Welcome Back, Vick?

How should we feel about Michael Vick?  Does his current success and mind boggling comeback warrant some degree of appreciation, or should he be viewed as a villain for life?  Can a player ever show contrition from their performance on the field?

For some, Michael Vick will always be an inhumane dog killer.  An animal torturer who went to prison for horrific acts of cruelty that make most humans sick to imagine.  Images of Vick's kennel will haunt animal lovers and sports fans for years.

Others have already forgiven him.  Some never cared about his crimes.  Many of his fans continued to support him even when he went to prison.  His football ability was enough to keep him beyond reproach.  There are fans that separate the man from the football player, only concerning themselves with game day production.

Right or wrong, fallen sports heroes can always find forgiveness by producing on the field.  Fans are fickle.  Many examples come to mind: Kobe Bryant, Ricky Williams, and Ray Lewis to name a few.  Each case is different but rarely do achievements on the field show that a person/player has changed.  When the problem is off the field, so is the solution.

Vick might be a rare example of a person whose athletic success is directly related to his contrition.  Making bad choices was always a part of Vick's personality.  He didn't care to be a good person or a great player.  His shortcomings were as evident as his talent.  A handful of incidents leading up to his dog fighting conviction highlighted his unsavory character. 

Nearly everyone that watched Vick play for the Falcons saw a player who was just getting by.  He didn't take the time to cultivate his talent or work on his shortcomings.  He was really good, but he could have been great if he would have worked for it.  Last to work and first to leave was part of his package.  His football career was a metaphor for how he lived his life.

This time around he is doing things on the field he has never done before.  His amazing play is a result of hard work, preparation, and dedication.  He is clearly the leader when he is in the huddle and his teammates love him.  The coaches have praised his attitude and work ethic which is something you never heard about in Atlanta. If his football failures were a product of his poor decision making in life, then his current success probably highlights positive life changes.

When Vick was taken to prison we saw the face of someone who realized for the first time he was not invincible.  He was finally held accountable for his bad choices.  He was forced to think about what led to his incarceration, and it wasn't just dog fighting.  He had a lifetime of poor choices to consider.  The dog fighting was a byproduct of his tremendous hubris and "me first" attitude.  He lived without consideration of the consequences of his actions.

It is just football, and there is financial motivation, but there is something very positive about how Vick reinvented himself.  He is finally showing signs of what he could have been all those years if his head was right.  His success would be too unbelievable if he hasn't changed for the better.  Your life has to be in order to lead an NFL team.  While Vick might not be all the way there, he is off to a great start.

Vick had the best performance of his career Monday.  He was nearly flawless and looked like the best offensive weapon in the NFL.  The numbers don't even matter.  What does matter is he showed an ability to read defenses and make accurate passes in the pocket. Something he never did as a Pro Bowler in Atlanta.

I won't ever defend what he did.  Any person that can torture an animal is sick beyond belief.  He does not "deserve" forgiveness, and probably didn't "deserve" a second chance at fame and fortune.  Deriving pleasure from watching dogs tear each other apart is a personality trait beyond rehabilitation.  I would never try to talk someone out of hating Vick.

He took full responsibility for his actions once he was finally caught and gave heartfelt interviews and apologies, but they were always directed to his fans and employers.  He never seemed to realize how sadistic his actions were.  He acknowledged that it was wrong, but he never realized the magnitude of his cruelty.  I don't think he ever will.  A person like Vick doesn't view his actions the same way others do.  If he was capable of feeling compassion for dogs he would have never engaged in dog fighting in the first place.  It's not like he needed it as a source of income.  It was pure entertainment, which is barbaric.

I don't think Vick "deserved" a second chance, but I am glad he got one.  Everyone should get a second chance, deservedly or not.  Those that are incapable of forgiveness are sad to me.  I can't stand moralists who shove their beliefs in your face but don't understand why forgiveness is a virtue.  If we fail to forgive as a species, we prevent ourselves the ability to grow from mistakes.  To quote Penelope Cruz, "every passing moment is an opportunity to turn it all around."  I don't want to live in a society where we prevent people the chance to improve.  That includes Vick.

Vick's crimes were atrocious but he seems to be atoning for his sins.  He continues to work with the Humane Society after his release and has helped raise awareness by using himself as an example.  He paid his debt to society, not only financially, but with two years of his life behind bars.  At this point, all we can ask of Vick is to try to be a better man and learn from his mistakes. If he responds positively, then I can forgive what he has done.  I won't buy his jersey, but I won't curse his name either.

His apologies appear to be from the heart and his actions appear to back up what he is saying.  To be a great quarterback in the NFL you have to be a leader.  You have to set the example.  Something the pre-prison Vick would have never done.

I hope that Vick continues his redemption story.  There is a lot of time ahead for him to screw up and prove he didn't learn anything. I don't want to get ahead of myself and assume he is a different person, but he has done everything right since entering prison.  If his life deteriorates with success then we will know he was never sincere about changing.  But, if he continues to live his life in a positive manner, his success will be monumental.  With all the terrible people in professional sports, it would be nice to see a role model emerge from such tremendous turmoil.