Michael Vick’s “conditional reinstatement”: I don’t get it
The NFL has finally ruled. Michael Vick can practice, but he can’t play until the final two preseason games. (This assumes he can find a team that will hire him, which I believe he will.) Once the regular season commences, he can do everything except play in games.
That’s in September and the first half of October. Once October passes its midpoint, he can play in real games, too.
I don’t get it.
Maybe there’s a Solomonic compromise embedded in Roger Goodell’s ruling, but for the life of me I can’t find it. What I see is a commissioner who felt pressured to do something even if he wasn’t quite sure doing anything more is warranted. So he half-stepped. He also overstepped.
This is, to use a football term, piling on. Vick has been suspended by the NFL for 23 months and three days. If the league wanted to disassociate itself with him completely, it could have just said, “Suspension stands. Sorry, Mike.” But clearly it doesn’t want to disassociate itself with Vick. Clearly it doesn’t want him to pop up first in the low-rent United Football League. It wants to see him on an NFL field again.
Just not quite yet.
Loading ...Why? For no other reason I can discern beyond cosmetic issues. The NFL wants Vick back but it doesn’t want to appear as it’s welcoming him back. And that’s understandable. He’s a convicted felon. He just did 20 months in government custody. But docking him six more games — eight if you count the two exhibitions — isn’t really a penalty. It’s a nuisance. It’s Goodell doing an Alexander Haig and saying, “I’m in charge here.”
OK, Vick embarrassed the NFL. We know that. And playing in the NFL isn’t a right but a privilege. We get that, too. But why have him on an NFL roster if you don’t want him playing — at least not yet — in NFL games? Either ban him or reinstate him fully. Why drag this into October? Why spend 2 1/2 more months reminding everyone of one of the sorriest chapters in league history? Why not just clear him and be done with it?
Because Roger Goodell wanted to look tough. But Roger Goodell didn’t want to look so tough as to drive Vick to a start-up league. So he tried to split the difference. Sorry to say, he missed. This satisfy neither the Vick haters or the Vick supporters. I doubt this even satisfies Roger Goodell.
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313 comments Add your comment
Taylor
July 27th, 2009
6:43 pm
it’s so amazing how all of the MV7 hater’s have forgotten and will not even mention the Danny Heatley incident (oh yeah, remember that?!?!).. All these MV7 hater’s are idiots, AND hypocrites!!!
Not comparable at all. sorry
PERIOD!!!
July 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
DANNY HEATLEY SERVED A TOTAL OF 0 DAYS IN PRISON, NOR WAS HE EVER SUSPENDED. ANY HUMAN WHO JUDGES MV7 AFTER HE HAS NOW (AND AS A MAN) PAID HIS DEBT, IS A HYPOCRITE. PERIOD.
falconexile
July 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
Vickie should never be allowed back in public, hes disgraced himself, his team mates, his coaches, his owner. He lied constantly and consistently, he’s just another spoiled millionaire who isnt qualified to flip burgewrs for a living because he is just so dang stupid.
Larry
July 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
Curious George,
Yes, to the liberal media type, this is the standard for their version of a “good heart?” Can you imagine Mark’s definition of a bad heart? Hitler, I’d guess!
tree rollins
July 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
I hope he plays again and if he does I’ll watch him. BUT I’ll be glad I’m watching him play for somebody else and that we now have a true quarterback with a great attitude and work ethic in Matt Ryan. The team’s fortunes have changed for the better the moment Ryan took his place. Vick’s an exciting runner and flaky passer and he’s always good for a couple of fumbles per game but you can’t deny he’s exciting to watch. So is T.O. but I don’t want him in my locker room.
Goodbye Michael – we wish you well!!
Taylor
July 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
Heatley was not under the influence of anything at all. Did something stupid in a car. VIck had an illegal operation that crossed state lines and killed defenseless animals. Oh yeah tested positive for weed after he was arrested. please what a joke
HAPPY AS HECK
July 27th, 2009
6:46 pm
Yeah rawdog..you would say that considering you will never make the type of money Michael makes in 1 game .. you wouldn’t make in a year… That is the real reason a lot of people don’t want him back in the NFl they figure he shoud not be able to go back to making the type of money he did before .. I say Michael make an example out of them.. show them you are making a greater comeback than ever before
Taylor
July 27th, 2009
6:46 pm
oh yeah Ryan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Vick
falconexile
July 27th, 2009
6:47 pm
happy as heck is a typical Vickie fan from what I can see, not very bright and racist himself
Gumbo
July 27th, 2009
6:47 pm
Good article, MB. Goodell did the ole’ “approach-avoidance” thing that we all know from high school. C’mon, Rog, you climbed a freakin’ mountain.
MAN UP!
