Another controversial topic? Yes. I think I subconsciously search these out. But please don't dismiss this as irrational. I AM intelligent and I WILL make this case. Just watch (read). And learn.
Let's get through the "obvious" differences. Dogs don't have any say in the matter. Dogs are animals, and less than human. The dogs are tortured, and punished when they don't win.
You wanna know what's funny? I'm calling those similarities. And in actuality, it's not funny at all, it's really kinda sad. To prove my point, I'm going to use Mike Tyson as an example, even though this is a lot more prevalent with lower-level fighters than it is for the guys you see on ESPN, Pay-Per-View, etc.
“I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally.”
Tyson was a neglected kid with zero supervision in one of the worst areas in the country. The quote tells you about his relationship with his mother (who died when he was 16), and his father left when he was two. By the time he was 13 years old he had done and seen more than most people do in their lifetimes, and none of it would be considered "positive." (He was arrested 38 times in those 13 years). Considering this, how many options did he have? Yes, people can say he should've been stronger, should've overcome all his obstacles and gone to school, made something of himself. Those same people couldn't put shoes on at a Foot Locker, let alone the proverbial kicks Tyson has adorned all of his life. He had no options, and made the best out of what he had.
The other similarities I had are pretty self explanatory. I'm not going to outright say that Tyson is somehow less than human, but he became a commodity first once he started bringing in money (Cus D'Amato's death didn't help matters). It was partially his own fault, but again it is both impossible and unreasonable to expect him to know what he was doing. He was Mike Tyson, the 16 year old Olympian. Then he was Mike Tyson, the 20 year old heavyweight champion of the world. At what point during his life did he really have a chance to be a normal human being? He went straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy and Brownsville, NY to prison, to super stardom. He never stood a chance.
As for the third, discussing torture and punishment for loss, not quite as applicable in Tyson's case, but ties in boxing as a whole. Most boxers don't fight on Pay-Per-View and don't make six figures, let alone seven. Most live from paycheck to paycheck, fight to fight. And when you get to that low a level, you don't make money when you lose. Meaning you are punished with a loss, you don't eat.
When Tyson's mother died Cus D'Amato became his legal guardian. While this was the best thing to ever happen to Mike, it also sealed his fate as a show pony (and yes, I realize how much of an understatement that is, deal with it). I wrote this for a number of reasons, all of them obvious so I won't state them now. I do have to make one thing clear: Mike Tyson is very much a human being, and an extremely wise one at that. My only suggestions would be to watch the Tyson documentary that was recently released, and more importantly to gain a little perspective on how things truly are. That is all. For now.
“I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally.”
Tyson was a neglected kid with zero supervision in one of the worst areas in the country. The quote tells you about his relationship with his mother (who died when he was 16), and his father left when he was two. By the time he was 13 years old he had done and seen more than most people do in their lifetimes, and none of it would be considered "positive." (He was arrested 38 times in those 13 years). Considering this, how many options did he have? Yes, people can say he should've been stronger, should've overcome all his obstacles and gone to school, made something of himself. Those same people couldn't put shoes on at a Foot Locker, let alone the proverbial kicks Tyson has adorned all of his life. He had no options, and made the best out of what he had.
The other similarities I had are pretty self explanatory. I'm not going to outright say that Tyson is somehow less than human, but he became a commodity first once he started bringing in money (Cus D'Amato's death didn't help matters). It was partially his own fault, but again it is both impossible and unreasonable to expect him to know what he was doing. He was Mike Tyson, the 16 year old Olympian. Then he was Mike Tyson, the 20 year old heavyweight champion of the world. At what point during his life did he really have a chance to be a normal human being? He went straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy and Brownsville, NY to prison, to super stardom. He never stood a chance.
As for the third, discussing torture and punishment for loss, not quite as applicable in Tyson's case, but ties in boxing as a whole. Most boxers don't fight on Pay-Per-View and don't make six figures, let alone seven. Most live from paycheck to paycheck, fight to fight. And when you get to that low a level, you don't make money when you lose. Meaning you are punished with a loss, you don't eat.
When Tyson's mother died Cus D'Amato became his legal guardian. While this was the best thing to ever happen to Mike, it also sealed his fate as a show pony (and yes, I realize how much of an understatement that is, deal with it). I wrote this for a number of reasons, all of them obvious so I won't state them now. I do have to make one thing clear: Mike Tyson is very much a human being, and an extremely wise one at that. My only suggestions would be to watch the Tyson documentary that was recently released, and more importantly to gain a little perspective on how things truly are. That is all. For now.
1 comment:
OT: I think Tyson would love a rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Question guys,is it really possible? Even though Pacquiao is now recuperating from a shoulder injured surgery, there is still a possibility for a Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2 rematch.
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