Michael Vick signs with the Eagles

About a month after his reinstatement to the NFL, Michael Vick has found his way back into the NFL. Vick signed a one-year deal, with an option for a second year, with the Philadelphia Eagles marking his official return to the NFL after a two year hiatus.

Personally, while I've never been high on Vick as a football player, it's cool with me that he is back in the NFL. I realize what he did was absolutely heinous, disgusting, reprehensible, among a laundry list of other not so flattering words. That being said, he did his time, and hopefully he learned from it and is a stronger person as a result. I'm not buying the whole sob story act, or the whole 'I'm sorry, please forgive me' act, because in reality if he didn't get caught, who's to say he wouldn't STILL be doing those disgusting things? Am I saying it is impossible for a human being to be rehabilitated? No, I am not, but I am skeptical by nature. It always kills me when people say 'Oh, well he looks remorseful,'. Well, some people are better actors than others. I'm not saying he can't be remorseful, just that I don't buy it. All that being said, I'm not one to hold grudges and I definitely believe that he deserves a chance to redeem himself for the wrong that he has done. However, I'm not buying any of the 'woe is me, I'm sorry for what I did' rhetoric.

I do think that some of the 'He shouldn't be allowed to play ever again in life' sentiments, and even as far as callers on sports radio wishing him injury is somewhat extreme. I can understand why people would be outraged, especially those who love animals. I can even understand those who say the punishment wasn't strict enough, but really, not allowing him to ever play again in the NFL? Really? Honestly, if Vick isn't allowed to play again then there are a ton of NFL players who shouldn't be allowed to play again, based on some events that we know of (Stallworth-yes I'm aware he got suspended for a year, Leonard Little among others), and several others of which we don't know (Ray Lewis, probably half of the rest of the NFL). If there is consistency in the argument, I don't mind it, but if the crying foul is exclusive to Vick, that isn't right. I AM NOT trying to rationalize what he did, but the extreme nature of some of the complaints regarding Vick are a bit misdirected and exaggerated. He is not the most evil man that has ever walked the face of the planet.

And for the people crying foul about him being able to regain his job as a result, let's not forget the fact that, in essence, Vick DID lose his job. He was employed for the Atlanta Falcons making a truckload of money and got fired, and lost a ton of money during his jail stint. I also read a lot of comparing Vick to the regular joe. As unlikely as it is, someone fresh out of jail can also get a job somewhere else. Vick was released from his duties, went to jail, came out and another organization was interested in his duties. While Vick is playing in the same league, he now plays for a different employer for a reduced paycheck in a reduced role as he tries to rebuild his career.

I'm glad he is getting a chance to redeem himself, and genuinely hope he takes advantage of it. Will he ever be a good guy? Perhaps not. Is he actually sorry for what he's done, or what he lost as a result of getting caught? Who knows. But as a forgiving person, I hope he succeeds and becomes the latest good ol' American comeback story. What he did was heinous and inhumane, but I hope he rebounds from the adversity that he has faced, and conquers it.

As far as the football ramifications, I think the name and the luster of the story far outweigh what he will actually do on the field. The Eagles already have a QB, they already have a stable of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, and I'm not buying into the 'fad' called the Wildcat. I can see him being on the field for 7-10 plays a game and someone to be accounted for, but can't see him doing enough to make the signing a noteworthy one.