Victor Conte is back and working with major athletes in three sports. And all he wants now is a shot at redemption.
Do you believe that? Neither do I.
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel aired a story showing what Conte has been up to post serving prison time over the BALCO mess he created. And you couldn't be more wrong if you thought Conte's last days in the world of sports ended with him downing the careers of legends like Marion Jones, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Conte has managed to land a gig training baseball all-star Marlon Byrd, boxing world champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire and UFC fighter Kyle Kingsbury. On the Real Sports episode, Conte is shown mixing supplements into a bottle of water and essentially creating his own drinks; the contents of which no one has verified. He insists that its contents are entirely legal, and he has learned his lesson after serving time. But is he telling the truth? Your guess is as good as mine.
Byrd was a journeyman ball player prior to hooking up with Conte. Now he's an all-star. Donaire has knocked out his opponents in the two fights he's had since joining forces with Conte. Maybe in some fluke kind of way this is all legit, but are we really sure of this? Your guess is as good as mine.
Making matters worse is Conte's decision to re-hire his old cohorts, disgraced track coach Remi Korchemny and ex-Barry Bonds trainer Greg Anderson. If you somehow slept through the entire BALCO scandal, Korchemny was stripped of his coaching privileges for supplying drugs to a number of his track athletes, notably Kelli White and Dwain Chambers. Anderson served time for refusing to cooperate in the federal case against Bonds, also tied to the Balco case.
So why would any one on this planet work with this team? Your guess is as good as mine.
Not even Byrd or Donaire could answer the question, choosing to avoid it with the customary response stating that they were clean and not afraid to get tested. They don't get it. Neither was Jones, who famously declared she had never tested positive in more than a 1,000 tests. The purpose of "the clear" was to go undetected during testing. So how do we know Conte isn't up to his old antics and cooking up the next revolutionary cheating supplement? Because he says so. In fact, he says the USDA should consider hiring him to help weed out the cheats. I suppose he imagines how well the FBI hiring convicted fraudster Frank Abagnale Jr. turned out. Sorry Conte, your services aren't needed.
But for these three athletes working with Conte, and who knows how many more once that temptation to join the elite starts itching, staking your career and reputation on someone who's known mostly for his deception is a typical case of the saying, "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," and a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. The remainder of your career will be clouded with suspicion. So how long will this marriage last? Your guess is as good as mine.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Where would we be without soccer?
As many of my friends know, I'm in my final semester of graduate school, which means I'm tackling that demanding final project. Without giving away too much details, my final project is a soccer-related documentary.
So here's where my hardcore NFL fans may get upset. Outside of North America--and by this I really mean the United States-- no one would roll over if football was abolished as a sport tomorrow. But if soccer failed to exist as a sport, there would be worldwide protests that could eclipse all of the ongoing protests in much of the Middle East and North Africa combined.
Soccer has the ability to unite the world in a way nothing else can. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I ran into so many people from different cultural backgrounds, some of whom could not speak my native English. But one thing we didn't seem to struggle on was in our understanding of the soccer language.
What is the soccer language? Well it's hard to describe in words. But I'll give you a few examples. It is the similar reaction two people from different backgrounds share when Argentina's Lionel Messi or Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba receive a well-placed ball deep in the penalty area. It is the sudden break into song by fans at a soccer match, chanting a team's song like most fans of the top English Premiership League teams are accustomed to doing during matches.
And for me, it was a split-second decision to join a group of guys in an impromptu soccer friendly at a fan park in Soweto. I was there to watch a couple of matches and report on any interesting stories that caught my attention when a few guys beckoned on me to join them in the friendly. I was a pretty good soccer player until I graduated high school, but haven't played it competitively since then. Dressed in a fitted pair of jeans, a long-sleeved sweater and another sleeveless sweater over it, complete with a pair of loafers, I hardly seemed like the prototype soccer player. But as two non-English speaking guys gestured to me to join them, the unspoken soccer language I write about made my decision an easy one.
In the process, I forged an unexpected friendship with Themba, a volunteer worker from Soweto who also played in the game, and who spoke English.
