I think Michael Vick has paid his due and should be allowed to continue carving his sports career. I don’t agree with what he was a part of in the dog fighting arena, but what really bothered me was the email of the artist who was had a dog chained in a New York gallary starving it to death as an art exhibit. Why is that not cruelty to an animal? This man has paid his debt for his crime. He was a paid professional not a hero or a role model.

As you stated Padmini, he has paid his dues. I think there needs to be a separation of the issue of dog fighting and the issue of his profession as a football player. The illegal activity of which he was charged, arrested, convicted, and completed his prison sentence for had nothing to do with his career in football. Why should it have anything to do with it now? Why are we asking the professional athletes to go above their job requirements to become the everyday hero people want and expect? Is it really their job to be someone’s hero or example? Is it ethical that we place them on pedestals and expect them to act better than the rest of us? We have to separate these issues because one has nothing to do with the other. If someone in business or a retail job were to be convicted of the same crime, should they also be questioned regarding returning back to their careers? More than likely we would not care. With all this time away from football, Vick will have his hands full with training, practice, and getting back up to the standard need to play. With that said, he won’t have much time to be getting into trouble and that actually may be a good thing, as well as an example for others.
To answer your question, yes I think he should have the opportunity to get back into his career. And actually I would ask, is it ethical to continue to punish someone like Vick by withholding that opportunity to return to the NFL, after he has already paid his dues to society?

Serving time doesnt guarntee someone has learned their lesson. I still cant understand why celebs are given such latitude, when it comes to their misdeeds? I have yet to be able to forgive him , only his future actions will be the proof. However, what I would do, if I were the head of the NFL, would be to take a big portion of his earnings and give them to the ASPCA

Ellie,
The Humane Society has already announced Vick will be working with them in appearing in anti-dogfighting advertisements and community outreach programs. I know you may think $ sounds better but you really should understand how big and popular dog fighting is in the inner-cities and the south. To most of us it was shocking to learn about this but it is a big part of the culture in some parts of our country where even teenagers are raising dogs to go fight. Vick could do tremendous work using his celeberity to take away the appeal and “coolness” of such a disgusting act.
I’m also sure that once he starts earning money, he’ll be donating some to pro-animal causes. To get that money, he needs to be allowed to play in the NFL. He went to jail, he did his time, he should be allowed to play if someone would like to hire him.

No person who has a felony conviction should be allowed to play professional sports. Period.

Sins being forgiven have nothing to do with sports but all to do with God. Michael has done the time which was set by the courts therefore why should anyone else continue to punish him. We are not to judge. Professional sports is a job just like any other and to say that profressional athletes with felony convictions should not be allowed to play/work (earn a living at what they do best)is a bit drastic. That would be like saying any person working at all with a felony conviction should not be allowed to work no matter what field or career path they have taken.

I admit, it’s been a long day, so bear with my rambling thoughts…it seems as though most of you are agreeing with “Your Name” when he/she says, “That would be like saying any person working at all with a felony conviction should not be allowed to work no matter what field or career path they have taken.”
Isn’t that what we often do? For instance, with politicians? That is a career choice like any other yet if they are convicted of a crime or less than a crime (adultery, etc) their careers are over.

Ah, Padmini you just had to go down that road. LOL. I think you cannot juxtapose the two (athlete & politician) in this scenario. There are several reasons why there is a difference regarding the politicians: 1. They represent the people in an office at whatever level of government, where the people hired them (voted). 2. Their salaries are paid for by the people (taxes). 3. When a politician commits a crime or makes a mistake based on passion, that act in itself may not represent the value of the voters, who hired the politician. At the same time, it may be at odds with the values or laws upon which the politician promised to protect during their campaign 4. When an act is committed by a politician, one can begin to question if such bad judgment will also begin to effect the politicians work through that same bad judgment.
Regarding an athlete and his job, i.e. football player, they do not represent me, my values, or work for me. I can turn off the t.v., change the channel, refuse to attend a game, and refuse to purchase sporting goods endorsed by that athlete. An athlete’s continued employment has no adverse affect on my life, nor anyone else’s. Whereas a politicians does.

I am apalled that they are even considering allowing Vik to return to football. Anyone who would condone treating animals in such a cruel, heartless manner should not be held up as a public figure worthy of respect by children. Football players are looked up to by kids everywhere….. would you really want your child to see this man portrayed as a sports hero??? A person who could treat animals in this way could in a heartbeat treat a human the same way. I never heard any words of remorse from him….I honestly believe there is something lacking in his soul that would allow him to take part in such horrible activities. Keep him out of sports…out of the limelight….please!!!! Make your opinion known to the owners of all football leagues who might even be considering taking him….refuse to buy tickets if they do.

If he’d killed people he would be in jail forever. Why is this punishment for this crime so much lesser? I understand that they’re animals not humans (dogs = better imho), but geez man, he barely did any time at all. And then we’re going to let him climb back up into a position wherein little kids will look to him as a leader and mentor? Puh-leeze! Certainly, he should be allowed to work again, but it should be as a Port-a-Potty servicer.

1. Vick has agreed to work with the Humane Society to educate others of the errors of what he did.
2. Tony Dungy a diehard Christian is working with and vouching for Vick.
3. Animals are not people. I am an animal person but some people do not view dogs as parts of the family. My own grandfather treated dogs just like the rest of his farm animals. If a dog became sick he was shot. Not saying that was right either but some people aren’t raised to appreciate dogs/cats as family members.
4. Forgiveness.
5. He who is perfect cast the first stone.

Number 5 is absolute bull, Matthew. OK. I’m not perfect, but I’ve never done anything that even comes close to this level of horrible! You know what, I can cast a stone. I can cast a few, and I will. I can perfectly well judge people who torture and/or murder the most innocent and the most vulnerable. And, it’s all well and good to talk about forgiveness if you’ve never had to forgive anybody close to you anything really serious. It’s just not as easy as that. So what if a diehard Cristian is vouching for him. What does that say? Nothing, really. He agreed to work with the Human Society not because he is a change man, but because he would never get back what he had if he didn’t do something along those lines. In order to do what he did, he has to have some kind of personality disorder–psychopathy or sociopathy comes to mind.

I feel as though Michael Vick should be let back into the NFL. He has served his time in prison.
When you look on the news, you have repeated sex offenders who have received less time than he has served and still get to carry on with their lives. A while back (maybe a year ago), I was watching the Dr. Phil (Saving Grace) show and it showed a man who molested his grand daughter, his wife (her grandmother) knew about it and he only received 8 MONTHS IN JAIL and some counseling. Seriously!?!? Like REALLY??!! I was in shock! Not saying that what Michael Vick did was right because it certainly was not, but IN MY OPINION, what that man did to his grand daughter, was far worse. I have been a Michael Vick fan since he had been in Atlanta and I will continue to be a fan of his no matter what team he WILL play on in the future.

I am a dog lover and a football fan. I admit I would not have liked it if my home team had picked up Vick. The dog fighting incident was not the only trouble that Vick has gotten into either. So everyone talking about “second chances”, try again. It is more like his fourth or eighth chance. That being said would anyone be better off if Vick were left in the cold? He’s poven time and time again that he can get into trouble. What would he get into if he hadn’t been picked up by the Eagles? At least this give him support, a purpose and a goal that may keep him on the straight and narrow.