Whaddya think about Michael Vick? Whaddya think about Plaxico Burress? Whaddya think about Rick Pitino? Whaddya think about Brett Favre? Whaddya think about John Calipari? Whaddya think about the steroids guys in baseball? Jeesh! Can’t we just watch ESPN and make fun of the on-air talent, like we used to?

If your’re a sportsfan, best be ready to have an opinion one way or the other for the above, or you’re just not a “Packer fan,” I mean, a sportsfan.

Here’s what I think, Michael Vick is like Plaxico Burress and both are like Martha Stewart. They were high-profile victims of the system. The time of being high and mighty ran out on them. There’s the lesson learned. There is a price to fame and fortune. You can get used to preferential treatment, but when you come to believe in it and think you can do whatever you want, because you are ‘the man’ (or in Martha’s case, ‘the woman’), think again. There’s a whole group of folks out there called the justice system that have never been past one velvet rope, and they are more than happy to tightly interpret the rules for everybody.

There are those that feel that Plax and Vick (and Martha, too) were treated too strongly. Afterall, they were dogs, not humans. Hunters kill animals and some have been known to kill their dogs, but they don’t go to jail. Plax or ‘Plex,’ as half the broadcasters like to call him, shot his own thigh. What, we can’t even go around shooting ourselves anymore? Let’s go ahead and get it out there…it’s racism! Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, C. Vivian Stringer and Spike Lee would probably agree. Bill Cosby and Jason Whitlock probably wouldn’t. I don’t think that ‘gansta tude’ and ‘ghetto culture’ will get you too far once you’ve stepped over the line. I think Cosby and Whitlock might be on to something when they encourage you to think before you get to the line.

Now, on the opposite side across from the jailbirds are Jim Valvano, John Calipari and Rick Pitino. Three white-guy basketball coaches who apparently can step over the line (several times) and find a groundswell of public support on the the other side.

Valvano, lest we forget, was the main subject of Peter Golenbock’s book “Personal Fouls” which uncovered all kinds of unsavory allegations in 1989 of payoffs, drugs and violations, specifically the recruitment of Chris Washburn, with V’s North Carolina State team. It was the first case of protectivism, as no investigation (there were at least 5) uncovered any wrongdoing. Still the beloved coach, who brought a national championship was gone from the game for good by 1990. Today Valvano is remembered as a cancer victim whose memory spurs his fellow coaches to annually pay tribute and raise money for The V Foundation, a prominent cancer charity.

Pitino apparently can commit adultery and advocate abortion while bringing a pile of sleaze upon the University of Louisville basketball program and get away with it. The chancellor of the school was quick to say “we are all ready to move on,” while the AD said he was behind the coach “a million percent.” All the while with a morals clause contained in his contract. It’s amazing what a $252 million new arena scheduled to open in 2010 will do, especially when the other elite Kentucky basketball program has just imported John Calipari to resurrect it from the doldrums.

Calipari meanwhile, moves into Lexington only weeks before Memphis is sanctioned for program violations, allegedly including someone other than Derrick Rose taking his SATs, which means they have to forfeit 38 wins and give back the money earned for letting Kansas hit that prayer at the buzzer to win the 2008 NCAA title. It’s also important to note that this is Calipari’s second Final Four team that received sanctions and forced his departure. UMASS was forced to vacate its 1996 Final Four appearance when it was found out that Marcus Camby had taken dough from an agent.

So thank god for Martha Stewart, otherwise we’d be forced to think that there is one set of rules for white guy basketball coaches and another for guys that sometimes wear dew rags and cock their baseball caps a little. Brett Favre said it’s enough to make him retire, and the steroids guys are denying everything.