The Crumbling Defense of Michael Vick

Michael Vick's defenders have made plenty of excuses for the fallen star.

First was the idea that Vick was targeted for being a successful black quarterback in the South. If it was Tom Brady, the logic went, would the story be such a big deal?

Second was the argument that Vick deserved his day in court instead of a conviction in the media...this from the same folks who'd been ready to fry the Duke lacrosse players when phony rape charges were raised against them.

Third was the point that Vick was a victim of his snitching buddies—career criminals looking to save their own skins. We were told not to trust them, even though Vick did.

Fourth was the relativistic appeal: C'mon, Vick fans said, they're only dogs. It's not like he was killing people.

Fifth was the "bigger problems" spiel: With war and poverty and child molesters in the world, why go after a small-time lowlife like Vick?

Sixth, and finally, was the plea for mercy. Vick made a mistake, some of his defenders admitted—he deserves another chance.

In the wake of Vick's guilty plea, though, such defensive rhetoric has collapsed like a house of cards.  

Mike Vick made his bed—now he'll have to lay in it.

What's most troubling is the hypocrisy of the QB's supporters: After railing against Vick's "snitching" buddies, no one seems to have a problem with Vick's decision to be a cooperating witness for the federal government.

In other words, a snitch.

Beyond that twisted logic, here's where the other six arguments stand in the wake of the plea agreement:

1. America would turn on Tom Brady or Brett Favre or anyone else for killing dogs. My question for Vick supporters is whether they'd blindly follow another athlete if he were similarly accused. I bet not.

2. The media's treatment of Vick was far more empathetic than what the Duke boys endured. Those young men will struggle forever to reclaim their good names—while Crystal Gail Mangum, the liar and accuser, gets to move on in relative anonymity.

3. Vick wasn't influenced by bad guys—he was the bad guy. Period.

4. Get real, people. Torture is torture and most serial killers—Dahmer and Gacy, for example—start out killing animals.

5. I hate this one. As an Iraq war veteran, I can't stand when people who never served use a war to make stupid arguments—as if we should let every crime slide until we get rid of the bigger problems. Brilliant.

6. A "mistake" would be accidentally running over a dog in the driveway. Six years of murdering innocent animals is a lifestyle.

In the end, it just goes to show that there's no defending the guilty—especially not from themselves.