaviors that have plagued reports of his character, including the Ron Mexico incident, the "finger" and now his apparent involvement in the Bad Newz Kennel dogfighting operation.

Dogfighting is a culturally accepted sport in many less developed countries, as is cockfighting, bullfighting, etc. These practices persist in certain communities (maybe not bullfighting) here in the U.S. as they are engrained in the society of certain groups. Dogfighting has a historical place in military tradition, as wardogs were considered expendable and fear-inspiring shock troops used in the earliest stages of battle. Even to the mid-20th century, dogs were used in Europe by Nazi Germany (most often against civilian populations), and some dogs were used in tunnel searches/flushes in East Asia if I recall correctly. Wasn't there comments about dogs being used in Iraqi detention prisons for intimidation purposes? Many genteel Americans possess a large breed dog for the purposes of home security. This is accepted so long as the dog is well-controlled/contained and is trained for defensive purposes only, not offensive.

I always thought the legal play would have been to say it is a cultural norm, which could have taken a lot of the "blame" off Vick and looked at the backwoods/urban gang culture that propogates dog fighting. Would have set the media on a different tack too and diluted the concept that Vick is unique. I am nearly certain that the societies that monitor cruelty to animals could tell most of us that it is much more common than we wish to believe.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

I just wish TO would shut up. I have no interest in what his opinions are about anything - I just want him to catch the ball and last the whole season. The more he flaps his mouth the closer we come to something bad happening.

 

[cstu]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

So your saying he watched the dogs fight at something other than a dog fight then?

Vick watched dogs fight each other. TO watched his uncle fight against dogs.Big difference.

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Jamie Foxx defended Vick with the whole "cultural" angle as well:

Foxx defends Vick over dog fighting charges

“Most brothers didn’t know that, you know. I used to see dogs fighting in the neighborhood all the time. I didn’t know that was Fed time. So, Mike probably just didn’t read his handbook on what not to do as a black star.”

 

[sho nuff]

I posted this August 13 in the Vick suspended one year topic Vick Suspension topic

Micahel Vick is an adult who was granted many privileges due to his immense talent and skill as an athlete. Assuming he was raised in a culture wherein dog fighting and possessing an aggressive dog for personal and property protection was common and accepted (from my observations, this appears to be true in many low-income communities, understandably so given the rate of crimes against person and property), one can understand the escalation of his interest in this practice as his income and resources increased exponentially as a professional football player.

Vick's suddenly acquired finances offered him an opportunity to escape/avoid the environment wherein a person need be constantly vigilant and aggression is used as a form of protection, but he instead chose to promote the anti-social (by mainstream American standards) behaviors that have plagued reports of his character, including the Ron Mexico incident, the "finger" and now his apparent involvement in the Bad Newz Kennel dogfighting operation.

Dogfighting is a culturally accepted sport in many less developed countries, as is cockfighting, bullfighting, etc. These practices persist in certain communities (maybe not bullfighting) here in the U.S. as they are engrained in the society of certain groups. Dogfighting has a historical place in military tradition, as wardogs were considered expendable and fear-inspiring shock troops used in the earliest stages of battle. Even to the mid-20th century, dogs were used in Europe by Nazi Germany (most often against civilian populations), and some dogs were used in tunnel searches/flushes in East Asia if I recall correctly. Wasn't there comments about dogs being used in Iraqi detention prisons for intimidation purposes? Many genteel Americans possess a large breed dog for the purposes of home security. This is accepted so long as the dog is well-controlled/contained and is trained for defensive purposes only, not offensive.

I always thought the legal play would have been to say it is a cultural norm, which could have taken a lot of the "blame" off Vick and looked at the backwoods/urban gang culture that propogates dog fighting. Would have set the media on a different tack too and diluted the concept that Vick is unique. I am nearly certain that the societies that monitor cruelty to animals could tell most of us that it is much more common than we wish to believe.

