Blue Days in The Bluegrass

Geography often determines whether a fan prefers college or professional sports. South Bend and Chapel Hill are college sports towns. New York and Dallas, on the other hand, are pro sports towns. Fans in some places don't have much of a choice, though.

Consider the entire state of Kentucky: With zero professional sports franchises, two of America's most proud college basketball programs, as well as two of the game's most decorated coaches, college sports rein supreme in the Bluegrass State.

Led by John Calipari and Rick Pitino, respectively, the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville Cardinals are the two most popular teams (of any sport) in the state of Kentucky.

Nearly four months ago, each school had reason to be excited: Kentucky, which has lost ten or more games in seven of the last ten seasons, had just signed Calipari, the most sought-after coach in all of basketball, to a long-term deal.

And in Louisville, despite being upset by Title Game-bound Michigan State on the doorstep of the Final Four, the Cardinals had finished a season in the Elite Eight or better for the third time in five seasons -- a commendable feat.

My thoughts at the time: These two developments were sure to bring UK back to prominence and kick-start another championship run for the U of L.

Of course, that was before Calipari was tied to multiple recruiting scandals at his former job, and before Pitino admitted to cheating on his wife of thirty-plus years.

Today, instead of the national discussion revolving around their coaching prowess, fans everywhere -- not just Kentuckians -- have shifted their focus to the off-court indiscretions of these coaching giants.

In fact, since I began writing this story there's more news out of the commonwealth: Memphis, Coach Cal's former employer, has been stripped of 38 wins (previously an NCAA record) and a Final Four appearance from 2007-08.

If you followed the Memphis basketball scandal this summer, or if you read my piece on Calipari from June, I'm sure you saw this coming.

In case you're lost, let me summarize: Memphis was forced to vacate those 38 wins because Derrick Rose, star point guard on the Tigers' 2007-08 team and the eventual No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, had a stand-in take his SATs for him.

Neither you nor I was part of the investigation, so it's difficult for any of us to point the finger and say so-and-so was to blame, but I find it hard to believe that John Calipari didn't know that Derrick Rose was intellectually challenged when he recruited him.

Rose failed to meet NCAA standards on three previous occasions. And when his scores finally qualified, that test was taken in Detroit. In case you were unaware, Derrick Rose is from Chicago.

It's unknown what influence this will have on Calipari's reputation. The consensus among fans prior to this incident was that he was a win-at-all-costs type of guy. I would imagine that this situation will only re-affirm those feelings for most people.

Calipari may be (legally) off the hook, but if things don't go well in Lexington he could have a tough time finding another lucrative gig in college basketball.

And if that wasn't enough, the state of Kentucky took another hit when Rick Pitino decided to open his mouth recently. In the face of a sex scandal involving the now-estranged wife of his equipment manager, Pitino lashed out at the media for its coverage of the ongoing saga.

Pitino was especially sensitive about the release of audio and video recordings of phone calls and an interview with Karen Sypher, the woman at the heart of the scandal, which Pitino's wife has apparently seen and/or heard.

Let me get this straight: Rick Pitino (a devout Catholic) cheats on his wife and five children with the wife of a close friend/co-worker, allegedly pays for an abortion (because he didn't practice safe sex and would hate to ruin his reputation), keeps it all a secret for years, lies about anything ever happening when the woman attempts to blackmail him for millions of dollars, finally apologizes for an "indiscretion" (aka he doesn't have the guts to verbalize his actions), and he's mad at the world because his wife is pissed off...

World to Rick Pitino: You're an idiot. You deserve any ill-will that comes your way. How can you be mad at the media for doing their job when you're the one to blame?

Pitino is more at fault than Michael Vick as far as I'm concerned: To this very day Vick is persecuted by the public because he killed dogs. And he lost everything because of it: Millions of dollars in salary and endorsements, his job, his reputation, and most importantly, his freedom.

Meanwhile, Pitino has torn apart two families -- and he's the one who's mad? He won't go bankrupt. He won't have to find a new job. He certainly won't face jail time. However unfortunate, his lapse in morality cannot be tried in the courtroom.

Like Calipari, it's not likely that Rick Pitino will face any punishment from either the NCAA or his current employer. But he may face many questions from the parents of potential recruits. Would you send your child to a program that's led by a cheater and a liar?

I'm not a horse racing fan, but it's a shame that the Triple Crown doesn't come around until next spring. The citizens of Kentucky sure could use something else to talk about.

