As Michael Vick’s new life begins, hope remains. Yes, hope.
He’s not quite free and clear, but he’s out of prison. That’s a start. Michael Vick can begin to get on with the rest of his life, and we should wish him well. Because he’s not some demon. He’s a human being who made dire mistakes.
And he continues to pay for them. He’ll wear an ankle bracelet. He can’t go to a bar. He can’t vote. He’ll need to earn his way back into the good graces of Roger Goodell and the American public, and it won’t be easy. But there’s a story waiting to be written, a story as uplifting as these past two years have been deflating.
Michael Vick needs to talk to us, and soon. He needs to tell us he’s sorry and that his time behind bars has changed him, made him wiser, redoubled his determination not to mess up the rest of his life. He needs now to throw himself on the mercy of the American public and see how merciful it can be.
Because a lot of people would be willing to forgive him. (Not to forget, but to forgive.) I know. I’m among them. But he has to ask.
Understand: Vick wasn’t a victim of runaway justice. He admitted his crimes and has paid a price almost beyond measure. But his life isn’t over, and so long as life remains there’s the possibility of redemption. He’s 28. He has time. He can change our perception yet again.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.He deserves the chance to play football. PETA will protest, but PETA is famous for overplaying its hand. (Have Vick submit to a brain scan? Who’s writing this stuff – Joe McCarthy? Arthur C. Clarke?) If he finds an owner willing to absorb the backlash, he can make us remember why it was we came to notice Michael Vick. Contrary to revisionist history, he’s not a bad quarterback. Three Pro Bowls, as I recall.
He won’t be playing here, and that’s for the best. He needs a restart, and the Falcons have a different quarterback. But that doesn’t mean we can excise his name from team annals. Vick rekindled the flame when this franchise had gone cold. He made us care. That’s why it hurt so deeply to see him fail.
And it wasn’t Vick the player who failed. It was Vick the person, Vick the stealth dogfighter, the Vick nobody around here saw. (You say you knew he was a bad guy all along? On what evidence? The water bottle? Please.) His failure loosed a deluge of racial back-and-forth that missed the point, for this was never about a demographic profile. This was about one man and his misdeeds, one man who owned a city but went to jail.
And now he’s out. And now he can move forward, and so can we. Amid all the motion, here’s a hope that he gets it right from now on, so right that in five years we’ll see Michael Vick not as a fallen idol but as an indomitable soul who triumphed over abject disgrace.
Yes, he did wrong. But after all that has transpired, Michael Dwayne Vick has it within him to do right. I’ve been disappointed in him, but I’m not yet ready to give up. Not on this one. There’s a heart in there somewhere, a good heart. I believed as much on that sorrowful day he entered his plea, and I believe it still.
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423 comments Add your comment
BigEasy830
May 20th, 2009
12:16 pm
Can’t wait to read your article on the Hawks, It is the biggest off season for the hawks in a long time. Hopefully Sund make some good moves like he did last season getting Flip and Moe.
carl bradford
May 20th, 2009
12:20 pm
PETA wants Michael Vick to have a brain scan, I think that they are requesting a brain scan on
the wrong person. Anyone who would let a dog lick them in the face after the dog has licked his
genitals or the rear end of another dog should have their brain scanned.
Jacky Jack
May 20th, 2009
12:21 pm
I am not a Michael Vick fan but I agree with you, Mark. He made a mistake. He paid for it (more than enough). Now he should be given an opportunity to resume his career. I am not a fan of his but I will be pulling extremely hard for Michael to come back and be sucessful! Good luck, Mike!
CAL
May 20th, 2009
12:25 pm
I hope the BLACK BASTARD burns in Hell, I hope he gets hit by a
train and his worthless ugly body is burned so bad his dogs would not know him the piece of $hit !
What’s more important watching vick or my grass grow… MY GRASS !
