Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is the most hated athlete in sports two years running? According to recent a Forbes poll Vick continues to be disliked for his past dealings with dogs.
For my money, the most hated athlete should be Ben Roethlisberger -- more on him later.
How can Vick, an athlete who had it all and lost most of it, be perceived as the most hated athlete in sports?
The answer is simple: It's a heavy dose of social engineering, race, and media composition.
Social-engineering is like marketing. The media subliminally induces people to think a certain way by focusing on particular traits such as race, sex and gender within stories.
Race factors because Vick was an African American quarterback in the NFL. He played for the Atlanta Falcons in the south. Yes, Vick made a huge mistake and was vilified for his actions but if Vick were white I feel he would have been cut some slack.
The media is controlled by white males. Stories and polls are manufactured by a media constituency who largely don't comprehend the make up many of the African-Americans they write about. In essence, this opens the door for African Americans to be unfairly labeled on a higher scale than their white counterparts in the mainstream media.
Vick being viewed as the most hated man in sports displays how flawed the media really is. It's an egregious attempt to dupe the masses to embrace fallacy rather than truth.
For my money, another quarterback who wears No. 7 should be the most hated athlete, and that's Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger recently escaped a sexual-assault charge. Many felt he was guilty but he got off.
Why?
Ben "Rapelisberger" has gotten a pass largely because of his celebrity and complexion. Meanwhile Vick's celebrity worked against as he continues to suffer because of his tan.
The media essentially has ignored Big Ben. He's not been covered with the same level of persistence as Vick. Big Ben has been protected by the white mainstream media and Vick wasn't. Vick was crucified for his dealings with dogs while Roethlisberger continues to be protected for his shenanigans with women.
In my opinion, there was enough evidence to prosecute Roethlisberger yet the authorities turned the other cheek. Because Big Ben is a white quarterback in the NFL, he's entitled to inherent privileges African-Americans are not privy to.
In being fair, there's no argument about what Vick did -- it was wrong but at the end of the day, his victims were not human. Yes, Vick funded a gambling ring and assisted in the torture and killing of some dogs. His actions were stupid. The one-time highest paid player in the league shouldn't have put himself in such a bad position.
Cruelty to animals is despicable but Vick served his time. He's kept his nose clean and made strides to get into the good graces of society, but the media won't let him be. The Forbes poll is unnecessarily regurgitating the past.
If you want to regurgitate the past and talk about who should be hated, fine. Let's go there. Let's talk about real cruelty from a historical perspective.
What about all the human beings who were brutalized, battered and murdered during the rise of American slavery?
How about all the African Americans who were lynched at the hands of white hate groups?
How about the great African American baseball players who were hated because of racism are weren't allowed to play in the Major Leagues?
How about the African Americans who were bitten by dogs during the Civil Rights Movement?
The crimes just chronicled the vast majority of the perpetrators escaped criminal prosecution and or penalty. Just like Ben "Rapelisberger" did.
If you want to talk about something or someone being hated how about hating a system that's murdered human beings? How about hating the racists who allowed dogs to attack human beings for attempting to secure their rights?
Lastly, hate the mainstream media for ignoring racism. Hate the media and authorities for allowing Roethlisberger to escape with sexual assault.
Fair request?
In terms of coverage what else can you expect from a mainstream media who fails to include African Americans? It should not be surprising the media structure is composed of white males. For those of you who follow my commentary should know over 90 percent of the mainstream newspapers are owned by whites. Furthermore, 94 and 88 percent of the Sports Editors and Columnists are white males. In essence the vast majority of what we digest from the media comes from a white male vantage point.
Why is this relevant?
More diversity is needed whether they are dissenting voices or not. Hence a big reason why Vick is still being perceived as the most hated athlete in sports is a result of lack of diversity.
In closing, I don't agree with the Forbes poll or how Vick is still being perceived. While the media continues to essentially ignore covering "Rapelisberger," it continues to try to crucify Vick.
If anyone should be voted as the most hated athlete in sports, why shouldn't it be Ben Roethlisberger?