If Michael Vick Gets a Job, Boycott the NFL
So Michael Vick is well on his way to NFL reinstatement — if, that is, he can find a team to call home.
Is it fair that Vick is free to stretch out and play without a bothersome leg bracelet cramping his style, while so many dogs — themselves natural, talented athletes who live to play — have been robbed of their lives by his hand?
Many of these magnificent pit bulls are available for adoption, several have managed to find the loving new homes they deserve. Two of them, Leo and Hector, now do volunteer work as therapy dogs, visiting hospital patients to spread cheer. Leo does dog’s work in California; Hector’s home base is Minnesota. But the 22 canine survivors of Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels that were sent to Utah’s Best Friends Animal Society for rehabilitation wear the physical and psychological scars of Vick’s abuse. One of them, Georgia, has no teeth in her pretty head because Vick arranged for some lousy veterinarian to pull them. We don’t know that Dr. Mengele’s name, so he or she is still at large and practicing. How reassuring.
Two years ago, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Vick indefinitely, he said Vick must show remorse before he would consider reinstating him. Vick sure snowed him. “I accept that you are sincere when you say that you want to, and will, turn your life around, and that you intend to be a positive role model for others,”Goodell wrote in his recent letter to Vick. “I am prepared to offer you that opportunity.”
While I would love to believe it’s possible for a convicted felon — even one who laughingly boasted about drowning, electrocuting, and fatally body-slamming the dogs in his care when they didn’t perform — to miraculously evolve overnight into an animal-loving role model, please forgive my skepticism.
Animal lovers all over the country are outraged by Vick’s reversal of fortune. Witness the emergence of anti-Vick websites and Facebook groups such as “Boycott every sponsor of the NFL until Michael Vick is gone!”
Committing crimes against animals is no less grave than committing crimes against people. It’s an assault on humanity and it should not be rewarded with any vote of confidence, especially one from the NFL. Why is animal abuse so easy for some people to forgive, when compelling evidence shows that those who harm animals are very likely to also inflict harm on children?
Look at Michael Vick’s mug. Is that really the face of remorse? You can laugh at PETA all you want; I often do because the organization is all for banning pit bulls and supports the entirely un-American efforts of legislators to enforce breed-specific legislation that would make pits illegal to own as pets. However, PETA did something that made me want to cheer: the group withdrew its offer to do an anti-dogfighting TV spot with Vick, stating that his behavior fit the established profile for anti-social personality disorder (APD).
A friend of mine thought it was a good idea to get a pit bull. I took it for a walk and it dragged me for about a mile. As dogs go they’re good for hunting pigs and fighting. I don’t think the NFL should be affected by a boycott from the PETA crowd and if the NFL caves to such a boycott, then I’ll start watching soccer.
So all the people who used animals for sport in the past were psychopaths…that clears a lot of things up and the Chinese? dog eating psychopaths
I would say screw dogs, but you would probably have me arrested
He made a mistake, he did his time, he deserves to make a living in the way he was before this. He has been vilified in the press. Leave the man alone. Hold your head high and do a great job, Michael. You are a human being, made in the image and likeness of God, with faults and failings just like the rest of us.
There is serious help available for you. While Vick bought into a sub-culture where dogs were used for entertainment, even though most people might not like such a form…that has been around for centuries all over this planet, he did pay a price and will for years, including your pleading that he enjoy no life or one that you and your people would dictate for him and his ilk.
Your obsession needs help, but you of course don’t see it as such. That reality should be your first clue!
Oh please. I think everyone can agree that it is wrong to unnecessarily hurt animals. Vick was punished both financially and by losing his freedom, however this is getting ridiculous. We punish people who commit far worst crimes against humans less severe than this and we quickly forgive them after they visit some “counseling” center. I only wish people were as upset when humans are mistreated and killed. I’m sure you can find examples of men beating up women(e.g. Chris Brown ), rape being committed, babies being killed by millions( abortions ), and we treat them as nobles.
Gee Julia, you’re really tough. Psychopaths are people too. Everybody makes mistakes, but deserve a second chance. Just look how well Ted Kennedy turned out after killing that young lady. And Barney Frank whose pick-up boyfriend ran a male prostitution ring from his basement. You know Congress is chock full of sociopaths. If you banned them all, who would be left not to read all of that important legislation?
