Michael Vick deserves a second chance

Written by The Kid | Wednesday, 20 May 2009 07:29 | Saints News

Vick committed a heinous crime and should be responsible for his past mistakes. He will probably never do enough to avenge himself in the eyes of dog lovers and PETA supporters. Some Falcons fans may never forgive the top pick in the 2001 draft for leaving the team and squandering his $130 million contract. Through all of this, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should eventually give Vick a chance to prove himself again.

• Vick leaves prison for home confinement

Think back to 2004 when #7 passed for more than 2000 yards and rushed for another 900, leading the Dirty Birds to a 11-5 record and an NFC South crown. He was the face of the Atlanta and a primary face of the NFL as a huge part of the future of the league.

Now, Vick must deal with the situation at hand. He will be under house arrest until July 20 and placed on supervised probation for the next three years. Talk about a fall from grace! Instead of wearing Rolex watches and working out with an NFL team, Vick will wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and work a 10 dollar an hour construction job.

The Falcons still hold Vick's rights. A team would have to make a deal with Atlanta to attain the quarterback. There is the possibility of Vick playing in the CFL or another league before making his NFL homecoming, but an NFL team could take a gamble on Vick.

The team must have a strong front office and head coach. They need to be willing and ready to deal with the distractions of Vick and have patience with him. He will need time to redevelop and find his place on his new team.

The coaching staff cannot let Vick's situation dominate the locker room and mood of the team. There will be numerous protests by PETA and other groups at the practices of the team that picks up Vick. The media frenzy will be overwhelming and the players on the team will have to answer questions about Vick every day. Vick and the team would receive a large amount of negative publicity on the road, at least in their first season. I have a feeling a few teams would even be tempted to play "Who let the dogs out?" during pre-game introductions.

The names of a few teams have been tossed around, but it is merely speculation at this point. Your first instinct would tell you that Vick would end up where most disenfranchised players end up. The team where the owner has yet to realize that recycling through four coaches in six years is not a recipe for success. The place where gambling on players has become habitual and those risks have rarely panned out to become rewards - the Oakland Raiders. With JaMarcus Russell and Jeff Garcia, this seems unlikely, even for Al Davis.

There has been whispers of Jacksonville, Carolina, Seattle, San Francisco, Miami and Baltimore as well. Yeah, short list, huh? The Ravens have mainly been added to the mix because of their history of dealing with legal issues, citing Ray Lewis' charge in 2000. The Dolphins have hype because of their "wildcat" offense. Vick would fit perfectly into the system, but the Fins just drafted Pat White, a very similar quarterback to Vick, in April's NFL Draft.

Former NFL coach Herman Edwards even threw the Saints into the hat Tuesday on NFL Live, saying New Orleans would be a stable franchise and a good fit for Vick. The quarterback could get readjusted to the league while backing up Drew Brees. I'm sure Vick wouldn't mind lining up with Reggie Bush and Marques Colston from time to time, but I don't see Tom Benson eager to grab the ex-divisional foe. The black and gold have too much to lose and not enough to gain by adding Vick.

It is really anyone's guess at this point on what, if any, team will risk the money and distraction of bringing in Vick.

Football will not be the first priority of Vick during his home confinement, according to his agent. Vick's agent told ESPN that the quarterback "will place football on the back burner" while under house arrest. He does have a family he hasn't seen in awhile, including former Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks.

Vick has already began the healing process. While in prison, he talked to one of the best mentors in the game - former Colts coach Tony Dungy. Vick will need to surround himself with more positive influences to regain the trust of many and truly make a comeback.

America is all about second opportunities. After all, the United States is the land of the free and home of the brave. Michael Vick is finally free from jail, but it's going to take a brave NFL owner before the quarterback gets that second chance.

