I never would have guessed that I’d have back-to-back posts on Marcus Vick, but here I am.
This is a very interesting look at the whole Marcus Vick Stomp from the view of Will Stewart, the General Manager and Managing Editor at TechSideline.com (the top Hokie website).
The article starts off sort of explaining away the stomp – it’s a violent game played by young men, etc. Then, it moves on to pointing out how other players have done worse things. Next is the admitted surprise at how much controversy the incident has produced, both inside and outside the Tech world.
Finally, after all of that, he gets around to sort of sighing in resignation. He admits that the play didn’t shock him largely because he’s become accustom to Virginia Tech football players getting in trouble over the years. In his eyes, Frank Beamer’s one flaw is that he’s been too lenient on past transgressors, leading to an environment that allows and tacitly supports bad behavior.
It really is a good read. It’s well written, and as he admits at the end, it’s not the direction he intended the piece to go. Maybe just writing about it forced him to address some thoughts he’d repressed. I commend him on his candor and willingness to go ahead and hit that “Publish” key after he went down a path he hadn’t planned.
Incidentally, the article has a link to some quotes from Steve Usecheck, the head official from the game. Usecheck had many unflattering things to say about the Hokies’ behavior in that game.
Update: Wouldn’t you know! Literally seconds after I submitted this piece, I ran across the news that Vick has been dismissed from the team. And it wasn’t just because of The Stomp. It seems he was arrested yet again less than two weeks before their bowl game, this time for driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s license. What a guy. I guess that final revelation made the decision that much easier. Still, kudos to Virginia Tech for doing the right thing.