 |
 |
|
|
WFAA Sports BLOG sponsored by: |
|
April 2009
Categories
More WFAA Blogs
|
Below are statements from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the last couple of weeks: "At that point in time, I will want to meet with Michael, I will want to meet with his people, I will want to meet with other professionals to understand: does he understand the mistakes he made and is he genuine and have remorse for those actions and is he prepared to handle himself differently going forward. That will ultimately be my decision." "Everyone makes mistakes, but he has to show that genuine remorse in his ability to be a positive influence to correct the things that he did wrong publicly."
I like how you are trying to clean up the league Goodell, but you are not GOD! You should not get to judge someone to this extent. Michael Vick is a sad human being, but he is a sad human being that was punished to the full extent of the law. What makes you think you have the right to punish him further? If the courts think that he has paid his price, the guy has paid his price. I'm not defending Michael Vick, I just think Roger Goodell is a little full of himself these days. 8 CommentsLeave a comment |
|
|
|
|
|
Dude I think you need to realize that it is in Michael Vick's CONTRACT as in ALL the Players Contract that the NFL Commish has this right! The league has rules of "upholding the league's image" and "acting like a professional". If they want him out then YES they can keep him out!!!!
They are not preventing him from earning a living, he can go work elsewhere. Vick signed the contract as did the Player's Union, and funny how I don't see the Player's Union standing up for Vick. If they thought he was getting a raw deal, believe me they would sue for it, but they aren't.
I agree with Josh. Michael Vick is a swine but he has paid his price. The NFL will get taken to court one day over the dictator labeled "Commissioner". I also don't think it is right he suspends people before due course. Example: Tank Johnson had been cut by Chicago. He was pulled over by Arizona police for drinking and driving. Goodell suspends him for this conduct. Charges were later dropped, suspension was not. Too much power for one man.
Get real!! Vick is a scumbag who felt he was above the law. I don't care how fast a guy runs, how well he throws, or any other elite athletic talent he possesses, he does not deserve to be put on a pedestal. The NFL is a pedestal. You must earn the right to be there. If you are not of good moral character and an upstanding citizen,regardless of athletic ability, you do not deserve the opportunity to be put before the youth of this or any other nation. If he paid his price, why will he still be a felon after serving his time? Your record does not go away after successfully completing a prison sentence. Too many inhabitants of our prison system are repeat offenders. I bet Vick will be as well.
I understand that Mr. Vick has paid his debt to society, but that doesn't mean that his former employer is, by any means, obligated to rehire him.
By your logic if we had a high school teacher having sex with his students, and he gets a couple of years in jail after being convicted of statutory rape he should be automatically allowed to go back to teaching. Or the accountant who is convicted of embezzlement should resume his accounting career upon release. Should a TV network be forced to put Pee Wee Herman back on the air simply because Paul Reubens has paid the price for being caught masturbating in a public place?
Just because someone serves their punishment for a crime in no way means they have the absolute right to return to their life as it was before they were convicted.
Michael Vick returning to the NFL would be a huge liability and a public relations nightmare for any team that was willing to sign him. Like it or not, to a lot of people abusing animals is just one step above abusing kids. Unfortunately for him, Michael Vick is now the face of dog fighting.
What makes the situation even more difficult for Vick is that he's just not that good. The league, and fans, might see it differently if he were the Michael Jordan of football, but the sad fact is he's nowhere close.
Josh, he doesn't have to be sorry and he doesn't HAVE to play in the NFL. Staying out of jail and playing in the NFL are NOT the same standard.
Josh, he doesn't have to be sorry and he doesn't HAVE to play in the NFL. Staying out of jail and playing in the NFL are NOT the same standard.
Josh, you are wrong. To play in the NFL is a privledge, not a right. Vick has paid his debt according to the law. Society may or may not think so. Our country is made up of too many entitlements. Vick is not entitled to play in the NFL. The NFL is for role models. Goodell is not god, but is the CEO. His decisions effect the NFL. Vicks decisions effect the NFL. Which effects do you feel. Felons are not allowed to vote. Felons are not allowed to own fire arms. These are rights they gave up when convicted. Vick does not belong in the NFL.
Josh is wrong! Any private entity has the right to establish a code of conduct. This has nothing to do with the law. In fact, per NFL guidelines, players can be suspended simply for getting arrested or charged with a crime.
My only quibble with Goodell on this is relatively minor, but I don't like the emphasis on showing remorse. Someone capable of this type of crime isn't capable of remorse over it (although certainly one could show remorse over getting caught).
I'd prefer that Goodell stay away from the psychobabble and just focus on cause and effect. But otherwise he's spot on and I like his hardhitting approach.