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| "I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts and, you know, what I did was, what I did was very immature so that means I need to grow up."- Michael Vick |
Michael Vick has made his fair share of mistakes. In 2007, he was caught in the middle of a dog-fighting scandal that landed him a 21-month prison sentence, loss of his Nike sponsorship and a spot on his NFL team (the Atlanta Falcons), along with some of the most heavy criticism I have ever witnessed for an athlete. He lost out on the biggest contract in the history of the NFL (10 yrs./$130 mil.) and everyone basically assumed his career was over.
Fast forward two years (2009) and he was back. He signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles and sat behind Donovan McNabb for one season. When McNabb was signed by the Redskins the next season, Vick was given an opportunity that few get after his actions: A second chance.
He posted quality numbers last season (30 total TD's, 6 interceptions) and was a dark horse on my MVP ballot all season long. Just this week, Vick retied the knot with Nike and got his endorsement deal back. Just another step back from a guy that almost lost everything.
The story of Michael Vick is unique and impressive, something only a few people could pull off. To completely ruin your career and then bring it back like nothing happened is something that tends to impress me. There is only one issue that stands between Vick and the full rehabilitation of his image: Us.
People cannot seem to let go of this story. What he did was awful and I completely accept that, but who wants to be reminded of their mistakes for the rest of their lives? Whether big or small, we all make mistakes and expect to be forgiven for them, not crucified.
The sad part about it all is this is less about what he actually did and more about who he is.
FICTIONAL EXAMPLE:
I buy some dogs and let them start fighting. I start calling it the Underwood League of Fighting Dogs (ULFD). I start inviting some buddies over to watch my scheduled fights and more and more of my friends become interested. Just like a wildfire, the ULFD spreads and becomes the premier dog-fighting rings in Alabama and hopefully soon the Southeast.
Then I get caught. Just like that my business is ruined and I serve some jail time. My parents are ashamed along with my wife who leaves me. I have nothing and no one cares.
I begin to volunteer at local shelters because I've realized what I did was wrong. I begin to start rebuilding my life and guess what? Nobody cares.
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE:
I'm a overpaid NFL quarterback with so much money I do not know what to do with it. I start a dog-fighting ring. I've killed plenty of dogs and I have admitted on many occasions that I am not proud of it.
I serve jail time and then begin to go back to the only thing I know- football. (Everybody cares.)
I become the biggest celebrity supporter of the Humane Society and start getting my life back together and I had one of my best seasons ever last year--everyone is quick to try to dismiss that though.
Wait-are these the same story? Did both of these men do the same thing wrong? I think so.
As a society, we worship people like Vick and it makes them seem more important then they really are. Michael Vick is a human as am I; He is no better/worse than me. We blame athletes for having huge egos, but then we put them in the highchair and spoon-feed them.
Maybe Vick has not changed at all. Maybe he loves dogs and hopes that people can forgive him for actions. Either way, he has the Eagles contending for a Super Bowl run next season and guess what?
He does not care what you think.
Chad Underwood writes for Chad's Sportsworld and is a former editor-in-chief of Thompson High School's "TribeUne" newspaper.
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