This will be quick but I’m sorry, I can’t bite my tongue on this one. Michael Vick is an A-Hole. Plain and simple.
Once again the entertainment industry (I know it’s a sport but in America, it’s part of the entertainment heap), the NFL in particular, is fronting like it’s ok because he served his time and learned his lesson and he’s on probation. Gimme an f’ing break. I saw pics of the dogs in his racket, he personally even killed some of them because they couldn’t fight or didn’t make the grade. Just because he became a janitor for 2 years in prison means now that we should allow him the opportunity to make millions of dollars and show all the kids in the world that look up these athletes that even if you are a full grown adult with no regard for life, that it’s still ok and that you deserve to be a celebrity???
The ONLY reason they are reinstating this soulless jackass is that the NFL knows that this whole deal is a spectacle, that Michael Vick is still a tool of the over hype trade that they can cash in on, no matter what the NFL needs to sacrifice morally. They know that wherever he plays, because he’s THE Michael Vick, that people will pay for season tickets just to see him.They hope that once they duck all of us protesting his reinstatement that we’ll all just forget he did that once the season starts and they can get their money. It’s bullshit.
Grrr…
I can see where you’re coming from and I can’t disagree or even say that you’re too harsh.
I believe that people should receive a second chance to redeem themselves and I do hope that Vick uses this opportunity to become a better example.
However, I don’t think that Vick’s reinstatement had commercial/publicity motives.
From what we’ve seen so far during Roger Goodell’s time as the NFL’s commissioner, he’s been strict about personal conduct, on and off the field. The recent year-long suspension of Donte’ Stallworth, the three-game ban for Marshawn Lynch, and last year’s indefinite suspension of Adam Jones (after an initial reinstatement) serve as examples that players are being severely scrutinized.
Keep in mind that Vick has not received full reinstatement and, as a result, cannot play in the regular season (yet). He will be suspended again once bad signals arise. The issue would be too sensitive to ignore and after the bad experience with Adam Jones last year, the NFL will be doubly cautious about a full reinstatement.
So, yes, it creates massive hype and it creates all the hype for mostly the wrong reasons, but the league is taking this matter into serious moral consideration IMO.
Ken – Thanks for the reply/comment. I appreciate you taking the time to post. My main issue with this as far as the people are concerned, most that support the ‘second chance’ deal when it comes to athletes blowing it, are folks that are passionate about professional team sports. They don’t want to miss seeing a phenom play. I get that. If it was an every day bystander punk that did this with the dogs or did some completely different crime, most sports fans wouldn’t have much of a problem with them NOT getting the opportunity to be on TV and make millions.
I’m not a big team sports guy but I am a rock musician. Musicians/artists make all kinds of stupid mistakes with drugs, weapons charges, you name it. I’ve seen artists I like do stupid stuff before that was as bad and sometimes worse than what Michael Vick had done and I’m SUPER bummed they won’t be the same anymore, putting out records/movies, touring etc….so I’ve felt that disappointed sting before too in people I looked up to. I have to regrettably support bands/artists getting dropped from labels/sponsors for effing up though. They had a golden opportunity to live a life that only less than 1% of all U.S. citizens get to live, one where we are paying them our hard earned cash so that they can float around just be themselves, paying them our money to merely get up in the morning and go play a gig, throw a touchdown, etc. I don’t feel bad for them….that’s my own two cents of course….
And you have good reason to not feel bad for them. I wouldn’t feel bad either for Vick if he wasn’t reinstated. I just know that the league is very careful about the issue and reluctant to let it tarnish its reputation (after already numerous other instances of dumb-ass player behavior).
I’ve heard of an interesting thing happen though. It appears that some sponsor logos were removed from the Philadelphia Eagles’ partners page, so there’s already been some commercial backlash to the Vick signing and he is yet (to be cleared) to take the field.