Michael Vick's waiting game

I think the easiest/fairest solution for everyone is to let Vick play in the UFL this year. Read my article on it at footballtalktoday.com

Donte Stallworth kills someone and gets 30 days while Michael Vick kills a dog and gets two years.

Guess what they say is true, people love their pets and hate other people.

Anyone convicted of such a crime should be booted from the NFL. What sense does it make that a murderer/wife beater/drug abuser/etc... can be allowed to come back?

Well, I eat beef, chicken, pork, fish... and it isn't the organic free-range stuff either. I don't like what Vick did, but c'mon let's be realistic. Cattle get treated nearly as bad as those dogs but nobody cares because they're so damn tasty.

Regardless, how is it ethical to condemn a man for something when he's served his legally mandated time in prison? This is all about optics on the NFL's part, and personally I think Vick has earned the right, via jail time served, to be judged based on his actions from the date of his release onward.

And let's not even get into how much less of a story this would be if he'd just dealt drugs or beat his wife. Better to smack the wife than Sir Barksalot. What a screwed up society.

I agree Stallworth got off way to easy but what he did was an accident. Granted it was really ignorant but in the end it was still an accident. Vick on the other hand knew exactly what he was doing and he did it repeatedly. If Vick is allowed to re-enter the NFL I'm done as a fan. No more fantasy football leagues, no more attending games, no more buying merchandise and no more Sundays in front of the TV.

I have zero respect for either of these guys but what Vick did is unforgivable to me. Even when he was caught red handed Vick continued to protest his innocence which shows me he has zero remorse.

HE WOULD USE PEOPLES PETS THEY CAUGHT IN PRIVATE YARDS AND THROW THEM INTO PITS WITH KILLER DOGS JUST FOR FUN. HE ADMITTED THIS.

HE SHOULD BE BANNED FOR LIFE FROM FOOTBALL.

Agree with this. Stallworth got off way to easy but what he did was an accident. Granted it was really ignorant but in the end it was still an accident. Vick on the other hand knew exactly what he was doing and he did it repeatedly. If Vick is allowed to re-enter the NFL I'm done as a fan. No more fantasy football leagues, no more attending games, no more buying merchandise and no more Sundays in front of the TV.

I can't really see why you wouldn't want to watch NFL no more just because Vick gets reinstated, I personally hopes he gets reinstated as soon as possible. Eventhough I have a dog, loves dogs and thinks his crime is awful, I think that a man deserves a second chance. Isn't that how the justicesystem is supposed to work. The reason for sending criminals to prison is to keep them of the streets AND make them think about what they've done so that they won't do it again. So if we don't give them this second chance how are they ever gonna get on with their lives.
Of course I can see that he probably isn't the greatest rolemodel but on the other hand do NFL players only hacvve to be rolemodels to ordinary people, how about the ex-criminal who realizes that he also has a second chance in live, like Vick might get, doesn't he deserve a break too.
And how is driving under the influence of alcohol and killing somebody an accident! Did Stallworth not now that he was drunk??? Theres a reason that it's illegal to DUI.

You really going to jack in the entire sport if Vick comes back in for a season or two of mediocre backup duty then probably retires?

If you're into it enough to post a message on a football news website I doubt you'll actually follow through with that threat.

10 years down the line when Vick is nothing but a small footnote in history you still won't be watching games? Come on.

Jack,
I wonder what team will give him another shot and be willing to deal with the local market PR issues that are sure to come. any thoughts?

Mark

British

I can assure you as a die hard football fan that I would stop following Football in a flash if Vick is allowed to return. Now, how do you think the casual observer is going to react ?

I think that Vick should be reinstated as soon as he completes his sentence. As Paul Parsons states, his crime is really not all that heinous when compared to murder, rape, and DUI homicide (recall that Leonard Little got just eight games for dui vehicular homicide). Vick had already paid a substantial price for his actions and now deserves a chance to use his skills and abilities to rebuild his life. Frankly, I think that the NFL should do everything it can to support him in this endeavor, rather than throwing down additional sanctions.

I also have to say that, as a foreigner, the Vick debates I have seen in the media and in online forums suggest that Americans have an irrational attachment to dogs. As Parsons writes, we kill and abuse all sorts of different animals for profit, sustenance, and amusement. Why should this situation be any different just because 'man's best friend' is involved? That is a question for which I have yet to develop a satisfactory answer.

Jack. What a poorly written and researched article about the reinstatement of Michael Vick. I expected better from you. Please apologise to all for OMITTING the fact that most of his crimes stem from his participation in illegal gambling.

"Your plea agreement and the plea agreements of your co-defendants also demonstrate your significant involvement in illegal gambling. Even if you personally did not place bets, as you contend, your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL Player Contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player." That is quoted from Comissioner Goodell to Michael Vick.

Participating in illegal gambling, as you ought to know, is absolutely verboten for all NFL players and none are exempt. Yet, Vick financed illegal gambling anyway. He thought he was too cool to get caught and lied and denied once he was caught. There is NO WAY that he should be reinstated any time soon.

Next time, Jack, please stick to the true facts like we have come to expect from you.

