Essay 1601

Monday Morning Quarterbacking with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• With their Sunday victories, Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith and Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy became the first Black men to lead their teams to the Super Bowl.

• ESPN cited anonymous sources to report Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was not concealing marijuana in a water bottle when the star was stopped at Miami International Airport recently (see Essay 1590). Unfortunately, Vick does not become the first Black man falsely accused of carrying drugs.

• An AIDS treatment group has targeted Pfizer with a potential lawsuit, accusing the drug manufacturer of illegally hyping Viagra for recreational use. Despite Pfizer’s protests of innocence, its ads do feature headlines like, “What are you doing this New Year’s Eve?” and “Be this Sunday’s MVP.” Somebody double-check Michael Vick’s water bottle.

• Singer Alicia Keys is offering scholarships to students in Jacksonville, New Orleans, Atlanta and New York. “We’re just looking for standout students who are definitely college-bound and need a little bit of help financially to really achieve their dreams,” said Keys.