While in Johannesburg, Themba and I spoke frequently, mostly about the similarities and differences between life in South Africa and the United States. He was oddly surprised when I told him many parts of the U.S. were just like South Africa, a notion a lot of Africans are shocked to discover. But mostly, we bonded over our love for soccer and the impact hosting the World Cup in South Africa would have on the African continent.
As the NFL enters serious negotiations over the collective bargaining agreement and threats of a lockout season looms, I ask myself just how much football will be missed if an agreement isn't reached. Yes, the repercussions may be as catastrophic as an economic depression (I'm grossly exaggerating this assumption,) here in the U.S. But it would never register on the same scale as soccer, if it was stripped from its fans. That, to me, is how you measure the real ratings worth noting about the two sports, and how you recognize which one is more valuable.
So here's where my hardcore NFL fans may get upset. Outside of North America--and by this I really mean the United States-- no one would roll over if football was abolished as a sport tomorrow. But if soccer failed to exist as a sport, there would be worldwide protests that could eclipse all of the ongoing protests in much of the Middle East and North Africa combined.
Soccer has the ability to unite the world in a way nothing else can. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I ran into so many people from different cultural backgrounds, some of whom could not speak my native English. But one thing we didn't seem to struggle on was in our understanding of the soccer language.
What is the soccer language? Well it's hard to describe in words. But I'll give you a few examples. It is the similar reaction two people from different backgrounds share when Argentina's Lionel Messi or Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba receive a well-placed ball deep in the penalty area. It is the sudden break into song by fans at a soccer match, chanting a team's song like most fans of the top English Premiership League teams are accustomed to doing during matches.
And for me, it was a split-second decision to join a group of guys in an impromptu soccer friendly at a fan park in Soweto. I was there to watch a couple of matches and report on any interesting stories that caught my attention when a few guys beckoned on me to join them in the friendly. I was a pretty good soccer player until I graduated high school, but haven't played it competitively since then. Dressed in a fitted pair of jeans, a long-sleeved sweater and another sleeveless sweater over it, complete with a pair of loafers, I hardly seemed like the prototype soccer player. But as two non-English speaking guys gestured to me to join them, the unspoken soccer language I write about made my decision an easy one.
In the process, I forged an unexpected friendship with Themba, a volunteer worker from Soweto who also played in the game, and who spoke English.
While in Johannesburg, Themba and I spoke frequently, mostly about the similarities and differences between life in South Africa and the United States. He was oddly surprised when I told him many parts of the U.S. were just like South Africa, a notion a lot of Africans are shocked to discover. But mostly, we bonded over our love for soccer and the impact hosting the World Cup in South Africa would have on the African continent.
As the NFL enters serious negotiations over the collective bargaining agreement and threats of a lockout season looms, I ask myself just how much football will be missed if an agreement isn't reached. Yes, the repercussions may be as catastrophic as an economic depression (I'm grossly exaggerating this assumption,) here in the U.S. But it would never register on the same scale as soccer, if it was stripped from its fans. That, to me, is how you measure the real ratings worth noting about the two sports, and how you recognize which one is more valuable.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Vick is all dogged out
Pardon the intended pun, but Michael Vick has been dogged unfairly about his cruel treatment of canines.
That's why I think he, or his management, did the right thing by canceling his appearance on Oprah. We all know what the subject of his appearance would be, his dog fighting conviction. But what Vick needs to understand is his importance to Oprah comes only after he's successfully completed his comeback. So he doesn't need Oprah to prove to the world that he's a changed man.
Where was Oprah when the whole country ostracized him? When he tried to show people that there was a good man somewhere within the ruthless killer he was portrayed as. I'm not excusing what Vick did. It was ruthless, it was vicious, it was inhumane. But he paid his dues with prison time, loss of endorsements and the near loss of a career and his family. What more should he have to give up?
There have been too many athletes, celebrities and notable people who've committed worse crimes. No need to mention names, but every person reading this blog can name at least three others who committed worse crimes than Vick, but walked away with less or no time. But he kills dogs and Fox analyst Tucker Carlson thinks he should have paid the penalty with his life?