What Stallworth did wasn't an accident. He made a decision just like Vick made a decision. Stallworth chose to drink and then drive. That isn't an accident. It is poor judgment. Vick also has shown poor judgment. Should they be reinstated? Yes. Does that mean a team will/should sign them? No. If I owned a NFL team, I wouldn't go near either one of them.

No thank you, the NFL will be fine without him. There are millions of places he can work to rebuild his life. He chose to lie to everyone in his organization, the nfl, the fans. Players must earn their way onto the field. He can earn his way to some other life.

Enough of this Vick deserves a second chance crap. He can get a job. He's not *entitled* to a job in the NFL. And if this was just a cultural thing that he grew up with, why did he deny and lie about it? He knew it was wrong. He had his shot and now it's over. If Goodell reinstates him, I'll never take a word coming out of his mouth seriously. He should have been banned for life from the beginning if Goodell was really serious about the image of the NFL. The NFL is a brand and Michael Vick does nothing but dirty it.

I agree the reall issue was his use of the dog fight game to promote gambling. Horning got banned for a year for gambling, so did Alex Karras. I think that one year is the least amount of time that Vick should be banned from the game (in addition to his prison time). Now for the issue of animal cruelty. Those of you who think that it's just a dog.....remember that we as humans have a responsibility to care for animals that we irresponsibly breed. It may "only be a dog" but they feel pain and trauma just like we do. If i trained you to go into a ring and fight to the death, does that make you just another dumb, dispensable animal ?

personally I like most dogs more than i like humans...

I think Vick should be allowed back with a lifetime ban if he violates conditions set fourth by the commissioner. I would suspened him if he got a speeding ticket. What he did was wrong but I agree with Paul it's a dog and a worthless dog at that.

As for stallworth I don't believe he got off easy. He has to live with the fact that he killed someone and the way he handled the situation I think it will affect the rest of his life. 30 days in jail, lifetime ban of his license(hardship after 5 yrs), loss of millions of dollars, loss of endorsements, bad standing in the public, probation for 10 years. That doesn't seem like a slap on the wrist. It's a bad accident and when do wehy can't we see that personal responsibility also falls on the deceased guy. He was breaking the law by jay walking, It isn't as bad as a dui but it is still against the law. He should have used the crosswalk (like witnesses said) and not put himself in harms way. I'm not saying you should die for jay walking but there is a very good reason every state has laws against it. They deceased and Stallworth used poor judgement. The fact that his family was so quick to grab the money says allot about the man and his family and what justice they wanted. It's over! The family has moved on so why don't the rest of you. Let the guy get back to football and just maybe he is in mourning too. The guy just got 4 million dollars the day before and he was out partying like all of us would have. Ofcourse with that much money I would have had a limo but at 7 am and drinking all night with a BAC of .12... he wasn't drinking that much. we all know if you are drinking all night and still drinking at 7am your BAC would be much higher. Let him play ball and quit judging one person because the fault lies in both of them.

No way. If Mr. Vick wants to make an honest living he can do so, just not in the NFL.

As was so elegantly put earlier - Vick was in jail for gambling not animal torture. Along the way he lied at every opportunity given him. He also has a track record (Ron Mexico plus other indiscretions).

He claims he's changed and understands what he did was wrong. Fine - there's only one way to prove it and that's with time. As a very mediocre, stupid but exciting player he really didn't have a long future in the NFL anyway. Was he really capable of mentoring a young QB when he lost his legs?

Let Vick prove over time (at least a year) he's genuinely sorry then allow him the opportunity to sell his services to an NFL team. Sometimes letting someone back too soon (with the large amounts of money) is the worst thing that can happen to a bad seed. Just ask Adam Jones - had anyone taken away his opportunity to play he likely would have straightened up and matured much earlier. I seriously doubt Vick has matured enough this past year to handle the exposure the NFL would give him.

As a dog owner I was truly disgusted with Vick's actions. But in saying this, I am a true believer in paying your dues and moving on. Vick has done this. Federal prison, home arrest, etc. Vick will always be remebered for his actions with these animals, but he deserves a chance to play again. PacMan got several chances and he endangered human lives. Stallworth, regardless how it was potrayed, DROVE DRUNK and KILLED a human being. He thows some money at the family and gets what 30 days and community service. In my home town, you get more than that just for driving drunk, when you kill someone you go to prison. Go ahead and hate Vick for what he did, I will always hold that grudge against him, but I also remember the Vick running wild on the field, blazing past the Vikes D, while two of their defenders take each other out in pursuit of him, and Vick leading his team to a playoff victory over the Pack at Lambeau. We as a society forgive people all the time, let's not end this with Vick. Oh and don't tell me you would quit watching football all together just because of this guy. What a load of crap! Goodell will do what is necessary and so far I think he has done a great job. LOVE NFP!! Can't wait for training camp!!!!

Mark, PR issues a plenty! the first person who has to give the green light is usually the owner's wife. that elininates 20 plus teams right there! it will take a strong owner/GM.

The way you structured it in your article then I think that would be fair; however, he represents everything that is really bad with the NFL in terms of image. He is just another thug in a 'thug" like league. Teams have to spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with rap sheets instead of stat sheets because of guys like Vick. He's not going to change. I would almost bank on it he does something else that puts him back in the "dog house".