Michael Gerard Tyson is in to pigeons these days. Has been since he was nine years old. Only now a very controversial liberal animal welfare group with its fancy four-letter initials has found a way to profit from it publicity-wise.
I won’t name the group, they don’t deserve it here.
What Iron Mike is doing is legal. At least it’s not illegal, or he would have been arrested by now. Because he’s Mike Tyson. One of the most polarizing public figures the world has.
The former heavyweight champion of the world, like few others, who still fascinates the public more than 15 years removed from being a serious contender or anything else, is back in the news for this silly reason:
This group just wants a headline. They’ll move on to the next celebrity as soon as this gets boring.
I think these are the same people against the killing of animals for their fur. Well that might be a legitimate complaint, but not this “pigeon crapola,” as Archie Bunker might have said.
Mike wants to race or chase pigeons or whatever and The Animal Planet Network, basking in all its glory, wants to film it as they have devised a way to make money by selling advertising around it.
OK, The Animal Planet Network isn’t really on high moral ground here either. The pigeons don’t seem to mind, but they won’t sign a release form either.
So I say leave Mike Tyson alone and let him hang out with his pigeons for God’s sake or you’re going to make him mad. And that is the magic moment this group wants a camera to shoot so the story goes international and if they are lucky over the Internet and 60 Minutes and magazine covers.
Obviously I’m just glossing over a few details and being a smart-aleck. But if you seriously have an interest in this case you may read my fellow examiner Scott Heritage of Pittsburgh who is on top of this.
http://www.examiner.com/x-20066-Pittsburgh-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2010m3d24-PETA-activists-trying-to-get-between-Mike-Tyson-and-his-pigeons
Mike Tyson has turned his life around like few others have. He understands what a real comeback actually is. You may not like him, but you have to respect him for the effort.
I’m sure there will be more bizarre Mike Tyson episodes in the future as he has captivated a couple of generations of fight fans and simply the curious.
Virtually anything short of a real fight with Evander Holyfield would be socially acceptable behavior from Mike Tyson.
The bar is not too high.
