When Michael Vick applies for reinstatement to the NFL, he must hope Commissioner Roger Goodell does not have a nearby copy of the indictment that was filed in U.S. District Court in July of 2007.
If Goodell is reminded how the dogs at Bad Newz Kennels were treated -- drowned, electrocuted, strangled, shot, slammed to the floor -- he never will let the quarterback step on an NFL field again.
Nothing can erase the sickening feeling that comes from reading the indictment.
The nearly $1 million Vick has paid for the care of the dogs that survived at Bad Newz Kennels will not do it.
The knowledge that Vick has missed two NFL seasons, lost millions of dollars and suffered public humiliation hardly are salves for the wounds Vick inflicted on defenseless animals.
Vick does not deserve a second chance in the NFL.
Finishing his sentence in July does not mean he has earned a chance to return to professional football.
All Vick has earned so far is the opportunity to serve the final months of his sentence under home confinement in Hampton instead of in a federal penitentiary. The transfer process begins today.
In a perfect world, Vick would go on with his life quietly and out of public view.
But the real world is full of disappointment. And to the disappointment of animal rights activists and many animal lovers, Vick almost certainly will play in the NFL again.
Goodell is a disciplinarian. And yet, he reinstated Tank Johnson (two months in jail for a probation violation on gun charges), Adam "Pacman" Jones, a serial miscreant, and a number of drug cheats.
Goodell has a sense of mercy and hope. But he also must have a sense of timing.
Vick can't have his electronic monitoring device removed one day and report to training camp the next.
That is too much, too soon.
Vick should be suspended for the first eight games of the 2009 season. That will give Goodell and NFL suitors an idea about whether Vick can stay out of trouble. It forces Vick to behave and gives Goodell hope that forced behavior becomes learned behavior.
No one should forget what Vick did, but some good has come from this.
The public outcry over Vick's crimes galvanized Virginia’s General Assembly to act on animal cruelty bills instead of burying the legislation in committee. Virginia now has some of the strongest animal fighting laws in the country.
That does not mean Vick should be back in the NFL. But someone will take a chance on the former Virginia Tech quarterback.
Vick's upside is huge. He will not cost much -- he has no bargaining power -- and if he is anywhere near the player he was, he still can be a game-changer.
The downside is small. There will be a public relations hit. That will diminish if Vick plays well and stays out of trouble. The short-term memory of sports fans is, at times, disappointing.
If Vick doesn't perform or can't avoid trouble, he can be released.
In that way, he will resemble the dogs at Bad Newz Kennels who did not perform to Vick's standards. Only Vick will be shown more mercy and be treated more humanely than they ever were.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement