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Iron Mike Tyson and
Why the Critics Got It Wrong
By: John Howard Jr.
A freshman at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
Edited By: Keith Dobkowski
Iron Mike Tyson is often perceived to be dumb, mean, vicious and
crazy. Critics believe that Tyson should be locked up, put in
solitary confinement and never let out. But I ask, is Tyson an
animal or the result of his upbringing?
Tyson may be this way for he was brought up in utter poverty.
He got his education from the rough streets of Brooklyn, New
York. Tyson’s mother was a drunk and his father a “jail bird.”
Tyson had little contact with his siblings due to their poverty. For
fast cash, Tyson was reduced to robbing, burglarizing and street
fighting. Ultimately, Boxing Trainer Cus D’Amato took in Mike
Tyson.
So what then are the results of Tyson’s upbringing? I’m not
excusing his felony conviction for rape, his thug attitude or even
his desire to eat Lennox Lewis’ children. I understand that Tyson
is a rapist, a thug, a pimp and a small time gangster.
But why would a person say and do these things? Is Mike Tyson
crazy? Or is it possible that Mike Tyson is a product of his
upbringing with added pressure due to intense media scrutiny.
Often when the spotlight is shining and the press is hounding,
people, such as Tyson, say stupid things.
Look no further than President George W. Bush, who unlike
Tyson has a degree from Yale and an MBA from Harvard. Yet the
president constantly stumbles when asked questions by the
media. Recently, when asked about mistakes made during his
presidency, Bush responded with a series of noises and stutters
that seemed to last for several minutes.
So while Mike Tyson’s “want to eat your children” quote will live
in infamy with Rickey Henderson’s “I am the greatest who ever
lived” and Keyshawn Johnson’s “Keyshawn don’t throw the ball
to Keyshawn,” as seen by President Bush, people often stumble
when put on the spot by the media.
Mike Tyson rose from poverty to become the best draw in Boxing
since Mohammed Ali. Tyson has made millions of dollars for
himself and many others including Don King and HBO. In fact,
Mike Tyson has made more money than any other boxer who
does not have a grill named after him.
Is it racism or fear by an overly white media afraid of a dominant
Black Athlete? Is it because Mike Tyson is an easy target as a
result that his upbringing did not include the very cornerstones of
life, education and parental guidance. Or is it because
controversy stirs the American public?
An Olympic Champion, a world champion who made it to the top,
not one but twice, only to crumble back to the streets he roamed
as a kid sells well.
I like Mike Tyson and will continue to do so. He is a great athlete,
the best boxer since Ali and the best draw in sports. So to Mike,
who did his crime and served his time, and to the media critics
who thrive on controversy, I am one young man that will stand
with Mike in his corner.
Tyson is a black man that was not expected in athletics, let alone
life. As Tupac Shakur stated, it’s like “the rose that grew from
the concrete.”
A Published
Sports
Writer
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