Vick reinstated conditionally, may play by Week 6

[Lady's Human]

Maybe Vick can join the Ravens.....after all they do have a love for ex-cons on that team.

That would open up three Monday nights.

[Karen]

I do think he'd get a huge backlash if the Patriots were crazy enough to hire him - New Englanders feel pretty strongly about those who abuse animals, and are known to be very, very vocal. I bet no one would even rent him a place to live, and if they did, they'd have him sign something to keep it secret where he lives, or people might take violent action.

[Lady's Human]

Just reading a couple columns......

Most see only three teams for Vick to have even a remote chance of signing....

Washington, Denver, and Oakland.

[Catty1]

From the beginning of the article:

Quarterback Michael Vick has been reinstated to the NFL on a conditional basis and...will be considered for full reinstatement for the NFL's October 18-19 games "based on the progress he makes in his transition plan," the commissioner said in a statement.

[phesina]

No, his evilness and stupidity have nothing to do with his status as an athlete. He is evil and stupid because of what he did to animals. I will prejudge him, and any other 'person' that abuses animals. The animals DESERVE my viligence, they deserve everyone's viligence. Remember, the animals have no voice.

I agree absolutely with you and everyone else thinking along this line.

Kobe Bryant's case never went to trial because the accuser refused to testify in a criminal proceeding. A civil suit was later settled for an undisclosed amount of money.

I didn't realize this.. Somehow I had the idea he had gone to jail "and paid his debt to society." For quite a while, he was out of the picture, and then all of a sudden he's BA-A-A-A-ACK on the field and in the money!

But if his accuser suddenly changed her mind about testifying (gosh, I wonder WHY?!), .. AND then, if he supposedly didn't do it but still paid her off in a civil suit.. this doesn't exactly sound like a blameless, innocent man, just one who didn't intend to be proven guilty in a criminal court but still wanted to get the whole business out of the public eye quickly.

Paul Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure, the case was dropped.

He was also later arrested for posession of child porn.

I didn't know about the child porn (or "obscene images of minors") possession charge, either.

**Sorry, folks , I just do NOT keep up-to-date with all the latest news from the "celebrity" [gack!] and "star athlete" [barf!] worlds ... my bad, my total ignorance about the Important people around..**

Anyway, I gather from Candace's link that that charge and guilty plea didn't come along until a while after his career was already pretty much down the toilet, even though he beat off the beating-off charge.

Being that his stardom came from making children's TV shows, I think his career being torpedoed was entirely appropriate.

Okay, so I'll take your point now that maybe he wasn't such a great entertainer for children after all. (As I said, I'm out of touch.)

But, in my opinion anyway:

Child abusers, rapists, animal abusers.. abusers of any other living being capable of suffering.. are equally evil and vicious and despicable. (And I agree that being remorseful about doing it is a very different thing from regretting being caught at it, and much rarer, too.)

And aren't big-deal pro football and pro basketball "star athletes" all-too-much regarded by our children as examples to look up to and want to emulate?

[Daisy and Delilah]

Good point phesina. The sports figures are supposed to be role models. Too bad the NFL didn't consider that more in their decision.
We have enough animal abuse in this world. I hope his reinstatement doesn't cause kids to think it's okay to do it because you get to go back to playing football so why not?

[blue]

Sports figures where once role models, sadly that time has passed.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Sports figures where once role models, sadly that time has passed.

Yes, that time has passed. What has happened to this country?

[Edwina's Secretary]

The sports figures are supposed to be role models.

Say it isn't so, Joe...


Scandals in sports...and not such good role models are nothing new...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919_World_Series

[smokey the elder]

True, that. I don't care for the mixed message Goodell is sending, by reinstating Vick, conditions or no conditions.