Ed
May 20th, 2009
12:27 pm
ROLL TIDE (sorry but I can’t read about football without saying it…it’s in my blood)
Mike Jay
May 20th, 2009
12:27 pm
It’s not just the dogfighting that will determine his reinstatement by the NFL but the fact that he was runing a Gambling Ring attached to the dog fighting. Gambling is a big no no to the NFL, running an illegal gambling ring is kiss of death type stuff. I think that is of bigger concern to Goddell than the dogfighting even though the dog fighting is the lightening rod issue.
GOP lost in confederated space
May 20th, 2009
12:28 pm
Gotech610 you seem more of a (DAWG )I never said any thing about race read what i said. but you brought it up are you hating on vick because you have always hated on him because of 120 Million contract not the DOGS! and are you a red neck in your heart? and as for the falcons you are more than welcome to have them still losers just like your inner heart. You used to many code word I know you are a red neck what in side has to come out. And please don’t cheer for the Jacket your heart bleeds red and black UGA!
Zach
May 20th, 2009
12:29 pm
We all deserve justice but Thank God for mercy!
1911A1
May 20th, 2009
12:30 pm
Actually, Bill Clinton IS a pathological liar…and so is Hillary. But then they’re politicians.
MiltonDawg
May 20th, 2009
12:32 pm
who cares, move on people. We have a great season ahead of us and expectations are high. vick did his thing and now he’s gone, end of story. my bet we won’t see vick in the nfl at least for 2 years. a year of arena ball, then a year on the bench for some west coast team (SF/OAK). Go Falcons!!
OZZFEST
May 20th, 2009
12:35 pm
Mark,
If not T–G, then what is the appropriate word for this man?
Multi-millionaire convicted of killing dogs? Is that a better description.
kj
May 20th, 2009
12:35 pm
although Vick was not a typical QB what he didon the field was put his team in a position to win most weeks. His last season in the NFL he produced 1039 yards, 2472 passing yards and 22 touchdowns (combined) along with 13 INTs….you can break those numbers down however you’d like but the fact is that year (2006) he produced more yards than E. Manning, Tony Romo, Jake Delhomme, Phillip Rivers, Chad Pennington, and Donavan Mcnabb and producing more TDs that all of those players with the exception of Eli Manning….Vick also had fewer pass attempts than all these QBs but one (Romo) and was sacked 45 times, the next closest in this bunch was Pennington with 30 sacks. Vick was a servicable NFL QB the nunmbers don’t lie and if he can still be (who knows) then he should be playing, he who casts the first stone….If guys like Ray “the knife” Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Mark Chmura, Nate Newton, and Adam “PacMan” Jones can get a 2nd or 3rd chance then why can’t Vick? And whatever happened to Marvin Harrison and his custom made gun that shot someone? Give Vick a break he did his time and if he earns an NFL roster spot let him play….. Nuff said put it to rest fellas
CM
May 20th, 2009
12:36 pm
Let us not forget here, that he went to jail not so much for killing dogs, but mostly for running an illegal gambling ring. It’s not a matter of putting dogs lives above humans’ lives.
But I agree that they guy’s done his time, and served his sentence, and should be judged by the NFL and by law on what he does from here on out.
Vick Supporter
May 20th, 2009
12:37 pm
Wow. A writer actually shows some compassion. Best article I’ve read on here. The Great Mike Vick Has Returned.
BigEasy830
May 20th, 2009
12:39 pm
Ed, I am a Bulldog, but I came to your defense last year. They gave you h e l l on this blog, but you spoke the truth. I am a realistic fan, and I think that the Tide is closer to winning the national championship than the Bulldogs and that is because of COACHING. Plus, can’t argue with you too much after the whipping you all put on us. The Gators took that whipping from us a couple off years ago and learned from it and then last year, well you know what happened. So lets see if Richt can have the Bulldogs ready this year or he and/or those sorry coordinators will have to go.
