What’s up Yard? It’s your boy B back at it again! Recently there’s been a lot going on in the sports world. One of the biggest stories has been Michael Vick’s release from prison. Everyone is debating whether or not he should be allowed to play in the NFL again. I just read an article about Vick’s release that mentions how NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the right to lift his league suspension but needs to be convinced that he is genuinely remorseful of his actions.

Personally, I think Vick should be allowed to play in the NFL again and I’ve got 7 reasons why.

1. Reason number one is because no one is perfect. We all make mistakes and we all deserve second chances in life. Vick is no different from anyone else and I think he deserves a second chance.

2. My second reason is because before his incarceration, he was a great football player and the face of the league. I think the NFL would be better off having another exciting player like him back representing the league.

3. Three is because his road to redemption will serve as a great model to youth. It will show that even if you make mistakes, you can rise above them. You can be down and out in society but if you put your mind to it, you can work hard and bounce back.

4. Even though I’m not a fan of what he did wrong, in my opinion, there are a lot of folks in the NFL who have demonstrated behavior worse than his. You can look at guys like Leonard Little, of the St. Louis Rams, who pleaded guilty to a DUI that killed a woman in St. Louis in 1998 (his blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit). Since then, he’s had at least one other DUI offense in 2004! Jamal Lewis pled guilty to facilitating a drug transaction using his cell phone. Numerous other players have been convicted of crimes ranging from domestic abuse to drug possession and are still being allowed to play in the NFL…

5. If Vick has the passion to play and is good enough, he shouldn’t be denied his right to pursue the career he loves.

6. Number six is a bit of a selfish reason. I enjoy watching him play and would like to see if he can still develop into the game changing quarterback that Atlanta thought he could be. His mix of arm strength, speed and quickness is unmatched and we haven’t seen anything like it. Hopefully he will get the chance to build on that talent because if he does, we may see one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

7. Lastly, I feel that he’s paid his debt to society and should be allowed to work again just like anyone.

I think Roger Goodell is being tough on Vick by asking him to display “genuine remorse” for his actions. Who is he to judge if Vick is genuinely remorseful? Goodell works for the NFL but isn’t Vick’s conscience. Obviously Goodell hasn’t been the best judgment of character lately anyways (Pacman Jones). Vick was wrong but has paid a steep price. He doesn’t owe Goodell anything. He shouldn’t be held to a higher standard than anyone else. He’s served close to two years, lost all of his money, been crucified by the media and public and any additional punishment from the NFL would be as bad as the torture that he did to those dogs…

B

Recently I was shocked to learn that our President, Barack Obama still had a lot of work do before being presented with an honorary doctoral degree from Arizona State University where he was asked to speak for its graduation. Just so you know, most often when a high-profile official speaks at ASU’s graduation, he or she is awarded an honorary doctorate. Let me get this straight, Obama graduated from Columbia and Harvard Law School, was Senator of Illinois and became the first Black President of the United States but isn’t good enough to get an “honorary degree” from Arizona State? What else does he have to do, turn water into wine?

I read the list of other speakers who’ve spoken at ASU’s past graduations and received degrees and was even more shocked! They’ve given out these degrees to newspaper publishers, successful movie directors and even generous donors. Another person who was awarded an honorary degree was Jerry Colangelo, owner of the Phoenix Suns and the person who helped return USA Basketball back to prominence (and this was before he started working with USA Basketball). No offense to Mr. Colangelo but I don’t think you can compare what he’s done (or many of the others who've spoken have done) with what Obama has accomplished so far.

ASU’s excuse for denying Obama’s honorary degree was because his “body of work is yet to come.” Someone needs to step up and take responsibility for the real reason why Obama was denied the degree. Maybe it was because Arizona is John McCain’s state or because McCain has donated a lot of money to the school or even because it’s a Republican state. Whatever the real reason is, don’t lie and tell us that it because Obama isn’t good enough. That’s like saying LeBron James isn’t good enough to play on your REC league team or that Yao Ming isn’t tall enough to play on your squad!

Over 63,000 people showed up to hear Obama speak at the graduation so that tells you something. It wasn’t like there was football game or sporting event at ASU. All of those people didn’t just show up to show their support for the graduates – they came to hear Obama. In my opinion, he’s the most credible speaker they’ve ever had and they should have been honored to have him as an honorary graduate of their university. Denying him that degree was a terrible injustice and I think they should go back, change their minds and give it to him.

Me and my friends have been talking about this for the past few days so I figured I throw it out there on the Yard and see how you guys feel about it. Holla at me!

B

I don’t understand why some fans feel the need to be disrespectful at sporting events? Like many people, I was very disappointed and upset by the behavior of some of the Dallas Mavericks’ fans during their playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. First, they poured beer on Kenyon Martin’s mother; then poured beer on/cursed at Carmelo Anthony’s fiancée Lala Vasquez; and then throw ice at and disrespect the Nuggets’ GM. That behavior is unacceptable!

