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COLUMN: Michael Vick should get a second chance

by Dara Mirzaie | July 21, 2009 | 9 comments

Michael Vick was released from federal custody on Monday. He now begins the long process of attempting to get back into the NFL after spending two seasons behind bars.

After pleading guilty to running a dog-fighting ring out of his own home, he was sentenced to a 23-month sentence. In just over one month he went from one of the most entertaining players, a human highlight reel that everyone had to watch, to one of the most hated athletes of all time. The NFL suspended him indefinitely and his team, the Atlanta Falcons, released him from his $130 million contact. Which at that time made him the highest paid NFL player.

Many people feel that Vick’s punishment was too light, and now NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is in charge of deciding if Vick should be allowed back on the field.

A lot of teams are likely to not show any interest due to the public backlash that would happen if they signed Vick. However his athleticism will probably be enough to get some team to take a chance on him.

If I was Roger Goodell, I’d immediately reinstate Vick and give the quarterback a chance to prove he was sorry for what he had done. I love dogs, and I think Vick’s actions were one of the worse things someone can do to animals. In fact, I personally hope some dog-loving defensive lineman takes a much deserved hit right in his knees. Despite that, it would be the best not only for the NFL, but for Vick as well.

The NFL does not need to take up the responsibilities that many feel the court system did not do. If the punishment was too light, which I think it was, the court system still found that it was an adequate sentence, and the NFL should too.

For those that think Vick deserves worse, just think of how a crowd of 100,000 people is going to treat him every week. I bet there is even a large amount of fans of Vick’s future team, which will constantly make sure Vick knows how angry they are at him. For the rest of his career he is going to have to deal with knowing that everyone in the stands wants to throw him a ring with the very same pit bulls he trained to fight.

Putting Vick back on the field would also be the best thing for Vick himself. Perhaps finding himself away from the spotlight will make him cherish his opportunity to get back on the field. Vick was one of those athletes that the entire football world looked up to, and because of his own actions he now has to slowly win back over those fans. Vick also had to file bankruptcy earlier this year, and is still in a lot of debt. Keeping him out of the NFL might push him back into a crime ring in hopes of paying off that debt.

Vick’s image has been tarnished forever. Nothing he can do is going to change the mind of some of those people out there. Although just because you may hate the guy, we should still give him another chance to prove to all of us that he is sorry.

-Dara Mirzaie is a economis senior.

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majid 2 years, 10 months ago

i am wondering if you apply for a job, does dog-fighting shows on your credit report!

hillelkkiller89 2 years, 10 months ago

I think that the problem with letting him back in the NFL is that he has tarnished his image so badly. The NFL has enough problems with players facing criminal allegations, they dont need another thug who is a good football player playing in the league. Many people look up to professional athletes and the last thing we need is another criminal becoming a role model for the youth of America.

majid 2 years, 10 months ago

no,no,no. they should not let him play for at least five more years, and if he has financial problem and might do something criminal again ! that is not the responsibility of the public, it is like an average citizen say give me a job or i go and find some money in an illegal way, and i think 23 months in jail was like slap on the hand.

koatz 2 years, 9 months ago

I'd like Majid to spend 23 months in prison then tell us if it was a slap-on-the-hand. As Dargus stated, "if the law believes he has paid his debt, let him play." Finally, I wonder if all the self-righteous animal activists types are vegetarians. If not, they should be, because far worse things are done to the animals that become the meat that they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

dargus 2 years, 10 months ago

Tyler, Vick was fired, he used to work for the Falcons. No doubt once you got out of prison you'd seek another job in your field, and would probably eventually find one.

JJanowiak 2 years, 10 months ago

There's something very bizarre about this column and I can't think of the right word to describe it. It's like the author has some strange belief that a good football player has an intrinsic right to play for the NFL and that the NFL exists in a vacuum of social responsibilities where only the game matters. Unfortunately that's not true and dog-fighters are a PR problem the NFL doesn't need or want.

The way you describe Vick, "being on the field will be best for him" and "he has to deal with people in the stands hating him" has the effect of reducing to the level of one of the dogs he trained to kill other dogs for the enjoyment of others. Time to take those Reality Blurring Goggles off.