While I would love to believe it’s possible for a convicted felon — even one who laughingly boasted about drowning, electrocuting, and fatally body-slamming the dogs in his care when they didn’t perform — to miraculously evolve overnight into an animal-loving role model, please forgive my skepticism.
This statement is obviously untrue. He’s paid for his crimes. Significantly. Not overnight but over time.
Julia – be quiet & go away. Michael Vick has already received worse punishment than killers of people. I like dogs too, but they are not people. Michael Vick is not a nice person, but he paid his debt to society and has the right to earn a living. Now I am going to go eat a steak and watch the NFL channel.
sorry but i have to disagree on this one. I love dogs but the fact is that the guy paid his debt. He went to jail, lost millions of dollars and his reputation is scarred for life. Our society is supposed to be all about forgiveness and second chances. Who are we to deny him a living when again, he paid his debt?
Boycott the NFL? Uh, Julia: let’s not get carried away.
Screw Vick. He tortured animals for fun. He’s got a right to make a living but it doesn’t have to be in the NFL. Let him get a job at Walmart.
Is this a diatribe against Vick, or a movie review? By the end, I couldn’t tell.
Like most others posting here, I am a dog/animal lover. Anyone that mistreats animals should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and made to pay for their mistakes. In my opinion, Vick has done this and should be allowed to continue his life as well as his livelihood. Get off his back!
Addition to my previous post:
I look forward to seeing “The Cove”. I’ve read a few articles and it looks like it will be very interesting.
I wonder if julie’s column could be called hate speech? Let the man play. Let the market decide his economic fate, not peta.
Vick’s done felony time for in Federal prison for what’s ordinarily a state misdemeanor as an example, still has major fines to pay and his only skill is being a pro ballplayer… animal-abusing jerk sure, but let the man earn a living to pay his fines and get on with his life.
Article is another waste of blog space.
By all means keep Vick out.
If he plays he will ruin the good reputations of people like:
Tank Johnson
Donte Stallworth
Jamal Lewis
Ray Lewis
Pacman Jones
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
Let Vick play football if that is how he can make his living. He has paid his debt to us, according to the law, already. If you think his sentence was too light, work to get jail time increased for this type of crime. If he commits such a crime again, he will deserve what he gets, but the media shouldn’t keep hounding him about this.
Of “Pro’s & Con’s,” chalk another one up in the “con’s” column.
Let him play if any team is dumb enough to pick him up. Whatever. He was always over rated anyway.
Of “Pro’s & Con’s,” chalk another one up in the “con’s” column. Let him play if any team is dumb enough to pick him up. Whatever. He was always overrated anyway, and I’ve lost interest in the NFL over the last few years so makes no whoop to me.
I’d have to agree with the general sentiments of the commenters here. I was appalled at the lack of forgiveness shown in this article. It’s just wrong and hateful. Sure, what Vick did was SO wrong, and I personally felt his punishment should have been harsher, but the man has served his time. Is anyone able to look inside him and know he’s not remorseful? And who is PETA to say he’s APD? Forgive him and move on….
I’m very disappointed in this article.
Julia, we execute 8 million dogs and cats a year, (many in gas chambers). How much outrage do you hear? NONE! So don’t give me your BS righteous indignation about a few abused dogs. Vick should have been sentenced to a fine and community service. He was punished way out of proportion to his crime. I look forward to seeing him back on the field. Now, go hug a tree.
the NFL doesn’t care about any of this. Donte Stallworth and Little (plays for St Louis-can’t recall his first name) killed PEOPLE and they are playing-no problem….If Mussolini could throw a screen pass, they would give him a uniform…
Pajamas Media get an EDITOR. This writer will definitely hurt your reputation. WOW, this piece is just all over the place.
1. Boycott the NFL over Vick. Not bloody likely. What could be a remote possibility is to pressure the specific team (if any) that hires him.
However, I agree with most of the previous posters. Vick did his PRISON TIME and therefore is a free man and should be able to make a living.
We as an American society tend to believe in second chances. If you believe he is still a danger to society, keep Vick in PRISON, not deny him a chance to make a living.
2. Where in the hell did the writer make the connection to dolphins and this movie (is the writer an investor in the movie and that is why she is pushing it) and Vick? What a non-existent segue way to the dolphins.
Is the writer trying to say that we are to blame for the Japanese killing thse dolphins? Hell, does anyone know what her main point is?
