I’m hoping the Michael Vick that has been apologetic about his role in running a dogfighting ring is the one which will continue to appear. Once the grisly truth came out about how Vick and his friends would torture and kill their dogs, it would make anyone sick to their stomachs.
Now Vick gets a chance to start anew. Well sort of.
First, Vick has to find a team which is willing to take the immediate hit in its reputation and handle the public relations nightmare. The team will have to deal right away with PETA and other animal rights groups questioning the owner’s, the general manager’s and the coach’s love for animals.
Second, Vick will have to prove he is capable and worthy of a spot on an NFL team’s roster. Vick has been out of football for two years, which is an eternity for a professional athlete.
When a player is out for a year with an injury or sitting out because of a contract dispute, it takes nearly half of the next season for the player to return to form. How long will it take Vick? We may never know.
On top of all of these other issues surrounding Vick, there is the asterisk in the reinstatement by Goodell. While Vick is being welcomed back into the NFL fraternity, he is not eligible to participate in a regular season game until Week 6 at the latest.
Let’s say the Carolina Panthers decide Vick is worth all the trouble and sign him, he will be able to practice with the team, play in pre-season games, do everything except dress for regular season games until Goodell decides to fully reinstate Vick. So if Jake Delhomme were to go down with an injury in Week 1 and backup Matt Moore is hurt in Week 2, then the Panthers would have to look for another quarterback to sign even though Vick is under contract because Goodell hasn’t given him a full okay to head back to the field.
As much as I don’t agree with most things he says, I have admit Terrell Owens is right — how much more does Vick have to do?
Vick faithfully served his time in prison, had his financial life ripped apart by having to file for bankruptcy protection because he owes more than $4 million and will forever be labeled as a dog killer.
By no means am I a Vick apologist, in fact, as an animal lover I wish Vick would have received more time in prison. But he has now paid his debt to society, will continue to undergo counseling and will work with the Humane Society of the United States on a program to steer inner city youth away from the pitfalls of dogfighting.
As Americans we love to give people a second chance, especially star athletes. Vick may never return to his highlight-film abilities, but it’s good to see him finally get the chance again.
Contact sports editor Shawn Stinson at 997-3111, ext. 14; e-mail sstinson@yourdailyjournal.com
I just hope he's so out of shape he washes out three weeks into the season. I'm not going to pull for any team that signs Vick.
Whoever he plays for is really going to lose fans. The world is full of animal lovers who will never forgive or forget, that he deserves more prison time, or to spend the rest of his life doing unskilled, low-paying, backbreaking construction jobs.
Better than boycotting his team: Pull for the other team. Cheer for every defensive back that sacks him.
I agree he may have paid his debt to society. But bringing Vick back to his glory days? No way.
On second thought, let him play, as long as he donates most of his salary to various animal-protection groups and keeps just enough to pay for his basic necessities -- food, rent and gas.