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By Matthew Estipona
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Sep. 19, 2009 |
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On Aug. 27, Philadelphia Eagles’ fans greeted the return of a once prominent football star back to the arena after a two-year hiatus. He holds several NFL records, including the most rushing yards in a single season (1,039) for a quarterback and the highest average yards per carry in a single season (8.4).
On Aug. 27, Philadelphia Eagles’ fans greeted the return of a once prominent football star back to the arena after a two-year hiatus. He holds several NFL records, including the most rushing yards in a single season (1,039) for a quarterback and the highest average yards per carry in a single season (8.4). For any star athlete, the welcome would have been seen as a triumphant return, the equivalence of welcoming Michael Jordan back to the basketball court or Wayne Gretzky back to the ice; however, that was not the case for former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. His once promising career is now overshadowed by his involvement in the Bad Newz Kennels dog-fighting investigation and his subsequent two-year imprisonment. His reputation has become plagued with scandal and shame.
When the news about the investigation was released, I was immediately angered at Vick for even participating in such a pointless and cruel event that would jeopardize his career. However, people commit ongoing atrocities to animals in laboratories and farms and I strongly felt that the media was honing in on Vick because he was a famous football star. To me, Vick was a victim, and until even a few weeks ago I felt that his imprisonment had been too harsh. However, after his release prompted me to delve into the facts, I was absolutely disgusted to find out the full extent of the atrocities Vick and his friends committed. I now know who Vick truly is: a ruthless dog murderer with no conscience or feelings of remorse toward the animals that he held captive and forced to fight.
Vick and his friends routinely “tested” dogs to see if they were ready to compete in dog-fighting competitions. If they were not fit to fight, Vick and his friends would subject them to torturous and grueling activities such as forcing them to run on an inclined treadmill. The dogs that they judged were ruthlessly killed and slaughtered by hanging, drowning and through electrocution with Vick directly participating in the murder of 6 to 8 dogs in 2007.
The rest of the story is history. While I believe that some people who commit crimes should be given a second chance after serving their time, I believe that Michael Vick did not serve a punishment that compensated for the full extent of his crimes. When it was revealed that Vick had signed a plea bargain to spare him from the full jail sentence, which might have been as much as five years, my views on him completely changed. He should have been convicted for the full punishment and many think that his standing as an NFL star raises questions on whether his celebrity status spared him the full sentence.
I am appalled by the NFL’s decision to reinstate Vick and even more so toward the Eagles’ who recruited Vick. Maybe they did so because of the gained publicity that a franchise would need or they signed him because he still has the skills. His debut on Aug. 27 was met with warm reviews and he helped lead the Eagles to a 33-32 against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he went 4-for-4 for 19 yards. By reinstating Vick, the NFL is condoning gambling and the cruelty against animals and saying to young aspiring athletes, which we have plenty of at Lowell, that celebrity status can get you acquitted of heinous crimes.
Vick served as a role model and a hero to many students, especially to those who see sports as an opportunity for a better life. As a star high school football player he broke several records and earned a scholarship to play at Virginia Tech. When prominent athletes become caught up in off-field dramas, not only do they tarnish their own image but they crush the dreams of those who look up to them.
Whether it is Kobe Bryant and his sexual assault allegations, Charles Barkley and his gambling problems or Alex Rodriguez and his use of performance enhancing drugs, in the eyes of young fans, it will appear that using celebrity status can help a “hero” evade the consequences of horrible actions. When major sports leagues such as the NFL simply allow these players to return without suffering the full burden of their punishment, they are accepting those actions as part of the norm of a famous athlete’s lifestyle.
Michael Vick’s legacy will forever be tainted by his sick form of entertainment and it is something that I will never forget. No matter how many records he holds or how many he may break in the future, he still does not deserve to play. It is unfortunate that in society today, sport stars are idolized and worshipped as living legends. It’s even worse that the NFL condones this idea that the good of the league is more important than the good of the youth.
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