The whole point of free speech is not to make ideas exempt from criticism but to expose them to it.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Has Michael Vick Paid His Debt to Society?

Michael Vick has been released from jail and is serving the remainder of his 23 month sentence under house arrest. He copped a plea to charges he operated an interstate dog fighting ring and paid a $1 million fine.

According to the courts, he will have paid his debt to society upon successfully completing his sentence. But has he paid his debt to the NFL, which received a Niagara of bad publicity associated with the case?

I believe that if Vick had been anyone other than a high dollar football hero, his sentence would have been much lighter. On one hand, his actions were despicable. On the other, he owned up to it and has served his sentence.

When all is considered, I don't believe he should be in the NFL. I think the NFL, the NBA, the PGA and MLB should be populated by role models. Not a lot of role models in any of those organizations. Money will win in the end. He'll be playing soon.

3 comments:

Bob Newland said...

Niagra: a cascade of chemically induced erectile dysfunction.

Niagara: a river running through New York into Canada noted for its cascades on the border.
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As for role models, what better role model than someone whose athletic ability has been rewarded by an institution of higher learning with a diploma that required only attendance at athletic practice and games?

We only learned after OJ had retired from his college-facilitated career that he was functionally illiterate.

I think Michael Vick is a perfect role model for aspirants to a career that is devoted largely to injuring opponents, and that results in its astonishingly-rewarded stars mostly being flat broke seven years after their leaving the game.

Michael Sanborn said...

Thanks Bob for reminding me that everyone – EVERYONE – needs an editor. The spelling error has been corrected.

Sadly, most stellar college athletes never graduate, even from the cream puff curricula they face as freshman.

It might be interesting if professional organizations refused to draft anyone who does not complete college.

Unfortunately, the opposite is the case. Those professional organizations are the ones encouraging illiterate teenagers to leave college and get rich.

But the problem is uglier. Why were they illiterate when they left high school? Same reason, I'm afraid.

Yeah, they're barely functional off the field...but it's justified because they're fun to watch.

bill fleming said...

Gladiators.