Should Michael Vick's animal cruelty conviction have prevented him from returning to the NFL? |
Absolutely, because a conviction itself should have disallowed him to return to the NFL.
Playing for the NFL might seem like all fun and games, but it is the player's job. They depend on it for their livelihood, as do their families. With most other jobs, getting convicted and fined for something as severe and publicized as this would usually land the convicted jobless and hopeless. Why is it permissible to say that someone can simply return to work as though nothing had occurred? Why should it be that easy for criminals?
Posted by: BigRoderickWho has an excuse for beating up animals without a license.
He might be young and good but he does not have an excuse to be mean to animals. Eagles suck anyway so who cares?
Posted by: AnonymousFamous vs. Normal
Young kids look up to professional athletes. Yes, I know they don't make the kids and they don't ask the kids, too, but they still do. Killing a dog is wrong, but making a dog fight to the death with another dog? That's terrible. How someone could do that is beyond me. Its nice to see Mike Vick turn his life around, it really is. Its nice to know he learned his lesson, but just because he's famous, doesn't mean he should be openly accepted and praised. HE STILL DID A CRIME. If I did this, no one in my town would want anything to do with me. They would spit at me! So why because he's famous should everyone be okay with this? I love the NFL, but I still don't agree with him being allowed to come back into the NFL. Kids look up to him, he's an idol to some kids who don't know what he did, its sad.
Posted by: Anonymous101In today’s society, sports figures like Michael Vick are held up as role models for our youth. His return to the NFL gives the idea to children that it is completely acceptable to commit felonies with no affect to your professional career.
Whether they should be or not, the fact is that professional athletes are held up as role models for young people in society today. Dog fighting is a cruel and vicious activity and someone who engages in promoting that kind of activity has no place in the world of professional sports. As far as I am concerned, people who do this should do serious jail time and that crime should have permanent consequences on any further endeavors by that person. People who find this acceptable or tolerable are animals themselves.
Posted by: PinkMychVick is no role model
I live in a neighbor hood that has gang drug activity and they are into dog fighting gambling drug money. Not only is he guilty of terrible cruelty but is closely associated with the to the drug scene why should such a person have an influence on our young people.
Posted by: AnonymousMichael Vick's conviction and excuse should prevent him from returning to the NFL because he is not the kind of person children should look up to.
His conviction was bad enough but his excuse should have been the deal breaker for never letting him play in the NFL again. How can any American adult claim that they didn't know dog fighting was illegal and wrong? If he truly didn't know, then he is too unintelligent to be in place of admiration by our athletic children. If he was lying and did know then he's morally unjust enough to be in a place of admiration by our athletic children. Athletes that are in the public eye because of their great skills also need to be morally just and know right from wrong.
Posted by: BrianDjMichael Vick has no place in decent society, let alone a high profile position like playing for the NFL.
Animal cruelty is a serious offense. People who abuse animals are generally known to be sociopaths. The last person in the world our youth needs to emulate is a man who abuses animals for sport and profit. If he had never been in the NFL, then he probably would have been a serial killer.
Posted by: N3vinFacePrecedent says Michael Vick should be banned.
Pete Rose got banned from MLB for life for gambling and lost endorsements. Armstrong is banned for life, stripped of his titles, and lost endorsements, for doping, but Michael Vick gets 21 months in prison, followed by two months in home confinement and is back playing football and raking in a huge salary. Meanwhile, at least 2 of the dogs that were seized from his property were euthanized for either aggressive behavior or health problems. How many had already died before they searched his property and seized the survivors? The almighty dollar trumps the value of the lives of dogs. How sad and how very cruel.
Posted by: TheMomHe is disgusting
Anyone who abuses animals is disgusting and should be ostricized by society. There is no place for him among civilized beings, much less being worshiped as a sports hero. He had millions of dollars and still needed to see animals suffer to get his jollies. The NFL should have more self respect than to allow a sadist to be part of its organization. But then again, why would the NFL care about anything outside the arena of PROFIT.
Posted by: AnonymousI think that Michael Vick should not be allowed back into the NFL because he is a convicted criminal.
If Michael Vick had committed assault on a person, I think there would be little question of him returning to professional football. I think that his conviction for cruelty to animals speaks to his character, and that as a professional football player, he is in example for children. I think that our youth are becoming more apathetic towards injustice and violence as it is, and that his return to football would be telling them that the occasional cruelty to animals only takes a few years out of your professional career. I think we need to make more of an example of celebrities accused of misdemeanors and felonies than we have don so far. Our children are learning that celebrity status puts a person above the reach of the law.
Posted by: Shim2free
Having a criminal past should not exclude people from any type of employment that isn't directly related to the specific crime, as everyone is bound to make mistakes.
