Detroit Free Press

Hold on. Let's get our messages straight. First we tell every kid who holds a basketball in one hand and a potential college degree in the other that he should never forsake the diploma for the dribble.Then, when Vince Carter wants to attend his college graduation the morning of a big game, we accuse him of letting his team down.Make up your mind. I have no problem with it. Carter wants to get his degree, walk down the aisle with his class, so be it. That's a special moment. It doesn't come twice in life.And by the way, it's not as if he was missing the game.

Afew weeks ago, I wrote a column extolling the virtue of newspapers. I left out the most important thing.With a newspaper, you can skip over the stories you don't want to know about.No such luck in television, where you watch the news as it's presented, in order of importance -- determined by what will get the greatest ratings.Which brings us to the frenzy over Robert Blake and his murdered wife.Let me sum up the case:Robert Blake's wife was murdered.

The prosecutor grilled him."Where did you aim the gun?""At his head.""Where did you hit him?""In his head.""That was your mission, to kill him at that moment.""No sir.""You hit your target, didn't you?""No sir."It reads like any murder trial, any prosecutor versus killer. Only this accused killer was 14 years old. And at one point, the veil slipped."What did Mr. Grunow do when he fell to the ground?"Nathaniel Brazill, 14, said nothing.

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