[SmootSmack]

McLean, Va.: Will your opinion of Taylor change if this does not turn out to be a random incident (e.g. home invasion)?

Michael Wilbon: No...People's opinions are shaped by the way they've grown up, the way they see the world, what they know about the world the person in question grew up in, etc. Sean Taylor isn't the only guy I know who fits his general profile. I've known guys like Taylor all my life, grew up with some. They still have shades of gray and shouldn't be painted in black and white...I know how I feel about Taylor, and this latest news isn't surprising in the least, not to me. Whether this incident is or isn't random, Taylor grew up in a violent world, embraced it, claimed it, loved to run in it and refused to divorce himself from it. He ain't the first and won't be the last. We have no idea what happened, or if what we know now will be revised later. It's sad, yes, but hardly surprising.

Columbia, Md.: What makes you think that Taylor was still embracing his old ways? Every thing we have heard from the Redskins and Portis is that this is a new Sean. Apparently the birth of his child really helped to straighten him out. Is this contrary to what you know?

Michael Wilbon: Sorry, but I'n not in the habit of having comapanies with their own public relations agenda tell me about black men and what they feel or don't feel. Pardon me if I'm not that easy.

There's more.

The Chat House - washingtonpost.com.

What he's done in my opinion is tell everyone White, Black, Hispanic (whatever) who has tried to make a change in their life and better themselves that they shouldn't bother. You are what you always were.