Michael Vick: The View from the Doghouse

You're hurt. You're thinking, "what if it was my dog?"

You're staring angrily at the TV when superstar Michael Vick states solemnly into the microphones that he did not hurt any dogs. You can't believe it. You're shaking with rage. They found the dogs on his property, didn't they? Weren't those small cages and those fighting rings on his Virginia mansion? Yet he has the gall to say he was innocent!?

Fast forward four months.

You're ecstatic. You're jumping up into the air and pumping your fist. Michael Vick has just been indicted for various counts of dogfighting and animal cruelty. You're thinking that he will finally get what he deserves, and will finally be put behind bars. This is the best day of your life.

Fast forward another month.

You're shocked. Michael Vick has been put away, which you're happy for, but the different offenses he committed have blown you away. You never thought he really did anything wrong; maybe he bankrolled the operation and gambled a few times, but you never thought he personally killed NINE dogs by various cruel, disgusting ways. You never knew that anyone could be that cruel and heartless. You're sick to your stomach and don't eat for days.

Fast forward two months.

You're depressed. Your Falcons are struggling. The team that was once the darling of the NFC now has gone through two quarterbacks: Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich. DeAngelo Hall, now your best player, has firmly said he has no intention of returning for another year.

Bobby Petrino, your new coach, resigned with only three games left. Now you're wondering, "What's the big deal about a few dogs?" Your logic is something like this, "He's a celebrity, so can't the government pull another Paris Hilton and let him play football from jail?" Your anger at him is gone, and you wish he had never been caught.

From the jail cell.

Michael Vick is sitting in his cell at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., and he is truly sorry. He's wondering if he'll get the chance to play again, and if he does, will he still have his innate ability? Will he still be able to play quarterback, or will he be a wide receiver, or even a slash? Will he ever get his second chance, the chance to prove people can change?

He knows he can get people back on his side. He knows he can be PacMan version two, only a better football player. But all these things are things he can't control. The only thing he can do is sit, work, and look out from the DOGHOUSE.

This article is not saying in any way that I wish Michael Vick should be released from jail early. Far from it. I think that Michael Vick should be forced to stay for his full term, but when he's done, I think he should be given a second chance.