Should NFL let Vick play?Asset/Liability

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Should NFL let Vick play?Asset/Liability
163
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 9:39am

Michael Vick paid his debt, but should NFL let him play?

Legally, there seems no question the disgraced quarterback's reinstatement is justified. Morally, many animal lovers will have misgivings.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-pucin-michael-vick28-2009jul28,0,9346.story


Reporting from Kanab, Utah — Your head says Michael Vick has served his time, has suffered some punishment for his horrific involvement in a dogfighting ring and that people who have committed more serious crimes are allowed to leave prison and go back to work.

Your heart, though, remembers a May day in a large and airy kennel here at Best Friends Animal Society, and Georgia, one of the unlucky members of Vick's Bad Newz Kennels, where she was taught to fight and then, because she was so good at that, had all her teeth pulled -- by a veterinarian. That way she could serve her time as a breeding bitch, whether she wanted to or not.

Your head says from a legal standpoint it is wrong to keep Vick from playing football this season for an NFL team if a team wants him. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Monday that Vick is immediately eligible to practice with an NFL team and can play in the final two exhibition games, with the idea that he may be fully eligible to play in the NFL by mid-October. Otherwise, your head says, what's the point of thinking our justice system works?

Your heart, though, remembers listening to John Garcia, Georgia's main trainer at Best Friends, talk about the worst parts of life for Georgia and her Bad Newz Kennel mates. About how some of the dogs were swung around by the neck and killed for not fighting or not fighting well enough. About how they were beaten and forcibly bred on something called the "rape stand."

Think about that.

Your head says, these are animals after all, not humans, and pro athletes and others in our society have killed humans -- by accident or with malice -- were imprisoned for their crime, served sentences and came back to society.

My heart, though, is at home with a dog named Dillon, who has cancer, who is undergoing experimental chemotherapy and whose spirit and happiness and daily anticipation of the good things in life put a lot of humans to shame, even as he suddenly loses a little hair around the ears.

That's what the sweet pit bull named Georgia teaches people who come to see her.

Georgia, with her toothless grin and her wiggly butt and her desire to kiss anyone and everyone, has become a goodwill ambassador. She puts on a bejeweled pink collar, is hooked on to her pink leash, and Garcia takes her around the country to show how even the fiercest fighting dog can be taught something else.

All Georgia wants is to please people. When her people wanted her to fight, she did. Now when her people want her to make kids giggle and to have adults marvel at her capacity to enjoy life, she does.

Outspoken Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens has the right to his opinion given to reporters in Buffalo over the weekend.

"I think the way the commissioner is handling it is unfair to Michael Vick," Owens said. "I think he's done the time for what he's done. I don't think it's really fair for him to be suspended four more games. It's almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground."

Did anyone else's stomach turn at that phrase?

At Best Friends, Garcia sat on the ground in Georgia's kennel and spoke eloquently about Vick's dogs.

"How they were treated," Garcia said, "humans shouldn't be capable of that."

Garcia said his head told him Vick should one day be able to have a job.

"But is it his right to make millions of dollars?" Garcia asked. "I guess it is."

While he spoke, Georgia had run to the far end of her kennel, under a shady tree. She shook her head as if to signal John and a visitor that they should come to the cool place. So we did and she settled down for some petting time.

Should Vick play in the NFL again?

This heart says no, which makes it much less forgiving than Georgia's. She most certainly would give Vick a second chance. She's given all of us humans one. In that way, I guess, she's better than many of us.


 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 1:27pm

Stallworth was on mj, as well as over the legal limit for alcohol consuption at the time of the accident. One reason the family settled as quickly as they did was because the victim ran from between parked cars when he was hit, and wasn't crossing the street at a cross walk. I guess the family, after losing the patriarch, and bread winner of the brood, didn't want to risk getting nothing in a civil action against Stallworth and decided to accept the 6 figure amount he agreed to pay them. He got off cheap. Much cheaper than Vick did IMO.


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 1:44pm

Oh, I absolutely agree with you.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 1:51pm

It's like penalties in the NFL, when one guy gets punched when the referees don't see it, then the guy who retaliates gets caught, he's the only one to get penalized. That was my situation. He did the spitting when nobody saw it but me....so I cracked him and was pummeling him when security arrived....guess who got in trouble? I'd do it all over again too!!!


I could tell you stories......sheesh. For another board, and another time.


Read a couple articles about Vick at lunchtime. For the most part, he's being defended by his NFL band of brothers. I would have expected nothing less. It's a fraternity nearly as close as what the police officers have.....key word is "nearly"!!


You mess with one cop, you mess with em all. I played softball for several years on a team with 4 or 5 cops. The things i would see were disturbing at best. They will lie and cheat to protect a fellow brother officer. They may even be capable of worse, if needed. I read your post about what the cop did to you. Happens all the time. You were lucky you weren't beat up, or worse, that day. Thank god for the passerby who witnessed it. You've got spunk, no doubt about it. Use it wisely, and be careful.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 2:25pm

One reason the family settled as quickly as they did was because the victim ran from between parked cars when he was hit, and wasn't crossing the street at a cross walk.


Well, if he ran out between cars and was hit by a drunk driver... doesn't necessarily mean it was the driver's fault, and maybe the family was lucky they got anything at all.


Here I go again...


When I was about 22, I was driving through a town on my way to work back in my college town.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2002
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 2:52pm

**Sometimes the media will stop at nothing to "pile on", especially if it feels the public is enjoying it.**


Exactly.



iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 3:03pm

If my memory serves me right, the gentleman that Stallworth hit was just getting off work (3rd shift), and was probably in a hurry to get home.


In your case, you're very fortunate you weren't drinking, and was drug free. Otherwise, who knows what the authorities would have charged you with.


When I was 22, I doubt if I would have been clean as a whistle. I was lucky back in those days. I'm much more mature now......lol. Yea, right!! My daughter still shakes her head at me sometimes, and asks me when I'm going to grow up. The last time she asked me that was....ummmm.....when I turned 50!!


Oh, I heard on ESPN radio that there's "talk" of Mike Vick possibly becoming a Minnesota Viking if Brett Favre decides to officially retire from football. See, if an owner sees a chance to put a winning team on the field, then everything else becomes secondary to that. Besides, I think he'd look even faster with that Viking emblem on his helmet. Time will tell. They hate the Packers so much, I think they'd let Satan play for them if he could insure a Green Bay loss!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2002
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 3:08pm

***Do you know of any other breeders who are taking flak over this?



iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2002
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 3:14pm

**I grew up on a farm. I've seen things that would scare some people to death. I've seen animals turn on their owners. For no reason other than there was a female in heat. What Vick did was beyond awful. I wish he was still in prison. **


I had a friend killed by a stallion that picked her up by the throat and shook her as she lead him to a mare in heat. Yes, animal breeding can be hair raising. I imagine if someone created violent fighting machines out of them, it might even be moreso.


**I have also seen my step-dad dig a big hole in the ground so a bull could mount. He didn't make money. ***


Well, if he were convicted of some kind of crime, that would be called a "rape pit."




iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 4:19pm

""Well, if he were convicted of some sort of crime, that would be called a "rape pit"""


Did you just make that up? If so, that's a good one....lol.


Best wishes to everyone for a nice evening. I'm going to go play some Keno and lose some money!! Bad when you know you're going to lose before you ever play. Why do I do it then you may ask? Cuz I'm not real bright....:) Nite.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2009
Tue, 07-28-2009 - 4:22pm

As far as I can tell, no one's being villified for it at all.

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