Gooo Dawgs, Sick’em, woof, woof, woof woof
Jamal
May 20th, 2009
12:39 pm
This man has been to prison, lost MILLIONS, had everyone except family turn their back on him, and he still has to get out of prison and deal with all this shyt. In the black community we love our pets true enough, but they are not and never will be human nor will we ever value their life more than that of a human. Vick’s life has been turned upside down for fighting dogs(something that we have grown up to think was normal, I know there are those people that dont agree, but each culture has things they do that others dont and fighting dogs is one of those things that we grew up around). Mike has taken responsibilty for his actions, lost darn near everything he had(including millions of dollars), he has apologized(everyone’s emotions are different, who are we to say that this man’s apology wasn’t sincere). Let him move on with his life and play football again, there are other players that have done worse things than fight a dog and they are still playing. There needs to be some type of strict guidelines to follow when it comes to dealing with issues like this with a player and not just whatever the commissioner’s personal feelings are on the matter. As for PETA, they need to go sit down somewhere and shut up, they wanted the man to pay for what he did to his own dogs and that should be enough, I feel that he had more than paid for his actions. All of this because someone fought there own dogs, what about the horses with the Kentucky Derby? What about the bulls with the rodeo? What about the chickens we eat everyday? What about the swine? What about the cows? If they want to continue to punish this man for fighting his own dogs then they need to go after EVERYONE for raising and killing all these other animals that we eat everyday.
GOOD LUCK MIKE VICK, MAY YOU BE BLESSED AND MAY GOD GIVE BACK EVERYTHING YOU LOST AND MORE, MAKE YOUR HATERS YOUR MOTIVATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dislike4_Sunny
May 20th, 2009
12:46 pm
AMEN, brutha! I totally agree with you. He’s paid for his crime and does deserve to play in the NFL again. He deserve’s a fresh start. God can forgive us but man can’t seem to!
KPH
May 20th, 2009
12:58 pm
Good luck Vick. That is anywhere but Atlanta.
Todd - Dacula
May 20th, 2009
12:59 pm
Good article Mark, except I sort of, in principle, disagree with one statement:
That “Michael Vick needs to talk to us, and soon. He needs to tell us he’s sorry and that his time behind bars has changed him, made him wiser, redoubled his determination not to mess up the rest of his life. He needs now to throw himself on the mercy of the American public and see how merciful it can be”.
There is only a couple segments that think this. Although I am not an animal lover, there is a large portion of the country and world that do not have the values of PETA and the rest of the Dog lovers. If they were absolutely true to this, they would work tirelessly to stop, for example, the horse and dog racing sport,where bets are placed. I am not condoning what Mike admitted to, but plain and simple, there are alot who do not see animals the same as being like human. I would certainly feed a homeless person and let a dog starve, if I had to save one of the two. That do nut make me or anyone else who would make the same decision less of a humann or a bad person, or a dog hater. What he admitted and plead guilty was against the law, but some, perhaps a lot see it as a law that simply lacks the foundation that speaks to ‘All of us’. Mike has to do what he has to do in order to re-enter into any area other than his family life. His family already accespts him and rightfully so. Will it be sincere, I hope so.
But Mike Vick simply to not have to win ‘all of us’ over. A lot of ‘us’ can care less about the pressure of PETA and we are smart to do so.
Great article though.
John Boy
May 20th, 2009
1:01 pm
You wish him well. I say screw him.
eric kendrick
May 20th, 2009
1:03 pm
all you people your not GOD so you cant judge him, he has paid his price, its time for him and you all to move on, get over it, it done so let it go
OooeyKablooey
May 20th, 2009
1:04 pm
IF ANYONE OWES US AN APOLOGY, IT’S BARRY AND HIS SECRET ONE HEARTBEAT BABY CRAP. Barf Chunks, Barry!
I’m just looking forward to Raiders visiting in 2011. Maybe Blank can get a restraining order so Vick can’t come in!
Good coumn, Mark. Mike, my pit bull thinks you suck.
