44 Percent: Teddy Bridgewater’s NFL prospects, Michael Vick coaching, Usher in Miami
I lived in Atlanta when Michael Vick, then quarterback of the Falcons, was in the headlines for countless—and I mean countless— controversies. You could not listen to Ryan Cameron’s morning show without hearing something about Michael Vick.
Then the dogfighting allegations surfaced and that was nearly it for his career.
Still, with work, time and second chances, Vick turned it around: he would later become starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles and a respected NFL analyst for FOX Sports.
Vick’s story is one of redemption and shows what is possible when you forgive yourself for your actions and work toward progress. Vick recently accepted a position as head coach of Norfolk State University, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
I have no doubt he will use his story to bolster athletes he coaches so they avoid the pitfalls he faced. That is why I find it frustrating that Vick is still looked upon as someone who hasn’t been held accountable for his past, acknowledged the wrong he’s done and worked toward being a better person.
As we continue this holiday season and enter the new year, Vick’s story of redemption is one we should carry with us even if it’s a reminder to be kinder to ourselves and those that are on their own path to redemption.
The 44 percent will be on hiatus until Jan. 9.
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INSIDE THE 305:
‘Microschools’ are popping up across Miami. The latest to open already has a waitlist
A Liberty City school is the latest to open in South Florida under the for-profit chain Primer, which operates so-called “microschools” in Florida, Alabama and Arizona, Herald reporter Michael Butler reports. The schools emphasize smaller classroom sizes which allows teachers to focus on individual students’ needs. CEO Ryan Delk told Butler he believes small classes also provide an advantage for students to build close bonds with classmates.
As Michael Butler writes: Primer’s Liberty City campus, which opened in November, serves 120 students across five mixed-age class groups. Currently, there are Primer schools in Coconut Grove, Liberty City, Kendall, Miami Shores, Overtown and Fort Lauderdale, with locations planned for Cutler Bay, Doral, Homestead, Miami Gardens and Plantation.
Many students who attend Primer are eligible for state funding vouchers that cover the costs of attendance. In other cases, parents can opt to be student ambassadors, where their services rendered can be used to cover their child’s tuition fees. “Making it accessible to families, especially middle-class families, is really important to us,” Delk said. Primer offers rolling admissions, though parents are encouraged to apply as early as possible because many campuses have waitlists.
Miami Northwestern coach Teddy Bridgewater won a state title. Now, he wants an NFL return
Miami native Teddy Bridgewater won his former high school, Miami Northwestern, a state title. With that win, he now has his sights set back on the NFL.
As Isaiah Smalls writes: Less than a week after leading his alma mater to a state championship as a head coach, the Miami Northwestern High graduate told NFL Network that he wanted another shot to play quarterback professionally.
“That’s the plan,” the 32-year-old Bridgewater told NFL insiders lan Rapoport and Tom Pelissero on Tuesday. “My team knows that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship and then coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. We’ll see how it plays out.”
OUTSIDE THE 305:
Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss reveals cancer diagnosis
NFL hall-of-famer and analyst Randy Moss is recovering at home after revealing his recent cancer diagnosis in an Instagram Live, and declaring himself cancer-free, the Associated Press reported.
Per the AP: Moss said a cancerous mass was found in his bile duct, between his pancreas and liver. He said he had surgery to put a stent in his liver on Thanksgiving and then underwent a 6-hour procedure about a week ago to remove the cancer. He said he was hospitalized for six days and released on Friday.
The surgery was a Whipple procedure, Moss said. The operation involves removing the head of the pancreas, part of the small intestine, the gallbladder and the bile duct, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I didn’t think I would ever be in a position like this, as healthy as I thought I was,” Moss said.
Black Student Enrollment at Harvard Law Drops by More Than Half
Following last year’s Supreme Court decision to ban affirmative action in college admissions, Harvard Law School saw a steep drop in the number of Black students entering the law school, the New York Times reported. Black first-year students comprise 3.4% of the class, or 19 students, making it the lowest number since the 1960s, the newspaper reported. Last year, there were 43 Black students in the first-year class.
According to the NY Times: While changes in data calculation might explain some year-to-year changes, the decline at Harvard was much sharper than at other elite law schools. It was notable not only for its severity but also because of the school’s past role in educating some of the nation’s best-known Black lawyers, including former President Barack Obama, the former first lady Michelle Obama, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and the former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick.
The Supreme Court decision, and the fact that Harvard College was named in the case, played a role, according to David B. Wilkins, a Harvard law professor who has studied Black representation in the legal profession.
“This obviously has a lot to do with the chilling effect created by that decision,” Mr. Wilkins said on Monday.
“This is the lowest number of Black entering first-year students since 1965,” he added, pointing to numbers compiled by the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard, where he also serves as faculty director. That year, there were 15 entering Black students. Since 1970, there have generally been 50 to 70 Black students in Harvard Law’s first-year class, he said.
HIGH CULTURE:
Over the holiday break, I’ll likely catch up on some shows to binge or read some books I’m behind on. One show I think you all should check out is “Poppa’s House,” which stars father-son comedic duo Damon Wayans Sr. and Damon Wayans Jr. as the elder Wayans navigates a new career pivot while helping his son navigate life while living in the same neighborhood. You can binge the series on Paramount+.
And if you’re looking for something to do before the weekend, check out the incomparable Usher Raymond IV’s last show on the American leg of his tour at the Kaseya Center. I went to all three shows last week in Atlanta, but if you miss him this time around you might be able to snag some tickets when he tours in Europe next summer.
