Why Michael Vick Will Not Play in the NFL Again

Michael Vick walked out of federal prison yesterday after completing a 23 month sentence for his participation in an extensive unlawful interstate dogfighting ring.

Vick will finish the last two months of his sentence at home, on house arrest.

Vick has served his time and, unless something highly unforeseen occurs, he will be a free man in two months.  He will have payed his debt to society, but Michael Vick will never put on an NFL uniform again.

Vick, still under contract to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, is presently suspended by the league.  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that he will consider lifting Vick's suspension—and I believe he will do just that.

I believe Goodell will lift the suspension because Vick served his time and deserves a second chance, but unfortunately for Vick, he will not get that opportunity. 

Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, who was especially supportive to Vick throughout his career in Atlanta, has said he doesn't want him to return.

Vick, the first pick in the 2001 NFL draft, hasn't reached 30 yet and there is no doubt that he still has the strength and skill to help many teams in the league.

The problem for Vick is that, although he'll probably get clearance to seek employment in the NFL, getting a team to sign him will be another matter.

In a nutshell, signing Michael Vick to a contract would be the equivalent of political suicide for whoever would be foolish enough to take that kind of a risk.

It's just going to be too hard for Vick and, any team that wants to give him a second chance, to overcome the horrible overtones of the crimes that he committed.

Vick killed dogs.  Helpless, unsuspecting dogs.

One of the ironies of the whole Michael Vick saga is that he could have taken the dogs to a shelter, instead of disposing of them the way he did.

It's ironic because when one takes a dog to a shelter, most of the time, if the dog isn't adopted in one week—the shelter does the job that Vick chose to perform, except they call it "Euthanasia."

Vick made a big mistake—a  mistake that the public will not forget.  A mistake that the public shouldn't forget!

Because Vick chose to kill, he resembled a sociopath.  The clearest definition of a sociopath is "someone unable to empathize with the pain and suffering of their victims."

His situation is similar to that of a pedophile.  Pedophiles do their time but nobody wants them in their neighborhood when they're released.  Most pedophiles are considered incapable of being rehabilitated.

Michael Vick's behavior and decision making has to be questioned.  He may not be capable of being rehabilitated.  Anyone who can kill a dog, for selfish and pointless reasons, may not ever understand the severity of their actions.

Although there are probably a lot of teams and owners in the NFL that would like to have his services, I don't think any of them will take the risk of alienating their fans and the public.

Do I feel sorry for Michael Vick? Not especially.