Field Notes

Just how far has Michael Vick mania wended its way into even the least likely news outlets? Here’s Ben McGrath’s latest “Talk of the Town” for the New Yorker, about a dilapidated kennel for urban hunting dogs in uptown Manhattan: “’One guy approached us—he wanted to bring some pits,’ Ross said, referring to pit bulls. ‘We try to steer clear of that. He might be Michael Vick-in’ it.’ Chances are good that at some point this weekend, you’re going to wind up in a conversation about this gruesome man-causes-dog-to-bite-other-dog story. But how much more is there to say, other than “It’s wrong to kill dogs”? In the interest of keeping your dinner party conversations fresh, we’ve provided you with a list of alternative angles. Print them out, study them in the john, and hope everyone’s drunk enough not to take you terribly seriously when you trot out one of the following:

Another hard-fought NFL television-watching season is in the books, which means it's time to rejoice and give praise for the greatest holiday on the calendar, Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, not even the cornucopia of chicken wings, cheese fries, and bacon martinis can help us enjoy the pre-game idiocy CBS will roll out. Prepare yourself for faux-inspirational flag football games in the Green Zone, a maudlin profile about the fall and redemption of some millionaire athlete, and lots of grown men screaming about the “Cover Two.”

Dmitriy Salita, an undefeated welterweight boxer and Golden Gloves champion, is an Orthodox Jew. His personal website describes him as “a famous Jew boxer,” and he climbs into the ring to the thumping bass of Matisyahu, the Hasidic reggae star. If Salita gets his way, he’ll be the next Jewish media icon. He’d better be careful what he wishes for. With his Hasidic music and exhibitionistic piety, Salita may awaken a dangerous and venerable beast: hagiographical journalism that sets messianic expectations for Jewish athletes, musicians, or anyone else who fits neatly into the timeworn narrative about the Jew who thrives in a goyish field. It’s a story that is bad for the protagonist, who can’t live up to the overwhelming expectations. It’s bad for fans, who are mortified when their hero ...