What kind of legal defense is that? Will people charged with hate crimes take that defense? That racism is just cultural? Or just gang activity being cultural to urban minorites? How is that a legal play?

 

[redman]

Did he mention that McNabb has several fighting pits in his kennel?

Or that Romo helped to electrocute some dogs?

Or that Garcia has a rape stand?

 

[Snotbubbles]

[it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said.Other than the fact one is legal and the other is a felony, yea they're exactly alike.

It's comments like this from TO and Marbury which really lend credence to the belief that sometimes it's just best to say "No comment" and move on.

His analogy wasn't to the actual act of deer hunting per se, it was directed towards the "ingrained in you culture" part and trying to make the analogy there.

 

[zoonation]

Once again, A thread to lynch T.O. or at least to bring out the lynchers.

Nothing to see here....again.

 

[mad sweeney]

[it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said.[B]Other than the fact one is legal and the other is a felony[/B], yea they're exactly alike.

It's comments like this from TO and Marbury which really lend credence to the belief that sometimes it's just best to say "No comment" and move on.

His analogy wasn't to the actual act of deer hunting per se, it was directed towards the "ingrained in you culture" part and trying to make the analogy there.But that's a very important distinction. One you can do when you're rich and under a microscope, the other you can't.

 

[teamroc]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

LT attended dog fights.Is LT a scumbag? He not only went once, but went back again. Is LT sick in the head? Should he be suspended? Are you cutting him from your FF squad?

 

[mad sweeney]

Once again, A thread to lynch T.O. or at least to bring out the lynchers.Nothing to see here....again.

I don't think anyone's really going after him too much. Other than to point out that it's a small sign of his propensity to speak out and not say the smartest of things.

 

[ditka...mike ditka]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

I think this may be the stupidest thing ive heard in a long time.

I can see the difference between TO growing up and his uncle taking him while he was fighting his dogs when TO was 10 or 12 years old. And Vick a grown man, breeding and fighting dogs.

well thats pretty obvious. Im glad you can see that. I didnt say it was the same when TO went as a kid and Vick as a grown man. All i said is what he said doesnt make sense. He claims it is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dog fights, but that is exactly what he did admit to. Whether it be 20 years ago, or 2 days ago, he said he attended them. Again, I dont think there is anything wrong if his Uncle dragged him along to them, but he still attended them and admited that, which Tremendus upside said he did not.

 

[AnonymousBob]

Sweet jeezus you guys are making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[joffer]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...

That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

So your saying he watched the dogs fight at something other than a dog fight then?

Vick watched dogs fight each other. TO watched his uncle fight against dogs.Big difference.

 

[Defenze]

I just wish TO would shut up. I have no interest in what his opinions are about anything - I just want him to catch the ball and last the whole season. The more he flaps his mouth the closer we come to something bad happening.

 

[Fireman Ed]

I'm not from the deep south, but this sort of thing doesn't surprise me. It IS a cultural thing. It's probably the case that while growing up in Virginia (or was it West Virginia), Vick had family members and friends that aculturated him to dog-fighting as a sport, rather than a crime.Amongst certain populations in rural communities, this sort of thing is not considered to be such a big deal.It is very difficult for middle white class America to understand this, but it's just the way it is.

Sorta like the deep Southerners marrying their sisters, huh?

 

[corpcow]

[it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said.Other than the fact one is legal and the other is a felony, yea they're exactly alike.

It's comments like this from TO and Marbury which really lend credence to the belief that sometimes it's just best to say "No comment" and move on.

I'd like to see the full transcript, but I read this not so much as saying that dog fighting and deer hunting are equivalent, but that there's a culture around it. If anything, I read that as a condemnation of hunting as cruel to animals vs. saying that dog fighting was "no big deal" (a la Mr. Portis).Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but that was my take when I first read it. I actually think it's a fairly well-worded, appropriate answer.

