Where's VC today?

Where is the V.C.? And I don’t mean “VC”, as in venture capital.

It has only been a couple of days since Father’s Day was upon us, but I can’t help but wonder what former Raptor Vince Carter is up to today. When Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama was speaking about absentee fathers, did he have Vince specifically in mind?

I would expect that VC spent Sunday with his daughter Kai, who is now about two and a half years old. You might have forgotten, but Vince had a short-lived marriage to a woman by the name of Dr. Ellen Rucker Carter. It lasted about a year, and Vince called it quits soon after the baby was born.

Dr. Rucker Carter had the benefit of being the sister-in-law of Vince’s best friend, Antawn Jamison of the Washington Wizards; so it wasn’t as though she didn’t know a thing or two about marrying into the NBA. Not that this is any excuse, of course.

As for Vince, was he prepared for fatherhood? Was he able to transition from being the “Son” to being the “Dad”? With Grand Theft Auto IV still fresh in the XBOX360, MickeyD’s to rustle up for lunch, and game six to watch tonight, I’ll bet VC’s schedule is pretty chock-a-block today.

Not much time left over for toilet training his daughter; I could be wrong of course, but one just has that feeling sometimes.

Is he the very epitome of Senator Obama’s message? And does anyone (other than Superfan) miss him in Raptorland, even a tiny little bit?

I doubt it.

Senator Obama made that point that any idiot can have a child, but it takes a Man to be a Father. VC always shirked the label of “Leader” or “Da Man” on the basketball court; he didn’t want the responsibility and told the media so.

Not that it’s any of our business, but now that Senator Obama has put the issue on the table, I wonder if VC’s being the Man or the Child back home.

If the NBA wants their superstars to be truly useful role models, forget about having their photos taken once a year with kids at a library. Get guys like VC to heed Senator Obama’s provoking message.

MRM