HAPPY AS HECK
July 27th, 2009
6:47 pm
Matt Ryan will be hurt in the 1st game and ther go the falcons season
watch and see
pickle
July 27th, 2009
6:48 pm
Good(dell), Bad, and Ugly.
Playing at any professional level is a privilege not a right. I am in complete agreement with Bradley. Why go half way on anything. So Reinstate Pete Rose – someone who definitely paid the price for his mistakes.
tree rollins
July 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
By the way – didn’t Jim Mora Jr. love this guy when he was here? Isn’t he coaching again now? Oh yeah – his dad did say Vick was a “coach killer” when asked for a candid response. Guess he was right in retrospect. Never mind…..
Taylor
July 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
HAPPY AS HECK
July 27th, 2009
6:47 pm
Matt Ryan will be hurt in the 1st game and ther go the falcons season
watch and see
You are basing this prediction off of……???
Rawdog
July 27th, 2009
6:50 pm
I’m tired of my family working on those turnip trucks! I want some money too.
Rawdog
July 27th, 2009
6:51 pm
Hey HAS-I dont make the kind of money MV made:never said I did. I am a big fan of people making it from poor backgrounds. Warrick Dunn never slammed dogs on the concrete. He may come back and win the Superbowl. But he wont ever get my money to watch it. And I know-It doesnt matter to him, MV said it best “Everybody love me”.
falconexile
July 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
happy as heck is just hoping that a great QB will be hurt, Vickie was never a great QB not even a good one, he was just a good RB
PERIOD!!!
July 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
Taylor- You should first gather your facts prior to posting, this will keep you from sounding like an idiot..
I Got It!!
July 27th, 2009
6:53 pm
MV7, I think you might have meant ‘throne’ instead of ‘thrown’. Get off of the meth and back into school, moron.
Rawdog
July 27th, 2009
6:54 pm
taylor, please dont sniff glue before you post.
KrisG
July 27th, 2009
6:56 pm
Curious George is taking allegations and very vague rumor and stating them as concrete fact… which is a popular thing to do with celebrities, especially athletes, and more especially black athletes. The mentality is that any character flaw translates into a horrible person… when the fact is people generally have more specific weaknesses to their character. Meaning if a man fights dogs that doesn’t mean he also molests children.
Bob
July 27th, 2009
6:56 pm
This is stupid. To hell with PETA–fighting dogs is not the same as assaulting other human beings, hitting girlfriends and ho’s, or even infidelity to one’s wife, all of which REAL moral corruptions are regrettably too common among players who are routinely lauded as “great men” and it’s such a shame that the unfaithful whoremonger got shot by his ho-bag family-destroying girlfriend, meanwhile Vick is treated as though he were 2 shades from Lucifer himself for fighting dogs–which, while deserving of proper treatment, are not deserving of the esteem of a human life and a human relationship. Give me a break, Goodell–and Mark, you media types aren’t much better, joining in the harumph over a little dogfighting while coddling violent offenders and philandering perverts as just being under a lot of stress–all because they happen to be decent at catching a stitched up piece of leather with air blown into it. I’m an avid athlete, but I will be glad when our obsession with pro sports ends–and it will.
Slick
July 27th, 2009
6:58 pm
Mark,
It honestly makes perfect sense to me…true Goodell enjoys flexing his muscles, but that is what the NFL needs! There were too many Plaxico/Pac-Man type things happening in the NFL. I really do think that years from now, the Commish will be looked upon in a very positive light, as one who “straightnened out” the NFL.
It makes sense to go ahead & let him practice, b/c if they didn’t, along with the suspension, he would not be physically ready when it was go time. And Goodell wants no media circus with PETA on opening day of NFL play. Plus, just b/c he went 23 months in Leavenworth doesn’t mean he has changed…it makes sense to see if he can “fly straight” for a few months & if so…let her rip tater chip!!
tree rollins
July 27th, 2009
6:59 pm
Get ‘em while they’re hot – Mike’s promoters are rolling out a new line of hidden compartment plastic water bottles with Mike’s signature and a picture with him hugging a dog with an “I Love PETA” endorsement on the side. Great for use at the airport or on your way to or from a drug party in the ‘hood.
Herb Superb
July 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
This ruling reminds me of the movie Cool Hand Luke. The Boss (the NFL commish)works non-stop to break the spirit of the offending Luke (Vick). He never lets up on Luke no matter how contrite Luke may or may not be. So at some point, Luke sees this and finally says, “whatever”! It doesn’t look like we are trying to rehabilitate anyone here.
When in our society will we start telling an offender up front that you pay your debt a certain way (fines, prison, defined length of suspension) and then IT’s OVER!!