OooeyKablooey
May 20th, 2009
1:05 pm
And he can run faster than you so stay out of my yard!!!
Todd - Dacula
May 20th, 2009
1:05 pm
As a follow-up, This country has never held George HW Bush accountable for the liew he told the Country and the World. thousands have dies based on his lie. 5000 Plus humans dead vs 34 dogs. Add it up.
Reid Adair
May 20th, 2009
1:05 pm
If he can turn his life around and stay out of trouble, more power to him. I’m just glad that Arthur Blank has made it clear that Vick’s days as an Atlanta Falcon are over.
F PETA
May 20th, 2009
1:07 pm
Just a reminder for all you self-absorebed, self-rightous types who think Vick is “Evil Incarnate”….in most of the rest of world…PEOPLE EAT DOGS.
Now, doesn’t that kind of put this whole charade in a little perspective.
The hypocrisy of PETA is laughable. Do PETA members where leather shoes & belts, or have leather sofas, or eat at McDonalds or Chik-Fil-A, or eat eggs, or drive cars, or wear make-up, or use medicines, etc. etc. etc.
From the PETA Wesbite WTF??
May 20th, 2009
1:08 pm
Founded in 1980, PETA is dedicated to establishing and defending the rights of all animals. PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.
Mike Jay
May 20th, 2009
1:10 pm
Hey Jamal,
Some would argue that slavery was just a cultural thing as well. Folks just grew up thinking it was normal. I’m certainly not condoning it but just pointing out how silly that is as an excuse for what normal society deems dispecable behavior. And since Vick has apologized for said behavior he has acknowledged it was wrong so let’s just drop the lame excuses. Also the reason most people do not think his first apology was sincere was because of his actions following it. Getting caught smoking pot, imbezling money from funds he was not to touch, buying a 6 figure car right before he goes to prision, etc. etc. You are right we can not gauge his true emotions or thoughts but we can examine his actions and come to our own conclusions. Words are just wrods after all and when coming from a known liar can not be taken at face value. My guess is that it is these actions after his first apology that are making MB and NFL want another one and for his actions going forward to show true remorse. I would not look for him to get reinstated this year as it will take time for him to prove to the NFL that he is indeed a changed man as just saying so will not cut it anymore. Weither he gets reinstated or not I wish him luck as he has a helluva good oppurtunity to make something good and special out of this whole ordeal.
Darrin "The Vent King"
May 20th, 2009
1:11 pm
Prayers to Vick……and to all those that cling to their hate of him.
Geezguys
May 20th, 2009
1:12 pm
Vick has shown he’s incapable of living a decent life because he’s a dirtbag. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, regardless of the consequences to himself or anyone else. Coming up with “creative” ways to kill animals, or enjoying their suffering is a symptom of a sick, sick mind. He’s a liar, through and through. And if you think it’s all about a couple of pit bulls, think again. Dogfighting is a nasty business for people. Law enforcement knew long ago he was involved. A man was murdered as a result of gambling at one of his dogfights. I guess all you Vick lovers don’t care about human beings if they can’t provide you with cheap entertainment running a football.
Anyway, this is a non-issue. Even if people cover for Vick long enough for him to get back on the football field, he’s only one hit away from a career-ending injury. There’s a good reason most quarterbacks rely mainly on their brains and arms and not their feet.
EAT A PETA
May 20th, 2009
1:13 pm
WanT to know what a PETA member’s favorite movis is?
PLANET OF THE APES, of course.
Charlton Heston
May 20th, 2009
1:14 pm
“Get your hands off me you damned dirty PETA member!”
midnite
May 20th, 2009
1:14 pm
…All of this because someone fought there own dogs, what about the horses with the Kentucky Derby? What about the bulls with the rodeo? What about the chickens we eat everyday? What about the swine? What about the cows? If they want to continue to punish this man for fighting his own dogs then they need to go after EVERYONE for raising and killing all these other animals that we eat everyday. Jamal
Jamal, with all due respect, the last part of your post is completely assinine. The last time I checked all of those practices were LEGAL! Maybe try writing your congressman to stop those practices. Thanks for being so moral and self righteous, while eating your veggie burger.
