Who Let the Dog Out?

This is my most recent sports column from The Bates Student. It will probably be met with plenty of controversy, especially over the title. But hey, what fun is a newspaper if you do not get cranky letters to the editors?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe in second chances. When someone screws up, they should absolutely be reprimanded and punished. Heck, to get the point across that some things are just not OK, punish them brutally. But when a person messes up, serves his time and has to live with the consequences of a poor decision for the rest of his life, I feel that that person should be given an opportunity to prove that he learned.

Yes, in this instance I am alluding to the overly-talked about Michael Vick. You all know the story: Vick was convicted for running a dog fighting operation on his property in 2007, killed a handful of dogs (the number varies depending on which source you read), got busted, lied about it until his nose resembled Pinocchio’s and served eighteen months in prison. Throw in the fact that Vick must recover from bankruptcy and live the rest of his life with myriad protesters, an insurmountable level of guilt and haunting memories from one enormously poor decision, and it is safe to say his life will never be the same.

I cannot tell you how many opinion pieces I have read since the middle of summer about the return of Michael Vick. Many of you have probably read the same amount and are sick of them just like me. I hate myself for devoting a column to the scumbag, but with all of my might, I am writing this to publicly show that I am glad he is back in the NFL following his 2009 debut on Sunday (because my endorsement means a lot to Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles).

I loved the guy’s style of play before he became one of the biggest screw ups in the NFL — though Adam "Pacman" Jones or Danté Stallworth could rival him for this prestigious title.

He was electric, young and seemed to have his head on his shoulders when playing the game of football (minus that one time in 2006 when he gave the double middle finger to his home fans after a loss to the New Orleans Saints). He had it all, and then it all went downhill in a hurry.

But Vick served his time. His life was drastically changed after his two-year prison sentence, and there is no way he can escape his troubled past and tarnished reputation. Michael Vick made those decisions, and Michael Vick has to live with them for the rest of his life. He will forever be linked to his immaturity, selfishness and overall stupidity that sent him to rock bottom, and there is no questioning that.

We can hate him for his actions and we can talk about how horrible he is, but doing so will not change a thing. Michael Vick is returning to the NFL with a rediscovered passion for football and an entirely new outlook on life.

In a "60 Minutes" interview in August, Vick publicly expressed his feelings about his mistakes and his time in jail for the first time.

"It's no way of, you know, explaining, you know, the hurt and the guilt that I felt. And that was the reason I cried so many nights. And that put it all into perspective," said Vick. "I was disgusted, you know, because of what I let happen to those animals. I could've put a stop to it. I could've walked away from it. I could've shut the whole operation down."

He did not shut the whole operation down, and while the "ifs" have run rampant through Vick’s mind, he knows there is no turning back the clock.

"I felt the guilt and I knew I was guilty, and I knew what I had done," he said. "And, not knowing at the time that, you know, actually telling the truth may have been better than, you know, not being honest. And it backfired on me tremendously."

Vick did a lot wrong in the time before his ultimate sentence—so much wrong, in fact, that whatever he does right for the rest of his life might not matter to some people.

That is foolish.

How can Stallworth drive drunk, kill a man and get off with 24 days in jail? I could care less about his honesty and his professionalism in dealing with the issue. He killed a person and somehow served 17 months fewer in jail than Vick.

Something is wrong with our legal system and this certainly highlights whatever it is.

In no way am I comparing drunken driving, murder and dog fighting. I am not saying that Vick deserved less time, but for Stallworth to be slapped with 24 days is literally getting away with murder.

Stallworth messed up and handled it well. Vick messed up and handled it horribly.

I am not here to criticize Vick’s morals or Stallworth’s incident. That is a different debate altogether. All I am saying is that the guy has served his time and will suffer the consequences for the rest of his life, regardless of what good comes his way. So with two years of prison under his belt and a lifetime full of regret ahead, he should at least be allowed to play the game that gave him so much (and that he said he took advantage of at times).

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decision to re-instate Michael Vick was met with immense scrutiny; however, it is time that the general public look behind Vick’s morals and give him a second chance to prove himself as a player and a person.

When he was in the league, free of major legal troubles (there were some minor side issues), he was criticized for lacking the work ethic and passing efficiency needed from a pure quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl title.

When he was out of the league and sleeping in prison beds, he was criticized for having no morals and no self discipline.

All criticisms might be accurate — but they are old. They do not pertain to the Michael Vick you will see turning heads for the remainder of his NFL career, and he will be the first to tell you so.
"I was lazy. You know, I was the last guy in the building, first guy out," said Vick. "I know that. You know, I hear everything that people say. And that hurt me when I heard that, but I know it was true."

Vick has matured. He has changed. He has learned. And while he might not yet be faster or stronger than he was when he last played in 2006, he is ready to move on from his past — both on and off the field.

He probably will not start a game at quarterback in 2009, but that does not mean that his role with the Philadelphia Eagles is limited.

Instead of slotting him in as a pure passer, the Eagles can now take advantage of his college-style play and natural athleticism and use him as a "wildcat" quarterback. He can throw if he wants to throw, run if he wants to run and you might even see him lined up next to DeSean Jackson at wide receiver.

After all of the hustle and bustle, cat and mouse and "will he? won’t he?" talk this summer, Vick returned to the field on Sunday for the first time in 1,000 days. The last time he played? His current employers, the Philadelphia Eagles. Ironic? Indeed. Storybook ending? Not even close.

The numbers were underwhelming as Vick took nine snaps, threw two incomplete passes, rushed once for seven yards and lined up once as a slot receiver. Thankfully for him, no one was banking on him to win. This was not the Super Bowl nor was Vick the key to victory. His numbers did little to affect the flow of the game, but that is not what was important.

This was the first of many hurdles in the return of Michael Vick. His stats do not matter right now. Instead, making the most of his incredible opportunity will be most telling.

Thank you, Roger Goodell. It felt great to see one of the greatest athletes of my generation take the field again.