Looks like the commish has lots in common with his refs. He missed this call.
reid
July 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
He did his time now play ball Mike
Slick
July 27th, 2009
7:05 pm
Also, though I hate to admit it, Vick will not be a successful QB again. He can’t read defenses & does not have the intelligence for it. We were just starting to figure this out when he went to the big house. Calm down, it’s not a race thing…I am a black man. NFL coaches know it, just can’t say it out loud.
falconexile
July 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
Thank you Slick
elainer7
July 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
Disgusts me that they are making things so easy for him. I wont watch any team that signs him.
Startled
July 27th, 2009
7:13 pm
Someone who have been in jail, well yes I believe in second chances but I dont believe in hiring him back to be a role model for our youth. Thats sending a message that its ok to break the law if your rich and a good athlete. Its not ok and they should drop it now. No wonder our kids are like they are today. No values, no morals and they do what they want without considering the final results.
I say no to any team who signs him and I wont watch or attend games if its a local team. Oh yea, the Falcons already said no didnt they lol.
KrisG
July 27th, 2009
7:13 pm
Jen – Kids are a catch all. Like the bible. You need a reason to discriminate or be unfair or just being self-righteous, use kids or the bible, and most people fall in line and feel like moral giants. Your statement by definition assumes that Vick is the worst person currently in the NFL. He is most certainly not.
The interesting thing about Vick and Eli’s stats being similar is not so much that they are the same caliber of player, it’s more of a “debunking” the one statistic used to prove that Vick is the worst QB ever, as it is popular to believe. Fact is, Vick was much more than adequate, and still stands as, whether you like it or not, the best Falcon QB ever. More wins than Chandler, fewer losses. And don’t get it twisted, because I prefer Matt Ryan to Michael Vick, but he’ll have to play at least three years, and win a playoff game or two, to be comparable.
ATLFALCOHOLIC
July 27th, 2009
7:14 pm
To hell with the NFL for 2009, play in UNFL for 1 year. He will be starting at QB making $1.5 million and able to work on his passing, etc.. Then come back into the NFL…
BigMike
July 27th, 2009
7:14 pm
It must be hard coming from the little boy that couldn’t, talking about the little boy that can ! Michael Vick made, and will make the Nfl so much money in the past, and future. Peta who consistently picks on this young man, but won’t report on the slaughtering of the dogs from the Idatrod, the Greyhounds in Ala, and Fla racing, or the massacre of the horses after they are deemed not to be fit for racing. This has taken on a life of it’s own, and whether “most” want to admit it or not, has a lot of racial undertones to it. To all you cry babies out there who are crying about Vick having numerous women, having a fast life style and all the other “bull$h!t that you can think about, ask yourself how is that relevant ? This is Reality, if we must get down to the facts: 1 Without the M. Vicks, and T.O’s in the NFL, this league wouldn’t be worth a damn! Fact #2 Stars, whether in Hollywood, NBA, or the NFL get certain privileages others are gonna get, Last and not least, ask how many WHITE COACHES, whether NFL, or NCAA have kept there families feed because of these BLACK ATHELETES. So when you say this guy or that guy should be banned, think, and get the facts before judging. Because I can Guarantee you the NFL isn’t bringing M.Vick back because they love him. This is a business decision just like it was for another MIKE…If you forgot his last name, it’s TYSON. where boxing made well over 450 million dollars in his return, and that’s without jersey’s, games every week in the fall, and commercials every 15 minutes.
Danny Wofford
July 27th, 2009
7:15 pm
The man has paid his debt to society in due form. Let him make a living while time permits…Let him play and quit piling on.
Herb
July 27th, 2009
7:16 pm
Mark Bradley does not know what he is talking about. Why not just give Vick an award? I think the league is being more than fair to him and Bradley expects more. Why???? Let’s blame tbis on what happened 200 years ago too. Vick had this town in his hand which I think sucked at the time and he made us look like a bunch of hillbillies. One good thing happened, I gave up my season tickets, You all have a good time now. Bow to the mighty stupid Vick.
Miss Vick Supporter
July 27th, 2009
7:19 pm
All u people who is against this man future needs to me quite cause all that is really not called for yall think what he did is so bad when yall do not think about they kill animals every day..All these homeless animals on the street go get them and take care of them..What Vick did is done theres nothing nobody can say anymore h has done his time all that suspension stuff is really un called for but i white person would always want to make it hard for a black man. They couldnt stand that he made more than them…Lol…They been trying to tear his image down for along time and he still got fans and people behind him that still support him so all yall haters fall back its ok Vick will play this year believe that just because no one has picked him up yet its soon to come.Who would pass up a player that can bring u soo much money nobody would.So for everybody who hates her u might as well jus turn your t.v. off football season cause he going to the Super Bowl him and T.O.The only person who wasn’t scared to spesk up for a black man.
falconexile
July 27th, 2009
7:20 pm
Bigmike do you know how many people stop watching pro sports because of people like Vickie, Dieon, and TO? I wont watch the NFL anymore because of these high price punks who arent qualified to hold a real job because they arent intelliegnt enough. The worst thing that ever happened was to let underclassman enter the drafts it lowered the IQ of all the leagues by 100 points and allowed people with absolutely no discpline to enter society, these guys are a joke
jconservative
July 27th, 2009
7:25 pm
Mark you are very wrong on this one I believe. The 23 months Vick has spent on suspension do not really count – he was in Federal prison & could not play anyway. Now he is out & the NFL has to do something to punish Vick for desecrating the league & telling the Falcons owner & the NFL Commissioner bald faced lies as he looked them in the eye.
