Nothing is quite as amusing as reading and listening to old white guys scurry people off their various lawns, especially when it comes to popular music. Add in a dash of macho sports and it's an excellent Perfecta. Social media was chock full of whines and wheezes from these jovial old geezers when Beyonce performed at halftime of the Netflix Christmas NFL game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. The various warbles from those complaining about her "destroying country music" with selections from her "Cowboy Carter" album were the most amusing. Netflix is an entertainment company, not a sports network. Seeing as most of the top rated TV shows of 2024 were sports event, they're just in it for the cash grab, which is why they didn't stick with anything old and worn our for their holiday bash. Beyonce was the perfect "get", pulling in a massive audience that is still talking about the performance, as I am right here, and thus paying off their investment in broadcasting the sport. Netflix wants a younger and more marketable demographic in their books, and she paid the freight. Hey, I've heard the album and didn't care for it, not because of any other reason than it wasn't my style of tunes and it sure as Hell isn't country music. Then again, it's meant to be her take on the genre, and in that stead she scored big. I will note that in my humble opinion, a lot of the criticism about her performance had a racial tinge to it. She's a black woman "invading" the world of white guys and gals singing about beer, pickup trucks, bad relationships and tussles behind the barn. Plenty of comments had a noticeable racial edge to them. In the end, the show was exactly what it was meant to be, a spectacle that had nothing at all to do with football. Fro a stage performance, it was brilliant and technically stunning. The music? Meh. Then again, I'm not the demographic Netflix was looking for, and neither are those who slammed away because it wasn't their music. I will add that as putrid as the halftime shows have become with the inane babbling of former jocks and preening bubbleheads, I'll take Beyonce any day.
Just below the Beyonce Bowl blabber was the uprising over University of Miami QB Cam Ward choosing not to play in the second half of the "Pop Tarts Bowl" against Iowa State. With Ward, Head Coach Mario Cristobal and everyone else being so tight-lipped about why he sat out, it only adds credence to the thinking Ward made the choice so as to avoid any possibility of injury in his last college game, banking on the cash he'll make as a top pick in the NFL Draft. One one side, it's easy to understand, The game against Iowa State was not a playoff game, there was no title at stake, and it was for nothing but pride on a national stage. But what chafed at me was the callous nature it showed for his teammates. Ward is going to cash in big, but he's the outlier on that team. The majority of those Hurricanes players will never see big time NFL money, and for some of them this was their last chance to head out a winner. In my take, Ward spit on his teammates by denying them a chance to go out on top in the last game of the year. There's this archaic thinking process about leadership and being part of a team that I still root for. While there was no guarantee he wouldn't be injured and cost himself millions, there was no guarantee he would take a gaffe. You play the game for the game and for the team. These are the teammates who helped to make him a potential #1 draft pick, at the expense in some cases of their own careers, and he OWES them to play the damn game. There's no more pride in college football at the level of these highly paid NIL players and the few who will ever sniff an NFL training camp, but for the rest, the 99% who play the game for the fun and personal pride, it means something to win. It's a lasting memory, even if eating the bowl mascot at the end was the running joke. Ward did his teammates a true disservice by taking a seat, and Coach Cristobal made it worse by buying into the scam. Sad that most of the UM social media warriors focused on what Ward did for THEM during his time at the U, which in those cases was making them a few bucks on the gambling rail and keeping their sense of self-worth up and running thanks to being able to show the colors. I'll always stand for the players, and in this case for those who were cheated out of going out on top by a greedy QB and a coach who also gave up on wanting to do everything he could to win for the organization and the team.
I had to hold back the mouth vomit upon learning that Michael Vick was the new Head Coach at Norfolk State. I covered the story when Vick was part of and the money behind a dog-fighting ring that butchered a number of innocent animals and used them for the entertainment and macho competition "sport" of he and his buddies. I remember the vicious nature of injuries suffered by those animals, and how some had to be mercifully killed thanks to Vick and his gang. Yes, Vick paid his price by doing prison time, but he never showed any real remorse for what he did. He was let off the hook by the usual fanatics who only give a damn about passing yards and game day gambles. He is now in a position of leadership for young and impressionable players with the reputation of being a dog killer who should carry that label with him for the rest of his life. I dare say plenty who support this gig are also those who have no problem with the heinous act of dog fighting.
That's the handiwork of Michael Vick. That's what he did to a living and compassionate creature. That's the despicable nature of this man and those who conveniently forget what he was responsible for. In my mind, there is no forgiveness. None. I can forgive anyone who truly seeks to make amends for their missteps, but Michael Vick is just another criminal con artist who is now sportswashing his reputation. Every chance I get I will comment on Michael Vick with just two words. Dog Killer. And I won't regret my decision one bit.
Ed Berliner has been commenting on and covering sports of all types since his first days in radio diapers, and has never backed down from a good argument on or off the field. He brings his sports knowledge along with his years of Emmy Award winning news coverage to his email newsletters, media appearances and speaking engagements. Catch all his commentary by subscribing to "Shakedown Street", listening to his podcasts, and then booking him to speak to your organization or at your event.
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