The Vick Dillemma

What I’ll be watching this week is the Michael Vick soap opera as it continues to unfold. Vick’s federal sentence for dog-fighting ends this Monday, clearing him of a major hurdle in his attempt to be re-instated into the NFL. Another roadblock remains however, as he still needs to get the approval of football’s new dean of discipline, Roger Goodell. No easy feat considering earlier this week Goodell went on record saying “Not everyone deserves a second chance.” (Did you catch that Pacman?)
What Vick did was incredibly wrong, and he suffered the appropriate consequences. 18 months in Leavenworth is hardly the Club Med type treatment most celebrities in this country get when they break the law. Now that he’s paid his debt to society, it’s up to Goodell to decide whether or not Vick’s punishment is up to NFL standards. Both Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson faced additional punishment at the hands of the NFL after completing their punishment from the authorities.
Ironically, considering he committed a crime against dogs, it’s the Wild-Cat formation that makes Vick such an intriguing player for a lot of teams. The formation was made for a man of his talents, but before he gets that chance, he has to convince the tough as nails Goodell that he has remorse for his actions. The fact that he worked a construction job and has vowed to work with animal groups will win him no favor in Goodell’s eyes. He will have to do it in a yet to be scheduled face to face meeting with the commish. Vick has spent his whole career dodging oncoming rushers, but this may be the one sack he simply can’t avoid.