Michael Vick spent part of his weekend at a Humane Society function in metro Atlanta, speaking to about 50 people, including young men who are considered prone to engage in dogfighting.
Not a big deal, until you consider his hometown of Newport News, Va., planned a "celebration" for the unemployed ex-con. It would have been an ego boost to someone who surely needs it, but Vick's appearance with the Humane Society forced the event's postponement.
Not a big deal, until you consider his hometown of Newport News, Va., planned a "celebration" for the unemployed ex-con. It would have been an ego boost to someone who surely needs it, but Vick's appearance with the Humane Society forced the event's postponement.
Good call by Vick, who has committed to similar twice-monthly appearances for a year, according to the society.
Too bad for Vick that he might have the time to accommodate them. No NFL team has granted him even so much as a workout, even though many would be instantly upgraded at quarterback by acquiring him.
Decisions like the one he made this weekend will make Vick more appealing to clubs that have shied away for fear in negative publicity. It's a sign that he has earned another chance.
Too bad for Vick that he might have the time to accommodate them. No NFL team has granted him even so much as a workout, even though many would be instantly upgraded at quarterback by acquiring him.
Decisions like the one he made this weekend will make Vick more appealing to clubs that have shied away for fear in negative publicity. It's a sign that he has earned another chance.
You know, I may be entirely too cynical here. But I've always said that if only he'd been caught cock fighting (with the chickens people!) he would have likely gotten off with a fairly light fine & some parole. Yes dog fighting is particularly egregious, nasty, brutal & inhumane. No argument there. And I think it was right that he did time for it too. But I don't think that his entire career should be flushed down the drain for a crime that he's done his time for. So it's good to see him on the 'comeback trail'. I may not want to share a drink with him, but it's good to see him trying to make amends and be of good use to someone. Now like Rocker, only time will tell whether or not the 'rehab' actually worked. We can all harbor our doubts. But we can have our hopes too. JMP
Let's be clear - Michael Vick wasn't just hosting dog fights; he was also torturing and killing dogs.
Yep. Again from my comments above, "Yes dog fighting is particularly egregious, nasty, brutal & inhumane. No argument there. And I think it was right that he did time for it too."
But really? If you battered your spouse or partner while in the NFL or another pro sports franchise, you're more likely to get counseling. If you actually assaulted people with deadly weapons? You can also make a come back & not serve as much time. Ditto for the multiple offenses of drug use & possession. If you add it up, we're somehow much more relatively lenient on any number of real offenses against persons than we might be about dog fighting.
So yes. Dogs died under brutally miserable & rottenly inhumane conditions. That's what dog fighting is all about, this is why it's properly outlawed. No one's saying anything different. I'm just saying that his future livelihood should not be obviated or prohibited due to a yes, a crime he's now served his time for.
I may not want to ever 'celebrate' him for much. But he's got a right to try and earn a living. JMP
If you battered your spouse ONCE you would probably get counseling. If you committed assault ONCE you would probably get some punishment and some counseling. A couple of drug usage violations? Let's face it, it's too widespread to be punished more severely. Besides, it depends on the drug. Multiple violations with heroin? I think one would have trouble getting back into the club.
If you did any of those things multiple times, over a long period of time, knowingly and purposefully, I think you would have a hard time getting back into the club.
If there was evidence that a player (or anyone else) planned, scheduled, and prepared for beating their wife regularly over a period of YEARS, I think they would have trouble getting back into the club.
This was no crime of passion. How can Vick even pretend to show remorse? This wasn't some isolated "mistake". This was a criminal enterprise that went on for several years.
It's not even really about the dogs. I think it's about the malice aforethought and the ongoing nature of it. It's very hard to imagine him having anywhere near the same sense of morality as what is generally accepted in society. Either he thought about what he was doing and decided to keep going, or he didn't think about it, ever. Until he got caught. I'm not sure which is worse.
And nobody is keeping him from earning a living playing football. I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of teams not in the NFL that would pay him. He just wants to be in the highest paying league, and he has no right to that.