Decisions

For two reasons, we have heard the name "Michael Vick" here in Baltimore and around the country quite a bit these days.  Vick was an NFL quarterback, among the first to be as good as a runner as a passer, and it was his record of 1,039 rushing yards as an Atlanta Falcon in 2006 that Baltimore Ravens qb Lamar Jackson broke the other night - and Jackson has two more games in which to pad his stats for the season. 

And then of course, there's the animal cruelty issue. Vick was arrested in 2007, and spent 21 months in federal prison, for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. He returned to football afterwards, and became the NFL Comeback Player of the Year before winding up his playing days in 2015.

Jackson (left) and Vick

The current imbroglio is over the league's decision to have Vick serve as a ceremonial captain for the Pro Bowl game, a largely unwatched all-star exhibition game to be held at the fabulous Camping World Stadium in Orlando, featuring the best pro players, except for those who are otherwise occupied getting ready for the Super Bowl, which comes up the next weekend.

Animal rights defenders have sent petitions with upwards of a million signatures to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is the man who initially banned Vick upon his arrest and now offers him this chance to serve in a meaningless capacity for reasons not quite clear.

 "Over the last, what is it, nine years or so, we have supported Michael in his, what I think his recognition of the mistake he made," Goodell said in a press conference last week. "He's paid a heavy price for that. He's been accountable for it. He's worked aggressively with the Humane Society and other institutions to deal with animal rights and to make sure people don't make the same mistake he made, and I admire that."

"To honor a man who had zero regard for animals is unacceptable and I would like your help to make sure he is NOT honored at the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl," the petition started by Change.Org says.

At his press conference, Goodell reported that Vick has worked hard for the rights of animals since being released from prison, and that he has worked with legislatures in favor of a bill that would allow police to break into cars in which dogs and cats are locked. 

"I know there are people out there who will never forgive him," the commissioner said. "He knows that. But I think this is a young man who's really taken his life in a positive direction, and we support that, so I don't anticipate any change, no," Goodell said.

On the other hand, a woman named Joanna Lind created a petition to bar Vick from the game, saying: “When is the NFL going to take any responsibility for the behavior of it’s (sic) current and former players?  To honor a man who had zero regard for animals is unacceptable and I would like your help to make sure he is NOT honored at the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl.”

Vick was seen working to right his wrongs after his release. He was mentored by coach Tony Dungy, one of the most respected men in the game, and was involved with the Humane Society of the United States, on their End Dog Fighting campaign.

The Humane Society said at the time that they believed Vick “paid his price for his crime,” and wanted to work with him to end dog fighting.

“We don’t know what is in his heart and his mind, but we wanted to give him the chance to do something good and show he’s heading in the right direction, working against animal cruelty and dog fighting, specifically,” said a HSUS spokesperson. “This was a serious crime he was convicted of, so we’re taking this one day at a time. If there’s any work he can do to stop dog fighting, we’re all for it.”

So many ways to look at this, so many things to keep in mind. No sane person supports animal cruelty, and Vick's defense at the time - that the dog-fighting culture was a large part of his young life in Newport News, VA - does not hold much water. A lot of people are raised in areas with crimes.

And the thought of anyone harming my cats would make me want to do that person quite a deal of harm.

But we are told that everyone deserves a second chance, and that a man who has been to jail and done his time should come back to society unfettered.

But no one is about to hire a former child molester to work with children.

For every angle on this, there is another. I'm going to say that the Pro Bowl, in the pantheon of sporting activities, is hardly more important than the National Marbles Tournament, or the TiddlyWinks Finals.

So why drag the game down even more by dragging this man and his baggage into it?