Miami Here I Come!

I personally applaud LeBron James for doing what he felt was best for himself in deciding to join the Miami Heat along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. While he may not have handled everything perfectly, he's 25 years old and wielding his power while he has it. As he stated, business is business and he's handling his business. Good luck and much success in Miami, Mr. James.

Stick A Fork In Vick!

We can effectively stick a fork in the football career of Michael Vick. Vick's been in the news for the last 2 weeks involving the infamous White Party that Vick hosted in Virginia Beach and his former friend and co-defendant Quanis Phillips was shot. Phillips has refused to cooperate with authorities so the case has been closed, but prosecutors did report yesterday that Vick was involved in some sort of altercation prior to the shooting.

The altercation if it indeed did happened coupled with the shooting will allow the Eagles to eventually cut Vick, who is their back up quarterback. This will effectively end Vick's career in the NFL leading him to become a journeyman player floating from minor league to minor league. The Eagles gave Vick a chance to resurrect his career, but ultimately Vick couldn't make the decision that would keep him out of potential trouble.

King James Going To Miami?

The world hasn't been turned on it's axis awaiting the LeBron James announcement of where he's going to play next season on ESPN tonight, but it almost feels like we've all been had by the media uproar and with the 6 teams that met with James last week to put on a dog and pony show for him and his peeps. Stephen A. Smith called this weeks ago and was dogged out by everyone who had an opinion, when he stated that James would be joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami as members of the Miami Heat.

Now most media outlets are stating just what Stephen A. reported on citing reliable sources. If James is indeed going to the Heat to form a new "Big 3" more power to him. It's just interesting that the anointed one, who is no doubt a great player, wouldn't keep the announcement more low key if he is indeed leaving. James will be criticized regardless of what decision he's going to make, but for him the proof of his greatness will be winning championships, not holding the media hostage on your next decision.

John Crowder Couldn't Escape The Streets!

While the sports world is mesmerized by Tiger's divorce, and where King James is going to be signing, the story of Baltimore's John Crowder always brings everything back into perspective about how rough it is for many talented teens to escape the lure of their surroundings. The Baltimore Sun reports on the sad story of the 17 year-old John Crowder being found bleeding in a Northeast Baltimore yard Monday morning ultimately dying of gunshot wounds.

Crowder was a nationally ranked high school basketball player whose mother died when he was 2, his father wasn't around and he already had had 2 brothers shot and a best friend murdered. It's probable that his murder may not be solved (I hope I'm wrong) and that he will become another murder statistic. I know that stations such as ESPN need ratings and it's more noteworthy to see which vehicle LeBron James is riding in to his next free agent meeting, but the story of James Crowder is a tragedy that deserves more that just a footnote in the local newspaper.

Purple Drank Quietly Destroying Lives!

The "Purple Drank" is a mixture of prescription strength cough syrup containing codeine, mixed with a soft drink such as 7Up and pieces of Jolly Rancher candy. It's been prevalent in the hip-hop community for years popularized by such artists as Lil Wayne and Three 6 Mafia. ESPN ran a segment recently highlighting it's impact on the athletic community, and with former #1 NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell being arrested this week for possession of a controlled substance, the Purple Drank phenomenon now as a new audience.

Russell's career is likely over, and while he was clearly a bust after receiving a signing bonus of over $30 million, it's not out of the question to suspect that Purple Drank contributed to his demise. Just what we need, another vice to derail our community.

Teen Calls Police on Crackhead Mom!

The Philadelphia Daily News reports on a disturbing but all too true story of a 13 year-old boy calling the police on his 45 year-old mother who was smoking crack in his presence. The mother physically abused her son for calling the police and verbally abused the teen upon her arrest. Crack is definitely whack, and hopefully the teen, who has been placed with a relative will get a shot at a normal upbringing without dealing with the perils of a parent who is addicted to drugs.