While the crime that Michael Vick committed was cruel, I think that everyone deserves a second chance. That being said, it is also true that a convicted thief shouldn't expect to be hired at a bank. It is unknown to many Americans, but a large percentage of our population is currently incarcerated. And if we restrict them from employment after release, we are dooming them and ourselves to repeated crime. Michael Vick is an extreme example, due to the career he has, but all deserve a second chance.
Posted by: daveyxhNo!
He did his time. In fact I think he did too much time.
Posted by: MarquisXAthletics are a form of entertainment. If he is banned then any artist, musician, or actor who has ever done drugs should be be banned from their line of work.
Michael Vick is an entertainer. Nothing more, nothing less. If a parent allows his or her child to be more influenced by an entertainer they've likely never met and certainly don't know well than by those around them then it is that parent who should be prevented from having the title of "parent" and have it changed to babysitter.
Posted by: AnonymousMichael Vick became the first African-American quarterback to be selected first overall in an NFL Draft and he has the talent with him.
Michael vick became the first African-American quarterback to be selected first overall in an NFL Draft and he has the talent with him. Even though he was imprisoned for 21 months for his dog fighting, he was released back. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was reinstated in Week 3 of the 2009 season. I hope he will definitely return to NFL back, with his talent.
Posted by: badaddictsMichael Vick's conviction for animal cruelty has nothing to do with his ability to play in the NFL. He served his time just like any other U.S. citizen and deserves to have his career back.
Micheal Vick's conviction for animal cruelty should not prevent him from playing in the NFL. He was found guilty by a judge and was already punished for his actions, which I don't feel that it would be fair or just to penalize him twice when he has already paid for his mistakes. I feel that it would be a wrong to Michael Vick as well as to the NFL.
Posted by: J HillMichael Vick should not be prevented from returning to the NFL in the future.
While I strongly believe that Michael Vick's actions and cruelty towards animals in ethically and morally wrong, it should not prevent him from returning to the NFL unless the league specifically has rules that state such. Rules governing a body should always be heeded and not bent simply because someone want to take personal vengeance out on another.
Posted by: glyndwr23Football isn't the appropriate venue for settling moral disputes.
He's done his time, let me play. Let me preface this by saying I'm not a michael vick fan. But that's besides the point. When you commit a crime in the U.S. you serve your time and then move on with your life. If people want to make this a moral issue, than boycott his games. Afterall, the fans are who pays Vick's salary. Otherwise, let him move on with his life.
Posted by: AnonymousIf NFL rules are such that any other equivalent conviction would end someone's career, then he should be prevented, but I don't think that is the case.
I do agree that what he did was wrong, but he has already answered to the legal authorities about this event (and I assume stopped the behavior). Ending his NFL career is only right if there was a policy for everyone that a conviction results in not being allowed to play anymore. Otherwise it's just a reaction to one highly publicized case, and that isn't fair. Even though he made a big mistake, other players have done equal or worse things and been allowed to play.
Posted by: Qu3yNeaMichael Vick's animal cruelty conviction should not have prevented him from returning to the NFL, because he served his time.
Vick should have been allowed to return to the NFL, provided he could still perform at an NFL level. His conviction had nothing to do with football, and playing football will not expose him or animals to anything that would bring about a possible repeat of that behavior. Vick served his time, and should be allowed to return to his employment, as long as he is capable of doing so.
Posted by: OnfBIeakAs disgusting as his charges were, he should not be treated any differently from any other citizen.
Mr. Vick is, or was, a role model to kids and he should be ashamed of himself. But, he was prosecuted and served his time, and he should not be held to a higher standard than what the law currently demands of the rest of us.
Posted by: MarsBIueNO
He relizes that he made a mistake and he will probly never do that again. He is still just as good QB before and after he did the dog fighting
Posted by: AnonymousWhat Michael Vick did was a terrible thing.
I believe that he should be punished like anyone else would be, but after that, he should be able to continue with his job. Like I said, he committed a terrible, sick crime; but he should not be punished over what the government decides as a punishment.
Posted by: AnonymousMichael Vick has the right to play, because he has already paid the price of his actions by serving time in prison.
Michael Vick has already paid the price for his animal cruelty charges, which were rather harsh. It is now time for society to forgive Vick for his crimes and allow him to move on in his life, and make a living for himself. Therefore, there should be no problem with Michael Vick's return to the NFL.
Posted by: StupidShawn59He served his time and has shown he has changed as a person.
When somebody serves his time, paid his debt to society, why still convict him for a crime he served time for? Now if he was to go back to abusing animals then that's a whole different ball game.
Posted by: P Santiago