The Coriolis Effect

For those of us who are less than scientifically-inclined, the Coriolis effect has nothing to do with which direction something circles the drain.

It has everything to do with observation.

Quoting Wikipedia, the Coriolis effect (named for Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis) is the apparent deflection of objects from a straight path if the objects are viewed from a rotating frame of reference.

The key word in this definition is the word "apparent."

In other words, an object may appear to be moving in a curved path, when it is actually moving in a straight path. It is the observer's point of view that makes it appear to be moving in a curve, because that observer is not standing still, but on a rotating frame of reference.

Imagine standing on the edge of a rotating merry-go-round and watching a car drive past. The car would appear to curve either away or toward you, depending on the spin, but it is actually following a straight path.

Why all the science?

It helps to sort out the Michael Vick situation.

If one is standing on the edge of the rotating coverage of the Vick fiasco, any number of CSI/Law & Order forensic possibilities for his acquittal offer themselves. There's nothing in the evidence that directly connects him to the events described in the federal indictment. The evidence is flawed somehow. The evidentiary chain has been somehow compromised. The prosecutor wants to run for president.

If we were standing still, we'd see the truth: Michael Vick is going to jail.

Straight to jail.

As if it weren't bad enough that his case is federal (read: 95% conviction rate, pelts on the wall include Al Capone and John Gotti), now comes news that one of his co-defendants has entered a plea agreement.

That's right, Tony Taylor, one of the Canine Quartet, has flipped and is now doing his finest Luther Vandross impression for the prosecution in return for what will certainly be a drastically-reduced sentence...possibilities at this point might even include the fact that Taylor never sees a minute of penitentiary time in return for his aid.

Now, as before, the Coriolis effect threatens to skew our perspective. Let's stand still and logically figure out what this means.

In large, bold print, it means that Mike Vick does a perp walk sometime within the next 12 months. It means that his football career is at least in jeopardy, if not over; remember, Jamal Lewis did some prison time recently and was still able to find gainful employment in the NFL, but Lewis only did months...Vick is in line for years. It means that whatever he hasn't spent on his defense will be taken back by the Atlanta Falcons for breach of contract.

It means that he'd better get his resume updated.

Taylor flipping for the feds is HUUUUGE. The prosecutor can easily prove a relationship with the defendants that goes back for years, which will counteract any attempt by the defense to portray Taylor as a former felon willing to say anything to get leniency. Taylor will know names, dates, and amounts. Taylor will know exactly who did what, and when, and for how much, and where. And when Taylor's testimony connects the dots provided by the other unnamed witnesses, all that will be left will be the determination of Vick's federal sentence.

But, as Ice Cube once famously said, it ain't over.

Once Vick gets his federal conviction, the State of Virginia will move in and hammer him with much more serious charges. "Under Virginia law, the intentional killing of an animal is a Class 6 felony, which carries a sentence of one to five years, per count. For killing eight dogs, that's a potential sentence of anywhere from eight to 40 years." (thanks, http://profootballtalk.com)

The only question after that is whether Vick's sentences are concurrent (at the same time) or consecutive (one to be served at the completion of another).

Remember, because of the Internet and 24-hour news reporting, it is only our rotating perspective that makes Vick's case seem to curve.

Stand still, and you will see him heading straight for a jail cell.