 

[RedZone]

I posted this August 13 in the Vick suspended one year topic Vick Suspension topic

Micahel Vick is an adult who was granted many privileges due to his immense talent and skill as an athlete. Assuming he was raised in a culture wherein dog fighting and possessing an aggressive dog for personal and property protection was common and accepted (from my observations, this appears to be true in many low-income communities, understandably so given the rate of crimes against person and property), one can understand the escalation of his interest in this practice as his income and resources increased exponentially as a professional football player.

Vick's suddenly acquired finances offered him an opportunity to escape/avoid the environment wherein a person need be constantly vigilant and aggression is used as a form of protection, but he instead chose to promote the anti-social (by mainstream American standards) behaviors that have plagued reports of his character, including the Ron Mexico incident, the "finger" and now his apparent involvement in the Bad Newz Kennel dogfighting operation.

Dogfighting is a culturally accepted sport in many less developed countries, as is cockfighting, bullfighting, etc. These practices persist in certain communities (maybe not bullfighting) here in the U.S. as they are engrained in the society of certain groups. Dogfighting has a historical place in military tradition, as wardogs were considered expendable and fear-inspiring shock troops used in the earliest stages of battle. Even to the mid-20th century, dogs were used in Europe by Nazi Germany (most often against civilian populations), and some dogs were used in tunnel searches/flushes in East Asia if I recall correctly. Wasn't there comments about dogs being used in Iraqi detention prisons for intimidation purposes? Many genteel Americans possess a large breed dog for the purposes of home security. This is accepted so long as the dog is well-controlled/contained and is trained for defensive purposes only, not offensive.

I always thought the legal play would have been to say it is a cultural norm, which could have taken a lot of the "blame" off Vick and looked at the backwoods/urban gang culture that propogates dog fighting. Would have set the media on a different tack too and diluted the concept that Vick is unique. I am nearly certain that the societies that monitor cruelty to animals could tell most of us that it is much more common than we wish to believe.

What kind of legal defense is that? Will people charged with hate crimes take that defense? That racism is just cultural? Or just gang activity being cultural to urban minorites? How is that a legal play?

Note: I said legal play, not defense. The law is clear that his actions were illegal. The only defense to that would be the claim that he did not perform the acts mentioned. As to the legal play, cultural norms can be considered as mitigating circumstances in regards to his sentencing. Further, the media frenzy (and the long-term financial backlash as it destroyed his appeal as an endorser) would have been diluted to investigate the dog fighting "underworld" instead of being all Vick all the time.Personally, I would like to see Stone Phillips or Stossel, Geraldo or Cuomo down in the barrios, bayou and ghettoes investigating the pits and the kennels. I can only assume that they are unable to see the rating quotient or else they fear for the correspondent's safety.

 

[dickey moe]

I for one welcome T.O.'s perspective on cultural issues. More please.

 

[cstu]

[it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said.Other than the fact one is legal and the other is a felony, yea they're exactly alike.

It's comments like this from TO and Marbury which really lend credence to the belief that sometimes it's just best to say "No comment" and move on.

I'd like to see the full transcript, but I read this not so much as saying that dog fighting and deer hunting are equivalent, but that there's a culture around it. If anything, I read that as a condemnation of hunting as cruel to animals vs. saying that dog fighting was "no big deal" (a la Mr. Portis).Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but that was my take when I first read it. I actually think it's a fairly well-worded, appropriate answer.

Both are cruel, the only difference is the degree of cruelty. Some people find that ok, some don't, but the issue isn't the legality.

 

[jagerbomb]

Sweet jeezus you guys are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Everyone is just waiting for the game to start, drafts are done, waiver wire moves have been made, lineups are set; there's NOTHING else to talk about.

 

[BeachBums]

I posted this August 13 in the Vick suspended one year topic I always thought the legal play would have been to say it is a cultural norm, which could have taken a lot of the "blame" off Vick and looked at the backwoods/urban gang culture that propogates dog fighting. Would have set the media on a different tack too and diluted the concept that Vick is unique. I am nearly certain that the societies that monitor cruelty to animals could tell most of us that it is much more common than we wish to believe.

