openentrance – What's Really Going OnWhat's Really Going On

New York Jets running back Curtis Martin is expected to announce that he will retire from football when the Jets open up training camp.

According to a report in the New York Post, the NFL’s fourth all-time leading rusher, who hasn’t played since the 2005 season, will announce his decision when the Jets open camp on Friday.

Martin underwent surgery in December 2005. It was originally supposed to be an arthroscopic procedure, but more damage than expected was found in the knee.

Martin played 11 seasons in the NFL – three with the New England Patriots and eight with the Jets – and rushed for 14,101 yards and 90 touchdowns. His 3,518 rushing attempts is the third highest in league history. Martin also had 484 receptions for 3,329 yards.

For the entire story click here.

Although the Michael Vick case has not gone to court, the NFL has already issued a verdict of guilty and banned Michael Vick from training camp.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement that said:

“While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy,” Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.

 Vick will still receive pay for the preseason, but most likely will not be allowed to play this season is my bet. Goodell told Vick the league would complete its review as quickly as possible and that he expected full cooperation. The review is expected to involve conversations with federal law enforcement officials so the NFL can determine the strength of the case against Vick.

I totally disagree with Vick being banned, but I am sure the heat of PETA protesting at the league offices and the offices of the Atlanta Falcons put pressure on the league. Al Sharpton doing his usual ambulance chasing routine and speaking out against Vick did not help much either. Last week, Nike postponed the release of Vick’s shoe and other endorsers are pulling back from Vick.

This will get a lot worst before it is over.

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons is urging sponsors of football player Michael Vick to stop supporting the sports star after he was charged for operating an illegal dog-fighting operation.

Earlier this week openentrance.com reported that Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury for “conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting venture” on July 17.

Animal-loving Simmons has teamed up with civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton and People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) President Ingrid E. Newkirk to write a letter to Vick’s sponsors.

Since Vick’s controversy, Nike has announced it is dropping plans to release a special Nike Air Zoom Vick V football shoe.

Source

While at a Las Vegas club Lebron James’ friends ran up a $2,000 tab on Goose and Patron. Although sources from the club say King James only drank Red Bull he still got stuck with the tab. And after settling that bill, the King’s crew ordered another bottle of vodka for him to pay for.

I can appreciate a brother looking out for his crew, but I think this is where a lot of our Black superstars get themselves into trouble.  Scenario: LeBron stays sober the whole night, but crew is full of that good. At some point in the night all that liquor kicks in and somebody out of the crew starts to think they’re larger than life. When in actuality they’re nothing more than the man, sitting next to the man, sitting next to the man, sitting next to the man, who led his team to the 2007 NBA Finals. Long story short…that drunk idiot gets out of control, all hell breaks loose, it’s mayhem throughout the club, something crazy happens (shot, stabbed or an old fashion ass whoopin’) and all fingers point to LeBron.  Soon thereafter he becomes the next victim of the new world hustle.

Leading his team to the playoffs this season probably isn’t at the top of Michael Vick’s to do list. Today, a federal grand jury indicted Michael Vick and three other men in a dogfighting probe of Vick’s house in Virginia. Vick was indicted for conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting.

According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia: “If convicted on the Travel Act portion of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and full restitution. If convicted on the animal fighting venture portion of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking recovery of any property constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of these offenses.”

So did Michael do a better job than his brother of hiding his true foolish self, or is this a one time bad decision (I say “one” if you don’t count him giving the fan the middle finger or the water bottle incident at the airport.) I know one thing, if the commish lays down the law and sits Vick down the Falcons will have a shaky season at best…AT BEST!!!! Come to think of it, I wouldn’t consider them a premiere team in the league anyway.

On this date in 1863 the New York Draft Riots occurred. This has been described as Four Days Of Terror centered on racism over the civil war. It was a four-day binge of looting, burning, and murder that singled out the city’s black population as the scapegoat for the country’s ills.

Possessed rioters attacked every Black they encountered including an orphanage where 237 black children under the age of 12 lived. Families were chased down and killed; helpless Blacks were lynched and hanged on lamp posts.

Also on this date:

1972 Shirley Chisholm became the first African American Presidential nominee, with 151 votes from the delegates polled.

1985 Arthur Ashe, the first Black male to win Wimbledon, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.