Well, it's official. Michael Vick is out of prison and on the path back to the NFL. As any NFL fan who hasn't slept through the last two years can tell you, Michael Vick was the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback, as well as one of the league's most exciting players to watch. At least until he got caught hosting a dog-fighting ring and got sentenced to prison, while getting banned indefinately from the NFL. Today begins Vick's journey back to the NFL. He's finishing his sentence under house arrest, where he will be free to train and get back into NFL shape to hopefully regain a job in the NFL.
There's only one thing standing in Vick's way. That one thing is Roger Goodell, the man on whose shoulders rest the sole decision whether or not Vick gets reinstated or not. Goodell has been asked about the Vick situation by reporters no fewer than 78 times per day for the last two years, and Goodell has repeatedly maintained that he hasn't spoken with Vick and that the burden rests with Vick to prove to him and everyone else that he is sincerely remorseful for what he did and that he's ready to work to correct his past wrongs and be a productive member the NFL can be proud to call one of its own.
As you can probably imagine, the "should he or shoudn't he" debates have raged for months and are now at a fever pitch. A lot of people are of the impression that Michael Vick has paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance. I decided my topic of discussion for today would be the three reasons those people are full of shit.
Yes, Michael Vick has paid his debt to society, but that's a side issue. The question is, whether he deserves to display the NFL logo again. Having served his jail time only means he shouldn't have to go back to prison again. It doesn't mean he has a right to resume an NFL career.
A lot of people have criticized Roger Goodell's stance on the Vick issue for saying that Vick had to prove to him that he was remorseful. I actually heard one person say "Who does Goodell think he is?" First of all, Roger Goodell is the commisioner of the NFL. That means he is essentially the emperor of football as we know it. Changes made at the NFL level filter down to the collegiate and high school levels, as well as worldwide. The example he sets is much more far-reaching than most people realize. As important and influential as football and the NFL has become in our culture, being in charge of it makes you God by my reckoning. So Roger Goodell is God. Here, I'll repeat that for emphasis:
ROGER GOODELL = GOD
Okay, are we all clear now? As God, Roger Goodell is absolutely entitled to put the burden of showing his remorse onto Vick. Is Michael Vick remorseful? I have no idea. I know he's sorry. But it's really easy to be sorry when you have to go to jail and get kicked out of the NFL and lose all your money. Of course he's sorry. Who wouldn't be? But the question is, is Michael Vick sorry his life sucks because of his own stupidity? Or is he geuinely remorseful and disgusted with himself for forcing dogs to fight for his own sick amusement? Is he embarassed when he feels how light his wallet is or is he embarassed to look himself in the mirror? That's the real question, and obviously it's one that we don't know the answer to. Only Michael Vick knows the answer to that question and God in his infinite wisdom was absolutely correct in putting it on Vick to prove to him (as God) that he was genuinely remorseful.
The second reason the "Let Vick come back" people are full of shit is that they aren't thinking about the image and integrity of the NFL. God has worked very hard since taking over for Paul Tagliabue to build the integrity of the NFL and its' players. Wearing that NFL shield is not a natural right. There's nothing in the Constitution guaranteeing Michael Vick the right to don an NFL uniform, make an eight-figure salary, and fuck three different chicks every night. Playing in the NFL is an honor and a priveledge that millions of people would chop off their nuts for a chance at. What God has done is work to make the NFL an exclusive club of responsible, mature, community-minded, and legally upstanding men. And a lot of people are getting left behind. Just ask Plaxico Burress and Pacman Jones. If you want to play football in the NFL, you have to be a responsible, upstanding citizen. If you want to get in bar fights, carry a gun to clubs, do drugs, or otherwise run afoul of the law, then you'd better find a new job.
And why do I care about the NFL's integrity so much? The NFL is something I have gotten countless entertainment and male-bonding out of over the years. When you think about how many hours I've spent playing football, watching football, or playing Madden, that's a gigantic chunk of my life that has been consumed by football. It has afforded countless opportunities for socializing with family and friends, as well as hours upon hours of conversation with coworkers and classmates. I may not have any affiliation with the NFL outside my fandom, but the fact is, I have a very serious vested interest in the NFL's continued success. I want to continue to have the opportunities to have the guys over for a few beers and a couple football games on Sundays. I look forward to future Buffalo Wild Wings or Frickers' outings for game night. And someday, when a condom inevitably breaks, I want to be able to sit on the couch and watch football with my illegitimate bastard son. I want to be able to teach him to hate the Steelers and to teach him that the reason we can never see the Lions in the Super Bowl is because Matt Millen ruined them. I want to pass along that Emmit Smith is only the league's all-time leading rusher because Barry Sanders retired early. I want to be able to pass on all these experiences, which means I want the league to continue to flourish. That means I want the asshats who can't help but break the law to not be allowed to tarnish the NFL's good name. I want the United Way, community minded image for the NFL, not the loud-mouth, law-breaking, selfish millionaire image.
And lastly, Michael Vick doesn't deserve to ever play in the NFL again because the fact is, he fucked up, and now his chance deserves to go to someone else who isn't going to fuck it up. Let someone who is going to work hard, be responsible, and not disgrace that shield suit up on Sundays. When you put on that shield, you owe it so many people to not waste that chance. Sure, you owe it to your coach, teammates, league officials, the fans, and God, but mostly, you owe it to everyone else. You owe it to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who is going to spend the rest of his life working at a restaurant or a factory, or sitting behind a desk in an office. You owe it to us, because we would kill for the opportunities you have. I know the media loves nothing more than a good comeback story, but I'm tired of them. I'm really fucking tired of hearing about pampered celebrities who get millions thrown at them for having a dream job, they fuck it all up by being stupid or breaking the law, only to get a second, third, or fourth opportunity and get a few more million thrown in their face. Fuck that. When someone is living everyone else's dream, and they throw it away, they don't deserve another chance, because one chance is more than 99.9% of us will ever have. I've heard the argument that people need to be able to earn a living, but that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. You can earn a living at Burger King. You don't need to make millions to earn a living. Nobody is entitled to a dream job, and it's very insulting to us "normies" when undeserving people who've pissed away everything get another chance, rather than giving that chance to someone else who will work hard and then be grateful for what they have. That's the story I want to see in the media. I want to read about the guy who worked for a long time and busted his ass to make his dream come true, and then DIDN'T fuck it all up. That's the kind of story I want.
So the fact is, yes Michael Vick owes it to Roger Goodell to show that he's remorseful, but the thing people overlook is the part he also said where Michael Vick needs to show EVERYONE that he's remorseful, because the fact is, he owes that to all of us who will never have the opportunity he threw away. He owes it to me and you both to come knocking on our door and say "Hi. I'm Michael Vick. I want to apologize to you for all the terrible things I've done. I realize I wasted an opportunity you would kill for and I'm sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for being such a piece of shit and a waste of a human life."
If he shows up at my door and says that, then maybe he'll have my blessing to rejoin the NFL. And since God said he has to prove he's remorseful to everyone, then Michael Vick better be worried about getting my blessing. After all, God said so.