Why I’m no Fan of the Eagles

A lot is being said from both sides about Andy Reid’s decision to sign Michael Vick to a two-year contract.  Some say Vick has done his time and deserves a second chance just like anyone else.  Others think Vick should be banned from the NFL and live the remainder of his life in seclusion.  I think I’m somewhere in the middle.

True, Vick has served his time as required by law for the crimes he committed.  Some NFL fans think it’s unfair Vick served 19 months for dog-fighting, while Donte Stallworth (a Cleveland Browns receiver) served only 25 days for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.  “That’s not fair,” scream Vick supporters.  I’m not going to debate which sentence is fair, although I believe that Stallworth deserved more than 25 days in jail, but I see things a little differently.  Stallworth, like Vick, did something stupid.  He clearly lacked judgement and his irresponsible actions led to the death of a human being.  What Stallworth did not do, is decide to get drunk and go driving with the purpose of seeing if he could run down a human being for fun.  That’s the difference as I see it.  I see that Michael Vick took joy and pleasure watching living creatures die.  Michael Vick took pleasure in torturing living creatures and he did it with a purpose.

Do you think Stallworth, upon realizing he killed a man, started celebrating, excited by what he had done?  Probably not.

Vick and Eagles’ supporters say the man has done his time and deserves a second chance.  I’m all about second chances.  But I have to wonder, if a convicted felon applied for a job with the NFL, or the Eagles organization, would he/she be hired?  Can a convicted felon who killed a man while driving drunk be reformed?  Probably.  It was a stupid mistake with very unfortunate consequences.  Can a convicted felon who showed no regard for life be reformed?  I’m no psychologist, but I’m not so sure.  I have a hard time believing Michael Vick, or anyone who’s shown such cruelty to animals, truly feels remorseful.  Anyone who does those things clearly lacks compassion, and I’m not sure compassion is something you can acquire if you’ve never had it before.

If Michael Vick is smart, he realizes he better not pursue dog-fighting again.  But that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly going to have some profound respect for living creatures, because clearly he did not have it in the past.

So, no, I will not be cheering for the Eagles this year.

Suzanne Jalot
Editor
Dog Living Magazine