No need for much of an introduction to this entry. Everyone knows what this will be about, and while Brad Lidge's struggles are one hot topic, it amazingly doesn't even compare to the insanity that has reentered Philadelphia, something sorely missing since the days when T.O. did shirtless pushups in his front yard and Howard Eskin started a canned food drive to help feed Terrell's family. I am of course talking about the controversial signing of our new "jailbird," Michael Vick.
While many have argued and will continue to argue the basis of this signing in terms of the reason, the football sense, and morals, I will try to deviate from this popular argument. I will introduce more or less a point of view that I have carried with me for the past year and a half, all starting with more controversy - Sypgate, as it has come to be known.
When the New England Patriots were caught stealing signs from the New York Jets with a camera during a Week 1 game, I found myself disgusted. Having always been a reluctant admirer of Brady and Belichick's, shaking my head with utter amazement at the way they had produced wins and Vince Lombardi trophy's like nobody's business, I felt cheated. To discover that the team of the decade, the team that beat my beloved Eagles in Super Bowl 39 by a mere 3 points was not even playing the game the right way, tarnished my feelings for them. When you take away honest competition, you are taking away everything that makes professional sports enjoyable; integrity, fair play, and virtue. We turn on the TV every Sunday to watch the best in the world go head to head without knowing what the outcome will be at day's end. When one team feels the need to gain an illegal edge, the whole point of competition has gone to waste.
Now how does this relate to Michael Vick, you may ask me. Let's review Michael Vick as a player and a person. Michael Vick was the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and was revolutionizing the quarterback position on a weekly basis. He passed further than anyone, ran more than any quarterback could run, and left defensive coordinator's heads spinning. He was able to do all of this while flipping off his home fans in Atlanta, getting caught with marijuana, and distributing genital herpes under the "pen(is) name" of Ron Mexico. Not too shabby for someone who has yet to even celebrate their 30th birthday. But that's not all, oh no. For years and years Michael Vick operated a secret dog fighting ring where people would gamble on the outcome of dog fights, many of the dogs who lived through the fights were ordered to be killed by Vick. Even just this last incident left a horrible taste in my mouth. However, I found myself able to turn on the TV on Sunday and enjoy (for lack of a better word) my Eagles games with no problem.
We have a player here who has paid his debt to society for horrendous and inhumane crimes to "man's best friend" and forfeited his career for years. Now that he is out of jail and has done his time, does he not get back the right to earn a living like so many other criminals and convicts? Watching Michael Vick juke out and allude the likes of Demarcus Ware and Albert Haynesworth bothers me a whole lot less than allowing a man who cheated millions of NFL fans out of sheer, wholesome competition for years to continue coaching.
Don't get me wrong - I am a dog lover. I have a dog and enjoy his company more than I probably should. I find Michael Vick's complete lack of respect and appreciation for dogs a horrible crime. Seeing that he has paid his debt and lasted over a year in jail has me feeling fine about having him don the midnight green, much more than I would if I were a fan of the Dolphins, Jets, or Bills - teams in the Patriots division.
Michael Vick's lack of respect for beings that are not human did enough to throw him in jail. On the other hand, it did nothing to effect the National Football League. It is for this reason that my conscience is not weighed down at all, nor am I burdened or torn by the fact that I will be rooting for one of the NFL's "bad guys."
Go Michael Vick, and Go Eagles.
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3 comments:
my reaction to this was wtf? and there were no wtf choices on the poll. But, what are we supposed to do with vick besides run a wildcat formation, which is good, but is it worth the possible love hate relationship from the fans for 2 quaterbacks? This is 100% mcnabbs team, but if he turns in a showing like the one against baltimore last year how short of a leash will andy have? fans will be calling for his head halfway through the season wanting to see the once revolutionary player in vick. I like having him on our team, and i think it makes our offense one of the most dangerous in the league with sooo many options including our strong rookie class, but i would be perfectly fine if vick didnt play a down all year just to make the statement that this team is driven by the dono van.
on the brighter side, i couldnt imagine being a middle linebacker and watching mcnabb and vick emerge from the same huddle. i would pee my pants on the field. i do expect big red to design some creative trickery with those 2 this year. should be a lot of fun to watch
You wrote about offering Michael Vick a second chance to be a part of society; he paid his debt to society in terms of prison time and has not committed any crimes in the name of the game of football. The press conferences that littered CSN and ESPN for the past couple have days plead the same thing-- a "second chance." As fans of this team, I think we are put in a very difficult position. Before the Vick signing was announced, I, and Eagles fan since birth, was able to tune out the media debates as to who or what would want Michael Vick playing for their football team the same way I was able to dismiss Chad Johnson's attention-seeking antics last season. Now, being and Eagles fan and a person who does seek to understand and exhibit the moral fiber of life, Vick is my problem. We all make mistakes and ask for second chances. We all make big mistakes and ask for second chances. We all make really big mistakes, pay our debt, and ask for second chances. That's life. Vick served his time. Under the American judicial system, that's pretty indisputable. It would be hypocritical and unjust to deny him the same right so many other hard-working Americans deserve-- the "second chance." I raise the question, however, a second chance at what? A professional football player isn't just a normal job. As a quaterback in the NFL, you become a multi-millionaire, a national superstar that gets his name in shining lights while making cameos in movies and music videos, one who recieves access to any club, party or shindig happening anywhere in the country, and arguably the most important, a ROLE MODEL. A hero. The truth is, most of us don't even get one chance to be a role model on the level of these athletes. This is beyond a right; this is a privilege. Now ask yourself this--how bad do you have to screw up to lose your title as role model in this country? Are the acts Vick performed not bad enough to make him relinquish that at least? Vick says in his press conferences that its not about football, but about redemption. The Eagles say the same thing. If that were true, shouldn't he commit himself to working for the ASPCA or an animal rights organization? I think the city of Philadelphia is being played like a preseason exhibition game. It's all about the attention.
I completely agree, Vick is a monster for what he did, but everyone deserves a second chance, and it happens every day in the NFL, Leonard Little, Tommie Harris, Pac Man Jones, etc. While I wasn't thrilled with the acquisition of Vick because of the fact that the second McNabb starts throwing the balls into the ground in front of an open receiver, the fans will finally have a competent back up to chant for, now that he is an Eagle I will cherish him just like I do Brian Westbrook or Sav Rocca, as one of my own.
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