Get an EDITOR!!
The people who are so “Anti-Vick” are seriously the dumbest people in the entire world. And oh yea, they must be perfect too.
The guy screwed up, give him a second chance.
Ms. Szabo, When people like you want animals to be treated like humans, you are also stating you want humans to be treated like animals. I do not share your view nor do I share your outrage. Vick broke the law. His crime was a property crime – that’s right, the dogs were his property – for which he served two years. Does your indignation make you feel more moral and better about yourself? Does taking a stand against such an easy target make you feel brave? How about standing up to real evils in this world: evils that actually require real courage.
Would any of you who defend Vick be allowed back into your profession had you committed the same crime? I doubt it. So why should Vick?
The NFL/NBA has become a playground for thugs due to Affirmative Action. But do we have to buy into it? Do you want your kids to emulate these guys?
At some point, we have to demand better behvior from these guys. And it is effecting our high school and college athletes.
BARK BARK, GROWL, SNAP, GNASH!
Ms. Szabo overreaches here with the comparison of Vick’s dogfighting with keeping animals in captivity and training dolphins to perform. Keeping animals in captivity is one way to protect them and to enable humans to see and appreciate creatures we would otherwise never get to see, particularly underwater creatures. Training dolphins to do tricks not only helps people see these creatures but to appreciate their intelligence.
But otherwise Ms. Szabo is spot on. Noreasonable person will deny that Ray Lewis and Pacman Jones are thugs (and both should be permanently banned from the NFL, IMHO), but at least their victims had the chance of defending themselves. When facing a vicious individual, most animals have no chance to defend themselves from death or torture. That is the reason the uintentional killing and torture of largely defenseless animals can be considered much more vicious than killing humans.
We all give away parts of our otherwise natural freedom, not only to live in a civil society but to perform our jobs — we can’t be where we want to go because we have to go to work; we can’t say certain things at work, etc. Vick is no different.
Vick may have re-earned his right to liberty, which IMHO he should not have, but he has no right to play in the NFL. He should be banned permanently.
Committing crimes against animals is no less grave than committing crimes against people.
Wrong. So very, very wrong. As with most insane animal lovers (not the normal animal lovers, mind you), they only make this equation to the “cute” animals. What about flies? Ticks? Placing any animal at the same level as humans shows more of a self-loathing in that particular person. I agree with the sentiment of a previous poster – when you want animals and humans treated the same, you-re not raising animals to the human level; you’re lower humans to the animal level. So I say again – wrong.
And who are you (and PETA) to judge the remorse of Michael Vick? I seem to see Mr. Vick doing a lot to show his remorse and that he realized what he did was stupid. Would you feel better if he cried like a little girl on national television? I’m sure someone could get him to do it on MSNBC even, if you’d like.
So get off your high horse. You’re torturing it.
I share the “oh please” sentiment with regards to the the article and the author.
I’d say most of the people at PETA are the ones suffering from “anti-social personality disorder (APD)”. I’m a dog lover, but Dogs Humans. He’s paid a pretty heavy debt. Give him a break.
Please……this obsesion with dogs!!! Now I like well behaved dogs BUT I live where there are three dogs on one side and two on the other. I am trapped in my house I cannot go out without one or all barking. Call the Animal shelter and they say if the dogs bark for more than 15 minutes I should call them….AND then they will call the offending owners and then ? NOTHING!!!!
I am stunned that so many people consider Michael Vicks return to Football to be unpaletable. I am not sure (short of the Dixie Chicks) I have ever seen anyone pay so severe a price for not killing somebody. Oh sure OJ and Robert Blake come to mind, but Vick, he lost his job, years of prime earning ability, countless millions in bonus money, legal fees, and endorsement losses. Do I feel bad for him, NO he made poor choices, and paid his price. That said to “ban him from his profession for life” because some animal loving folks are upset about his being cruel to the animals they love…PLEASE. Hey I dont want “sex offenders” released from prison, but I don’t see much public outcry when they are, don’t see too many people rallying to keep them out of neighborhoods or prevent them from getting jobs…this is just silly.
Additionally I have to agree that an article like this lessons the seriousness of Pajamas Media and should never have gotten posted.
is there any such thing as a paid debt to society?
IN this author’s view it seems not.
Vick has been in prison, he’s done his time, let him be.