What kind of legal defense is that? Will people charged with hate crimes take that defense? That racism is just cultural? Or just gang activity being cultural to urban minorites? How is that a legal play?

You may be on to something RedZone. If drive-by shootings are part of gang culture, they should be able to do them, no problem. And how about drug culture? Selling a bag of weed or a pound of herione actually creates this culture so it should be promoted! Yay! Oh. Yeah, well. Perhaps it does have something to do with whether society at large views the 'culture' or 'cultural practice' as beneficial to the society as a whole. I could be wrong...

 

[corpcow]

I always thought the legal play would have been to say it is a cultural norm, which could have taken a lot of the "blame" off Vick and looked at the backwoods/urban gang culture that propogates dog fighting. Would have set the media on a different tack too and diluted the concept that Vick is unique. I am nearly certain that the societies that monitor cruelty to animals could tell most of us that it is much more common than we wish to believe.

What kind of legal defense is that? Will people charged with hate crimes take that defense? That racism is just cultural? Or just gang activity being cultural to urban minorites? How is that a legal play?

That's not a legal defense, it's a technique to defend his image in the public eye. It's a way to do damage control on his marketability - "I didn't realize it was wrong because it was a culture I was born into". I can assure you that Vick, if he is not banned for life and has any inclination to apply for reinstatement in the future, will become a crusader for this cause. "I didn't know any better, and now I do - and it's my duty to spread the word and help others see the light to end this tragic behavior".

 

[Ozymandias]

He went to dogfights, but he didn't inhale.

"I did not have fight with that dog"

 

[CowboyFan]

I just wish TO would shut up. I have no interest in what his opinions are about anything - I just want him to catch the ball and last the whole season. The more he flaps his mouth the closer we come to something bad happening.

Yet you all clicked on this thread, didn't you?

 

[corpcow]

[it's] just like when people go out and they hunt deer," he said.Other than the fact one is legal and the other is a felony, yea they're exactly alike.

It's comments like this from TO and Marbury which really lend credence to the belief that sometimes it's just best to say "No comment" and move on.

I'd like to see the full transcript, but I read this not so much as saying that dog fighting and deer hunting are equivalent, but that there's a culture around it. If anything, I read that as a condemnation of hunting as cruel to animals vs. saying that dog fighting was "no big deal" (a la Mr. Portis).Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but that was my take when I first read it. I actually think it's a fairly well-worded, appropriate answer.

Both are cruel, the only difference is the degree of cruelty. Some people find that ok, some don't, but the issue isn't the legality.My point is that he's making an analogy between two things that involve cruelty to animals and have a cultural element to them. He is not saying that dog fighting is not bad. He is merely making an analogy between two things that are similar on a very superficial level. He is suggesting perhaps that those in the culture don't see it as any different than deer hunting, which is the problem - and thus they need some perspective. Reading that ("Owens, who said he loves animals...") suggests to me that TO condemns both and is pointing out that even though some acts of cruelty are legal, others such as this are not.

 

[RedZone]

I didn't repost my entire post in the Vick suspension topic, but you can follow the link in the reply above if you wish to read it in its entirety.

Vick's lawyers, working for Vick's behalf, not society's, should have considered this. If you think for a moment I condone it, please go to the original topic and read my post in its entirety.

This is turning into a bit of a thread hijack, so I am going to drop it from here, but consider that people's behavior is established by the community they most closely identify with, be it sociopathic or philanthropic. It is easiest to assume that America in fairly homogeneous, but in fact, there are numerous sub-cultures with norms, mores, even language that is completely separate to mainstream America within the geographic borders. I think Vick's lawyers could have addressed this on his behalf.

I suspect that the disparity between subcultures will only grow and certain anti-social acts and patterns will disseminate into the mainstream through entertainment, such as the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series.

My apologies for diverting the attention of some readers from the original post.

