Athletes in America are put on a pedestal. Sports are such a large part of the popular culture in this country that we hold these millionaires, not much older than anyone reading this, to a standard so high it takes away their ability to be a normal human being who makes mistakes.
Michael Vick happens to be one of these human beings who made a mistake and is now paying for it. The issue of how to discipline Vick and his future is what concerns me. In the grand scheme of things how bad is what Vick did and does it really warrant a lifetime ban or suspension?
Now to make sure no one misunderstands, I am not going to defend Michael Vick for what he admitted to. Dog fighting is terrible and any human being, especially dog owners, should be appalled by what happened.
But is what he did as bad as what other athletes before him done and many of who have been given second chances?
Look at athletes from other sports that have had their troubles with the law. NHL player Dany Heatley avoided jail time several years ago after driving too fast and crashing his car, killing teammate Dan Snyder. NHL payer Todd Bertuzzi attacked opposing player Steve Moore during a game, breaking his neck and quickly ending his NHL career.
Neither one of these gentleman ever faced jail time for what they did. While neither did what they did intentionally, the results were so catastrophic that I cannot believe both Bertuzzi and Heatley never spent time in jail.
Former NFL player Lawrence Phillips beat his girlfriend and dragged her down three flights of stairs by the hair. A few weeks later, the LA Rams drafted him and he played that season. Former NBA player Jayson Williams shot his limo driver Costas Christofi in early February. Williams never went to jail and even played again in the Continental Basketball Association in 2005.
The point in presenting all these examples is not to make Vick look like a saint or anything close. He deserves to be punished for what he did, but in a reasonable manner. There is no reason for further suspension from the NFL after Vick completes his jail time.
Vick, if he has not already, will learn his lesson from this whole ordeal and will come back as a better person.
I truly believe he is very sorry for what he did and is ready to make serious changes in his life and deal with his impending jail time. When he gets out, he should not have to worry about the NFL taking away another year of his career. Instead, he should be given the opportunity to make the most of his second chance just as so many people living in this country have before.
Unfortunately for Vick, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have made it their mission to punish all players who violate league rules severely and with suspensions. Vick will most likely be suspended for a year following his release from jail. By the time he ever gets back on the field, it might be too late for him to regain his superstardom. I would be shocked if he is even a close to the player he once was.
I do not endorse or condone dog fighting and the brutal nature of the sick sport. I will also never value the life and health of a dog over that of another human being. A man was killed and a professional athlete walks. A dog died and a great athlete is condemned.
Vick will suffer in jail; he will do his time and will learn from this, at least we all hope. But look, Paris Hilton went to jail and she has yet to be arrested for DUI since.
Vick wants to come back to football and prove that he was a young guy who made mistakes. Mind you most of the charges come from a time when Vick was in his early to mid 20's, still somewhat of a raw age in terms of making good decisions. If I was fresh out of college with millions of dollars, I might make a few regrettable decisions.
On December 10, Vick will be sentenced in Richmond, Virginia and is expected to receive a jail sentence between 12 and 16 months. Vick will have a lot of time to think about the things he needs to do, hoping that he can redeem himself in the public's eye, as well as get back to the sport that made him his millions.
Over those 12 to 16 months, I hope the public can find a way to forgive the man and allow him to make things right. After all, that's the American thing to do.
