Michael Vick

[BostonArizona]

Michael Vick did not pay his debt to society, his debt will never be paid. He is a horrible person and does not deserve the priviledge of a job in the NFL.  A janitorial position would suit him much better.

So what you are saying with this statement is that the quality of person in the NFL is that much higher than that of a janitor?

Janitor's are the scum of the earth? NFL players are all saints?

While having a job in the NFL(or having any job in general) IS  a priviledge, the system is in place to allow the VERY BEST TALENT, not necissarily the best PEOPLE are playing in the league.

Just because this man is vilified in media doesn't mean he is a terrible person. Stop letting the news headlines and juries think for you.

They arent letting the Jury's think for them, the courts said he has paid his debt.

The impression that these media outlets and government officials have made is that Vick is this heinous human being.

People run with this idea until the same outlets tell you its ok to like him again and all is forgiven.

[Rondo2287]

Wow comparing Mike Vick to Jeffrey Dahmer...a little dramatic?

Vick did his time, and has been villified much more so than other NFL law breakers who have done much worse.

I agree with you that his actions were very discouraging and definitely regrettable, but he has done his time and acording to the government, he is a free man(on probation but a free man).

Shouldn't a free man have the right to pursue his career? Do you really think the Commissioner of the league should be able to essentially say:
"The court system wasn't hard enough on Vick, he needs to be suspended further"
In what world is the commish living in?

Goodell is killing Vick's value by putting his status in limbo. A team knowing what week they will have Vick available will take a chance on him without thinking twice. Nobody knows when he will be available for in game playing.

I think what Goodell and the higher-ups of the NFL are doing to Vick is ridiculous and wholly unfair to this man.

If you honestly want to make this about how an animal's life is that much more valuable or as valuable as  human life then that's your opinion. I would ask you if you would your own life for a random squirrel in your backyard. How about for a panda bear? What about a whale? Your own dog? How about a fish in your expensive fishtank?

Let Vick play.

I have no issue with the suspension.  This is not Vick's league.  If they want to hire him, it's fine, he just has to live with the consequences of his actions.

The consequences of his actions were jail time and probation and public humiliation. While I do agree he deserved those consequences, his job state should not be affected in the NFL job environment.

Who is Goodell to hand down further punishment? Is he above our juries and judges?

No he is not above this, however this is an NFL Code of Conduct that each of the players agree to when they sign their contracts.  This code of conducts subjects them to the judgement of the commissioner.  And you can be suspended in the NFL for many things that you wont do jail time for, they are separate.  

[Rondo2287]

On a sidenote if the Patriots sign him how unfair of a team would that be in Madden to have both Vick and Brady on the same team. 

[BostonArizona]

Wow comparing Mike Vick to Jeffrey Dahmer...a little dramatic?

Vick did his time, and has been villified much more so than other NFL law breakers who have done much worse.

I agree with you that his actions were very discouraging and definitely regrettable, but he has done his time and acording to the government, he is a free man(on probation but a free man).

Shouldn't a free man have the right to pursue his career? Do you really think the Commissioner of the league should be able to essentially say:
"The court system wasn't hard enough on Vick, he needs to be suspended further"
In what world is the commish living in?

Goodell is killing Vick's value by putting his status in limbo. A team knowing what week they will have Vick available will take a chance on him without thinking twice. Nobody knows when he will be available for in game playing.

I think what Goodell and the higher-ups of the NFL are doing to Vick is ridiculous and wholly unfair to this man.

If you honestly want to make this about how an animal's life is that much more valuable or as valuable as  human life then that's your opinion. I would ask you if you would your own life for a random squirrel in your backyard. How about for a panda bear? What about a whale? Your own dog? How about a fish in your expensive fishtank?

Let Vick play.

I have no issue with the suspension.  This is not Vick's league.  If they want to hire him, it's fine, he just has to live with the consequences of his actions.

The consequences of his actions were jail time and probation and public humiliation. While I do agree he deserved those consequences, his job state should not be affected in the NFL job environment.

Who is Goodell to hand down further punishment? Is he above our juries and judges?

No he is not above this, however this is an NFL Code of Conduct that each of the players agree to when they sign their contracts.  This code of conducts subjects them to the judgement of the commissioner.  And you can be suspended in the NFL for many things that you wont do jail time for, they are separate.  

I know full well about the code of conduct, I'm not disputing it isn't in place.

I disagree with the NFL taking it upon itself to do more damage to this man's life.

What is the point of this suspension? Yes I know its going to be 4-6 weeks but Goodell and the NFL have said publicly that further suspensions may be coming for Vick.

[Rondo2287]

The point of the suspension is that it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  It is a right to be given a fair and speedy trial through the courts and as a citizen you have to accept their judgement.  However it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  They do not have to let him play ever again. 

[BostonArizona]

And as for not comparing Vick to other players, how about guys that have killed others after getting into a car after drinking?   

Are they somehow better?

No they are actually worse.

Also I would make the argument that Vick was quite strong to take ALL the blame for his relative's and friend's actions.

Throughout all the hearings all his friends and relatives turned their back on him and gave him up. While Vick held himself accountable for his actions.

That right there alone made an impression on me. He's not this terrible guy. Yes he did some really stupid things, but not things he should be crucified for.

The majority of what was going on was not even orchestrated by Vick but yet he is considered the ring master here.

[BostonArizona]

The point of the suspension is that it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  It is a right to be given a fair and speedy trial through the courts and as a citizen you have to accept their judgement.  However it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  They do not have to let him play ever again. 