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(Michael Lambert, aka, "The Kid," is a graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School and will enter his sophomore year at LSU in the fall. Lambert is a sports contributor to the LSU Reveille)

Comments (8)

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written by Rich A., July 28, 2009

i say let him play. there were a few nfl players how had killed sumone in a car wreck an they still got to play. dont get me wrong i love dogs, but they come an go, but a person dies an there fam deal with tha pain. Let tha man play. i hope tha texans pick him up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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written by IGuessImAnonymous, May 26, 2009

oh yeah I forgot to say that this is a good article

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written by IGuessImAnonymous, May 26, 2009

Michael Vick worked his entire life to play football, let him play it. Yes, what he did was absolutely horrible but when someone does a crime and pays their time they are given the opportunity to change their old ways, pay for their mistakes, and try to get back the life they had. I'm sure Vick will not go back to his old ways and realizes how bad what he did was. Also, I think he will be a great scare factor for whichever team he ends up on, I mean holy s*** if that dude was about to tackle me I would be touching cotton for real. Anyways, I think everyone deserves another chance, and until he does wrong again, I think people should just back off.

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written by Revco, May 21, 2009

Can't see how you compare a dog to a human. Two different species. I'm like the Dawg guy--don't like Vick but he served jail time. He likely won't play this year. He will get a second chance. He is a good player and I doubt that the league will keep him from playing since the law has already spoken and punished him.

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written by Dawg, May 21, 2009

Written by:

Nice name, by the way. I don't disagree with you. I despise what the guy did. Whether you like it or not, he paid his debt, according to United States law and our federal court system. Perhaps you don't agree with our legal system but it is what it is.
The man spent two years in jail. That was the sentence attached to the crime. Incidentally, how do you feel about abortion? Do you feel people should go to jail for killing unborn babies? Those are humans.
Again, the guy can never erase what he has done. He can only learn from it and try to become a productive citizen.
How do you know Vick is not "better than he was before?" Do you have first-hand knowledge? Have you spoken with him and those responsible for his incarceration?
Make no mistake about it--I can't stand what he did and I have never been fan of his (see Ron Mexico, et all). You are entitled to your opinion. Our lawful society and courts have spoken. For better or worse, we are a country of second chances. Sometimes it is better. Sometimes it is worse. I love my dog like a child but he is not human.

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written by , May 20, 2009

I truly don't understand how someone who went to jail for two years magically "paid his debt". The man is getting released to be on house arrest at his $800,000 home.. I wish I could pay some of my debts off while sitting at my mansion. What a rough punishment huh? Honestly, two years in prison does not mean he is any better then he was before.
Also, while drunk driving is very wrong, Leonard did not get in the car intending to kill someone did he? Vick on the other hand, got up every morning and went to sleep every night knowing very well the things he was doing.
Everyone is indeed entitled to their own opinion on this horrible scenario, but to send a statement to people saying "We understand you killed and hurt many animals, but you said your sorry and went to jail for TWO years, we forgive you. Here, sign the 150 million dollar check." - That's not right at all.
If he wants to play football so bad, then he should be required to donate every dime he earns to shelters, and to paying for the countless time, money, and energy spent on doctors trying to save and rehabilitate the animals he hurt.
If you ask me though, the only football he should be playing is with a raw steak inside of a tiger cage. Let that so called "man" play around with animals more of his own size. O but wait, that's wrong and inhuman right? Don't worry, the tiger will apologize after...

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written by Dawg, May 20, 2009

I am a dog owner and I despise what Vick did. I read where the guy is now working with PETA to do the right thing by dogs. I am glad to see that. He has paid his debt. I still don't want to see him in the NFL but he does deserve a second chance in life. I love my dog but he is not human, "written by." Ray Lewis may have killed a human, not a dog. He's in the NFL. Leonard Little killed someone as a drunk driver. He played again. If the Commissioner decides that Vick gets a second chance, to be it. I just don't want him in New Orleans.

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written by , May 20, 2009

"but Michael Vick is a human being after all. Like everyone, the former Falcons quarterback deserves a second chance."
- I could not possibly disagree more with you. Maybe you don't have a dog, or maybe you do, and don't realize just how human dogs are. Seriously go look into the eyes of dog one day and think about your statements, think long and hard. Think about that same dog in so much pain you can't imagine, and he or she can't say or do anything about it. Meanwhile that same helpless animal is in a constant life or death battle. After all that you honestly think someone who intentionally did that to a dog deserves a second chance, or even better another multi-million dollar contract? If you do, i am sorry for you.. But when I look at Vick, all I can think about is what some of those poor dogs would say if they could speak. Vick deserves so much more then going to prison, he got off lucky. That waste of air needs to be in a cage outside, just like the cages his dogs were in.

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