For the most part, there hasn't been much good news when it comes to Vince Young in the past year. In week 1 last year he was replaced by Kerry Collins after being injured and reportedly refusing to come back in the game. He hasn't started a game since. There was also the police search after his mother feared Young was suicidal. If you ask Young (and me, not that anyone cares what I think) it was an overfearful mother and was blown out of proportion. That being said, it happened, and it wasn't a positive thing for the young quarterback. However without a doubt, the most traumatic thing that happened in Vince Young's life happened on Independence Day this summer, when Young's mentor, Steve McNair was shot and killed. At McNair's funeral, Young stood up on the pulpet side by side with Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher to honor Mcnair's memory. This in itself was amazing to me, simply because to say the two haven't always seen eye to eye would be an understatement. However this was more important than their relationship as a football coach and quarterback, this was about a football team being family. McNair was the closest thing Young had to a father and he even called him "pops," however Wednesday it was Young who played dad.
St. Paul Christian Academy in Nashville has an annual tradition called the "Dear Dad's Breakfast" where fathers go with their sons to breakfast. Trenton and Tyler McNair didn't really know what to expect, since their dad was taken from them only a short two months ago. They probably figured they would just skip the tradition and go to school like any other day, but instead they were picked up early Wednesday morning by Young who took them to the event. Young promised the boys at their father's funeral that he would always be there for them, and he was. "Those are my boys," Young told The Tennessean and he took care of them as such, making what could have been a horrible day spent reflecting on a lost father into a fun experience the McNair boys, as well as the other St. Paul Christian Academy students, will never forget.
When Kanye West opens his mouth one of two things typically happens.
1) He's in a recording booth and he shows his skill as one of the best entertainers in the world.
-OR-
2) He has a microphone at some public event and every public relations person he has ever worked with cringes.
Sunday night it was #2.
As Taylor Swift accepted her VMA for "Best Female Video," West came on stage and took her microphone, saying he would let her finish but "Beyoncé had one of the best videos ever made," gave Swift back the microphone, and left. He then was asked to leave completely as he was kicked out of the award show and rightfully so.
The next night, West appeared on the brand new Jay Leno Show on NBC as scheduled for a performance with Jay-Z and Rihanna promoting the Jigga Man's new album The Blueprint 3. West asked if he could speak with Leno before the performance and issued an apology to Swift. This is typical media, PR controlling the image of a celebrity procedure, however this one was different. This one was heartfelt. This one was sincere. This one was soooo not Kanye. Leno asked him when he realized he had made a mistake and his answer was the only one that was acceptable: "right after I did it, when I handed her back the mic and she didn't keep going." Leno also asked why he did it and his explanation was not only plausible, but it made sense. Since the tragic loss of his mother in 2007, West has suffered from depression and as he has never really dealt with it as he told Leno:
"You deal with hurt and...so many celebrities, they never take the time off and I've never taken the time off...music after music and tour after tour and I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt."
This to me says West, this time, is truly ready to turn the corner because not only does he realize there is a problem, but he sees the solution.
Simply put, West and Young now get it, and in my opinion, for as talented as both men are at their craft, its about time.
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