Kareem Jackson just wanted to enjoy his cockfighting in peace, but he made a fatal mistake; tweeting about and even sharing pictures from the match. This attracted the attention of known moral compass John Lopez, who made quite a fuss about it. Naturally, the Michael Vick comparisons came fast and furious, despite the enormous gap between what the two athletes have done.
Jackson was not a 5-year-old when the Michael Vick episode occurred. Yes - before you think anything - this isn't about legal vs. illegal. Cockfighting is legal in the Dominican. It's about the perception an NFL athlete bears by participating in any way in a controversial event ... and, worse, publicizing it.
I would correlate it to parents telling their kids, "Would we approve?"
Would Bob McNair approve, Kareem? Would Roger Goodell?
And via The Chronicle's Anna-Megan Raley on Twitter
Vick? Hello? RT @SportsRadio610: Texans' Kareem Jackson Caught With Cockfighting Photos??? " CBS Houston http://t.co/xg4rYdW
This situation does reflect poorly on Jackson in my mind, but not for any moral reasons. And no, that doesn't mean I approve of cockfighting--it does mean that I'm not willing to judge him for it. However, the fact that he thought that tweeting about cockfighting wouldn't cause this sort of reaction from the media is definitely a sign of stubbornness at best, stupidity at worst. There was no need to share the experience with an audience of millions, particularly with the knowledge that it could easily be misinterpreted. He could have just enjoyed the cockfight in peace and said nothing.
Don't worry about Jackson though, he's going to keep battling out there until the mental mistakes get corrected.