Let Vick Rot

  Michael Vick should rot. He may have paid his written debt to society, but he hasn't paid his debt to mankind.

dogfight

dogfight

 

Michael Vick should rot. He may have paid his written debt to society, but he hasn't paid his debt to mankind.

 

 

 

 

People that think Michael Vick should get a free pass back into the NFL now that his prison sentence is complete make me ill. As far as I am concerned, getting released from prison is just the first step of many Michael Vick will need to take in what SHOULD be a lifetime of retribution.

Michael Vick had a great gift. Not a gift of physical talent, but the gift of opportunity. Michael Vick was lucky enough to get a chance to be a role model to millions of kids and young adults worldwide.

Michael Vick blew it.

I am sorry but prison is hardly the authority on rehabilitation. If you think the Vick got up every morning and hit "How NOT TO Kill Dogs" class between morning breakfast and afternoon chow, you need some serious psychotic medication.

You want to know what Michael Vick's rehab looked like?

 

6:30 a.m. - Get up and eat breakfast

7:00 a.m. - Take a nap

10:00 a.m. - Go outside and play dominoes on a picnic table.

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

12:30 p.m. - Take a nap

3:00 p.m. - Go outside and play dominoes on a picnic table.

5:00 p.m. - Supper

5:30 p.m. - Watch TV and trade stamps for Ramen noodles

10:30 p.m. - Bed

 

I'll guarantee the only thing that has changed for Michael Vick is that he now knows how much it sucks to be in prison. Does this make him remorseful? Of course. Does this mean that he is rehabilitated and should continue to be a role model as a player in the NFL?

Fuck that.

I hope that Roger Goodell realizes that it takes far more than a few months to be truly repentant and more importantly to completely grasp how ones actions can affect the lives of others.  

Let Michael Vick work on that before working on any playbook.

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Comments (28)

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PackersRS's picture

July 22, 2009 at 10:26 am

My dog died this morning, after a month of renal disfunction and an infected womb, both recovered, but a fatal pancreas disfunction. Right now, nobody cares more about animals than me. But the penal system is build so that after serving time, the person is restored in society. Vick served his time. Change the system, if you want. Burn everyone that steals. Go back to Lex Talionis. Or else, every sentence is a dead sentence...

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Alex Tallitsch's picture

July 22, 2009 at 10:32 am

Restored TO society, not in society. I am all for Vick returning to society and trying to something positive. I don't think a free pass into the league really accomplishes that.

My dog Gary and I send our thoughts. That is something I don't want to imagine.

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Packnic's picture

July 22, 2009 at 11:09 am

Vick did some stupid stuff. Served his time, which was more than most would have gotten in the same situation. He also lost his financial security. The only things he has left are his life and his football skills. Showing compassion for animals, while excluding man is illogical.

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Alex Tallitsch's picture

July 22, 2009 at 11:31 am

You know what the first career of most human killers is. Animal killers.

This has nothing to do with compassion for animals, this has to do with the standards everyone else has to live by. Like Asshalo said below, if this was any one of us, we would NEVER get our jobs back.

The average criminal loses far more than his financial security, him losing his cash means nothing to me.

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 12:42 pm

"The average criminal loses far more than his financial security"

The average criminal still has the opportunity to make a living, it's just employers have the opportunity to refuse your service. White-collar criminals are given the same opportunity to earn a living and in many cases it deals directly with what they were convicted of.

So is Michael Vick really going to be that valuable? Not to the majority of teams, but most of us can name at least a few teams who could use his services (criminal history aside). If he can prove with reasonable assurance that he's learned his lesson, I don't see a problem with that, especially is Goodell keeps a short leash on him. If he acts like he's being told what to do and seems like he's putting on an act, let the UFL shun him as well. $10 an hour seems fitting

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 11:10 am

"If you think the Vick got up every morning and hit “How NOT TO Kill Dogs” class between morning breakfast and afternoon chow, you need some serious psychotic medication."

I think you and a lot of other people ignore the cultural significance of dog fighting-- particularly in lower income, african american communities. I'm sorry, but I don't believe Michael Vick is inherintly evil. I think he's a product of a enviroment that accepts this sick sport. Yes, he has free will, but I don't think he should rot in prison for the rest of his life.