If he gets a job in the NFL, that means all the other teams DIDN”T hire him and do not deserve anything like a boycott. Only one team will be worth ‘boycotting’, not the entire league.
Overkill, high dudgeon, moral superiority broaching smugness… this article isn’t worthy of PJs.
“I am not sure (short of the Dixie Chicks) I have ever seen anyone pay so severe a price for not killing somebody. Oh sure OJ and Robert Blake come to mind….”
Uhhhhh….if you don’t already know….OJ and Robert Blake DID kill people.
“I am not sure (short of the Dixie Chicks) I have ever seen anyone pay so severe a price for not killing somebody. Oh sure OJ and Robert Blake come to mind….”
Uhhhhh….if you don’t already know….OJ and Robert Blake DID kill people.
I’m glad to add my voice to the chorus of ‘boos’ in response to this article. Equating crimes against animals with crimes against humans would be bad enough. But this animal-loving loon considers crimes against animals to be the ones that are unforgivable, prison time notwithstanding. Instead of repeating the thoroughly unprofessional psychologizing about Vick, the author should have herself checked–for inadequate appreciation of human beings.
They’re using Pit Bulls as therapy dogs in hospitals!?!
At least the mauling victims will be near medical help.
Exactly why give anyone a second chance at anything right? Why should Michael Vick be allowed to make a living in his chosen profession. Yeah he did a bad thing and he paid heavily for it. But that is over now. And he is an extremely gifted talent. I loved watching him play and will continue to love watching him play again.
Kill dogs and you are Satan’s spawn. Plan terror attacks and kill cops, you get to be a tenured professor of education in Chicago. Makes sense to me. /sarcasm
(BTW, I could care less if Vick plays again. Anyone who participates or enjoys dog fighting is twisted.)
Vick is an amazing athlete. Once he knocks the rust off he will absolutely play. Guaranteed.
I’ll be watching the NFL this season. I watch the NFL because of amazing athletes.
I agree that Mr. Vick is a heartless human being and I would never buy a ticket to watch any team for which he plays. I’m a dog-lover and anyone connected with the barbarism and insane cruelty of dog-fighting should be prosecuted to the limits of the law. I doubt if Vick is genuinely remorseful or feels anything for the poor animals he exploited. However all of this is beside the point. Due process has taken place and Vick has served his sentence. For much the same reason why those who genuinely stand with the Constitution should oppose “hate crime” legislation and the lifetime “branding” of sex offenders we should not deny Vick the opportunity to pursue his profession. This is still the USA. It may be corny to say it but this is (or should be)the land of second chances. I won’t watch him play but there are a lot of people who will and that’s their right too.
Sorry, I’m not going to stop watching the Eagles just because Vick got hired by some team. Each team makes its own decisions regarding hiring; there’s no reason to blame all the teams for something one team does.
Please, everyone with your lame shots at the writer. For Michael Vick’s sake? Really? You’ll take a stand for the good old NFL, and a scumbag. Great. Modern sports, is riddled with sociopaths and irresponsible man-childs who behave in the crudest manner when given enough of a leash.
As soon as someone speaks up for animals it’s becomes a feeding frenzy. Well chew on this: Ppppthrrrrrrrrp. (That came out of my butt and was aimed at all you neanderthals)
I’m with you. Although the idea that an intelligent man would, in the first place, be watching other men run up and down a cow pasture while playing with balls surely makes moot your suggestion that a boycott is called for?
I say boycott the NFL with or without the Killer, Vick.
‘Specially now my John Elway don’t no more play for me Broncos!
PALIN/PETRAEUS/2012!
Brian Richard Allen
Lost Angels – Califobambicated 90028
And the Far Abroad
Michael Vick is a convicted felon who engaged in organized crime and sadistic cruelty by participating in and bankrolling a major dogfighting operation. He should be banned from the NFL because he is a violent convicted felon. He should NOT be allowed to resume a career in sports that makes him a “hero” in the eyes of impressionable individuals like kids and football fans.
The connection between abusing animals and abusing fellow humans, such as child abuse, is well-documented.
http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/abuse_connection.php
By “excusing” Sick Vick’s actions you are condoning abuse.
Pete Rose was banned from baseball and all he did was a little gambling action – he wasn’t violent or sadistic.
I stopped watching the NFL when they took the super bowl away from the city of Phoenix due to a state vote result.
