Miami Cat Killer worse than Michael Vick; plus Hanley's whining, Dolphins & Kobe vs. MJ poll

      [Twitter.com/gregcote. Reminder: No chat today. Our live online chats move from Mondays to Wednesdays beginning this week]

    Cats and dogs, black and white: What the Miami Cat Killer is accused of doing is worse than what Michael Vick (right) has done time for doing. It won't get the national attention or have the same shelf-life for media interest because obviously a perp who happens to be a celebrity NFL quarterback tends to draw a spotlight. But I wonder if race will also be a factor in the general comparative reaction. I think the reaction to Vick's crime was somewhat magnified unfairly because he is black. Now, I wonder if the reaction to accused Miami Cat Killer Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18 (pictured left), will be less outraged than it should be because is young, clean-cut -- and white.

     I say Weinman's alleged crimes are worse than Vick's because murder was the express purpose in the cat killings, which were heinous (eyes gouged out, snouts cut off, etc.) and meant to horrify the pets' families. Vick's canine killings were a result of a dogfighting operation. Both are horrible. Dead is dead. But the cat killings were premeditated and first degree. Vick did serious time. I'll be following intently to see how the sentence Weinman is given -- if found guilty -- compares.

     (As an aside, I read that Weinman's divorced parents are a dentist and a "life coach." Taking a wild guess, I'm thinking that being a divorced life coach with a son accused of cat-mutilating cannot be good for business. It'd be sort of like hiring a personal trainer who's fat and smokes).

     Hanley Ramirez's bad timing: C'mon, Hanley! The Marlins are finally showing signs of life, winning three straight in Toronto and leapfrogging Atlanta into third in the NL East and instead of good feelings there is controversy because Ramirez got hit by a pitch Sunday and his team failed to respond with outrage. What, you wanted a bench-clearing brawl? The issue boiled to the point manager Fredi Gonzalez booted reporters from the clubhouse for pressing questions on the matter. Hanley may have been right. The HBP may have been intentional. And maybe it did call for Fredi to jaw at the ump a little. But Ramirez going all me-first with public emotion and blame-casting hurts the team just when it seems to be righting itself.    

     The Dolphins. Men of Mystery: Click here for today's column by me on the Dolphins as the team wraps up its minicamp work and pretty much leaves the stage until reconvening for training camp in late July. The no-pads/no-hitting time of year tells us very little about a team, and so nobody -- not Tony Sparano, not me, not you -- knows how good Miami might be this season. 

     Let the vilifying of Van Gundy begin!: Magic got spanked in the NBA Finals, with Lakers taking the series 4-1 in Mousteown last night, and so now I suppose the bashing of Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy should be expected. It'd be dumb, though. L.A. won because it is clearly better and because Kobe Bryant was the best player in the series by far and because the next best was Pau Gasol, not Dwight Howard. The only legit quibble with Van Gundy is that he forced Jameer Nelson back into his guard mix and that didn't work. But that wasn't the difference. Kobe was. Now take our poll. Does his latest championship, this one Shaq-free, push Kobe over the top as the NBA's greatest player ever or does Michael Jordan still wear that crown? 

Comments

[Jimbo]

stirring up controversey again Greg are we???????
Both deserve to be dealt with in a fair legal system.
"Vick did serious time"? Depends on your perception. He did a short stint at a minimum security prison. ESPN writers continuously ran erroneous comment that he was doing time in the "Big House" or aka US Penitentiary Leavenworth, next door to the "Camp" aka minimum security or FPC Leavenworth. My opinion is that he got dealt with fairly because he agree to the terms of the plea bargain.
This 18 yr old guy who killed cats has to be prosecuted, convicted and sentenced. Due process is in order, not a lynch mob. How strong is the case? States have different laws and sentencing guidelines than each other. Vicks case was a US federal case, not state, so.... You cannot compare them side by side.

There is only 1 Michael Jordan. Kobe cannot attain Jordan status. LaBron maybe, time will tell.

[Dave in VA]

If this kid is found to be guilty, he will be one to watch as he ages. If someone is capable of committing such acts on animals at this age how long until he gets bored and moves on to larger more challenging prey? Like people?

He isn't adjudged yet though...

[Dave]

what happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Mike Vick was the subject of a year long sting operation of a dog fighting ring across state lines.