Let's face it, if this happened to the average person (convicted of a felony) there is no way we would get our job back. We'de be working at McDonald's unless we were able to provide a very valuable service. And that rings true to white collar crime in Corporate america-- except those bastards are highly educated on ethical business practices. Remember how much you guys agreed with Tankerton on Favre? That SOB orchestrated multimillion dollar fraud and got a slap on the wrist by the SEC. Later when that company was sold, he advised the new owner on how to operate it. So the next time you feel like giving that guy a pat on the back for being a hard-working man save it.

"Let Michael Vick work on that before working on any playbook."
That's what it looks like goodell is doing-- waiting to see if Vick's actions actually indicate he is remorseful. It's not like we're allowing Vick to orchestrate dog fights again. I'm not saying the guys is or isn't remorseful or that he should be allowed back-- he should be given the chance to prove he's remorseful and worthy of playing (on a very short leash).

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 11:33 am

I don't necesarily mean you specifically, Alex, with Tankerton. It means anyone who values that guy's opinion

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Nicole W's picture

July 22, 2009 at 12:51 pm

Does Michael Vick Deserve a second chance?
Watch this preview for VICKtory to the Underdog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjostWvg9tU

“Vicktory To The Underdog” takes an in depth look at world renowned tattoo artist “Brandon Bond” and his dog rescue efforts – particularly rescuing the infamous Michael Vick fighting dogs.
Rather than focusing on the dog fighting problem, the movie sheds light on solutions leading to “Vicktory” for all the underdogs in the movie – tattoo people, pitbulls, parolees and all the other people in this world that society has turned their back on through ignorance and racism.
The movie also examines the life of Brandon Bond and his struggle with balancing fame, fortune and the Rock-N-Roll tattoo lifestyle with a more fulfilling life that focuses on the betterment of both animals and society as a whole.
Featuring celebrities like Debbie and Danny Trejo, Michael Berryman, Pixie Acia and Donal Logue, the movie takes you on an incredible journey you will never forget!

Proceeds for this film will be going to Villa Lobos Pitbull Rescue.

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Packnic's picture

July 22, 2009 at 02:27 pm

Quote: <blockquote cite="comment-4551">

<strong><a href="#comment-4551" rel="nofollow">Alex</a></strong>: You know what the first career of most human killers is. Animal killers.
This has nothing to do with compassion for animals, this has to do with the standards everyone else has to live by. Like Asshalo said below, if this was any one of us, we would NEVER get our jobs back.The average criminal loses far more than his financial security, him losing his cash means nothing to me.

</blockquote>

alex come on man... If you honestly dont think that Vick got the single harshest punishment of any dog fighter in the history of the world, your crazy. The "average criminal" (which Vick is not, the white collar reference from asshalo is spot on) absolutely can get a job back in the same field. A mechanic might kill a person and lose his job at the garage, but that doesnt mean when he gets out of prison, he can't work at different garage. That happens daily. Thousands of rehabbed ex-cons are working amongst us right now.

And you said the average criminal loses "far more" .... I cant find any example of a person convicted of dog fighting losing more money, fame, respect, adoration and possible future than Vick. thats because there isnt anyone.

you say it isn't about compassion for animals, but the venom in your tone certainly seems like you have a grudge against Vick because of the nature of his crime. You're pissed he killed a dog, I get that... my schnauzer Buff isnt a Vick fan either. But this article and the venom therein, would be better placed on someone like Donte Stallworth (whom in my opinion is 10 thousand times worse than Vick).

My main point is that you can't ask Vick to show compassion for animals, when you won't grant him the same. He fucked up.. he paid for his sins and then some. Let him earn his way back.

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Alex Tallitsch's picture

July 22, 2009 at 02:43 pm

That's because there hasn't been anyone as dumb as Vick to risk everything on dog fighting. That being said, I agree with you... especially about earning his way back.

Which isn't this season. Donte Stallworth is also a great example. A guy who is not in the league.

I am not saying let Vick rot in prison, but rather in society with no fame. There are many other players far more deserving of that once in a lifetime roster spot.

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 03:43 pm

"That’s because there hasn’t been anyone as dumb as Vick to risk everything on dog fighting"
What about strip clubs and shady night life (Pacman)? Although it wasn't as malicuous, it was on par in stupidity.

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 03:42 pm

Before you jump on this hear it out. By no means do I think Stallworth was innocent that night, but it seems there is pretty good justification as to why he only received a 30 day prison term.