I know they have that right, stop just playing devil's advocate you haven't made a single point you just contradict what I say.

The NFL can suspend a player permanently but why would they do it to Vick. Explain to me the logic behind that?

Again, does Goodell not think he was punished severely enough?

[Rondo2287]

The point of the suspension is that it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  It is a right to be given a fair and speedy trial through the courts and as a citizen you have to accept their judgement.  However it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  They do not have to let him play ever again. 

I know they have that right, stop just playing devil's advocate you haven't made a single point you just contradict what I say.

The NFL can suspend a player permanently but why would they do it to Vick. Explain to me the logic behind that?

Again, does Goodell not think he was punished severely enough?

No he probably doesnt think he was punished enough, thats why he suspended him

[BostonArizona]

The point of the suspension is that it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  It is a right to be given a fair and speedy trial through the courts and as a citizen you have to accept their judgement.  However it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  They do not have to let him play ever again. 

I know they have that right, stop just playing devil's advocate you haven't made a single point you just contradict what I say.

The NFL can suspend a player permanently but why would they do it to Vick. Explain to me the logic behind that?

Again, does Goodell not think he was punished severely enough?

No he probably doesnt think he was punished enough, thats why he suspended him

And this is where I dissagree with the NFL. While they have the right to do this, its not right.

[wdleehi]

The point of the suspension is that it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  It is a right to be given a fair and speedy trial through the courts and as a citizen you have to accept their judgement.  However it is a privilege to play in the NFL.  They do not have to let him play ever again. 

I know they have that right, stop just playing devil's advocate you haven't made a single point you just contradict what I say.

The NFL can suspend a player permanently but why would they do it to Vick. Explain to me the logic behind that?

Again, does Goodell not think he was punished severely enough?

No he probably doesnt think he was punished enough, thats why he suspended him

And this is where I dissagree with the NFL. While they have the right to do this, its not right.

He tarnished the NFL and it's players names.  Just because he was forced to be in jail for a long time doesn't mean he should then get a free pass when he returns.

[perks-a-beast]

I agree with the OP. I'm no PETA freak or anything but i'm having a very hard time forgiving Vick for what he did to those innocent animals. A dogs life is very short, and it makes me sick that these dogs lifes consisted only of brutal fighting, being abused, and eventually executed. Nobody/No thing deserves that.

Vick's crime is without a doubt uncomparable to other NFL players crimes. If a guy who shot HIMSELF in the leg BY ACCIDENT gets more jail time than a guy who knowingly tortured and killed living creatures then i no longer have ANY faith in the justice system.

[Rondo2287]

I agree with the OP. I'm no PETA freak or anything but i'm having a very hard time forgiving Vick for what he did to those innocent animals. A dogs life is very short, and it makes me sick that these dogs lifes consisted only of brutal fighting, being abused, and eventually executed. Nobody/No thing deserves that.

Vick's crime is without a doubt uncomparable to other NFL players crimes. If a guy who shot HIMSELF in the leg BY ACCIDENT gets more jail time than a guy who knowingly tortured and killed living creatures then i no longer have ANY faith in the justice system.

He isnt going to get jail time for shooting himself, he is getting jailtime for carrying a concealed firearm into a night club

[perks-a-beast]

my point was that no one would have ever heard or cared about the fact that he was carrying a gun FOR PROTECTION had he not shot him self in the leg. He wasnt planning on killing anyone unless they attacked him. Vick unprovingly killed hundreds of dogs. So the fact that Plaxico will most likely get more jail time than Vick is Redonkulous.

[Rondo2287]

my point was that no one would have ever heard or cared about the fact that he was carrying a gun FOR PROTECTION had he not shot him self in the leg. He wasnt planning on killing anyone unless they attacked him. Vick unprovingly killed hundreds of dogs. So the fact that Plaxico will most likely get more jail time than Vick is Redonkulous.

But the point is Plaxico Accidentally discharged the weapon.  He didnt go in with the intention of shooting himself either.  If it could accidentally fire and hit him, he could have just as easily injured another which is what the law is there for, for protection of others. 

And im sorry but Vick wasnt the only one there, Vick didnt kill 100's of dogs.  They killed eachother and dogfighting is part of the culture.  This stuff happens alot more than is known in the south, but Vick is the scapegoat for the entire dog fighting culture because he is famous.

The man did his time, paid his dues.  All this for a house that he was almost never at.  He was put in jail because it was his house however there was a great deal of evidence that he wasn't present as most of the dogfights were going on. 

I think its time that people build a bridge and get over it on this Michael Vick thing.  Lets say he wasnt famous, lets say he was your neighbor and he worked as an IT guy at the office park down the road, would any of you go and protest him working there?  This is a big deal because of who he is not what he did, its as simple as that. 

[BostonArizona]

I agree with the OP. I'm no PETA freak or anything but i'm having a very hard time forgiving Vick for what he did to those innocent animals. A dogs life is very short, and it makes me sick that these dogs lifes consisted only of brutal fighting, being abused, and eventually executed. Nobody/No thing deserves that.

Vick's crime is without a doubt uncomparable to other NFL players crimes. If a guy who shot HIMSELF in the leg BY ACCIDENT gets more jail time than a guy who knowingly tortured and killed living creatures then i no longer have ANY faith in the justice system.

OK OK Hold on let's see not comparable??? Let me bring up a few names: Ray Lewis, the Bengals, PacMan Jones. Vick has served his sentence.  Plaxico Burress was in a night club with a consealed weapon SAFETY OFF when he accidently shot himself.  Umm totally different guy.