Maybe the Cowboys can pick up Vick. Wouldn’t be any worse than the soap opera that is T. Romo. Anything in order to beat those despicable Eagles. Vick has done the time for the crime; he gets to play. Case closed. Only God knows what’s in his heart.
Isn’t dog fighting legal in American Samoa?
Aggressive dogs are brought into vets offices and euthanized every day by owners who have given up on them. Those are the folks that need a legal whooping.
Awesome article Julia! At least someone has the nerve to write what a lot of us in the animal protection movement are thinking! Michael Vick has a thirst for killing, for torturing animals and brutally exterminating innocent pit bulls! He is a psychopath and obviously has no remorse. There’s information circulating on the internet that he bought 69 acres so he can start hunting and killing deer. This guy loves to kill animals and there isn’t any counseling that will cure that disease. Your article was very insightful and you should be commended for writing such an articulate story about a waste of human life. For all those above who say let the man play ball, he served his time…….it’s only a matter of time before he gets caught again, hopefully it won’t be a child or his next girlfriend. Keep up the great writing and kudos to the pajamamedia for printing it!
As I read everyones comments, I try to be open minded and see their side as well, which is more than I can say for some. I have been a devoted and rabid Cleveland Browns fan for my entire 32 years of my life. I have owned season tickets since their putrid “rebirth” and collapse to bottome dwellers in the NFL. Up until this year, I played fantasy football, addicted to the competition between friends and the pursuit to rub it in their face when i win it all. But there is something else I’ve been my whole life…an animal lover. I’ve shared my home with labs, sheppards, mutts, poodles, and yes, even pit bulls. People share a special bond with a pet, especially dogs, that is unmatched by any relationship. People who have pets are scientifically proven to live longer than those who do not. I have worked many years of retail and customer service and can positively say, I am ashamed of the human race.Every day I get cursed at and treated like dirt by shitty people who would complain even in fortune and fame. And yet, people stick up for the human race as if they were insulted personally. The thing is there are good people and there are bad people. They don’t change.
So, in closing, playing a childs game with lucrative wages and benefits cease when you do something so heinus as murder, rape or…killing animals for pleasure. The priviledge to make a living was granted when he (Vick) did his time and completed his sentence. But, returning to the profession that enabled him to bankroll his temple of torture should not be an option. The NFL is a young mans game and Vick just isn’t anymore, my hope is he won’t make it out of a teams training camp. And by the way…he sucked as a fantasy Quarterback anyway!
P.S. Pit Bull Haters-check your facts before you puke anymore on the internet. Pit bulls are extremely friendly to people, but may show some animal aggression. Even dogfighters will tell you that any dog that turns on them, they put down. (BTW, I only know this because I studied this subject for 2 1/2 years, not because I participate in that coward bloodsport). check out the real experts on pit bulls…Animal Farm Foundation, For Pits Sake, Law Dogs USA, ATTS.org to name a few.
No. 49 and 50
I hunt . . . for pleasure. As my father did and his father before him.
Once again, Vick served his time. If someone wants to take the chanch, he has every right to play.
Julia,
No matter how hard you try, you cannot give moral equivalancy between a man and a dog. If you have to condemn Vick, you must do it on rational grounds, not emotional, regardless of how you feel about animals.
Secondly, in my opinion what he did was less harmful to our society than those athletes who father children and then don’t provide for them. Those children could grow up and cause far more damage like murder, rape and other hideous acts.
He forfeited the balance of his $130,000,000.00 contract. Don’t you think he is remorseful about that?
This child’s game you are criticizing is about the same level at people like you who say animals have rights. You gotta be kidding. Get a hold of yourself. Take up a different cause. You have gone overboard on this one.
I accept that some people hunt, some people raise and process meat; most people eat meat and use animal by-products. The problem in the Vick case is his complete lack of empathy for a higher order life form and a gleeful willingness to inflict pain and horrific death for amusement. I suppose it is possible for someone who does this to change and to be “a good person otherwise” – but I am skeptical. In any case, even though I enjoy playing and watching sports, I have long ago stopped identifying with or requiring anything from the people who play them professionally.
Bravo Julia! What a great article! Agreed.
Vick ought to be a janitor, cleaning up dog poop in public parks. Either that, or he ought to work in the euth room at a city shelter, piling dead dog carcasses into the truck for rendering. He should have a job, yes, but a job he deserves.
