The Rise, Fall, and Confusion of The Black Athlete

In the last week there have been a lot of news sources that reported about Mike Vick's party and Tiger's divorce settlement. Even though we may never know all the particulars of either story, there is a trend that is still being perpetuated like a protagonist in and urban novel. Black man works hard, black gains recognition, black man makes it, black man get's in trouble.....then loses it all. To look for the answers within the psyche of the black athlete would be wrong, because before he's an athlete, he is a man.

Having said that it stands to reason that there is something within some of our brothers (athletes and regular men alike) that we consistenly take risks, put everything on the line for a few moments of gratification and satisfaction. In the annals of sports history, or ourhistory for that matter there are countless examples to reference, but that's not what I want to build upon. Take Michael Vick, let's move past the individual and focus on the ideal. A man was convicted for fighting dogs and perjury(which is part of the fabric that holds this country together. The perjury that is.) which there are laws that are against those two things that are punishable by prison time. Common sense (and I'm on the outside looking in) says that if I had a co-defendant on a case and he told on me, then why would I even allow him to attend a party in my honor fully know that if something happened to him I would get the blame? Upon the re-establishment of my life and my career it would behove me to place around me individuals of positive energy and people who have my best interest at heart. I say this out of experience not out of opinion. Secondly, I'm very good at what I do and to allow someone or something to jeopardize my livelihood again would be totally ludicrous.

Now let's for a moment talk about Mr. Woods. His first mistake was in the denial of his race and heritage, so that only allowed more confusion and disillusion to a mind of someone who was already there. This man had and still has a gift that has never been seen in the history of golf. His accoplishments are too many to name, but the fact that he was born and raise to play golf does not take away from the fact that somewhere in between he forgot what it was to be a man. Now, this knowledge of self lacking individual is feeling slighted by the woman he proclaimed to love honor and cherish because for her it became about the money based upon his actions. I'm not saying he was right, nor is she wrong. I'm saying that being in touch with who you really are, not what people told you you are may have helped this brotha. And yes, I said brotha because no matter what he says he is when he looks in that mirror he knows what he sees. The question still remains is this somehow a destructive pattern amongst men, particularly African men? Is there something within a lot of us that when we reach a certain level of affluence, satsifaction that we begin to entertain ways to throw it away? Tiger Woods may win more championships, make more money, wear Green jackets. Michael Vick may or may not get a chance to play another game, but if the thinking and or behavior doesn't change then the trend will continue, and not just for them.