FEATURED JOBS
Comments (0)Article By Alan Goldstein.
Okay, first let’s get all the “dog jokes’’ out of the way.
Q: Why did Michael Vick spurn offers from the Cleveland Browns?
A: He was afraid to perform in front of “The Dog Pound.’’
Q: Why hasn’t Vick looked effective in training camp?
A: It’s the Dog Days of Summer.
Q: What will be Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid’s toughest job?
A: Keeping Vick on a tight leash.
Q: How will highly-critical Eagle fans view a sub-par Vick effort?
A: He’ll be accused of “dogging it.’’
It seems the whole world is divided on the Eagles’ decision to grant Vick a second chance of playing in the NFL after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for staging money-making dog fights on a Virginia property he owned. Even Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie admitted he did serious “soul-searching’’ before giving approval to signing the former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback to a one-year deal for $1.6 million and a team option second year contract worth $5.2 million. None of the money is guaranteed.
After several lengthy one-on-one meetings, Lurie, who calls himself “an extreme dog lover,’’ was convinced that Vick was truly repentant. “I needed to see a lot of self-hatred to approve this deal,’’ said Lurie, who says the true test will be how proactive Vick becomes in lecturing to youth about the evils of dog fighting and working with the Humane Society.
“If this doesn’t happen, we’ve made a terrible mistake in judgment. There are no third chances, and we know that. If it isn’t fulfilled the way we want it to be, then it will be the end for Michael Vick in this league.’’
But Vick was fortunate to find several strong allies in Reid and former Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, who served as Vick’s mentor during his internment. Both Reid and Dungy fully understand the meaning of second chances. Reed’s two sons were convicted of drug charges while Dungy’s 18-year-old son, James, committed suicide.
“This is America,’’ said Reid. “People close to me have taken advantage of second chances. It’s very important that people give them an opportunity to change, so we’re doing that with Michael while also getting one of the best football players in the league.’
It was Dungy’s recommendation that helped convince Lurie and Reid to sign Vick. “”I really got the sense he wanted to do some great things’’ said Dungy, a deeply religious man.. “I talked to him about where he wants to go in the future. That’s one thing my dad always preached to me. “Don’t worry so much about where you are. What are you going to do to make it better?’ Michael convinced me he wants to be a positive role model to young people. He wants to go back to his family.’’
Vick also received an unexpected visit at Leavenworth federal prison from Wayne Pacelle, president of the United States Humane Society. Writing on his web site, Pacelle said, “Michael said this experience has been a trauma and he’s changed forever. He said he is committed to solving the (dog-fighting) problem and I want to give him that opportunity
“For me, it’s not about Michael Vick and providing endless punitive treatment. Dog-fighting is a culturally complex problem. It’s about stopping young people from going down the road Vick took.’’
To date, Vick has said all the right things. After being embraced by his new coach and Eagle teammates, including starting quarterback Donovan McNabb, Vick said, “For the life of me, I don’t understand why I was involved in such pointless activity. Why did I risk so much at the pinnacle of my career?
“There was a point in my life when I felt it was wrong and I knew it was wrong. To this day, I have to live with that shame and embarrassment. I paid my debt to society. I can’t explain how deeply hurt and how sorry I was.’
But there are more than a few cynics unconvinced of Vick’s sincerity in seeing the errors of his way. One of his most vocal critics is Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in suburban Philadelphia. Smith was devastated by the Eagles’ decision to sign Vick. :””He kept talking about second chances. His dogs didn’t have a second chance. There are a lot of people who deserve a second chance more than Michael Vick.’’
Smith said he and his supporters will display their anger by renting billboards near the Eagles’ stadium with strong “anti-Vick’’ language on display.
The Philadelphia Daily News wasted little time expressing its displeasure with Vick donning an Eagles’ uniform. Its headlines read: “Hide Your Dogs!’’ and “What Are They Thinking.’’
If this sentiment grows, it will be interesting to see how the team’s sponsors react. A threatened boycott of their products could weigh heavily in supporting the Eagles.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell prefers taking a “wait-and-see’’ approach. Although he granted Vick permission to join the Eagles in training camp, he will keep him sidelined for at least the first six weeks of the regular season.
My own opinion is that Vick will say and do whatever it takes to secure his return. But I do not believe he is truly repentant. It is far easier to understand a beggar in Haiti trying to make a few bucks staging dog fights than a multi-millionaire strictly doing it for entertainment.
No dog is born vicious. Vick and his cohorts trained the pit bulls to fight to the death. The grisly battles were staged at “Bad Newz Kennels’’ on a property owned by Vick in Surry County, Va. Fighting dogs came from as far as Texas. Winning purses could exceed $20,000.
The losing dogs were hung and electrocuted and buried on the grounds. Any person condoning this activity is plain evil. Yes, he did his time, but his acting as a reformer is as unconvincing as an elementary school kid playing Hamlet. We can only hope that he never again becomes a “”top dog’’, with a deep apologiy to our four-legged friends.