Son of Sam
May 20th, 2009
1:16 pm
I told you dogs could talk, that’s why I am a proud member of PETA.
The Dogfighter Returns
May 20th, 2009
1:23 pm
if the man did not serve time for dogfighting why are people talking about mutts?
talk about conspiracy and gambling.
all this nonsense about dogs is indicative of people simply believing what they want to. These are the same people who get swindled all the time by the likes of madoff. how he treated those dogs is not what landed him in jail.
Conspiracy Indictment [Rich Lowry ]
A quick take from a legal eagle: If you can indict a ham sandwich, a conspiracy charge is indicting the mustard on the sandwich; it’s what you do when don’t have anything solid; conspiracy indictments are often tossed.
observor
May 20th, 2009
1:25 pm
Both F Peta and Todd are morons that are utterly incapable of rational thought. Both did the classic tactics of those that have no substantive or logical response to make in the actual topic at hand, so they try to change the subject and divert by creating a straw man. These blogs prefectly exemplify the complete stupidity of most people out there in society.
Vick Supporter
May 20th, 2009
1:27 pm
I’m so glad he’s out. Now football can be fun to watch again and not be forced to watch a qb who’s arm gets “tired” after 10 games. Its gonna be a huge day in Falcon history when Vick comes back with his new team and the Dome is sold out just for him (which it will be). Can’t wait to see him mop the floor with the falcons while being humble. Redemption time has come. The Great Mike Vick Has Returned.
What!!!
May 20th, 2009
1:28 pm
kj, is that the best you can do? Blaa Blaa Vick did this Vick did that! What was the Falcons record during his last two years? DON’T BE ASHAMED OF IT, WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT WAS!! HOW BOUT THE 12 FUMBLES PER YEAR AVERAGE HIS LAST 3 YEARS? Oh but he was flashy….blaa…..blaa….blaa..
Boo Boo
May 20th, 2009
1:29 pm
Hey Mark, you spilled some of that Mike Vick water you’re carrying. Geeez. Who died and made you the moral conscience of the world? How about a nice article about how Shoeless Joe Jackson was railroaded and needs to be reinstated in Major League Baseball? All he did was not come forward about his teammates throwing World Series games. He didn’t strangle dogs and go to prison.
I see you still have some water left over in your Barack Obama bucket too, the pandering of hope water. Hope is in Arkansas. Anyone who needs hope just needs to drive off I-30 a few miles. It is real, but it is nothing to write home about.
I know the AJC is struggling to sell newspapers, and trying to keep you up there in the $35k/year income bracket, but the more you write about how convicted felons need to be given millions of dollars a year, which come out of the people’s wallets that sit in the seats of a football game, the more you should consider paying Mike Vick yourself, out of pocket, a few million dollars a year. THE MAN HAS A JOB PAYING $10 AN HOUR! That’s good work if one can find it!
OooeyKablooey
May 20th, 2009
1:30 pm
Yo, Todd: Some of us are very, very glad GWB chose to go to war with Iraq. There’s no proof whatsoever that he lied, unless you are relying on the agenda-driven NY Times, the AP, the AJC, etc. There is plenty of proof that mass-killing weapons were found, just no nukes. Do some more homework past the sound bites and get back to us.
joshua
May 20th, 2009
1:31 pm
So I am reading this article and all of the responses and I am just curious. If you were in a situation where you had made a dire mistake over a course of time and got caught, would you want to be banished from doing the thing that you had been groomed to do your whole life? If you were a doctor, would you want one mistake to end your career forever? Especially if you didn’t know that mistake would be your end?
