I'm raging mad that the Philadelphia Eagles hired Michael Vick right out of prison.
Honestly, the NFL shouldn't have even considered hiring Vick until he had completed his parol requirements and been an animal advocate against dog fighting and animal abuse for a considerable amount of time, beyond what was required by his plea agreement. Then perhaps a second chance would have been easier to swallow. Right now the wounds are just too fresh and the remorse seems too contrived.
What is very disturbing is the message it sends to the kids that idolize him. They need to see that dogfighters never succeed, they are criminals, and there’s no good outcome if you get involved. However, in my eyes, Vick's outcome is good so at best it's a clouded message that he is advocating against dog fighting while at the same time given the opportunity to jump back into his profession, reap the ridiculously large financial rewards of the NFL and regain his superstar status.
The NFL really needs a new policy that prevents violent convicted felons from playing within the NFL where they are viewed as role models, not only for children but the entire population.
I believe in second chances and you can't fault Michael Vick for trying to get back to work, for me it's just too soon.
Thank goodness he's not a Bear!
8/15/09 Update: Found a great article by Doyle Albee related to my post.
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