Since Vick came out of prison, he has worked slowly to rebuild his career, which led to the NFL's comeback player of the year and an all-pro selection. He's worked even harder to improve his personal life and become a better family man. Now do you think it's a coincidence that suddenly his presence is needed on the talk show queen's couch?
I get that Vick wants everyone to know how much of a changed man he is, and there's no better way than to do so with Oprah's help right? Wrong! After a brief reality stint showing the world--or the small fraction of BET viewers who tuned in to watch him-- how he intended to re-organize his life, Vick has quietly continued to help educate others like him against the improper treatment of animals. No cameras following him to each speaking engagement and no PR rep spinning any stories for his benefit. Just rediscovery the old fashion way.
And that's what Vick needs to keep doing. There are people who need Oprah to help tell their story or share their pain. Jennifer Hudson going on Oprah to talk about the murders of family members was a great thing. Vick going on Oprah to show Americans how much of a different person he's become is a bad idea that will only make him appear to be courting the press. He's just come off perhaps the best season of his career and needs to remain on the low during the off-season then come back focused for next year.
Meanwhile the press needs to cut this man some slack and give him the true chance at redemption that he deserves. And he's not going to get it if we continue to dog him every chance we get.
That's why I think he, or his management, did the right thing by canceling his appearance on Oprah. We all know what the subject of his appearance would be, his dog fighting conviction. But what Vick needs to understand is his importance to Oprah comes only after he's successfully completed his comeback. So he doesn't need Oprah to prove to the world that he's a changed man.
Where was Oprah when the whole country ostracized him? When he tried to show people that there was a good man somewhere within the ruthless killer he was portrayed as. I'm not excusing what Vick did. It was ruthless, it was vicious, it was inhumane. But he paid his dues with prison time, loss of endorsements and the near loss of a career and his family. What more should he have to give up?
There have been too many athletes, celebrities and notable people who've committed worse crimes. No need to mention names, but every person reading this blog can name at least three others who committed worse crimes than Vick, but walked away with less or no time. But he kills dogs and Fox analyst Tucker Carlson thinks he should have paid the penalty with his life?
Since Vick came out of prison, he has worked slowly to rebuild his career, which led to the NFL's comeback player of the year and an all-pro selection. He's worked even harder to improve his personal life and become a better family man. Now do you think it's a coincidence that suddenly his presence is needed on the talk show queen's couch?
I get that Vick wants everyone to know how much of a changed man he is, and there's no better way than to do so with Oprah's help right? Wrong! After a brief reality stint showing the world--or the small fraction of BET viewers who tuned in to watch him-- how he intended to re-organize his life, Vick has quietly continued to help educate others like him against the improper treatment of animals. No cameras following him to each speaking engagement and no PR rep spinning any stories for his benefit. Just rediscovery the old fashion way.
And that's what Vick needs to keep doing. There are people who need Oprah to help tell their story or share their pain. Jennifer Hudson going on Oprah to talk about the murders of family members was a great thing. Vick going on Oprah to show Americans how much of a different person he's become is a bad idea that will only make him appear to be courting the press. He's just come off perhaps the best season of his career and needs to remain on the low during the off-season then come back focused for next year.
Meanwhile the press needs to cut this man some slack and give him the true chance at redemption that he deserves. And he's not going to get it if we continue to dog him every chance we get.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride
The Florida A&M University's men's tennis team has consistently been at the top of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference for nearly a decade. Under the leadership of Coach Carl Goodman, the Rattlers have been the top-ranked team in the MEAC for the same period, but has always fallen short of claiming the title.
For the News 20 at 5 newscast on Monday, I shot, wrote, edited and reported on a story about the team's championship title woes, which I have posted below.
Some interesting tidbits about the Rattlers tennis team: the team has had a good recruiting relationship with players from the African continent; particularly from southern Africa. Goodman is not just a coach, he holds a Ph.D and is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology, and he holds his players to a high academic standard. The men's tennis graduates the most student-athletes on time of any sport.