Ms. Szabo,
Thank you. I have a Google Alert set to help me find people writing about the Vick situation, and I have been leaving comments in many of the “Pro” Vick articles I’ve come across. I’ve been saying many of the same things as you said so succinctly here.
So many wish to diminish both the enormity of his crimes, and the suffering of his victims, which both sickens and saddens me.
As you said Vick has shown no signs of remorse. To the best of my knowledge he has not even had the decency to publicly apologize for what he has done.
Playing for the NFL is a privilege not a right. Yes Vick should be entitled to be employed but NOT in such a high profile job. A job where kids look up to him as a role model of what they can achieve.
What message does this send to our youth? That you can kill dogs in the most horrific way, bet illegally, be convicted of a federal crime, go to prison and still get to play in the NFL? I say no way. That goes for all the other athletes that abuse their position and privileged life by breaking the law. Enough is enough, clean up the NFL and other major sports. Don’t let these athletes be an example for our youth.
Vick not only arranged dog fights, bet on them (why wasn’t the millions he was pulling in enough money for him?) killed underperforming dogs but he even used his own family pets in the ring. That is a man with no conscience! He admitted to being brought up around dog fighting and that he saw nothing wrong with it. That mentality does not change over a period of 18 months. All he wants is to get back in the limelight. He is not remorseful.
Are the fans of the NFL really that hard up to want Vick back? Does a sport mean that much that they can overlook so much? Do they really want to ignore the kind of person he is to do something so vile just to win a game?
No. 56 “Playing for the NFL is a privilege not a right.”
Ah, I see. Only the kinds of people you and your compatriots like get to play. Slippery slope, that.
He served his sentence and has been welcomed back to polite society in accordance with the laws of the land. Carp and moan all you want, but if some team wants to give him a job, they can. No law precludes that.
Only God knows the heart of man.
“Vick paid his debt.” To those saying this, let me respond: It’s not always a matter of paying a debt. You send a child molester to jail for ten years, he gets out, he’s paid his debt, but is he any less a child molester? And NO, I’m not establishing equivalence between animal torturers and child molesters.
I don’t watch pro football and I don’t give a damn whether Vick plays again, but I do want to point out the weakness of the “He paid his debt” argument regarding people who have shown that they’re sick in the head.
No. 58
Dude. He paid his debt. No ifs, ands, or butts. You don’t get to decide.
People ought to google up the images of the dogs that he abused. Nothing like seeing eyes staring at you out of a mass of scar tissue that looks like five or six different dogs were skinned and stitched together. Hunting, euthanasia and even the meat industry have nothing on the sheer cruelty that comes from dogfighting. Maybe the ignorant kneejerk reaction to hearing that they were pitbulls colors how people feel. The breed already has an unjust reputation for viciousness.
Sure, he paid his debt. And I do get to decide whether I watch him or not. Which I won’t, because everytime I hear his name, I see those pictures in my head again. And while dogs aren’t human, there’s a difference between treating them like animals and treating them like garbage, without any feelings or sense of pain. Torturing animals is a psychological indicator that something isn’t right in a person, who often graduates from animals to abusing humans. How many people here own a dog, and how many would put a rope around that dog’s neck and hang it? Or slam it hard enough on the ground to kill it?
There are plenty of other players trying to get on a team. I’d rather see a new college pick than see Vick back on.
No. 60
So don’t go.
And what’s with all this armchair psychology? Dog fighting, bull fighting, bear baiting. cock fights, finch fights . . . the list goes on and on. These activities are often culturally accepted which gives their practitioners moral cover, in their eyes, not mine.
From my own armchair? Doing what Vick did was very bad. He objectified his animals and lost sight of his own humanity in the dog ring, but that’s a far cry from murderous intent on your family.
He broke the law, he served his time.
Redemption is always a possibility.
Whether he plays or not is up to the teams, players and fans. Animal rights folks can interject themselves into this if they like but if they say this man is doomed without the possibility of redemption then they’ve lost me and I’ll watch him play for that reason alone.
Already boycott the NFL, but not because of Vick. I boycott it because the games are fixed to give the NFL the highest rating and most ad money. The NFL is about as competitive as the WWF. Both are entertainment, NOT sports. Any game were the outcome is decided outside the game before it starts is entertainment.
It’s also boring.
Vick was stupid and arrogant which is a bad combination. He should have moved to a civilized country where dog fighting is allowed. Get a green card for football season and there you are.