"In his prepared statement, Stallworth's attorney wrote, "Had we forced a trial and won an acquittal based on “the unique facts involved,” Donte’ would have been exonerated, Mr. Reyes’ daughter would have been psychologically scared, and our critics would have gotten their train wreck. The public has every right to express its opinion, but judicial determinations are based on facts and evidence."

The judge from the case wouldn't release the tape that is believe to exonerate stallworth even though it's basically required by law if the press asks for it. I agree that he should pay a settlement because his behavior was recklessly negligent, but he may have been innocent of vehicular homicide. It's probably good this didn't go to trial. Imagine if a jury acquited a drunk driver because the pedestrian was to blame. That probably would have opened up a world of hurt for families that have lost loved ones to the same stupidity.

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Greg C.'s picture

July 22, 2009 at 04:15 pm

The NFL is under no obligation to help Michael Vick recover or to pass judgment on him one way or another. The NFL can and should make this decision based solely on what is best for itself. Public image is extremely important to an organization such as the NFL. For that reason, I think the commissioner would be wise to refuse to reinstate Michael Vick.

I disagree strongly with Packnic's statement about Donte Stallworth. Although the consequences of what Stallworth did were, by most people's standards, more serious (a human ended up dead), I wouldn't put a drunk driver in the same class as someone who systematically tortured and killed animals for years solely for money and entertainment.

As for Asshalo's comment about the cultural significance of dog fighting in lower income African American communities, I don't think it changes much to take that into account. Yes, dog fighting is not as strange to some people as it is to most Americans, but it is still clearly wrong, and I believe it is frowned upon by most sensible people in those communities.

I once did an internship as a child therapist in Detroit, and I worked with a boy who had lived in a house where dog fighting took place. The poor kid was traumatized and was having nightmares about it. So if some folks need to put a human face on this issue for it to mean anything to them, there it is. I'm sure that kid wasn't the only one who's suffered because of dog fighting and all of the nastiness that goes along with it.

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 04:58 pm

"Public image is extremely important to an organization such as the NFL. "

Do you really think anyone is going to stop watching the NFL? I would think not. He's probably going to get input from owners-- the falcons and other teams. On the other hand in light of recent events involving Pacman, Vick, and Stallworth, I can easily see Goodell making and example of Vick and/or Stallworth.

Race and Class should never be overlooked when it comes to crime because environment is extremely correlated to guilt (hence the white collar reference). I'm not saying the guy is innocent, I'm saying a white society (especially middle and upper class) is bound to think Vick should be punished much more harshly than black society does.

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IronMan's picture

July 22, 2009 at 05:39 pm

Public image IS important. Will fans stop watching? No. But will cooperate sponsors get picketed and be forced to pull the plug? Yes.

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Greg C.'s picture

July 22, 2009 at 05:44 pm

The NFL will remain popular whether or not Michael Vick is reinstated. But the league is very concerned with keeping its image in good shape, because it knows that this does make a difference in the long run. The NFL has a lot of competition, not just from other sports, but from other forms of entertainment, especially on television. The league does not want to see any of that erode due to scandal and controversy. One reason the NFL has remained so successful is that it has been more proactive about this stuff than, say, major league baseball has.

Goodell will talk to the owners, and he may find that all or most of them are leery of taking on the public relations headaches that would go along with having Michael Vick on the roster. Sometimes, past criminal behavior limits one's job opportunities. For example, it is unlikely that Vick will ever be able to hold public office. For similar reasons, he would have a hard time getting hired as, say, a teacher. Serving a prison term does not wipe the slate clean. And it does not exactly help matters that, when this scandal first came to light, Vick looked Goodell in the eye and lied to him.

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Jeremiah&#039;s Johnson's picture

July 22, 2009 at 06:09 pm

Paul Hornung was let back into the game after gambling on football....So should Michael Vick.

Some people don't like him because of the color of his skin, however. So if that is what this is about, that's sad.

PS&gt; Fran Tarkington is a no talent prick...and a has been.

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Alex Tallitsch's picture

July 22, 2009 at 06:43 pm

Yeah that's what this is all about. Gimme a break.

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Greg C.'s picture

July 22, 2009 at 06:40 pm

"Some people don’t like him because of the color of his skin, however. So if that is what this is about, that’s sad."

What's sad is that you would jump to that conclusion, and based on what?

"PS&gt; Fran Tarkington is a no talent prick…and a has been."