For the News 20 at 5 newscast on Monday, I shot, wrote, edited and reported on a story about the team's championship title woes, which I have posted below.
Some interesting tidbits about the Rattlers tennis team: the team has had a good recruiting relationship with players from the African continent; particularly from southern Africa. Goodman is not just a coach, he holds a Ph.D and is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology, and he holds his players to a high academic standard. The men's tennis graduates the most student-athletes on time of any sport.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Human Trafficking
It's been a week since a record 111 million viewers tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in the most watched TV show ever. A number of smaller stories developed from the enormous publicity the Super Bowl created, most especially the 400 fans who were displaced from their seats for safety precautions.
But another story, which did not get enough attention in my opinion involved human trafficking or commercial exploitation of people, primarily women and children. I stumbled upon a story highlighting concerns about human trafficking reports increasing in Dallas during the Super Bowl weekend, and you can find it here if you are interested in reading it: http://www.thegrio.com/sports/police-watch-for-sex-trafficking-ahead-of-super-bowl.php
A similar concern was raised in South Africa during the World Cup for the same reason. An event such as the Super Bowl or World Cup draws thousands, sometimes millions, of people to a particular location. Obviously having so many people with different interests, wants and needs makes for the opportunity to earn the easy money.
Sadly, it comes at the expense of many unsuspecting women and children, some of whom are kidnapped and forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for money. In South Africa, a country with the most number of people living with HIV/AIDS, the problem was an even bigger concern. I had planned on investigating how much of a factor human trafficking was during the World Cup, but unfortunately fell victim to the flu just as I started the project. Since I never completed the story, my interviews remained buried until now.
It's a different country and different event being hosted, but the story remains the same. Human trafficking is a serious global issue that needs to be addressed. I put together a short story based on interviews with two people. Moses Kanduri, a Ghanaian, U.S.-based student who served as coordinator of the Red Card against human trafficking campaign in South Africa, and Melanie Hamman, a photographer and human trafficking activist. Here's a picture of Hamman being interviewed about the human trafficking and prostitution, during the World Cup, for ESPN's "Outside The Lines."
While this video doesn't paint the full picture, I hope it will help raise awareness about the magnitude of the problem. There are no visual images, but the soundbites from these two are so compelling that it is worth the viewing. You can leave your thoughts and opinions on the human trafficking crisis.
But another story, which did not get enough attention in my opinion involved human trafficking or commercial exploitation of people, primarily women and children. I stumbled upon a story highlighting concerns about human trafficking reports increasing in Dallas during the Super Bowl weekend, and you can find it here if you are interested in reading it: http://www.thegrio.com/sports/police-watch-for-sex-trafficking-ahead-of-super-bowl.php
A similar concern was raised in South Africa during the World Cup for the same reason. An event such as the Super Bowl or World Cup draws thousands, sometimes millions, of people to a particular location. Obviously having so many people with different interests, wants and needs makes for the opportunity to earn the easy money.
Sadly, it comes at the expense of many unsuspecting women and children, some of whom are kidnapped and forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for money. In South Africa, a country with the most number of people living with HIV/AIDS, the problem was an even bigger concern. I had planned on investigating how much of a factor human trafficking was during the World Cup, but unfortunately fell victim to the flu just as I started the project. Since I never completed the story, my interviews remained buried until now.
It's a different country and different event being hosted, but the story remains the same. Human trafficking is a serious global issue that needs to be addressed. I put together a short story based on interviews with two people. Moses Kanduri, a Ghanaian, U.S.-based student who served as coordinator of the Red Card against human trafficking campaign in South Africa, and Melanie Hamman, a photographer and human trafficking activist. Here's a picture of Hamman being interviewed about the human trafficking and prostitution, during the World Cup, for ESPN's "Outside The Lines."
While this video doesn't paint the full picture, I hope it will help raise awareness about the magnitude of the problem. There are no visual images, but the soundbites from these two are so compelling that it is worth the viewing. You can leave your thoughts and opinions on the human trafficking crisis.
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