Poll: Dog Torture vs. Rapist

[zehydra]

None of those things should have any bearing AT ALL on his status as a sports player. Terrible people make it to the covers of these games, but it's not the content of their character that matters, it's their sports ability.

I see what you mean, but I believe you are looking at things too simply.

These men, whilst they are just sportsmen, are in the public eye and they are (whether we like it or not) role models for children. Putting this man on the cover of a game and acting like he is a superstar whilst he has just tortured and murdered a helpless animal isn't sending a great message.

But I do kind of agree with what you are saying - I'm just raising the other side of the fence.

Sure enough, but I don't think you're giving children enough credit. It's not like there will be tons of kids who'll go out and start dog-fighting competitions because they look up to Michael Vick.

 

[zehydra]

None of those things should have any bearing AT ALL on his status as a sports player. Terrible people make it to the covers of these games, but it's not the content of their character that matters, it's their sports ability.

Wrong, if someone does something terrible they should be treated like shit by everyone and lose all sponsership as a punishment.

Why?

 

[zehydra]

None of those things should have any bearing AT ALL on his status as a sports player. Terrible people make it to the covers of these games, but it's not the content of their character that matters, it's their sports ability.

His status as a sports player is not in question here. Its whether or not he should be cast as a representative of the sport on a massively distributed product. The cover of a Madden title is basically the same as a multi-million dollar ad campaign. In that respect, it is not just his ability as a sports player that should be taken into consideration.

And it is rare, if ever, that such consideration is given to any player. Its impossible to disassociate the known aspects of the private lives of celebrities, its received and processed in the same fashion as any other information concerned with the person. Unless personal knowledge of the person comes into play, player profiles will always expand beyond statistical achievement, be it great charitable work or dog fighting charges. It's neither a bad nor good thing, just an unavoidable thing.

Perhaps you're right that that is the way things are, but I still say it shouldn't be.

 

[Dys]

...I don't think either should be on any cover, neither are appropriate role models.

 

[CD-R]

Kobe was bad example since he was never convicted of rape. A better example would have been Mike Tyson appearing on the cover of EA's Fight Night round 4. He actually was convicted of rape. You might want to change that in your post otherwise people are just going to keep saying "Kobe was never convicted so that's irrelevant."

Speaking of which there actually was a good amount of controversy about putting Mike Tyson on the cover.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

How about we just ban sports video games entirely? Anyone? Huh? Can I get an amen?

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

But here is the kicker, how is there so much opposition here? Where were you all when Kobe Bryant raped a girl and then appeared on three games covers (NBA '07, '09, and 2K10).

Honestly? I had no idea this occured. No one posted about it on the Escapist (or in any other news I read). Not the rape, the being on a video game cover. If they had, I'd have been screaming bloody murder - more so than I am about this.

As I said before, no criminal should be on the cover to a video game (unless it is a crime game).

So yeah, putting Kobe on the cover was clearly wrong. So is the other guy. It's bad PR for the gaming industry.

 

[Krion_Vark]

*SNIP*

Those covers WERE NOT chosen by the fans. It was chosen by the developer because he is unfortunately the best player currently in the NBA.

 

[Custard_Angel]

Who. Gives. A. Rats. Arse.

Let the marketers decide. These are the people who think in flowchart form and won't even take a piss if the demographics aren't right.

If they decide that Michael Vick is too taboo to put on a game cover, then they wont. If they decide that he's had his punishment and he deserves another chance in the spotlight, then that will happen.

If you're into the games, the cover won't change shit about the content, so it doesn't matter.

If you aren't into the games, you won't see the cover and won't give a shit about the content, so it doesn't matter.

Why is this a problem?

Michael Vick fought dogs for fun. Yeah. What a bastard. He doesn't do it any more. Just let it go...

Same for the Kobe Bryant thing. Yeah, he raped a girl, but it's not like rape is a daily hobby of his. It happened, sure, but I'm certain he's learnt a valuable lesson from it (the lesson being something along the lines of "don't rape people").

 

[fundayz]

Why not? He committed a crime, paid the price, and is clean now.

Being on the cover of a game is not supposed to reflect whether you are a role model or not, it's supposed to reflect how good of a player/how much impact on the sport you have.

 

[vodkafairy]

Have you ever seen Kobe's wife? Have you read the figures he was pulling in from ads at the time of the rape?
I'm subjective on the matter, sure, but would you rape an ugly broad in a motel room when you stand to lose millions of dollars a year in endorsement deals and probably a sizzling hot wife to boot? Doesn't sound logical to me. What does sound logical is the girl had consensual sex with Kobe then tried to get some money out of it. The fact that she changed her statement several times just makes it that much more believable.

 

[Defense]

They were just dogs? Since when did a human become so much more valuable than a animal?

Since when was an animal close to the worth of a human?

They have always been of equal worth. But some people (read: idiots) like to claim humans are somehow inherently worth more for some bullshit reason.
I value animal life and human life the same until they prove they are worth less. (eg: Dog attacking random people for no reason. Human hurting others for fun)

So if a truck was about to hit a dog and a human, you'd have trouble deciding which one to save?

 

[Chicago Ted]

Have you ever seen Kobe's wife? Have you read the figures he was pulling in from ads at the time of the rape?
I'm subjective on the matter, sure, but would you rape an ugly broad in a motel room when you stand to lose millions of dollars a year in endorsement deals and probably a sizzling hot wife to boot? Doesn't sound logical to me. What does sound logical is the girl had consensual sex with Kobe then tried to get some money out of it. The fact that she changed her statement several times just makes it that much more believable.

Rape isn't strictly about the sexual aspect, but about the domination behind it as well. Who's to say that was not what he was after and that that was what he was trying to fill?

I've only skimmed that case, but to be fair as well, you have to look at how imbalanced it was from the start anyways. From what I understand, it would essentially have boiled down into a "He says, She says" kinda deal and that certain evidence, and not circumstancial stuff would have been very difficult to produce. In that case, the celebrity that has millions, is either going to A)Pay the victim off so everything is forgotten about, or B) Hire the best damn legal team they can get so the charges can be screwed.

 

[Innegativeion]

I'd tend to dislike the rapist more, but yeah, innocent until proven guilty. These cases are incomparable.

 

[Grey_Focks]

Even if it was entirely true that Kobe raped the woman, Vick has abused far more lives than Kobe.

Okay, I'm trying to think of a polite way to put this, but nothing is really coming to mind so here goes-

They're just fucking dogs. I love my dog a lot, he's a fantastic friend, but he's still just that, a dog. Even comparing rape to animal cruelty isn't like comparing apples to oranges, it's like comparing a super-soaker to an Ak-47. Yes, losing a dog is terrible, but it sure as hell beats getting raped any day. Hell, even a thousand dead/tortured dogs is better than one innocent person getting raped. By a goddam mile.

OT: I see what you did there, but since Kobe was never committed (though he did essentially confess after the fact, the smug bastard) it isn't really the same thing, and all the public will likely remember is that he wasn't convicted.

EDIT:

snip

If you're not trolling...seriously, don't trivialize rape. It's something people never fully get over, and it's baggage they carry for the rest of their lives. Don't compare it too animal cruelty. Just don't.

 

[Valkaris]

at least the dogs died, a woman has to live with that for the rest of her life.

 

[Laxman9292]

*SNIP*

Those covers WERE NOT chosen by the fans. It was chosen by the developer because he is unfortunately the best player currently in the NBA.

But still no one was making a big fuss about him being on it. Regardless of who chose it no one really complained. If EA had just chosen Vick because, rather than this poll, it would have been the same thing I wager. Michael Vick is one of the best players currently in the NFL.