This kid was, as reported by the Herald, "dog-loving class clown, a swim class instructor" and that "Police, working with tips gathered from the community and reading his Facebook and MySpace pages, kept Weinman under surveillance for weeks."

I'm not defending some sicko cat killer but if all the police have are some web postings from Facebook and that his parents lived in the area, that's pretty weak. Whereas Vick had a house of horrors with dogs and family members ready to give him up.

Let the facts come out is all I'm saying, and then judge the kid.

[OC Dolphin]

Jimbo,

I know that you've posted about MJ's Obamaesque stature before, but I'm going to have to disagree with you. Kobe has surpassed Michael in all aspects but for the amount of rings; six versus four. That too may not last.

Greg,

I told you the series would not go back to LA.

Fellow Dolphin fans,

Following the Lakers since Wilt's pickup (1968) is the prime reason this Dolphin's fan has maintained some level of sanity. I've been a fan since the beginning -1966- during which time they have gone to the big dance five times, and winning just two.

Through the years, those many disappointments have been minimized by having the Lakers go some 19 times, winning 10. In 1972 both the Dolphins (perfect season), and the Lakers won their championships. Now THAT was special.

Hey Ginrai,

Na, na-na-na, na!

[MoHowardDavidid]

The difference is that this kid is a future serial killer. Vick is just a dumb jock.

[Shark74]

Enough about Vick, I for one vote that his sorry ass is never brought up on this blog again. I'm really starting to believe Cote has some sort of sick attraction to this scumbag.

[mike1]

The only way we should take Vick is to prevent NE from getting him. But basically, any team that takes him is a classless organization.

For Shadow: did you see the Brazil-Egypt game this morning? What a beauty. Brazil was up 3-1. In a span of 2 minutes, Egypt tied it 3-3. In the last minute, Brazil got a penalty kick and won 4-3.

[rawpimple]

To me they are the same. Both killed defenseless animals brutally. It has nothing to do with black and white and rich and middle class. It has to do with humanity and respect.
Although because Michael Vick is rich, he may serve less of a punishment than this kid. Our judicial system favors the rich.

[r. duke]

Yup Vick is a prick but this kid needs to be caned like 40 times. By the way those of you who are so sure humans are always more valuable than animals lets not forget f***ers that rape, mutilate and bury kids alive or slash old ladies throats when their done satisfying their depraved urges. I'll take a dog, cat or a rat over a twisted version of "humankind" anyday. Sort of like this kid who is likely well on his way to being a serial killer. Particularly if he pees his bed and is into setting fires. Plus kid can't even run like Vick or throw a goddamn football like Prick I mean Vick.

[dhhffj]

Superman looks like ROBIN. any way, how this magic team reach the finals,it looks like the NBA is weaker than ever for that to happen.
GO LAKERS
superman my ass
M.Vick is better than henne and pat white

[dhhffj]

he's a kid, give him a pit bull and let see who wins

[r. duke]

Jimbo due process is the law for this troubled, misunderstood boy. But if found guilty he needs to be "studied" in an institution until the uh problem can be corrected...

[r. duke]

dhhffj your point is well taken BUT AK-47's and large Rambo knives in the hands of an adrenalin fueled killing junkie can be quite the equalizer.

[r. duke]

still if if the dog were like a rabid Cujo I might have to go with Cujo provided kid didn't have a gun or a hand grenade.

[r. duke]

Yup I would rather have Vick throw footballs for the Dolphins than this ALLEGEDLY disturbed "young man."

[OC Dolphin]

This never gets old:

http://twitpic.com/7gqx9

[r. duke]

Shark74 that's really my major issue with Vick at this point. Christ Cote won't let him go quietly into that goodnight. So what if Pats or Jets take him. He'll never stay healthy and he is WAY overrated. He always has been even before the whole dog murdering/torturing incident.

[r. duke]

We're not talking Randy Moss here who clearly was consistently great before DA RAIDERS!

[r. duke]

OC nice blonde Strat. Looks like Vintage Reissue '57 or maybe even Fender Custom Shop job...

[OC Dolphin]

Ya lost me on that one, raoul.

[r. duke]

OC, On right hand side of talk about Lakers there was pic of beautiful Strat at least when I clicked on your website address.

[r. duke]

Yup it's still there. Looks like some sort of ad for contest.

[OC Dolphin]

Must be a targeted marketing kinda thing. I'm just getting an ad for some penile length reduction tablets.

