I read some posts from my old Myspace blogs from 2 years ago and the strangest thing happened to me. When I read some of these post two years ago, they were masterpieces. In August of 2009, I'm asking myself why the hell did I post that? Not the on the field analysis, but the morality analysis I would drop in from time to time. Is it a sign that I'm actually maturing after nearly 27 years of off-the cuff tirades???? I wouldn't hold my breath. The reason I bring this up is because the moral police has been out on full patrol in the last few days regarding the Rick Pitino extorsion case and now the signing of Michael Vick to Philadelphia. You hear the outcries of "He killed dogs!!!!", "He shouldn't get another chance!!!!!", etc. Roger Goodell is not an idiot!!! He knows he can get mileage out of Michael Vick in due to the past circumstances. If the commish would have banned Michael Vick from ever playing another down in the NFL again, would I question it? Probably not. When "Dog-Gate" began to surface on the news, I was infuriated. As most people know, I'm a dog person. Stories like these send my blood to a boil. I made very venomous post and comments about Vick when this story was at it's light. I've heard the argument that if cats were involved, would this story got as much attention? It probably wouldn't if that was the case. There's still the question if Vick has payed his debt to society? Some say he got off easy. There's a simple answer to those remarks. He had the money to pay for some damn good lawyers. Is it fair? Probably not. Of course PETA has to throw in their two cents. The same organization that pushes for a ban on the University of South Carolina nickname "Gamecocks". I don't encourage animal violence, but sometimes there has to be a line drawn. It's almost like the argument by a minister who pushed the New Jersey Devils to change their nickname. When ESPN announced Vick's deal to Philly, I was surprised. Why would the Eagles sign a QB when they already have Donovan McNabb? All of the sudden, a light bulb went off in my head. In the last 4 years or so, McNabb has been prone to injury. Kevin Kolb is hurt and, let's face it, A.J. Feely sucks. The Eagles bought an insurance policy and I don't blame them at all. With all of the off the field stuff aside, this signing was a good football move. We don't know if Vick is fully remorseful. Those answers will only come in time. However, the Philadelphia Eagles shouldn't be punished for making a football move. You then ask, what about Pac-Man Jones? He's a great talent, the only reason I wouldn't sign him is because he may not be able to step on the field because of his constant legal troubles.
Emotions and criticisms can be broken down into three layers. I'll use the example of drugs:
Layer 1 (least critical): The guy who uses drugs but doesn't sell them.
Typical reaction: That guy is a bum and an idiot!
Layer 2 : The guy who deals drugs, but only to adults.
Typical reaction: He is poisoning our society and should be off our streets.
Layer 3 (Most critical): The guy who not only sells drugs to adults, but to kids as well.
Typical reaction: He is a heartless bastard and should be shot!!!
Significant difference isn't it? I heard Erik Kuselias say that Vick shouldn't get a second chance because of his drug troubles. Though maybe true, but Roger Goodell is not going to pass up a ratings firestorm. He knows the NFL will be critcized and the Eagles know they will be critcized as well. However, no matter how much you bark about it (no pun intended), you're going to watch and see what he does. Deny it all you want, but your TV will be glued to an Eagles game to see how fans react, players, and even Michael Vick reacts. This is a media gold mine. If you disagree, then why the hell is everybody talking about it. Just add another storyline to the NFL season and sit back and watch the fireworks.
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