Don't be fooled by the 'new' Michael Vick

[Shadowlands]

The NFL is back, and so is America’s favorite football villain, running the field, juking the world, boggling the mind.

It’s still a Vick-eat-Vick world out there.

This time, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is destroying his image with his mouth, saying some things in an upcoming GQ magazine story that are far more stunning than last season’s 100.2 quarterback rating.

Barely two years after completing a 21-month prison sentence for dogfighting, Vick has apparently regained his swagger, not only on the field but also on the streets, where the perpetrator is recasting himself as the victim. He knows America’s sports fans have forgiven, now he wants them to completely forget because, really, what’s the big deal anyway?

"For a while it was all, 'Scold Mike Vick, scold Mike Vick, just talk bad about him like he’s not a person,' " Vick told the magazine. "It was almost as if everyone wanted to hate me. But what have I done to anybody? It was something that happened, and it was people trying to make some money."

What has he done to anybody? It was something that happened? It was people trying to make some money?


In looking at that quote, what is really criminal is how the Humane Society of the United States has jumped on the football bandwagon and has actually allowed him to participate in various campaigns.

"Yeah, you got the family dog and the white picket fence and you just think that’s all there is," Vick told the magazine. "Some of us had to grow up in poverty-stricken urban neighborhoods and we just had to adapt to our environment. I know it’s wrong. But people act like it’s some crazy thing they never heard of. They don’t know."

Nice to see that Vick is still trying to rationalize his behavior at the expense of the millions of people in this country who don’t use their depressed economic status as an excuse to fight dogs.

"A lot of people got out of it after my situation, not because I went to prison but because it was sad for them to see me go through something so pointless, that could have been avoided," Vick told the magazine.

The only thing pointless, it seems, is continuing to think that Michael Vick’s renewal on the football field has led to a reinvention of his character. It hasn’t. It won’t. America needs to stop believing.

The only real news in the GQ story was Vick’s claim that he could have signed and started for the Cincinnati Bengals or Buffalo Bills, yet the NFL steered him toward a backup role in Philadelphia so his comeback would be slower and quieter.

Some say fans in those first two cities should be outraged. I say they should be thankful

latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/08/michael-vick-nfl-eagles.html

Attachments:

[dobrescuer]

I really do not get this.
The man paid his fines, his jail time and has been extra helpful on the recovery of most of the dogs involved in his mistake. While I agree that he made a terrible choice of caring and the atrocity of dog fighting. I believe that he has moved on and stopped all problems with the dogs and dog fighting. I have even seen where he is now involved with several societies to better care of unwanted and rehabilitation of many pets.
Why is he still the #1 enemy?

[HEXE- TINA]

Feb 3, 2012 10:56:33 GMT -5 dobrescuer said:

I really do not get this.
The man paid his fines, his jail time and has been extra helpful on the recovery of most of the dogs involved in his mistake. While I agree that he made a terrible choice of caring and the atrocity of dog fighting. I believe that he has moved on and stopped all problems with the dogs and dog fighting. I have even seen where he is now involved with several societies to better care of unwanted and rehabilitation of many pets.
Why is he still the #1 enemy?

Because he got to easy out of that number and he only is involved in those societies, because he had too and only to better his image. I personal will not forget what he did and all the dogs who had to suffer because of him and his friends and what was it what he said

It was something that happened, and it was people trying to make some money."[/quote] Says a guy with a big pay check every month. How much money did he needed ?

[damasyn]

He still has not really owned up to what he did as being wrong...yes he's said the words,but it seems it was only to "get out of things. Kinda like a child molester suddenly finding God once he's in front of the judge and jury. Would he still be doing it today without a bit of remorse if he hadn't been caught? In my opinion ---YES

He has only said what John Q public. Wanted to hear and only for the sake of his paychecks and taking some of the heat off his back

[4Dobies]

What he did with the dog fighting was wrong and perhaps he paid the price for those actions.

But his other actions involving the torturing and drowning of these poor animals Imo is not forgivable and really tells me that this man has some deep psychological problems that can't be cured with just an apology or excuses.

[RavenAndDamon]

The point is, and I think his words in the story even show it.. The man is not sorry for what he did.. He is sorry he got caught.. And he is obviously a very arrogant man too.

[breesmom]

I have to agree with 4dobies it isn't just the dog fighting but what he did with the dogs that couldn't fight any longer that really showed his true colors!!! And Tina is right also...just how much money did this man really need...it isn't like he was gonna starve without the dog fighting income!!!!