Let Him Play

I’m not a Vick fan, a Virginia Tech far or even a Falcons fan but I think there is no question Sherriff Goodell should reinstate Mike Vick. Vick has served his time and paid dearly for the little harm that he inflicted on society. Vick made about 38 million dollars in 2005 ranking 33^rd in Forbes list of top 100 celebrities. Between 2007 and 2008 not only was Vick incarcerated but he also lost between 40 and 100 million dollars. I’d say he’s paid enough where suspending him for another four games wouldn’t be warranted. Think about how much Vick has suffered and how some other sports figures have been given a pass. The NBA didn’t lift a finger to one of its poster boys, Kobe Bryant. Kobe was allowed to play on the same days as he made court appearances. David Stern didn’t give two shits about the negative attention Kobe brought is league. Ray Lewis and Leonard Little both killed someone and either got off with nothing (Lewis) or a slap on the wrist (Little). Donte Stallworth recently was drunk and high while running over and killing a man in Florida. Since the legal system and the flawed legal system in Florida threw the book at Stallworth to the tune of 24 days in jail, Goodell has stepped up and suspended Stallworth indefinitely (which my guess is will be 8 games). Jamal Lewis and Matt Jones were each CAUGHT with cocaine; Lewis got four games and Jones got three. Last but not least, former West Virginia teammates Chris Henry and Adam Jones have been in trouble with the law a total of 20 times between them. Chris Henry was suspended a total of four games while Jones got over a year. Vick’s punishment for ONE offense has by far exceeded what all the other guys received for doing things that were much worse.

The reason so much is going into this case is because Goodell cradles his league’s image like a newborn. I think Goodell is overlooking something things that hurt the image more than Mike Vick; like putting a team out there so embarrassing they didn’t win one damn game. That’s not all the Sherriff should be concerned about. Of course there are other things that have made the league look bad, like players and teams cheating, players getting benched for not playing hard, and the best of all, players not knowing the rules. In my opinion what Vick did wasn’t as embarrassing as any of those other things. If Goodell is concerned about the PETA freaks letting loose on Vick and ruining his league then he’s got another thing coming. They already had their fun with Vick and I have a feeling they’ve moved onto more pressing issues like saving flies from flyswatters. If Vick is reinstated, and lands in a winning situation, this whole thing will be forgotten. As far as teams that would take Vick, I can think of several that should consider him including the Raiders, Cowboys, 49ers, Browns, Dolphins, Patriots, Eagles, Seahawks and Lions. Ideally he’d land in a place like San Francisco or Miami where they have already implemented the wildcat. Think of how exciting it would be for Vick to be in the Niners backfield with Frank Gore and Michael Robinson or on the same field in Miami as Pat White, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Ted Ginn Jr. The creativity and possibilities are endless. In a league that thrives on attention and controversy, what’s wrong with throwing a little more wood into the fire?