Nothing wrong with dog fighting. There is something wrong with people that think dogs are human and think and act like humans. They don’t. Those dogs WANT to fight. They ENJOY it. If one doesn’t want to fight, it surrenders. The other dog will seldom kill it. That is the doggie version of throwing in the towel. Certain people cannot grasp this basic fact of life. Not sure why they feel obligated to use force on those that do understand it. THAT is worse then dog fighting. Dogs are to noble to send men with guns over to force others to think like they do.
Question: where does the NFL draw the line? Really, IS there any line? Would they let Charles Manson play if he ‘paid his debt to society’? How about Uday and Qusay Hussein? They had an interesting way to motivate their sports teams. Losers got put in the wood chipper. But hey, maybe the NFL has a spot for them. If they could play football like Vick, should they get a free pass?
So my question, again: where does the NFL draw the line? Do they even have a line, other than their bottom line? Does ANYTHING go?
How about you folks? Where would you draw the line? Does anything go with you, too? From some of the comments here, being a serial murderer seems to be A-OK — as long as the serial murderers can play football. Is that about it?
My simple solution: if you’re convicted of a felony, you’re ineligible to play, period. Anything less sends a big message to the kids: if you’re a star, the rules are different for you. You get a free pass, no matter what you’ve done. That’s a bad message, and it sets the wrong example.
There is something more going on here.
The animal rights people have gotten a great deal of mileage out of Vick. He has become their poster boy for the irresponsible pet owner. They don’t want him reformed, they like him right there in that corner where they’ve painted him.
The law is not enough. They have decided that his punishment must continue. They’d probably give him a scarlet letter if they could get away with it.
I wasn’t at all shocked by the Vick animal cruelty news. It’s practically the national pastime at a certain level of our society. And I’m sure one or another NFL team will pick him up on the cheap. What did surprise me was the fervor expressed in some of the comments of your readers about giving the Vick organism a pass.
But then I’ve always equated guys who watch tv football compulsively with women who wouldn’t miss their daily dose of Oprah. By the way, I played football in high school, enjoyed it, and got over it.
Ever watch Dog Whisperer? Dogs can be rehabilitated, but they can’t be brought back from the dead. PETA and their minions fail to mention that NINETY-FIVE PERCENT of the dogs and cats left in PETA’s care are killed. These people like to bitch a lot, but when it comes time to give a pet a home, they don’t walk the talk. I say boycott PETA.
Agreed! This psychopath should be banned for life.
If Vick deserved more time, they would have given more time. According to the law, he has paid his debt to society; anything else is between him and God.
Yes I played football, but I haven’t watched a game since I hung up the pads in ’66.
Do I love dogs? Very much! Have I owned pit bulls? Most of my life! Have my dogs ever hurt anyone? No! Would they hurt you if you attacked me? That would be a very dangerous thing to do!
Do I think everyone should own a Pit Bull? Of course not, with the wrong handling they are dangerous and unpredictable, just like humans and horses.
I despise dog fighting, but I realize it has given us one of the most loving and loyal dogs of all time. I despise horse racing, although I made my living servicing the race track for years. The racing industry is a meat grinder for horses and people; but it has given us the Thoroughbred, again one of the horses that is used as a standby to improve the blood of most breeds. Most horse people should never step near a Thoroughbred, they are difficult and have the perception to recognize a coward or a phony in an instant: suffice to say, the Thoroughbred does not suffer fools easily, usually the human is hurt. Yet for a real horseman they are loyal and affectionate athletes.
The Spanish bullfighting horse is a horse that lives and performs close to death in the arena. I have never been to a bull fight; but I appreciate the horse that it has produced: a horse that approximates the same cavalry movements that ancient warriors used in combat. The smoothness and fluidity of the Spanish Horse is like beautiful poetry or music for a horseman. But a mistake in the bullring and life is over for the horse and sometimes for the rider: obviously a rider appreciates and trusts a superior horse, I do as well.
Chicken Fighters have produced colorful birds, but I have no use for chickens other than they eat bugs and lay eggs. I leave the chicken fighters to their own devices.