Why do some fans feel they have the right to do this to the family and friends of players? How would they feel if it was their moms or girlfriends being treated like this? I don’t even understand why they feel that it’s ok for them to berate players at sporting events? You can’t do this at any other job in the country. I can’t walk into Neiman Marcus and start insulting the girl behind the makeup counter! I can’t walk into McDonalds’ and start cursing out the guy frying french fries for no reason! I’d get thrown out and probably arrested! I think these fans should be thrown out of arenas and banned for a least 1 year for their actions. That goes for all sports: MLB, NFL, NASCAR, etc.

I think the fans seated around them are just as responsible for not pointing them out and turning them in. I mean, what kind of example is that setting? If we players are being held to a certain code of conduct on the court or field, then the fans should be held to the same kinds of standards in the stands.

I don’t mean to offend anyone but this really disturbed me and I wanted to find out what the rest of the blog nation had to say about it...

B

Thanks for all of the love and support from everyone who's read my first blog! I'll be back very soon blogging about a ton of new topics!

Bwood

What’s up everybody? It’s your boy B-Wood blogging for the first time! I’m excited to be the newest member of “the yard.” I’ve got a lot to say and look forward to saying it right here on my blog.

First off, you may have been wondering what I’ve been up to since the season ended! Well, like most NBA players not in the playoffs, I took a little time off but am right back in the gym (and weight room) working out to get ready for next season. My wrist is 100% percent healed from the surgery I had to repair the wrist ligaments that I tore in training camp last season. I’m pretty much back to the way I was before the injury – 100% healthy! I’m looking forward to October and helping my Washington Wizards to a successful season.

I’ve been watching a lot of playoff basketball and have been surprised at the big deal that has been made about the “hard” fouls guys have been committing. I think a lot of the fouls that guys have been penalized for have been “regular” fouls that have been blown out of proportion. The new league rules have made things worse in a way. I can understand teams wanting to protect their superstars but things have gone beyond that. .

Back in the days of the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys and bruising New York Knicks, hard fouls and intimidation used to discourage players from being so aggressive and attacking the basket. Those days are long gone! Nowadays, you’re going to get ejected, suspended or fined for a “hard” foul. It’s a shame.

A lot of was made about my “hard” foul on LeBron James during our playoff series last year. I still don’t think that was a hard foul and I didn’t have any ill intentions when I did it. But, I think we all know that anytime you touch LeBron James, you’re going to be sent to the showers! You accidentally bump into him and you’re going to be “rub-a-dub-dubbing” in the locker room bathtub! I’m not sure how that foul would have been interpreted this year. Who knows if I would have been suspended a game or not? Each case if different and you never know how the league will react, especially these days.

Speaking of LeBron, he fully deserved the MVP award this year. He was the most dominant player on the league’s best team – it was a clear-cut choice. Kobe played well (as always) but it was LeBron’s year. Same goes for Dwight Howard – he really deserved the defensive player of the year award. He was the best defensive rebounder and shot blocker in the league.

Jason Terry was also my choice for Six Man of the Year. He’s as important as Dirk is to the Dallas Mavericks. I pretty much agree with all of the leagues’ choices for awards this year...

You may not know it but I’m a big baseball fan. I was shocked at the recent suspension of Manny Ramirez! Like most fans, I didn’t see that coming at all! I was disappointed because it really leaves us fans in limbo because we don’t know whether to believe him when he says it was accidental or if he took the banned substance on purpose. Baseball can recover from this steroid scandal error but it’s definitely going to take time. At the end of the day, fans want to go to the games to be entertained and as long as players don’t continue to come out dirty, fans will support. .

I was also shocked by another Manny recently – this time it was Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s destruction of Ricky Hatton! I’m a huge boxing fan and was completely blown away by Manny’s domination and second round knockout of Hatton! Don’t get me wrong, I thought Manny would win but thought it would go at least 8 or 9 rounds. Manny was too explosive, too quick, too powerful, too everything in that fight! I haven’t seen anyone taken out like that since the early days of “Iron” Mike Tyson! I’ve been a big fan of Floyd “Money” Mayweather for quite a while and am glad that he’s coming out of retirement to fight Juan Manuel Marquez this summer. Most fans want to see Floyd and Manny face off after the Marquez fight. I don’t think anyone can beat “Money.” He’s always quicker and in better shape than his opponents. He’s also such a smart fighter and I’ve never seen him hit hard enough to be in trouble. For Manny to beat “Money,” he’d have to hit him hard enough to hurt him and I can’t see that happening.

Well -that’s all for my first blog! Catch up with you again soon .

Brendan