Fly Eagle Fly

I wanted to wait a little to give the Michael Vick-to-the-Eagles ruckus time to play out before I weighed in with my thoughts. It amazes me how some people in this country were willing to give George W. Bush a second term but won't give Vick a second chance. Look, I'm not marginalizing Vick's execution of pit bulls. Certainly, as someone with a love for animals, it definitely tugs at the heart strings. It was senseless. It was heinous. It was indefensible. It was two years ago.

At what point do we, as Americans, learn to let go? Think about all the genuinely horrible people in this country and other countries worldwide, is Michael Vick really the unquestioned King of All Evil? It's dumbfounding how we choose to sum up the lives of a choice few with a particular event or occurrence. It's always case-sensitive. We don't choose to pigeon hole Ted Kennedy for the Chappaquiddick incident 30 years ago. We're not nearly as aggressive in our criticism of Bush, a man who helped send this country into the worst economic downturn in a century and promoted a senseless war in Iraq that has cost hundreds of American lives. Even in sports, how many members of M.A.D.D. do you see picketing outside of Rams games in protest of defensive end Leonard Little's employment despite his manslaughter conviction a little over a decade ago in which he served a whopping 90 days in jail. 90 days! For having a blood alcohol level double the legal limit and killing a woman and then, six years later, getting behind the wheel of a car once more when he was clearly inebriated. How come not much was made out of the fact that the Lakers currently employ an accused rapist whose youthful indiscretion never really got closure in the minds of many as well as a loose cannon who famously charged into the stands in an attempt to beat down an unruly fan? Does back-to-back NBA Finals appearances make Kobe Bryant less of an adulterer who may or may not have had non-consensual sex with a hotel clerk? And does Ron Artest's alliance with Bryant suddenly wash away his past sins? Mike Vick did 23 months in Fort Leavenworth, which seems like death row compared to the 24 days in jail Donte Stallworth was flicked on the wrist with for HIS reckless killing of man after he was driving high and drunk on the streets of Miami.

Think about Mike Vick before the dogfighting fiasco. Outside of a couple outbursts of immaturity(the weed in the water bottle at the airport, flipping off Falcon fans), Vick's biggest problem was his inability to throw downfield with touch. Now, all of a sudden, he's a crazed killer who shouldn't be allowed on professional football roster. My question to the naysayers would be 'What would YOU do with Mike Vick?'. If you don't want Vick in the NFL, where would you like him to be? Would you like him to work the drive-thru at Wendy's? Would you want him working construction, like he offered upon his release from prison? Or maybe you'd like him to sit on his ass and collect unemployment like so many other lazy bastards in this country? Vick could have chose any of those options. He could have allowed himself to use his ex-con status and the genuine disdain shown toward him by most of America as excuses for self-pity. Instead, he thrusted himself back into the smoldering heat of the media spotlight and took a job that involves him getting impaled by men twice his size running at him at full speed.

Also, what point exactly do you plan on making by going to a city like Philadelphia, where they throw D batteries at baseball players, looking for a fight? Michael Vick is a human being who made a mistake. Isn't it a bit hypocritical to treat his life with the same insignificance that he treated the lives of those dogs? Shouldn't we better than this? It's like we've never seen a person, celebrity or otherwise, try to take another crack at life after time in the can. Do they not have TV or Internet in your ivory tower?

As for Vick's impact ON the field, that remains to be seen. He's a perfect fit for the Wildcat formation, but I'd like to think a former # 1 pick like Vick, a man who was supposed to transcend the game, is a bit too talented to be a Pat White-esque gimmick quarterback. As Donovan McNabb said, the presence of Vick, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook and McNabb on the field at the same time is going to be a headache for defensive coordinators. Certainly, Vick has already brought excitement, albeit with a heavy dose of controversy, to the City of Brotherly Love as well as made an already devastating Eagles team much more dangerous.

No matter what happens from here on out, Michael Vick will always be a dog-murdering convict in the eyes of some, and that's their right. However, understand that Vick has humbled himself over the past two years. He didn't attempt to use his celebrity status to barter for perks like being able to work out under house arrest to prepare for a job he wasn't certain was coming. He didn't use his attention to go on a soap-box. He didn't beg 60 Minutes to lob softballs at him in this past Sunday's interview. He showed contrition, remorse, and genuine sorrow for his mistakes and asked for forgiveness. Isn't that what you'd want out of someone who paid his debt to society? Vick will hear his share of boos come August 23rd when he makes his preseason debut against Jacksonville and maybe Vick's transgressions will never not receive an overwhelming amount of media attention until his playing days are over, much like how Michael Irvin couldn't escape his demons until he became an affable TV broadcaster. Friday's signing with Philadelphia gave Vick the opportunity he waited 23 months to have: A chance to start a second life.............

......even if it's now as America's biggest villain.

--Dave