[r. duke]

Address, Website or Phone number please...

[r. duke]

It's a goddamn curse when it's 14" long by 5" wide. Woman all complain "It hurts." No satisfying 'em I tell ya...

[OC Dolphin]

Guess you're just going to have to go to the barn.

[r. duke]

lol. you country boy.

[Jimbo]

OC,
do you realise you are the "one" Kobe vote on here?

My point is not the total rings accumulated.
First and foremost, given head to head action with Jordan in his prime...he would own Kobe. 1 on 1 in the gym right now, Jordan would give him fits.

Everyone outside of sports knew Jordan also. Media, movies, endless commercials.
What has Kobe done outside hanging from the rim wearing shorts????
Rape case in Colorado.
Crybaby antics 2 yrs ago publically whining to be traded. Then he changes his mind and wants to stay.
Reminds of shoe shopping with my Philippino wife... Gives me a headache.

[Jimbo]

You can't compare cats and dogs.

[Jimbo]

OC
I think Kobe is right there with LaBron in todays NBA as the best player NOW.
He has carried the Lakers and finally won without Shaq.

Gregs picture of the 2 greats tells the whole story.

Kobe in a Lakers shirt. Put him in suit not around sports enthusiest and people don't know him.
People around the world outside of sport fans know Jordan.

[Jimbo]

Well I'll be dog gone but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

[Jimbo]

If Vick were good enough, wouldn't the Falcons want him on their roster?
What NFL team knows Vick the best?
They don't want open competition between Ryan and Vick??

The answers are the obvious.

Vick is not great QB material. He is flashy and can run. Someone will take him.

[OC Dolphin]

Jimbo, run the same poll out in the west and see what you get. BTW, there are 4 other votes, but your point is well taken.

Look, no amount of examples are going to convince anyone of any points that are fixed. The conduct stuff you refer to are no different than the stuff about how MJ was a womanizer, or a hypocrite, or an absentee parent.

Muhammad Ali was an astonishingly prolific womanizer, a loud-mouthed hated braggart, yet the public continues to worship at his altar.

People will continue to hate or love and find reasons to support either position. I have no problem with either view.

Before the final tally is in one has to keep in mind that Michael retired at 39. Kobe is just 30. Will he eclipse much of what MJ posted? Who knows. Nine years is an awful long time, and this Laker team is young, with a strong nucleus in Kobe, Gasol and Ariza.

I'll go along with Stan Van Gundy's view (modified). You go ahead and take the first pick between MJ, Kobe or LeBron and I'll take the second and be happy with it.

Peace, out!

[OC Dolphin]

I should also include D Wade in that group too.

[the shadow knows]

mike1,

saw the game at 2-1 brazil with the south americans beginning to control the game- egypt scoring twice to tie is amazing, brazil scoring on a penalty kick not surprising. about to check on the italy score; the italians generally run wild against the yanks.

[the shadow knows]

mike1,

just saw the 3-1 score n favor of the azzuri; ho-hum.

[mike1]

Ah, but the facts of the game. Once again US gets cheated against Italy. Our player was ejected early in the game. All articles you read will say it was a harsh call. Still, we went ahead 1-0. Before the Italians came back with a blistering 30 meter shot in the upper left corner. So Italy beat US with one man advantage.

In the World Cup, US had two player suspended, Italy one. The first American ejected did not deserve it. The game ended 1-1.

[FZB]

Gentlemen, not to change the subject ....just have a quick question.

I SEE THERE IS A LITTLE TROUBLE OUT IN DENVER WITH BRANDON MARSHALL..HOW LONG BEFORE COTE STARTS WITH HIS LETS TRADE OUR WHOLE DRAFT FOR THIS GUY???

on the Kobe subject, Michael IS the greatest basketball player to ever put on a uniform, period.

[Cane87]

There is no difference between the two, except that this kid was born rich.

The NFL shouldn't hire either.

[lrn29]

greg, stay away from social commentary, ok, 'cause, well, you're not very good at it. LET THE JUSTICE SYSTEM PUNISH THIS DEVIANT, OK? i'm white and what this kid did nauseates me. everything isnt a commentary on race relations. there is one common thread to all of this however. you're a flaming jackass.

[FUCK HIM if he's cough cough guilty.]