Sweet Home Minnesota

Brett Favre is a Minnesota Viking. It sounds funny and it may look funny. But when I stop to think about it, this is where the future Hall of Famer should have been last year.

Instead of wasting time in New York, figuring out a new offense, getting to know new players, as well a new division within a new conference, Number Four could have been throwing against three NFC North defenses that finished 18th, 21st, and 27th in passing touchdowns.

Fortunately, Favre's mediocre, one-year stint with the New York Jets is a thing of the past -- because it certainly felt awkward. The location was a far cry from what we (and Brett) were used to. The offense didn't complement his style of play. Even the jersey looked funny on him.

For some reason, though, a Viking uniform looks like a natural fit -- as do the playbook and the environs. Brett's familiarity with both the West Coast offense and the Black and Blue Division may be a huge advantage in 2009.

But while all signs point to a bounce-back year for the living legend, there are still some questions to be answered:

• Can Brett establish rapport with Minnesota's pass-catchers only a few weeks before the start of the regular season?
• Is his throwing shoulder fully recovered from offseason arthroscopic surgery?
• And the most pressing question: Will Brett fade in the final month of the season like he did last year?

There's only one reason for a team like the Vikings to sign a guy like Favre. They want to win now. But is he worth the two-year, $25 million contract he signed today?

You may be surprised by the following, but here are the facts...

Tavaris Jackson was a much better quarterback than Brett Favre over the final month of last season. Tavaris went 3-1, Brett went 1-3. Tavaris had eight touchdowns and four turnovers, Brett had three touchdowns and eight turnovers.

Regardless, Tavaris Jackson now finds himself behind Favre -- and maybe Sage Rosenfels, too -- on the Vikings depth chart. The fourth-year player doesn't sound happy about it, either.

"It's not a good feeling," said Jackson. And when asked about his future with the Vikings he replied, "I really don't know. I'm just taking it day-by-day right now. Just trying to get better. That's all I can do right now."

Jackson handled those questions nicely. But I know I wouldn't have. Both he and Sage Rosenfels were led to believe that they were in an open competition for the starting quarterback job. Instead, the Brett Favre circus is in town. And it isn't going anywhere.

Not only do Jackson and Rosenfels have to watch from the sidelines this season, but they now have to answer unyielding questions from reporters about their personal feeling on the whole Brett Favre ordeal. Oye vey!

This may not seem like a big deal, but NFL players are proud. This has to rub both quarterbacks -- as well as some of their teammates -- the wrong way. And although it remains to be seen whether or not this will cause a split in the locker room, this type of Favre-first behavior from the Vikings is similar to what we saw last year with the Jets.

Brett isolated himself from his teammates last season. He didn't reach out to them on or off the field, often played the I'm-a-Hall-of-Famer-to-be-blame-glame, and he even had his own locker room.

If Brett wants to have a successful season in '09, he'll need to communicate more with his teammates. As a 39-year old veteran of his stature, he should know that camaraderie isn't gained through practice reps alone.

But assuming Favre can build a relationship with skill players and remain healthy, I believe that things look good for the Favre-led Vikings this season.

Brett's familiarity with his surroundings and his admiration for head coach Brad Childress aren't the only reasons to get excited: The left side of the Vikings offensive line (Brett's blind side) may the best in the NFL, and the backfield happens to feature some guy named Peterson. Apparently he's some kind of freakish athlete.

Plus the Vikings have a good defense, as they finished 6th in total yards and 1st against the run last season. This means that the offense won't need to force turnover-laden play calls coming from behind very often.

And on top of all of that, the Vikes play in an average division and against one of the easiest schedules in the league. If they won ten games last season with Gus Frerotte and Tavaris Jackson, how many will they win this season with Favre?

So, Brett Favre is a Minnesota Viking after all. I know this may hurt some Packer fans out there, but I think it's a good fit. And yes, he's missed valuable time with his teammates this past month, prompting some people to claim he should have signed on the dotted line sooner.

Yep... last year.

Day of Atonement

Humans are a forgiving species. Whether this is some innate characteristic or if it's learned through religion or some secular principle, we, the people, forgive one another and move forward.

Unfortunately, some people -- and for whatever reason, many in the Philadelphia metropolitan area -- let preconceptions or narrow-mindedness skew their outlook. Not only is this unfair, but it also goes against any line of progressive thinking.