 

[sho nuff]

I didn't repost my entire post in the Vick suspension topic, but you can follow the link in the reply above if you wish to read it in its entirety.Vick's lawyers, working for Vick's behalf, not society's, should have considered this. If you think for a moment I condone it, please go to the original topic and read my post in its entirety.This is turning into a bit of a thread hijack, so I am going to drop it from here, but consider that people's behavior is established by the community they most closely identify with, be it sociopathic or philanthropic. It is easiest to assume that America in fairly homogeneous, but in fact, there are numerous sub-cultures with norms, mores, even language that is completely separate to mainstream America within the geographic borders. I think Vick's lawyers could have addressed this on his behalf.I suspect that the disparity between subcultures will only grow and certain anti-social acts and patterns will disseminate into the mainstream through entertainment, such as the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series.My apologies for diverting the attention of some readers from the original post.

But that just seems to be a copout to me.Should PacMan's lawyers get up and claim that is just his sub-culture he grew up with to try and gain public support?No...you apologize for what you did (which Vick has done) and you clean up your act and bust your butt to get in the public's good graces without making bogus excuses about culture.

 

[TommyGilmore]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

Actually, it's pretty close to being the same thing.

 

[BeachBums]

He says he saw his uncle fight dogs when he was growing up in Alabama...That is a FAR cry from admitting to attending dogfights...

Actually, it's pretty close to being the same thing.

Being present at a dog fight when he was a kid in Alabama is a far cry from attending them as a 20-something professional football player. As someone noted above, even LT said he'd seen them growing up in Texas.

 

[Phurfur]

I haven't read all the posts but how credible is this source.

 

[sholditch]

Playing the race card on this is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Dog Fighting is a crime, even here in backwards Alabama. So, by the same logic, any crime common to underprivileged areas now becomes part of "black culture." Foxx's words make the absurdity of this assertion even more apparent. I'm sure he saw crack-dealing, gang warfare, murders, beatings, vandalism, shootings, and all sorts of other stuff growing up if he actually did grow up in a tough neighborhood. Did anyone have to tell him when he got to Hollywood that these crimes were frowned upon? Does a crime being part of "black culture" excuse the person committing the crime? And are these morons even thinking about how this reflects on the black community, to claim a heinous, incredibly cruel CRIME as part of their culture? How is that any different from saying "oh, crack-dealing is just a part of black culture..."

If I were black I would be absolutely furious at these remarks, and even as a white person I find them incredibly offensive to the black community. The truth is, it's part of thug culture, not black culture, and the people who choose to engage in it, especially as an independent and supposedly responsible adult, are thugs, plain and simple. It's a low-class, thug activity and always has been, and it is much more aligned along economic lines than racial ones.

Comments like these only hurt the black community and don't do anyone any good.

 

[redman]

Playing the race card on this is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Dog Fighting is a crime, even here in backwards Alabama. So, by the same logic, any crime common to underprivileged areas now becomes part of "black culture." Foxx's words make the absurdity of this assertion even more apparent. I'm sure he saw crack-dealing, gang warfare, murders, beatings, vandalism, shootings, and all sorts of other stuff growing up if he actually did grow up in a tough neighborhood. Did anyone have to tell him when he got to Hollywood that these crimes were frowned upon? Does a crime being part of "black culture" excuse the person committing the crime? And are these morons even thinking about how this reflects on the black community, to claim a heinous, incredibly cruel CRIME as part of their culture? How is that any different from saying "oh, crack-dealing is just a part of black culture..."If I were black I would be absolutely furious at these remarks, and even as a white person I find them incredibly offensive to the black community. The truth is, it's part of thug culture, not black culture, and the people who choose to engage in it, especially as an independent and supposedly responsible adult, are thugs, plain and simple. It's a low-class, thug activity and always has been, and it is much more aligned along economic lines than racial ones.Comments like these only hurt the black community and don't do anyone any good.

Don't snitch.

