Michael Vick

[JJ Smooth]

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been released from his stay in prison and also reinstated with the NFL. This seems to be the latest hot button issue in sports today, so here's a few questions for discussion:

1) Should he have a punishment when he signs with a team? Suspension for games, etc.

2) Is there a team you feel needing and willing to sign him?

3) Should he have been reinstated in the first place?

Personally, I think the NFL should've banned him from playing again. There are stereotypes being associated with nearly every major sport today. Baseball is juicing with steroids, basketball for thugs, cycling for blood dopers, and football for criminals and convicts. In an effort to clean up the sport and set an example as athletic role models the likes of Vick, Plaxico Burress, Donte Stallworth, etc. would be booted out of the league. (I'm also of the type to say the same for baseball with Manny most recently). Football has become the USA's game of choice, so these type of players should be held to a certain moral standard within the community.

Seeing as that didn't happen, I'm sure Vick will be suspended for a few games. He was punished by the state and should be punished by his occupation as well. He can use the suspension time to work on getting his arm back, as well as prove to the league he's a changed man by accepting the sentence given to him.

I don't see another team signing the guy, unless their a struggling organization that want butts in seats. Despite his law troubles, Vick is still a franchise name and will draw a crowd. Other than marketing, the guy is a sub-par passer (53% completion rate I believe in recent seasons), and this was before the exile in prison. He'd have to work to get his arm back into quarterback fashion, and who knows how his speed and running ability are after the absence as well (this being his main strength at the position). Seems like too much of a project for any team to pay money to. Yet, there's still some idiots here in Cleveland wanting to sign him...Browns fans, I can't stand them.

[Eoullis]

All worship at the altar of money. Sickening. Professional sports period is one of the most evil empires in our country, especially the NFL. Fuck education lets teach our dumb masses to "pump up" and chase a ball around.

Just another example of the dumbing down of America. Just another distraction to keep us all preoccupied with anything but whats really going on. Who cares right? He shits all over God's creation and will be paid millions of dollars. Excuse me while i go vomit all over myself.

[zero cool]

I'm of two minds about it. Let me preface this by saying I don't care for football and I own three dogs.

Vick did his time and served his sentence without any incident that I know of and should be allowed to make a living, even if it is that of an insanely rich professional athlete. On the other hand, I think that professional sports, ALL OF THEM need to start taking a stand against behavior that is detrimental to the respective leagues. I don't follow baseball much, but wasn't Manny Ramirez on the All Star ballot after his suspension was announced?

Until these leagues and their respective player unions (NBA, NFL, MLB, etc) start taking consistent drastic actions against this kind of behavior, then its all a joke, and Vick should be playing again.

If there is one thing I've learned about sports is that a talented athlete will get more shots at redemption than an untalented one.

[Sgt. Preston]

To the credit of NFL Commish Roger Goodell, the league has taken a much tougher stance toward criminal behavior than the previous regime. Granted it still leaves much to be desired.

That said, I'm a dog lover myself, but Vick has served his time and lost countless millions in the process. Vick is one of the rare cases where a wealthy athlete suffers a stronger than usual punishment for his actions.

RE: Suspension
The NFL has announced Vick can return to play effective Week 6 of the upcoming season. Sounds fair to me.

RE: Signing
Vick likely has interest from multiple teams already. Granted his passing accuracy is sub-par, but memories are short and there's always a coach out there somewhere that convinces himself an athlete will perform differently under their tutelage. It's likely Vick will be used as an auxillary QB inserted for gimmick formations like the Wildcat, etc that rely on athleticism.

RE: Professional Sports and The Evil Abound
I'm not sure that the backward standards we see with sports are any different than what we've seen with Hollywood celebs, rock stars, or politicians over the years. How many "public servants" (in the States and in other countries) have been caught in various criminal activities only to defiantly cling to their post? Standards are broadly deteriorating across the board.

In a world where Angelina Jolie wanna-bes can parlay plastic surgery and irresponsible birthing into a multi-million dollar TV deal (Octomom) nothing in our entertainment/media is due to change for the better anytime soon.

The bar for rewarding tastelessness and scandalous behavior will forever be raised unless the people feeding the beast revolt against it.

[zero cool]

The subject of redemption is an interesting one because I always felt if you were talented in your particular career you would get more chances than most. Some people do redeem themselves, Robert Downey jr, some redeem themselves temporarily; Latrell Sprewell as a Knick, Doc Gooden and some just never really do, Isiah Rider, Tom Sizemore. It'll be interesting to see which one of these Vick will fall into.

On another note, the NY Times is reporting: "Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the sluggers who propelled the Boston Red Sox to end an 86-year World Series championship drought and to capture another title three years later, were among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to lawyers with knowledge of the results."

Thoughts?

[Sgt. Preston]

The subject of redemption is an interesting one because I always felt if you were talented in your particular career you would get more chances than most. Some people do redeem themselves, Robert Downey jr, some redeem themselves temporarily; Latrell Sprewell as a Knick, Doc Gooden and some just never really do, Isiah Rider, Tom Sizemore. It'll be interesting to see which one of these Vick will fall into.

On another note, the NY Times is reporting: "Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the sluggers who propelled the Boston Red Sox to end an 86-year World Series championship drought and to capture another title three years later, were among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to lawyers with knowledge of the results."

Thoughts?

Can't say it's a surprise. I just assume that all prolific power hitters in baseball are on the cycle since history is proving it repeatedly over the past few years.

It certainly explains the sudden uptick in ManRam's numbers when he was traded from Cleveland to Boston.

At the end of their careers, the only thing it possibly affects is their Hall of Fame eligibility. The veterans in the Hall probably don't appreciate the way records are being broken by these guys so I would expect many of the confirmed users to be frozen out of the Hall for a long time.

The fans seems to forgive rather instantaneously judging from the votes Manny got for all-star consideration this year so there's virtually no backlash there anymore.

The players see this, know that other stars around them are doing it, and covet the huge contracts given to power hitters. So, they juice up for a good chunk of their career, get signed by Boston or the Yankees for $20mm per year contracts and can probably care less.

I blame it on the X-Men with their repeated abuse of the "no powers" rule.