Perhaps the most public case of animal abuse in recent history is that of NFL quarterback Michael Vick. Even if you’re not a football fan, you know who he is. Whether you know him as the talented former Falcon, or the infamous dog abuser, he’s on the public’s radar.
Vick made headlines back in 2007 when his home in Surry County, VA was investigated for evidence of dog fighting. What officials found was appalling; a dog fighting ring six-years strong and equipment used to torture and execute under-performing dogs. Vick was funding the ring, known as the “Bad Newz Kennels.” Yeah, bad news for Vick when he was charged and sentenced to jail.
Recently Vick finished his sentence, was released from prison and re-entered the NFL. After working out with a couple of teams, including the New England Patriots, Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was placed on the active roster on September 15th, 2009.
What I find so sickening is the support he gets. Yes, I understand that he apologized and served his time and that people deserve second chances, but it’s not like he made one little mistake that could easily be fixed. A mistake would have been he was caught with alcohol in his system on game day or something that would require an apology, a “don’t do it again” speech from his superiors and if he did do it again, he’d be suspended or released from the team. No, Vick took away dozens of lives. His mistake was starting the ring in the first place. If he had held one fight, realized it was wrong, and disbanded the ring I would have no problem accepting his apology because it was a one-time “oh crap I can’t believe I did this” moment. No. He routinely held fights and killed helpless animals for six years. Six years. That’s more than half of a decade. These dogs couldn’t help themselves and were being forced to fight for their lives. That is a ‘mistake’ I’m not willing to overlook. What if he had done that to humans? Would his supporters still be saying “everyone deserves a second chance?” I think not. What kind of person supports someone who kills for fun? I just don’t get it.
I used to be a Vick fan. I thought he was an amazing quarterback and no one, not even Tom Brady, could hold a candle to his running ability. This scandal completely changed my opinion. As it did to many fans. When I heard that he was returning to the NFL I vowed to never cheer for the team that signed him. When I found out he was working out with my beloved Patriots, I felt sick to my stomach. Not only has Bill Belichik shown his lack of judgement in rearranging the team this summer, which I won’t get into, but he was considering signing Vick? I’ve been a loyal Patriots fan since 1999 when I first got into football but this made me to throw any loyalty out the window. I was disgusted that the Pats even let him step foot onto their practice field, let him don a practice uniform. Sure he was up for grabs, but that didn’t mean they had to grab him. In fact, a woman I know has had season tickets with the Patriots for at least 10 years and when she heard that they were considering signing Vick, she said she would give up her seats. Thankfully, Belichik thought better about signing Vick but the Eagles didn’t. Vick now joins their active roster and can play later this season. My advice to Philly fans: “hide your beagle, Vick’s an eagle.”
Upon his release from prison, Vick was supposed to team up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to shed light onto the issue of dog fighting and lead a campaign against it. The ASPCA decided not to work with him because they didn’t feel he was remorseful about his actions. They didn’t feel he was a credible leader of a campaign against the issue he was so heavily involved in. Can you blame them?
There is a little bit of good that has come out of this. The horrors of dog fighting are much more public and better known. Awareness has been raised about animal abuse and now more can be done to stop it. I think the negative publicity surrounding Vick creates positive publicity for the ASPCA. The public found out about this heinous act but now they’re finding out about the organization that counters it. Those appalled by Vick’s actions can take comfort in the fact that the ASPCA does exist and is doing all they can to prevent situations like this from happening. I’m curious to see how many fans the Eagles will keep. I’m hoping for an empty stadium.