Like him or not, Fran Tarkenton did have a lot of talent. His stats prove it, and a lot of us Packer fans remember how difficult it was to play against him. But thanks for adding on that statement, because it clarifies that you don't know what you are talking about.

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Asshalo's picture

July 22, 2009 at 08:37 pm

"What’s sad is that you would jump to that conclusion, and based on what?"

As far as there being a divide in public opinion on race and crime you can look to the OJ Simpson trial (whites were enraged, blacks were happy one of their own finally got the better end of the judicial system) and the current Henry gates issue (whites side with the cop and african americans side with the man with the Ph.D). You heard the same thing as Vick was being sentenced. Whites wanted to throw the book at him and african americans still thought it was despicable, but they were far less vindictive.

Greg and Alex, I hope you're not interpreting this as me calling you guys racists because that's not my intent. It's just that africans americans are going to have a vastly different perspective on the american judicial system than whites.

"Like him or not, Fran Tarkenton..."
Oh, please, Like this man's morals are up for debate. He intentionally overstated his companies' revenues by over $8 million to inflate the value of his stock-- which he profited off of immensly. The only reason the SEC didn't slap him with the long dick of the federal gov, is because they had much bigger fish to fry.

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Alex Tallitsch's picture

July 22, 2009 at 08:55 pm

I actually agree with most of what you are saying. This has nothing to do with race for me at all. In fact, until Jeremiah's brought it up, it had not crossed my mind at all.

The only race that concerns me here is the human one.

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Greg C.'s picture

July 22, 2009 at 08:59 pm

I think you're clouding the issue here. Of course blacks will tend to support Vick more than white people do. But that's not what this is about. It's about whether or not it will be good for the NFL for Vick to come back. The fact that he is black does have an effect on how this issue is perceived by various segments of the public, but that fact is far less important than the fact that he was convicted of leading a dog fighting ring, which included personally killing dogs and lying to the commissioner of the NFL about his involvement in it.

As for the Tarkenton thing, I was criticizing the statement about Tarkenton having no talent, which was ridiculous. It was nothing to do with his business dealings. It's hard to have a discussion with people who are continually going off-topic.

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Asshalo's picture

July 23, 2009 at 07:18 am

You always have to consider environmental and societal circumstances when it comes to guilt-- it's an inseparable part of modern way people are judged. And if you really

As far as Tarkington, I was criticizing the statement,"Like him or not," because it insinuated his morals up in the air.

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PackersRS's picture

July 22, 2009 at 10:02 pm

Vick doesn't need to further prove he's paid his debt, or that he's sorry. That's not for citizens like us to judge. That's for the Judicial System to do so. And they've done.
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I understand the Image point. But we're dealing with two aspects here. The image of a business, and the credibility of our whole society. The most important one must prevail.
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If he's not allowed to return to NFL, the message that's being passed on is that once a criminal goes to jail, he shouldn't receive the same opportunities common citizens do. So our whole penal system falls apart, because it's based on rehabilitation of criminals, rather than punishment for crimes. Except for the Death penalty, which is another subject...
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And BTW, my dog's name was Friska, a 9 year old Miniature Schnauzer. I would NEVER be on the same area as that man, nor should I EVER support him if he eventually put on the Green and Gold helmet. And that's my right. But it's another story to deny him a job opportunity based on his past actions...

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Alex Tallitsch's picture

July 22, 2009 at 10:16 pm

Fair enough. Again, I am not saying he should not be afforded the opportunity to earn a living. However, I don't think allowing him to return to the public eye as a role model for young men is such a great idea.

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Toby Hump's picture

July 23, 2009 at 06:07 am

While I agree that second chances should be given (if you've served the time, you've served your punishment) I don't like the idea of Vick getting a multi-million dollar contract. The NFL to these young guys is a dream that few get fullfiled. Vick got the dream and he abused it in the most vile way possible. I think Vick deserves a second chance, but to get thrown back into the NFL with the big stinkin contract is wrong. Vick should have left the NFL for good, he blew his dream, let someone more willing compete.

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Asshalo's picture

July 23, 2009 at 07:20 am

I don't see the big contract happening. He's going to need a place to play more than a team is going to need him.

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Asshalo's picture

July 23, 2009 at 07:44 am

Quote: <blockquote cite="comment-4575">

Appologies. Was in a hurry

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