NFL Clears Vick, For Now

So the NFL has completed their internal investigation into the Michael Vick birthday shooting and Commissioner Roger Goodell will allow him to continue playing football. When looking at the evidence the NFL would have been hard pressed to take any action against Vick, even with the personal conduct policy. One has to ask themselves thou is this the right decision?

My thoughts are how often someone can be given chances till they learn that they need to change. And how many chances does it take before the powers that be realize a person will not change. Now I will admit Vick has done good and attempted to be a model NFL citizen since rejoining the league but there have been signs of his old self reappearing.

Since the season has ended Vick has shown that he craves attention, he wants to be the center of attraction. On one hand we had him pushing himself to be a starter, through the media. Now that he is fully back into the NFL, with a full year under his belt is he ready to be a starter again? Possibly, but he had to go through media outlets to make his desires known, not follow the proper routes (i.e. his coaches and actions).

On the other hand he’s reintroduced him to the social scene. Matt Mosley of ESPN says that Vick was a “ubiquitous presence on the party scene during NBA All-Star weekend.” After experiencing an NBA All-Star weekend in the past, I can tell you a person trying to clean up their image does not need to be such a presence at that type of event, it’s just inviting trouble.

Mosley also mentions how Vick sold tickets to his birthday party instead of keeping it private like his family wanted. Who really wants to sell tickets to their birthday party? That’s all I’d want is tons of people I don’t know at my party, wouldn’t you? Both of these instances show he wants to be a point of attraction. And look what it caused him that night.

Oh and by the way according to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, the selling of tickets coincidentally allowed Quanis Phillips to be shot. Phillips just happened to be one of his former co-defendants, they didn’t speak that night but doing such things brings in the wrong crowd. The crowd that put him in the situation he is in today.

"

“I was devastated because I knew the events that were happening that surrounded that,” Vick said after reporting to Eagles training camp. “I knew it was an unfortunate situation for it to happen at my 30th birthday party, what was going to come out of it, for his safety. You never want anyone to get shot. You never want anyone to get harmed. … Like I tell everybody, if certain people never showed up it never would have happened.”

"

He says this but does he forget that in the end he’s the one who allowed tickets to be sold to HIS birthday party. And if it was a private promoter who took advantage of Michael saying he’d attend, then Michael should of balked at it knowing the wrong people could of shown.

Making yourself the center of attraction at such events can only be trouble. Vick said he’d stay clear when he returned, obviously that wasn’t the case. Will he finally learn this time?

Vick is saying all the right things again, but I’m not sure how much weight his words hold.

He says that he knows that he “is on thin ice”. A source close to Vick says “Michael realizes he may not be so lucky the next time.” But does he really???

Only time will tell and I’m thinking he’s on VERY borrowed time.