As for Mr Vick’s face, I have a rough looking face also. I scare women when I pass them in parking lots and on the sidewalk, that is my lot in life, I have learned to live with it, yet among horsemen in North America and Europe; I am known as one of the most gentle but competent horse handlers in the world. Good enough to have made horses, that had killed humans previously, gentle enough to be handled with confidence. But then again, horses are way more perceptive than humans, they can spot a phony in an instant: it is not a good idea to try and be something you aren’t around a horse, especially a spirited horse.
Mr Vick has learned his lesson, if he hasn’t, he will be caught again and go away until he is too old to dream about football.
Oh Julia, do you realize what happens to all the show dogs that don’t fit the show criteria. You don’t think the breeders look for homes for the imperfect pups that don’t measure up do you? I hope not, the truth is the breeder is not going to give away a substandard dog, because that will cancel out a potential buyer in the future. Most dogs bred for the show ring are put down, euthanized, destroyed, or just plain had a a bullet put through the brain. Show people are doing the same thing to dogs, it is called eugenics, improving the breed. It is okay with me, but I hate people to be self-righteous. For every pure bred you see on the end of a leash or in the show ring, you can bet there are several dead puppies that have been put in the ground for him to be there.
You may have realized that I refer to Vick as Mr Vick, I am white, so it is not a racial matter, I respect him because of his skills as an athlete. Obama will have to do something to earn Mister from me.
All this for Vick but Daunte Stallworth kills a man while diriving under the influnce and not a single protestor at his sentence. Whats the world comin to when people value animal life over human life.
I live in Philly and will do my best to support a full BOYCOTT of the E+A+G+L+E+S !
Vick is a sadistic twisted punk and Eagles’ managemen is money grubbing scum who have further damaged Philly’s tainted rep. Disgusting
I THINK VICK IS SICK AND HIS JERSEY SHOULD SAY THAT! ANYONE THAT SUPPORTS VICK OR THE STINKING EAGLES, ARE TOO SICK AND DEMENTED! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I AM FASR FROM PETA, BUT I AM A HUMAN THAT CARES AND SHOWS REMORSE. MY GOD, HAVE YA SEARCHED WHAT PERU AND BRAZIL POLICE DO WITH DOGS? HECK LETS SHIP VICK THERE! HE CAN TEACH THEM FOOTBALL AND THEY ALL CAN ENJOY THE MUTULATION OF THE CANINE. I AM A PIT OWNER AND SHE & I WANT TO SEE VICK ALONE… JUST FOR MAYBE OL TIMES SAKE, HOWEVER, SHE’S EAT VICK, NT KILL ANOTHER INNOCENT ANIMAL! WAKE THE “F” UP PEOPLE. WANT YOUR KID,WIFE, PARTNER, PET TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT? I THINK NOT!!!!!! SO WHY WOULD YOU THINK ITS OK, FOR AN INNOCENT DOG TO BE?????????? IGNORANCE….. PURE FOOKIN IGNORANCE!
I’ve been a loyal fan of the NFL for years, but as of today I will no longer watch NFL games, attend NFL games, or buy NFL merchandise. I have children and I won’t support a league that sets such a horrible example by reinstating an unrepentant, cruel animal abuser.
Hey, wait a minute…isn’t the NFL a monopoly? Maybe we should contact our representatives and senators to investigate whether or not the NFL is indeed a trust (aka an illegal monopoly) and take legal action against them as necessary.
I love football, and I will continue to watch it, Vick or no Vick. I do think that having committed his crimes and served his sentence, he should be allowed to play. And, of course, I suspect that all this led to the best thing that has ever happened to him: Tony Dungy is now his mentor. And expecting daily contact. If that doesn’t help turn him into a better human being, I don’t know what will.
As for this article, I read it twice before I realized it was not satire.
I do not think that Micheal Vick should be allowed back in the NFL. I think he should be banned for life. I mean if they can an Pete Rose for life for what he did. I am not defending Pete Rose’s actions but let us keep in mind Pete Rose never betted against his team he only betted for his team to win and betted on other teams. In my eyes what Pete Rose did is very minute compared to what Vick did. I mean what Rose’s mistake did not put a creature’s life on the line. Vick’s mistake did put a creature’s life on the line. So no I do not think that vick should be in the NFL, I mean let him go to the CFL. or the European League. One other thing I like how people make the statement “Everyone deserves a second chance” the question is oh really? then do you feel that people who commite crimes like first degree murder or crimes against a child deserve second chances?
Who says crime does not pay!
Now For Losers=NFL and make that sponsors sale$!