Michael Vick's return

Well said!

I just wasted 2 minutes of my life reading this.

60,000,000 dog owners can't be wrong.

He should have gotten ten years in Leavenworth or eleven years in Tenworth

I could not agree less with Mr Goodell's reinstating Vick, and Mr Zirin's ridiculous plea for us to pressure the owners on behalf of Vick. It ain't going to happen. He's got his second chance, he's free.
Serving time does not diminish what he did and I have no desire to look at him.

Michael Vick had an incredible first chance and blew it. It was never enough. Killing innocent animals who depended on him for their care tells you the character of Mr. Vick. He deserves the same second chance he gave the animals he body slammed, hung, drowned and electrocuted. He is on shameful human being.

I agree completely with Dave Zirin.
He did his time. Let him play.
Otherwise, he might as well still be in prison.
Let him play.
and, yes, I own a dog, and she is a loved family member.

Frankly, what he did was disturbing and disgusting.

However...one of the cores of our legal system is this: once you have completed your sentence you are a free man. And while I understand that the NFL is not bound by the rules of the court, it would be supremely arrogant of the League to outright ban Vick. Be it through active measures taken by Goodell or passive measures of not signing him by one of the thirty-two clubs.

Just because the other guys who were charged and served time were allowed to return to their sports' career doesn't make reinstating Vick right. The other guys should probably be kicked out. To allow Mr. Vick back in says to young men that you can commit unbelieveable criminal acts and you will be okay - no problem. If Mr. Vick is signed by any team I say we vote with our $ and feet. Boycott the team and the games. Maybe young men will see that violence whether it falls on humans or animals is never right and if you participate you lose.

im so glad that mike vick will get a chance to play again providing a team picks him up. we all know how good we was and im sure that he is in great shape their are alot of teams that could use him like tampa bay for example dallas cowboys back up romo miami dolphins texans rams many teams good luck mr vick hope to see you on the field this season

im sure a team will give him a try out at least

I think it's kind of sick to compare, as some have done, to what Vick did to spousal abuse. A wife has autonomy and legal rights that she can invoke for herself. An animal does not-they are reliant on human care. There is something so profoundly disturbing about what he did. I think many people can understand in an distant way at least, some crimes. But this combined with his original statements? Yuck. It's not like he stole to feed his family, killed to protect a loved one, lost his temper or fought an addiction. He did this-and don't forget other crimes- for fun. Some things you just should not have to tell a person. There just seems to be something profoundly off about him-as if he made a statement that he likes to chew human infant eyeballs. Some have said it's "cultural". Female genital mutilation and honor killings are cultural-here they are felonies.

The urgency is even greater for African-Americans, where 10.4 percent of the male population aged 25 to 29 was incarcerated, according to a 2003 Justice Department report, the latest statistics available.

Dave, this is nonsense. You want to quote statistics to bolster your argument? How about the fact that the reason there is a high incarceration rate among young black men is because they disproprotionaly commint more crimes. And people like Vick are their heroes. Maybe it's time the NFL quits hiring convicted felons and sends a message to these young black men that yes, you can screw up you entire life if you make the wrong decision. Happens to people all of the time. No second chances. There are a lot of professions in this world where you don't get second chances. Professional sports should be one of them. Yes, Vick did his time and now he gets his freedom back. That is all society owes him, period.

But because if Michael Vick can't get a shot at redemption, if he is forever tainted.....

So, Dave, your idea of a "shot at redemption" is getting paid millions to be a football player?

You should, as a writer, have a better understanding of the meaning of "redemption".

groucho marx wrote:

He should have gotten ten years in Leavenworth or eleven years in Tenworth

No, Groucho, in Duck Soup you suggested he get ten years in leavenworth or eleven years in Twelveworth. Chico said he would take five and ten in Woolworth.

Why should anyone pressure the teams for Vick's return? He did serve his time and now he has a second chance at life. So let him go bag groceries somewhere or clean up after the animals at the local animal shelter.

I will never watch him play football again, let alone, pay to watch.

I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. However, Vick isn't sorry for what he did - he's sorry he got caught. That's the difference. Remember, he lied to his own mother on national TV.

I'm sorry - but Vick isn't some saving grace for the NFL. There are plenty of other good guys out there who would love to have the same opportunities that Vick had... and would be grateful for it.

I love animals myself but come on....this was hardly the crime of the century. The man made a huge mistake, paid for it big time and that should be the end of it. What should he have gotten...the death penalty???

This man is a cold blooded killer. He shouls have gotten a lot more than 2 years.

He is a psycho.

Besides that, he was always way overrated as a quarterback. Never won anything and had mediocre stats.

Would you hire a serial killer if he said he was sorry? He is only sorry he got caught.

He's a free man. I don't want him being a role model to kids, that's the chance he blew. If he wants redemption, true redemption, he can go out and talk about how wrong dog fighting is, and NOT be making millions of dollars because the only thing he seems to be capable of is playing football. He was ridiculously overpaid, and the only reason people want him back is so they can watch him play football. They don't care anything about him.