The Larry Kane Report

First, the crime that Michael Vick is accused of - the mind numbing, brutalizing crime of torturing and killing dogs, has a totally different dimension than the indiscretion laid at the feet of the man considered one of the great coaches of his time - Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.

Vick has been suspended indefinitely as he awaits his sentencing.

Belichick, who obviously approved of his team’s supervised spying on other coaches through videotape and who knows what else, was fined a half million dollars and may lose some draft picks.

There is such incredible hypocrisy in this that it defies all limits of good reason. Vick won’t play for years. Belichick won’t even miss a week!

Belichik has cheated, plain and simple. Who knows how long this has been going on? His team is very successful, which makes you wonder why this “genius” of a coach had to resort to illegal tactics. When you cheat on Wall Street, you go to jail. When you cheat in college sports, they throw you out. When you cheat on exams, you are expelled from school. When you cheat in the NFL, they let you keep playing.

Bill Belichik gets a free pass. The money is insigificant. A suspension would be. Ironic, isn’t it, that the NFL Commissioner finds it easy to serve as judge and jury on players, but looks the other way when it comes to a coach.

What a great example this is to young people. Cheaters get off with a fine.

The Bill Belichik episode is indicative of the double-standard that exists in the National Football League. The NFL looks the other way while old time players fight for health care. The NFL allows Bill Belichik to coach non-stop. Do you find something wrong here?

And no. I am not an Eagles fan still smarting over the loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

For a look at a real champion, read the previous story.

Comments(5)

Legends. They don’t just happen. They are created by hard work and an extraordinary level of consistency. There is the story of one Philadelphia area legend who is a meaningful and important example of how one man’s dedication can change lives and impact society.William J. Reilly, also known as “Will”, is the head golf professional at Twining Valley Golf Club, a public club,  in Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania.  He has accomplished what no other PGA professional has in the United States, winning two national awards in three years. Even Tiger Woods can’t match this one!

Two years ago, Will won the PGA national honors as the American Junior Golf Leader . It was just announced that Will Reilly has been named recipient of the President’s Plaque for growing the game of golf.  Why is this man so honored? Reilly has dedicated his career to teaching thousands of young people a game that they might never be exposed to, a game so challenging that it teaches the values of consistency and honor in life. Reilly is working with the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia and Abington . He is involved in the national First Tee Program and coached Reilly coached the Mount St. Joseph Golf Team to the 2006 Pennsylvania State Championship. He serves on the Executive Board of Philadelphia’s Spirit of Golf Foundation.

Reilly is a dream maker. His personality and professionalism has changed the lives of thousands of young people. Golf can be a sport surrounded by a degree of pomposity and snobbery. But thanks to people like Tiger Woods, the game has achieved a popularity in all neighborhoods, and in people from all backgrounds. What Tiger Woods has done to popularize the sport, Will Reilly has achieved in making the sport accessible and fun for so many people.

Will is a charming man , self deprecating and courteous. He is the kind of guy that makes you want to achieve, a motivator who teaches not only a game but a way of life.

This story is important because it shows, in our society, what one man can do.

But he’s not the only one. Will’s brother Hugh Reilly Jr. is director of golf at the same club. His brother Mike is a top professional at North Hills Country Club. His father, Hugh Reilly is a PGA Life Member.

This is a departure from my usual take on politics and the world of news. But I think it is important to note individual accomplishments, especially when they have direct impact. It is also a clear reminder to all of us, that in our busy lives. it  is important to pause and consider what we can do to make life better for others.

I’m proud that I know Will Reilly, and to have been witness to what he has accomplished.

Comments(1)

As the nation once again remembers the attack on America, there will be many public demonstrations of remembrance, prayer and tribute, as there should be.

But while we remember the victims and recount the history of the day, we have a job to do that is simply not being done.

For the memory of the people who died, and in solidarity with their families and friends, this should be more than a day of reflection on how much we have really accomplished in the silent and public war to make sure it does not happen again.

We should be asking why Al Qaeda has not been destroyed. We should be pressing our government to force the almost-dictator in Pakistan to allow us to go after Bin Laden and the Taliban. We should be wondering why our Iraq thrust seems so important to the White House, and why we are so reluctant to bolster the sagging war in Afghanistan. This is a time for memorial. It is also a time to take our national leaders to task.

A recent government report about Homeland Security efforts was devastating.  I hear nothing from the Democrats on this. I also hear nothing on efforts to get Saudi Arabia to take on its share of the security responsibility in the Middle East.

YOU TELL ME. WHY DO THE SAUDI’S GET A FREE RIDE?

So, on 9/11, and on most days, we should demand a government and a Congress that is competent enough to fight the war where it needs to be fought. In the memory of the victims of the attack against America, we should demand the truth about our shortcomings, and the truth about a real plan to get Bin Laden and the Taliban.

The White House likes to point to Bin Laden videos as a sign that the danger continues. It would be much better for all of us if we used our forces and technology to make sure, for once and for all, as we say in TV, that the monster Bin Laden someday “fades to black.”

Comments(2)

Although we make judgments here, it is impossible to determine exactly what happened to Senator Larry Craig in the airport restroom in Minneapolis. After listening to the audio tapes released by the police department, it was apparent though that the soon-to-be-resigned Senator seemed frightened when he was being interviewed by the sex sting detective.

What is missing in the Senator’s voice is a sense of passion or outrage about the episode as he carefully engineers the accusatory terrain of the arresting officer. The end result of the interview was that he plead guilty to a misdemeanor.

So the questions remain. If he was, as he says, not guilty, why did he make the plea? He had to know it would be made public one day. The fact that he didn’t consult a lawyer was even more dramatic. A man of his extensive experience in public life would know better. These are the mysteries that surround his ordeal, one brought on by himself.

One of the extraordinary political consequences was the speed of the chorus from the Republican party calling for him to step aside. You have to presume that the scandals of 2006,  especially the slow reaction to the Congressman Foley scandal, has left a mark on Republicans.

Let us also not forget that these types of scandals have hit both parties with equal force.

I have to think that elected officials everywhere will look at the Larry Craig episode as a textbook reaction on how not to respond to crisis.

Now, the only lingering question: Can Craig prove that he was the victim of overzealous policing, and how can he prove that since he made a fateful decision to plead guilty?

Comments(5)