Michael Jordan and the Cleveland Cavaliers – A Labor of Hatred and Love
September 10, 2009The NFL Filled With Constant Predictions
September 10, 2009
In typical Jay Mariotti fashion, AOL.com’s most heralded blogger has chimed in almost a full week after the rest of the world on a topic. The latest: Terrelle Pyror’s support of Michael Vick.
However, instead of debating the ethical nature of his eyeblack scripture, Jay chose to poke his stick – after attempting to criticize use of the word “The” in The Ohio State University – at the comments that Pryor made following the game.
Regardless of what he does the rest of his NFL career, Vick always will be known as the sicko who bankrolled an operation, Bad Newz Kennels, that mutilated dogs. He’ll never be excused, yet in his unique way, Pryor is trying to pardon his idol anyway.
And of course, since Jim Tressell did not crack down on his quarterback, he too was burned at the proverbial stake.
Remember Maurice Clarett? The academic fraud and police blotter involving numerous players? That’s what I have to say to anybody who thinks coach Jim Tressel, he of the scarlet-and-gray sweater vest as popular in town as Woody Hayes bobbleheads, is a brilliant coach who could run for governor. He should have seen the Vick-related eyeblack, realized Pryor would be asked about it by the media and had a preemptive talk with the young man about what he might say concerning the world’s most infamous dogkiller.
We can debate whether or not Tress should have micromanaged his players last week from a play-calling standpoint, but the sweater vest was quick to jump to LiC’s defense by stating he would not micromanage what his players chose to support in their respective eyeblack. He didn’t do it with James Laurinaitis. He didn’t do it with Pryor last season. Why would he start now?
Of course, Mariotti did manage to crowbar actual game-related information into the piece by discussing the upcoming match with the Men of Troy. But soon after making readers think he actually knows what he is talking about, he finishes up with this gem:
To be the leader he wants to be, Terrelle Pryor will have to make good decisions on and off the field. He’ll be with us for a long time, you figure, and has years to mature. But his first verbal fumble was a whopper.
And sometime soon, he should prepare an apology and a clarification. I can’t support him for the Heisman until he does.
So, keep in mind Terrelleand fans alike. What Ohio State’s No. 2 does on the field for his team, his numbers and the Ohio State win total will have no bearing on a potential Heisman campaign. Well, at least until he apologizes for supporting a player he admired as he came up through the ranks. Moral debate aside, whom a player chooses to support and what said player may say in postgame interviews (whether misspoken or not) obviously will have more bearing on whether or not one is deserving of the most coveted individual award in the NCAA.
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Terrelle Pryor’s Defense of Vick Is Dangerous, Dumb [Jay Mariotti/FanHouse]
20 Comments
Oh god … he lost Marriotti’s support … HOW IS HE EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLAY FOOTBALL NOW????
If he goes out and throws 3 TD’s and runs for 30+ yars on USC this weekend that’s going to make everyone forget about this entire saga go away pretty quickly
Jay Mariotti needs to leave the grandstanding at home. Terrell Pryor can support who he wants to support and the fact that Marrioti CAN’T forgive Michael Vick for his crimes doesn’t mean the rest of have to fall in line with his self-righteous.
Eat a d*ck, Jay.
Tim Tebow is dreamy.
There: I made a comment as relevant to college football as Marrioti
But seriously, this is as much of a non-story as the Jordan Crawford dunk. 24 hour news cycles are ruining the world.
I long for the good ol days when Marrioti was unemployed.
QUITE FRANKLY, I FIND IT REPREHENSIBLE THAT MARIOTTI PASS JUDGMENT ALONG ON THIS YOUNG BLACK MAN. HIS HEROES ARE HIS HEROES. PLEASE PASS THE CHEEZ DOODLEZ.
C’mon, Mariotti, everybody murders people!
This running saga about some eye black is ridiculous. TP was showing support for his sister and his childhood sports hero. My child hood sports hero: Shawn Kemp. Do I support people becoming overweight alcoholics who have illegitimate kids like its a hobby? NO. Our sports hero’s are our hero’s for what the do on the court, field, ect. NOT for what they do/did and paid the price for in their personal lives. Lets proceed to watch TP mature into the next great college football QB.
what a blowhard Marrioti is. It seems like Michael Vick has become a blank canvas upon which the self-righteous can do their moralizing.
“He’ll never be excused” Marrioti says…good god, why persist in such a narrow, punitive judgment about someone who has expressed contrition and worked to deal with his demons? To forgive is still one of the highest ethical achievements, and something valued by a large percentage of our culture. Marrioti is just a bumbling stooge looking to make headlines in the news cycle, as Denny said.
Jesus thinks you’re a jerk, Marrioti.
While Tressel may have played coy to the media, don’t think for a NY Minute that he’s not all over this thing with TP and the rest of the OSU team. It WON”T happen again, and TP won’t be wearing such nonsense in representing The Ohio State University again. TP’s response to the media on this matter further stained the issue for OSU. Like Marrioti or not, agree with Marrioti or not-make no mistake, Tressel WON’T downplay this internally.
i guess jay marrioti would not support my “mel hall” eyeblack writing.
@4 Was that picture before or after his recent hairplugs?
not because i hate mariotti or anything like that….but the Heisman committee should look very seriously into his statements and discuss whether or not he is worthy of still having a vote. things like this really piss me off.
also, i don’t really think Pryor meant to say exactly what he did say. It sounded to me like it came out weird, and what he was saying is something entirely different than what has been transcribed (and recorded).
Thank you Stephen A., for joining this conversation. You’re one of the most entertaining windbags ESPN has ever offered.
Marriotti is a loser but I will say this:
As the Head Coach of a team like Ohio State, it is up to Tressel to either not let Pryor wear those words on his eye black (which would’ve been a bit harsh) or at least tell him that he better be ready to explain himself after the game.
I don’t think Pryor wearing “Vick” on his eye black is a big deal in the least. But his postgame explanation was a travesty and did indeed reflect poorly on the program and the university. He simply should have been more prepared for those questions than he was.
Does eye black even work? I never wore it. I really don’t think it bends the sun’s rays or anything.
I am not a Michigan fan by a long shot, but I have a feeling that the tone would be a lot different here if Pryor played for them.
Vick served his time. If Pryor wants to show some support for him, who cares? It’s a non-issue.