Is it me or has Michael Vick received more attention about being released from federal prison than Al Capone? While I understand he committed a heinous crime against animals, at last check he had paid his debt to society. Yet some won’t let it go.
Simple answer here. He can still play football, or at least he is still young enough to make a contribution to a team. I only hope that when the group of hillbillies who were involved in the same sort of crime, only more nationwide, gets convicted that they will garner the same attention.
Oh, wait a minute. “Gomer” and “Goober Pyle” don’t possess an ability to throw a football or dunk a basketball, hence they will go into obscurity when and if they are convicted, sentenced and released.
Double standard? You bet.
This is not a plea that Michael Vick was wronged. Vick has displayed poor judgment in the past and has chosen to run with a collection of imbeciles that has cost him money, freedom and lord knows what else. He does not deserve a pass here, but the coverage has gone overboard.
The same people who sat outside the court and analyzed his plight ad nauseam will be clamoring to do the “one-on-one sit-down exclusive” where he will throw himself on the mercy of American popular opinion.
While everyone deserves a second chance, you have to wonder about the people who go on TV and radio and question the sincerity of an individual who apologizes and hopes to move on with his life. In most cases, these people have no prior relationship with the individual.
The next question is: Who will sign Michael Vick? If everyone takes a pass and for all practical purposes blackball him, I would not be surprised. Fortunately, the NFL has a lot more players trying to do the right thing, though in some cases they may not possess the skill level of the ones that seem joined at the hip with trouble. I would much rather see them than the ones who make the 10’oclock news.
Commissioner Roger Goodell is trying to clean up the league. It will be hard because the owners want those trouble players on the field because they can play and produce. No other reason. Then when they cannot play, they get rid of them, no questions asked. Goddell’s problem here is making sure there is not a double standard being set by the punishments he levels to the violators.
I for one would love to see a heavy hand. If you lay down the law and they still cross the line after their first offense, then why continue to allow stupidity to have a home in the NFL?
The issue is how the media covers it. The league is so concerned about its image. The people who cover the league at times have their own agenda and in some cases race has something to do with it.
I have always been amused by how Brett Farve has been put on a pedestal by the media. A player who had a severe addiction to chemical and prescription drugs as well as alcohol in his career. You would have thought it had never happened, as it was never mentioned due to the fact that he is Brett Favre. It is certainly a reflection on how business is done in the media when it comes to fair and impartial coverage.
As for Michael Vick, I don’t wish him luck. He is a person who served his time and should take the lesson and build on it for his future. If not, someone else will be doing the “sad story” bit on him.
If he never plays another down, that would be fine too. He had the opportunity to get a college education, and he squandered it. So he has nothing to fall back on, and whose fault is that?
