A non-footie rumination on the eve of the season starting

So, as a native of the Philadelphia area here in the US I'm confronted with something of a dilemma. Growing up in Philadelphia you are generally brought up with a healthy (and some would say unhealthy) bit of mania for the local professional sports teams across all major American sports. As a kid who played just about every sport available growing up and growing up in an era (late 70s and early 80s) when all of the local teams were challenging for championships I formed life-long attachments to my teams - the Phillies in baseball (that's the defending World Series champion Phillies I might add); the 76ers in basketball; the Flyers in hockey; and the Eagles in football (our version). Not having a sustainable professional league for most of that time and having limited-at-best access to European footie, I didn't develop my affection for Arsenal or DC United until later.

Why do I mention this? Because today (well, actually last night) my Eagles announced the signing of contraversial quarterback Michael Vick who is fresh off of 18 months in federal prison after being convicted of a variety of infractions revolving around running a dog-fighting operation and participating in some incredibly gruesome acts in putting down some of the dogs that lost their fights. I have to say I'm incredibly conflicted on a number of levels...

  1. Paying his debt? - according to our system of justice, Vick has paid his debt to society. His sentence came down, he served his time, his previous employers and those companies that had previously had him as an endorser exercised their rights to either stop paying him or taking back some of the money they had already paid. From this standpoint, I believe in his right to pursue whatever career people will allow him to have knowing his past history.
  2. Are sports different? despite believing in his RIGHT to be employed somewhere by whomever will have him, I don't believe that playing professional sports isn't an unalienable right. I think leagues have to be clear about what they consider acceptable behavior and what they don't and I think the lines are a little too blurred. We have people here in the States like Ray Lewis (allegedly stabbed a person to death), Donte Stallworth and Leonard Little (both killed people while drunk driving) as well as all manner of asaults and batteries and generally horrible behavior. I'm not sure where Vick's actions fit in the continuum of bad things - it is certainly horrible but is it worse than beating your wife/girlfriend or killing someone while driving drunk? Obviously it isn't my decision to make on behalf of the leagues but I think the least they could do is publish some standards that eliminate someone from further participation if they go over a line.
  3. Should talent make a difference? For those of you not familiar with Vick, he's something of an athletic freak of nature. This isn't a merely-better-than-average guy like Joey Barton this guy was one of the top ten talents in the NFL before his fall from grace. All of the PR is that this is a story about redemption and all of that but it's really about him getting another chance because he's a freak of nature as an athlete. If here were a lesser player, would he be given this chance? Would a team take a chance on him?
  4. My team? Despite my desires for more stringent rules, they don't exist and he has been allowed back. As I said above, I believe in his right to play for A team. Now I have to decide how I feel about him playing for MY team and how I'm going to react to it. A small part of me is intrigued as to what he might add to the Eagles current mix that was only two victories from winning their first championship of my lifetime last season. Overall though, my gut reaction is that I'm not thrilled about it. We've all seen teams who sold their souls for the sake of someone who has a talent that they currently lack. I'm just not wild that my team is the one doing it this time around.
So, where does all of this leave me? Well, I've rambled for quite some time. I know myself well enough that I'm not going to stop supporting the Eagles for this one decision even if isn't my favorite. Honestly, I even hope the best for Mike Vick as a guy, he did some pretty horrible things but I hope he has (and keeps) his act together and realizes the error of his ways. At the same time, I sort of hope that his return to the NFL fizzles and he is forced to earn a living like normal human beings do. I'm not sure if it is possible to root for a team while hoping one of the players on that team doesn't do well but I'm going to give it a try. I guess we won't know for sure how it will work out until he's on the field and I have to react to something he does.

Curious to know what everyone else out there thinks about the situation. What would you think if it was your team that was considering such a tainted player? What if it had the potential to push you over the top for a title you've been hoping for all of your life? Would you be willing to look the other way? Would you be satisfied with finishing out of the money but having your team making a moral stand?

5 comments:

  1. Neal – Nice balanced column. Which is more than most people are doing.

    I think this controversy is boiling doing to a couple of things. 1) Judging the reaction to Vick’s release, well before his signing with the Eagles, people don’t really believe in rehabilitation in this country. A lot of the premise of the penal system is based on that. I don’t believe Vick is truly remorseful. But I truly believe that he will never commit that particular crime again.

    2) I’ve seen some stuff about the ‘privilege of playing the NFL’. You mean the privilege of working for a multi-billion dollar corporation and many other people who make their living off of this sport? What a privilege. And what a privilege it is when you’re a second string D-Lineman and you strain a hammy and you’re put on waivers. You mean it’s a privilege to play in a league that makes money hand over fist, yet doesn’t have guaranteed contracts? My point is like the quote from the Outlaw Josey Wales, “Don’t piss on my hat and tell me it’s raining.” I don’t need the NFL to get all self-righteous about their morals. They’ve strongarmed many a TV contract and looked the other way as gambling helped fuel their rise to the top of the American sports landscape.

    So in short, society has said that Vick paid his dues. If you want to change society, then go ahead. You don’t want a ‘role model’ like Vick playing sports. Then don’t spend money on sports. Either way, let the man back into society. If you don’t want him back, then you are saying that you don’t want any ex-con to work again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Grew up in Virginia, had 2 1st cousins and several of their kids that went to Va Tech, including one kid that's an Engineering student there who lost a couple of friends and an professor in the massacre.

    I'm biased toward Vick for obvious reasons. That said, Vick was one of the few prominent athletes I ever remember getting the book thrown at him that hard. Zack Randolph was caught red-handed with fighting pit bulls on his property while he was still playing for Portland in the same investigation Qyntel Woods was caught staging dog fights at his house. Woods got "fined" a $10,000 donation to the Humane Society and 80 hours community service. Zack Randolph was allowed to completely walk. Woods was suspended by the Blazers, and released later that season. Woods never was disciplined by the NBA, though. He signed right away with the Miami Heat, though.

    I really believe the reason Micheal Vick went to prison is he's a black NFL QB that's better than most of the other white NFL QBs.

    That's a white guy brought up in surburban Richmond, VA saying that, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't believe it! You are a Philadelphia sports fan as well as an Arsenal supporter - just like me :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Neal, I have just immigrated to Philly from Southampton and having being married to a fellow Philadelphian sprts fan (excluding basketball) I follow the Eagles, Phillies and Flyers. I completely agree with you on the Vick thing. We'll see what happens. As long as it doesn't mess donovan up.

    btw, I prefer your blog being on this page to last years yahoo page...it feels more exclusive. Keep up the GREAT work. YOu guys do a lot better than the "Fantasist"

    All the best for the new season

    Joe Ketley aka Ketzz - Gaffer of the Philadelphia Backwash (Beat the Bloggers Group 4)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Am a Giant,Jet,Yank & Met fan, I kind of feel bad for Vick, but i feel worse for the dogs.Just to give you and me a reality check , if he makes one of those patented end around touchdown runs against the GIANTS to knock them out of the playoffs all will be forgiven. I have the same problem with A-ROD, don't particularly care for the guy, but I certainly cheer his homeruns.As much as i abhor the brutality and killing of the losing dogs, is it so different for the losers of the Kentucky Derby. Once again it's BOTTOM LINE and Vick is a very marketable person

    To Adam in Portland, I think this happened to Vick because he was such a high profile athlete that it could'nt be brushed away, along with having some very poor council. I don't know, would this of happened to Bret Favre????

    ReplyDelete