Michael Vick was raised in a culture of poor decision-makers. And before going to prison for killing dogs, he surrounded himself with poor decision-makers. Consequently, Mike Vick made many bad choices of his own.

Does that mean he's bound to do so for the rest of his time on Earth? Not necessarily. No one knows what lies ahead for Michael Vick except Michael Vick. But he does appear to have honest intentions.

Before his prison sentence, Vick was an overpaid athlete who acted like a thug and financed a dogfighting ring for fun. Today he's soft-spoken, humbled by the experience, as he should be.

His tone has changed. His ego is gone. He's ready to make a change for the better. What more can be asked of him? If you were a high-profile citizen found guilty of a crime, served the time, and vowed to come out a stronger person, wouldn't you expect to be accepted back into society?

Wouldn't you want to continue your career? Should the man be forced to do something other than play football, the one profession at which he excels, the one thing he's trained his entire life for?

Unfortunately, those that cannot -- or really, do not -- want Michael Vick to turn his life around (let alone return to the NFL) don't know about the rough childhood he experienced. The psychological toll that Vick's childhood took on him may have contributed to his violent dogfighting history.

Every year there are cases of rape, domestic violence, and substance abuse around the NFL and beyond. These, too, are premeditated crimes that may be rooted in a rough childhood that lacked stability. But charges such as these are often dropped.

Vick, on the other hand, was used to set an example. In fact, the average dog-loving sports fans thought that his 23-month sentence was a bit harsh. Vick did the time, though. And for one reason or another, other criminals have not.

But before anyone knew about Michael Vick's dogfighting ways, many sports fans disliked him for his appearance, or for the way he presented himself. They didn't like the way he spoke. They didn't like the way he dressed. They didn't even like the way he walked.

We don't know the Mike Vick of today, though. He may be a different person. He can't be discounted for the way he appeared more than two years ago.

A big reason for the anti-Vick sentiment in the two days since his signing is envy. People have a hard time understanding why Michael Vick is going to earn millions of dollars again. Or why he's going to get his time in the spotlight.

For one thing, Vick has loads of debt to pay off. So he certainly isn't "netting" millions. And any time he's going to see in the spotlight will be spent answering tough questions from relentless reporters. So it's not exactly a walk in the park. But it comes with the territory.

Some people -- and especially any football-hating dog-lovers out there -- will resent Vick's $1.6 million contract. They'll see it as, 'I'm a good person. Michael Vick isn't. Where's my million-dollar contract?'.

That's America for you. This hypocritical, predominantly-Christian nation can tell Mike Vick, 'You shall not kill. It's wrong. It's unethical. It goes against the Ten Commandments, our list of moral imperatives.'

Meanwhile, they, too, are sinners. What happened to, 'You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor'?

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Michael Vick to a non-guaranteed one-year contract worth $1.6 million with a team option for a second season at $5.2 million. From a business aspect, this is a great move.

Vick was once the highest-paid player in the NFL. If his skills are anywhere close to where they were in 2006, the Eagles have hit the jackpot.

Therefore, football-wise, this signing can't hurt. But it may help. Vick is a world-class athlete and a decent quarterback that will not be asked to start or contribute significantly at all this season. Plus, he is one hell of an insurance policy for the Eagles' injured-riddled starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb.

The Eagles made this move for another reason, though. It's not just about football. Non-football fans will tell you it is -- but it isn't. Owner Jeffery Lurie wanted to give Michael Vick a chance at re-establishing his career.

If Michael Vick was your child, wouldn't you want him to be given a second chance? If your answer is no, then you're lying to yourself.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Philadelphia Eagles organization, they value character and have high expectations for their players. Do you think the Eagles would agree to signing someone they thought couldn't meet those expectations?

With the blessing of Lurie, head coach Andy Reid, team captain Donovan McNabb, as well as Tony Dungy, one of the most respected men involved with the NFL, Michael Vick began his journey back to the league yesterday.

He spoke softly, answered questions directly, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to resume his career. At this stage, not much else can be asked of him.

So we now know that Michael Vick will touch an NFL field again. What we don't know is how he's changed in the two years he's been away -- or how the public will respond to him in weeks, months, or a year from now.

Hopefully people will give him a chance. Hopefully they can put the past behind them, focus on the ever-changing present, and know that Michael Vick is working hard to become a better person.