Michael Vick and Buying Eggs

It might be old news but it’s worth talking about. Michael Vick has been reinstated by the NFL. Although his reinstatement is rather watered down when you look at it. He’s able to practice and if picked up by a team he can play the final two pre-season games. Then once the season starts we will be sidelined for 5 games where Commissioner Roger Goodell will review his case and give him a pass to play the rest of the season or sideline him some more. This final stipulation is ridiculous. Commissioner Goodell should make it a 5 game suspension and leave it at that. Instead what we have is that looming drama that will bring coverage and press to the NFL for the first quarter of the season with the question “Will Vick be reinstated?”

The idea that he has to be suspended is absolutely dumb. Period. The man served 18 months in the slammer, and lost two seasons in what could be considered his prime years as a quarterback. What it looks like is that the Commish just wants to feel big, and make it look like he’s doing something to keep the game clean. His actions had nothing to do with football. I believe what he and his cohorts did is disgusting, but he did his time. Why should he pay twice for the crime.
I go to the store and buy me a dozen eggs at $1.50. The pretty little attendant scans the bar code, up comes the price, out goes my Washington and two quarters. As I’m walking out, the teenage punk who catches carts stops me and shakes me down for another $1.50 for the eggs. I just paid twice the price, why?

Sure Vick hasn’t been asked to sit out the season, that would just be balls dumb. Goodell has no need nor requirement by the NFL to suspend him. He could have simply suspended him while he was incarcerated and then once released he would be able to step right onto the field. Instead Goodell seems to like the attention is having us all sit around to see if he can actually play. And please like a pre-season game is seeing if somebody can play. Really, it’s just a bunch of rookies and umpteenth stringers playing.

But what is written by Goodell shall be so that brings us to the following, so Vick must t be punished twice for his crime first by the real authority and now by the Commish. Should Vick even be able to play again. Of course he should. Because somebody has been convicted of a crime doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be barred from seeking employment. Of course the whiners, and last picked losers of the world will cry, “of course he can find employment, just not in the NFL.”

But why not in the NFL? Why will he become a role model? That would be great. Look at that guy, he hit bottom, made some stupid decisions and changed his life and was able to return to doing what he loved. We Americans love that kind of story, the one about redemption and change in the face of terrible odds and devastating set backs. Or there’s the hatred that he will return to making bookoo bucks. Oh no, lets not let the guy make a lot of money. For being a hater (which I am) I can’t stoop that low. To be disgruntle at guy who is making tons of money is absurd. He’ll turn around and donate a ton of that money to charities and he will put so much of it to good causes, that’s after he’s done paying off debt and lawyers fees. “So it’ll be okay if he makes money, just not too much.” That’s just juvenile.

I understand that some criminal convictions will keep people from jobs. I don’t want a pedophile or former druggie to teach my kids in class, or work in a day care. I won’t hire a dude that was convicted for embezzlement to run my finances. Of course there some offenses that run in direct opposition to a career. In the case of Michael Vick this just isn’t the situation. He did something that wasn’t like what he did with regards to football.

So where to put Vick? I’m not sure, he would be great running the Wildcat, or doing trick plays and the such, maybe use him in another position. That can be decided by the coaches, he should just be given a chance to play, and I’m sure somebody will pick him up and give a chance, injuries happen, draft picks puke, and crap happens.