As for me and my opinion of Mr. Vick. I believe that he knew what he was doing throughout the process. Yes I do. But I also believe that he has served his sentence(which I have seen people commit murder and get less time). But for so many he will never be vindicated. He is a new millenium O.J. Simpson. His crimes will ever be before him even though unlike O.J. He actually did his time.
It is so unfortunate that people don’t really believe the religion that they claim to be. The Bible says that Jesus said we should forgive 70 times 7. But you PEOPLE can’t even forgive one time. Not even once. If you looked at all of the things that you have done to others that were disturbing I am sure that you would find that you are no better than Vick. And he did these things to animals.
It is man’s inhumanity to man that is the most sickening. Because it always identifies the fact that we could really care less about each other.
I wish Vick the best. I believe that he should be reinstated and let the owners figure out if they want him. But he should at least be afforded the opportunity to play. If Vick can’t cut it. Guess what, he is out of luck. But to deny him the opportunity is down right UNAMERICAN!
What!!!
May 20th, 2009
1:34 pm
Your right VS2 Vick will be mopping the floor at the dome……the bathroom floor.
I still think he should be the spokeman for Preparation H. He does have two years of prison experience you know.
What’s really sad, some poor guy woke up this morning in Leavenworth wondering….”where’s my wife.” HA! HA! HA!
My2cents
May 20th, 2009
1:35 pm
I hope he does better, but it will only happen if he understands that he’s to blame, not society, not people out to get him, not the police, not anyone else but him. If he’s able to sit in his house – not in front of cameras – and sincerely get that only he’s to blame for his failings and that only he can change things, then he has a chance. I hope that happens. But I do have my doubts. He doesn’t seem like a guy who takes responsibility for his mistakes.
Ryno
May 20th, 2009
1:37 pm
Pretty sure he owes Arthur Blank an apology
Vick Supporter
May 20th, 2009
1:40 pm
Got something to tell you Vick haters…..
VICK 09. Whether you like it or not. HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Vick will be better than ever
Mike Jay
May 20th, 2009
1:45 pm
Joshua wrote “So I am reading this article and all of the responses and I am just curious. If you were in a situation where you had made a dire mistake over a course of time and got caught, would you want to be banished from doing the thing that you had been groomed to do your whole life? If you were a doctor, would you want one mistake to end your career forever? Especially if you didn’t know that mistake would be your end?”
Umm, I’m pretty sure that if a Dr. committed multiple felonies he would be well aware that getting caught could lead to the end of his career. Playing in the NFL is a privalage not a right.
Observor This !
May 20th, 2009
1:46 pm
Lets just re-visit the PETA Mission Statment from their website, shall we?
“Founded in 1980, PETA is dedicated to establishing and defending the rights of all animals. PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.”
What is “rational” about any of this crap? I guess this would make Veggie-Tales cartoons for kids kind of sacreligous to PETA types.
Where are teh protest in fornt of McDonalds, Burger King, Chik-Fil-A, Dennys?? PETA doesnt protest in fron tof these places because it would make them look like the disaffected nut-cases that they are. Where’s the protest at the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont, at dog tracks, at the Westminster Dog Show? Wheres the protest at Macys, Nordstroms, and Bloomingdales over the sale of leather shoes, gloves, sofas, belts, etc.
Where’s is the consistency? Because there isnt any. Without a “straw man” like Vick, PETA is just another self-absorbed bunch of societal rejects.
John Madden
May 20th, 2009
1:48 pm
I love Michael Vick.
And, I love all animals…Cows, Buffaloes, Chickens, Turkeys…I mean really…they’re ALL delicious.
Whats the problem?
Son of Sam
May 20th, 2009
1:50 pm
My dog told me to vote for Obama.
Todd - Dacula
May 20th, 2009
1:55 pm
For those of you who love dogs or animals for that matter and cannot forgive… are you a people lover? You protest Mike Vick but I have yet to find any negative articles about the Professor from UGA who killed three people, even before he was found dead himslef. Where was the outrage?