 

[RedZone]

Playing the race card on this is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Dog Fighting is a crime, even here in backwards Alabama. So, by the same logic, any crime common to underprivileged areas now becomes part of "black culture." Foxx's words make the absurdity of this assertion even more apparent. I'm sure he saw crack-dealing, gang warfare, murders, beatings, vandalism, shootings, and all sorts of other stuff growing up if he actually did grow up in a tough neighborhood. Did anyone have to tell him when he got to Hollywood that these crimes were frowned upon? Does a crime being part of "black culture" excuse the person committing the crime? And are these morons even thinking about how this reflects on the black community, to claim a heinous, incredibly cruel CRIME as part of their culture? How is that any different from saying "oh, crack-dealing is just a part of black culture..."

If I were black I would be absolutely furious at these remarks, and even as a white person I find them incredibly offensive to the black community. The truth is, it's part of thug culture, not black culture, and the people who choose to engage in it, especially as an independent and supposedly responsible adult, are thugs, plain and simple. It's a low-class, thug activity and always has been, and it is much more aligned along economic lines than racial ones.

Comments like these only hurt the black community and don't do anyone any good.

Owens specifically described this as being a Southern culture "phenomena" and not a racial (or black as you stated) issue. Here is the quote from the Dallas Morning News, quoting Owens.

"Being from the South, that's something that's very prevalent in that area," he said. "So when I say it's a cultural situation, I'm not trying to bring a racial barrier into it. If anyone wants to dig that up, I will dispel that."

Owens commentI also described it as being related to cultures, predominantly those of poverty and a high incidence of violent crime against person and property. I am unclear as to how this is being perceived as an assignation towards the collective entity of all Black Americans.

 

[redman]

Playing the race card on this is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Dog Fighting is a crime, even here in backwards Alabama. So, by the same logic, any crime common to underprivileged areas now becomes part of "black culture." Foxx's words make the absurdity of this assertion even more apparent. I'm sure he saw crack-dealing, gang warfare, murders, beatings, vandalism, shootings, and all sorts of other stuff growing up if he actually did grow up in a tough neighborhood. Did anyone have to tell him when he got to Hollywood that these crimes were frowned upon? Does a crime being part of "black culture" excuse the person committing the crime? And are these morons even thinking about how this reflects on the black community, to claim a heinous, incredibly cruel CRIME as part of their culture? How is that any different from saying "oh, crack-dealing is just a part of black culture..."

If I were black I would be absolutely furious at these remarks, and even as a white person I find them incredibly offensive to the black community. The truth is, it's part of thug culture, not black culture, and the people who choose to engage in it, especially as an independent and supposedly responsible adult, are thugs, plain and simple. It's a low-class, thug activity and always has been, and it is much more aligned along economic lines than racial ones.

Comments like these only hurt the black community and don't do anyone any good.

Owens specifically described this as being a Southern culture "phenomena" and not a racial (or black as you stated) issue. Here is the quote from the Dallas Morning News, quoting Owens.

"Being from the South, that's something that's very prevalent in that area," he said. "So when I say it's a cultural situation, I'm not trying to bring a racial barrier into it. If anyone wants to dig that up, I will dispel that."

Owens commentI also described it as being related to cultures, predominantly those of poverty and a high incidence of violent crime against person and property. I am unclear as to how this is being perceived as an assignation towards the collective entity of all Black Americans.

Can you point me to any significant participation in this activity in the American South by non-blacks? I'm not saying you can't, but I haven't seen much evidence in this regard. Do you have any?

 

[Sweet J]

Just reporting it because I haven't seen it here. It appears to be a past thing, I doubt the NFL would take any action on this. I still don't see why he would want to admit it though. And it is nothing like deer hunting like he tries to make it sound, but i'm not getting into that debate here.

http://fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/20435

A real mature player wouldn't comment it , an especially not compare it to a legal sport and slough it off as just a cultural thing. He basically did say it's no big deal. A mature player would say no comment on the dog fighting and hope that Mike does what he needs to get his life back together.

Disagree. A mature player can speak his mind and put it into perspective. The comparison to deer hunting is somewhat valid.