Examining Michael Vick's Dogfighting: 2009 Edition

[Before anyone goes gung-ho and barrages my email with hate-mail, I just have to clarify that I personally did not make or have any part in making this particular image. In any case, I have been saving this picture for just the right occasion. -M]

How many times in the history of the NFL has there been a star-quarterback of Michael Vick's caliber indicted on serious criminal charges? How about how many times has that same person actually done time in prison for his actions?

I personally can only name a handful of players who make up a vast minority when compared to the number of humane and law-abiding citizens that make up the rest of the NFL.

Anyone remember Lawrence Phillips, the talented halfback from Nebraska? He basically threw away most of his entire career in favor of committing criminal activities. All I can say about him is, 'Thank God, I'm so, so glad that Ozzie Newsome picked Jonathan Ogden instead of Phillips in the first round.'

More recently, let me see here, we've got CB Adam 'Packman' Jones, the sixth-overall pick out of West Virginia. His rap-sheet just during his professional career is so staggering, I'll just leave it at this. It started off with a contract dispute with the Titans and at this point is up in the air since his off-season release from the Dallas Cowboys.

We've also got Chris Henry and basically the entire Cincinnati Bengals organization, Brandon Marshall, Marshawn Lynch, and Donte Stallworth. All of these players mentioned have done something to damage the integrity and reputation of the NFL and thus have earned themselves either fines, suspensions or both.

I personally don't think that it's that far off to believe that professional football players are out there breaking the law. This is part of the reason why we're speeding through the before-mentioned players and not taking the time out to go into each with details.

None of these players besides perhaps Lawrence Phillips has done anything that earned them any considerable jail-time. The laws broken by NFL players typically are the same ones that are broken by some of our friends: drinking and driving, assault and battery, domestic abuse and speeding.

They might make good periodical headlines on NFL.com, but honestly none of these players hold a candle to what ex-Atlanta Falcon star-QB, Michael Vick, did in 2007.

We all know the story, or at least part of the story. Michael Vick was at the top of his game in 2006, having just signed a spanking-new contract that season, worth somewhere in the range of 10-years, $135 million. In 2004, Vick led his team all the way to the NFC championship game, where they eventually lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Somewhere along the way, after being selected first-overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft, Vick got caught up in a string of dog-fighting rings. Personally, I think it was his family and friends that got him into it but in reality the only person that really knows is him.

In the early part of 2007, the dog-fighting rings were discovered after weeks of investigation, eventually leading to the seizure and police-raid of one of his beautiful mansion-style homes in Virginia.

After posting bail and eventually pleading guilty to federal charges of animal cruelty and gambling, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down perhaps the harshest punishment in the past 20 years, suspending Vick indefinitely from playing in the NFL.

In addition to this suspension and the 23-month prison-term he was given by the federal judge, Falcons owner Arthur Blank released a press-statement in which he stated he would be seeking to get back around 20 million of the $37 million signing bonus they had just paid Vick the previous season.

So basically this left Vick pretty much in debt, in prison and suspended indefinitely from the only profession he had ever known. This to me was not only extremely harsh but completely ridiculous considering that he was a first-time offender.

Regardless of whether you feel it's fair or not, Vick is about to be released today, to finish out his prison-sentence in home-confinement. He's got another two months left to do, during which he's already lined up a construction job worth a staggering $10/hour.

Yes, you heard clearly, for the first time since perhaps ever Michael Vick will be doing real work at a normal job for normal pay.

Besides the construction work, Vick has already said that he's going to seek a return to the NFL. He's got a ton of college and former-NFL players who have already agreed to help him get back into football shape, possibly for a return to the NFL as soon as this or next season.

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