Michael Vick: A Second Chance

As I glanced at the headline on espn.com, I grinned.  Michael Vick was back in the NFL.

When he was incarcerated, I was not only disappointed in him, but that I wouldn't get to see the electricity he brought to the NFL, week in and week out.

He was sentenced, and the amount of time seemed fair.  However, the sentencing for NFL players is incredibly inconsistent, considering the price Donte Stallworth paid. 

Don't get me wrong, what Vick did to dogs was sickening and wrong, but Stallworth killed a man.  I don't want to hear any of the 'accident' crap associated with Stallworth's manslaughter DUI, because you knowingly endanger people's lives every time you drink and get behind the wheel.

Stallworth got away with thirty days. Vick was in jail for two years. 

Not that Vick should've been in prison less, but there certainly seems to be an obvious disparity.

Time had passed, he was released from prison, and I wasn't sure what to think of Vick.  Was he truly sorry for his actions?  Had he changed in prison?  What kind of a person was he now?

I didn't want to see another phony apology given from a professional athlete, just to be given another chance in their respective sports.  Unless Vick had changed, he shouldn't be allowed into the NFL.

Then I heard Tony Dungy talk about Vick and the encounters they had shared during Dungy's visits to Vick. 

I believe Tony Dungy to be very honorable, truthful, and respectful; one of the classiest men on the earth.  So when he explained that Vick had sincerely changed, I started to change my views on Vick.  The Humane Society has said that Vick continues to help in the fight against dog fighting, so it's good to see Vick is taking action.

Where would he go?  I believed Vick was better suited to the UFL at the present moment, where he could play quarterback and get the dust knocked off from two years of shelving.  He could play a season in the UFL, and might be able to play in the NFL for the last month or two.

If he wouldn't sign in the UFL, I wondered where he would go in the NFL.  Pittsburgh, New England, Philadelphia, and Carolina seemed like teams with an established quarterback that would benefit from Vick's services.

When he signed with Philadelphia, I was glad to see he had found a football home.  Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid would be good mentors for Vick, and hopefully would keep him out of trouble. 

Listening to his apology, I was impressed he didn't read it off of a sheet of paper.  I now believed Vick was ready to play in the football again.  Yes, his behavior can be improved in various aspects, but he's taken a major step forward.

I knew that Vick wouldn't be an every down quarterback this year, as this would be a year to ease him back into the NFL.  He will provide another dynamic that the Eagles have lacked, giving them so many more options in the playbook. 

He'll also help the Eagles in short yardage situations, where they were awful last year.

He won't be a major impact this year, but he will be able to give the Eagles a little help every now and then.

Vick's destination beyond this year is unknown.  Will he pick up the option in his contract, and stay with the Eagles, or will he go to a team in need of a quarterback?  Only time will tell.

Michael Vick, you've been given a second chance. 

Don't mess it up.