I believe he got off light. I would have suspended him for the entire 2009 season. One must be accountable for one’s actions.
Chuckles
July 27th, 2009
7:25 pm
If Michael Vick had no previous history of problems, and if his conviction didn’t involve gambling, I expect he’d already be on the squad in Jacksonville (more on that in a sec.).
But he had ‘Pac-Man Light” issues, some of which we surely don’t know about (see the rules involving the NFL drug policy). And he was involved with illegal gambling, which even though it had nothing to do with the NFL, it’s still gambling. That makes folks who run leagues a bit testy.
Add to that the fact that he was already having issues with the media over his declining passing numbers, the whole ‘athletic quarterback – code for black quarterback’ issue (which I believe to be a valid point btw), and the aftermath of his incarceration, and I believe that the Commish is doing him a favor.
He’s gonna be under a HUGE microscope after he joins a team. “What did he eat, who did he eat it with, where did he eat it…”. If he’s got a pre-disposition to be affected by media scrutiny (which he has), then they’re trying to lessen the OJ-like confluence of media at the beginning of the two season starts (pre and regular seasons) to give him a fair shot. He deserves that. Who knows? It might have been the psychologist’s ideas (you know, the ones the league hired to test him that said he needed further counseling).
Also: who in the NFL that could be interested in him (like, say, Jacksonville – the closest franchise to Atlanta fans that still wear #7) wants to get the sideshow that will follow him? The folks complaining most about this verdict may in fact be the media – since it makes it tougher to make The Mike Vick Story a 24/7 cycle if there’s a 2-6 week gap in there.
lawson
July 27th, 2009
7:29 pm
Here is an angle. Before he got into all of this trouble Vick sold out no matter where he played. I am sure that he still has the ability to do the same thing. And after nfl is a business.
Miss Vick Supporter
July 27th, 2009
7:30 pm
And another thing…I’ve learned the “hard” way that when I go “white” I’m set for the night!
chelle
July 27th, 2009
7:33 pm
“I hope Vick does play again. And I hope to God somebody breaks his neck.”
that’s just like a cracker to say something evil! Go to hell……
djarrett
July 27th, 2009
7:33 pm
Whew! I sure am glad this crisis of monumental proportions is settled. I can’t tell you how upset I’ve been over whether or not MV would be allowed back in the NFL and whether or not it would be with a suspension. This is such a load off my mind. Maybe now I can chill and think about trivial stuff like whether or not the economy is going to recover, whether or not PBO and Congress will drive us further into debt that my great-great-grandkids will still be paying on 60 years from now, or even whether or not I’ll have any semblance of a retirement ahead of me. SERIOUSLY! Sportswriters! People in General! Get over this fool and the supposed importance you’ve all placed on what happens to him and move the heck on!
falconexile
July 27th, 2009
7:36 pm
No Chelle evil was being responsible for the deaths of all those innocent dogs. I dont want to see Vickie hurt, I just want him to go away. Maybe he and Sarah Palin can ride off into the sunset together, they both seem to have the same resepct for life
Retired on the Lake (formerly cityofdecatur)
July 27th, 2009
7:37 pm
won’t make 6 months without a failed drug test. any takers!
mars
July 27th, 2009
7:39 pm
Awful! This is just awful! I am ashamed of humanity as a whole. You people, white and black, deserve nothing. Nothing! Look at how you address one another over a celebrity! What is happening to our society?
chelle
July 27th, 2009
7:41 pm
“He is a CONVICTED FELON people,,,Let him and the rest of the FELONS go work at the Waffle House……”
Oh please! Who wants to work with your mama!
Joe Brown
July 27th, 2009
7:44 pm
Let he without sin cast the first stone! I wonder how many of you have done worst than Vick but wasn’t caught.If God was unforgiving as most of you all then we all would be going to hell! We all do thing maybe not what Vick did but sin is sin in God’s eyes. So, get life and leave Vick to get his life back of track!
niremetal
July 27th, 2009
7:45 pm
My guess is that he still ends up in the new UFL
Serious Apology
July 27th, 2009
7:45 pm
Does anyone not get the fact that he is only apologizing because he got caught? If he didn’t ever get caught, you know he would still be doing it.