The NFL did the right thing. They suspended Michael Vick indefinitely and without pay. While right now, the plea Vick agreed to appears vague in terms of exactly what he is willing to admit, the NFL was definite:"Your admitted conduct was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible. Your team, the NFL, and NFL fans have all been hurt by your actions."
While the gist of the Commissioner's statement is about gambling -- naturally the worst sin a professional athlete can commit -- there's no doubt that when he used the word, "cruel," he was referring to the dog fighting.
I'm so happy that the NFL has taken a stand, one that can't be misunderstood. Since sports are such a big part of our culture, it's a good thing for kids, for fans, and, of course, for all of us.
Way to Go, NFL! It needed to be said and it needed to be done.
ReplyDeleteYeah...I am very happy that the NFL took this stance, but the cynic in me wonders if there hadn't been such uproar with the fans if he would be back after his 'dues' were paid - afterall, he was a phenomenal QB and I'm sure they would like him on the field....but, maybe I'm wrong (that's happened once before!)
ReplyDeleteI'm not cynical about this because gambling is involved. Professional sports necessarily take a very dim view, dimmer than pitch, of that. Since Vick's enterprise at the very least funded the purses in these fights, he's automatically in deep shit, even if he didn't bet on the fights himself. If merely killed his pregnant girlfriend, like Rae Carruth, the NFL might not have taken this as seriously. (Now that's me being cynical.)
ReplyDeleteSo the part that makes me so happy is that the Commissioner used the word "cruel" to describe his actions. To borrow from Harlekwin, it needed to be said.