Admit it Cote you feel the same way at least alittle bit or you wouldn't have brought the matter up in the first place.

[r. duke]

I say we try to get through to the lad, show him the error of his ways and REHABILITATE him. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA cough cough HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ad nauseum...

[r. duke]

Ok Jimmy Olsen I understand. That one diatribe was not acceptable "Daily Planet" fanfare. But if you want to get a firestorm going... Hey maybe mom and dad are Dolphin fans and regular blog contributors. Hell the number of cluttered blog hits would have been ASTRONOMICAL. Kurt would have needed a goddamn HAL 9000 COMPUTER to count them all. Sometimes one has to be willing to sell their soul "SELL OUT," metaphorically speaking, in order to accurately articulate and express just how certain behaviors affect one's sensibilities. We need not act on our fury but we can honor its existence and let it have a voice. Even if others eardrums are scorched by the Gamma-ray burst in the process.

[r. duke]

Yup Micheal Jordan has not been cast from his thrown just yet.

[Jimbo]

OC

I understand your sentiment about Kobe. Your a Lakers fan and your biased. I would be 2. For some people he is the best, its all relative to your opinion. I am not the BBall enthusiest you are.

LaBron is coming into his own, giving Kobe competition. Wade and Howard are tremendous players but not on the same tier as two forementioned guys.

Anyway,, enjoy the Finals Championship OC !!

[Jimbo]

Lets start a poll.

How many times is Greg Cote right?

1?

my vote is 2 out of 100.

[oapatino]

are u serious!? the reason vick was national attention it wasnt cause he was black it was cause he was/ is a great quarterback! the kid if he did do it is going to garnish major attention cause thats how MOST serial killers started their killing sprees!! they got this kid before he graduated to biggger prey! if this kid did do it i dont care how white or well connected his familty is, he needs to stay in jail and be obsevered like a guinea pig.

[r. duke]

oapatino, Or at least a VERY VERY secure cell in basement of psychiatric hospital next to Dr. Lecter's... Jimbo I'm trying really hard to keep open mind about kids innocence. Hard for me to remain objective in such instances where dumb/mute defenseless animals are carved up. But really if he's guilty he goes away forever with Intensive Personality Reconstructive Therapy, weekly FMRIs and a CAT Scans and enough Thorazine to have Muther F***er shuffling within a day to keep his diseased brain/evil at bay..

[Evan Payne]

I can't believe that this is even being talked about, seriously "Kobe vs. Micheal?". Kobe is nowhere near Micheal Jordan in the discussion of greatest players. Jordan could do everything, and I mean everything better than everyone on the court. If it weren't for his unspoken two year suspension from the game he would have 8 championships. After the Bulls won their first championship during the Jordan era, we didn't even debate who would win the next season. Beginning the season we still had Boston as the best team and they probably would have beaten the Lakers if injuries hadn't derailed there season. Micheal is one of if not the greatest swing defenders, and a incredible help side defender. He could shoot the three, his mid range game was unheard of, tremendous at getting down the lane, and lets not forget the post up game that allow him to continue to play at a great level even with a bad knee. Could he pass? Yep. Rebound? Absolutely. Basketball knowledge? Kobe who?? This debate is only because all we have is baseball right now.

[g8rh8r]

Vick got a slap on the wrist. My guess is, if this kid is found guilty, he will also get a relative slap on the wrist compared to what he deserves, again, if found guilty.

It has long ago been proven that people capable of performing such acts on animals are likely to eventually "graduate" to performing similar acts of heinous violence against other human beings.

People who commit such acts, just like violent sex offenders, should never again gain their freedom. Should they be aloud to rejoin society at some point? Perhaps. But they should also undergo lifetime psychiatric treatment and evaulation as well as monitoring by law enforcement and notification of their neighbors of their past actions. Innocent until proven guilty, yes. Presumed innocent once again after "doing time for their crimes"? No.

And Cote, quit your freekin race baiting. Not everything is about race, you freekin sicko! Yes, the media response, of which you are a prominent member, ya moron, will be different in this case. But just as you mentioned its because the social deviant in this case is an 18 year old school boy and not a multimillion dollar a year athlete with what was once deemed "transcendent" skills.

Take apples to apples, are you really suggesting that if it was found that Brett Favre was running a dog ring, the response would be any different than it was for Vick? That's ridiculous.

Cote, you suck!