If you were to walk up to a random person on the street and ask if they knew who Michael Vick was, I can guarantee the answer 9 out of 10 times will be simple: "He's the dog killer, right?" Unfortunately, Mr. Vick has dug himself into a massive hole and maybe this year he is slowly beginning to make the climb up and out of that hole. Maybe. A lot of people will never let him live down, and maybe rightly so, the fact that among other convictions, he financially supported and housed the dog fighting ring known as "Bad Newz Kennels" based out of Surry County, Virginia. Countless Pit Bulls not only lost their lives due to the behavior of Vick and his associates but many of the dogs were found so beat up that their lives will never be the same. Thankfully, some of the canines have been "re-trained" and have been lucky enough to find new homes that will care for them in the way they were meant to be cared for. However, others were not so lucky and had to be put down because they were just so mentally and physically destroyed by the effects of Vick's dog fighting operation. Over the past year and a half this story is what many people have come to know about Michael Vick, not football.
Not his glory days at Virginia Tech and taking the school to a BCS National Championship game as a Sophomore and breaking school record after school record in a multitude of categories as a QB. Placing third in the Heisman voting as a Freshman. Not being drafted number one overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001 and then two years later taking them into a cold and snowy Lambeau Field and beating the Packers in the playoffs and ending the Packers undefeated playoff record at home. His three Pro-bowl selections which his first selection came in his second year in the league. His electrifying playing style, his upbeat personality, and his great athleticism. Whether you agree or not how good of a quarterback Vick started out as during his first seasons with the Falcons, he was still a play-maker and most of all a game-changer. He brought back the scrambling days of Randall Cunningham and others but in a much bigger way. Even with all the criticism and bashing he still managed to play the game the way he wanted to and still managed to stay on top of his playing style the whole way through.
Then somewhere along the way, he lost focus. The 2007 year brought a lot of hardships to Michael and everyone knows about the dog-fighting convictions and his ultimate guilty plea and being sentenced to jail for 23 months. But it didn't end there for Vick. When he was released from prison in mid-2009 he was met with extreme financial issues and more lawsuits from creditors and others that Vick owed money to. It looked like it was never going to end for Vick but after his reinstatement into the NFL and with help from former Colts coach Tony Dungy and many others, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick in the 2009 off-season to a one-year deal. This signing, in my eyes started the road of redemption for Vick. He just has to make sure now he can stay on that road and continue improving and putting the past behind him and learning from his mistakes.
Since his release from prison he has been making great strides toward showing the pet lovers and animal community that he is trying to educate everyone more on the nature of dog-fighting and it's heinous results in the live altering effects it has on the animals subjected to it. He has been going across the nation and presenting his message to the people that are willing to listen. Even with occasional media criticism or protester, Michael is still working towards a solution to his problems so that life can get back to "normal" for him.
Being from Newport News myself, going to the same high school that Vick did, and growing up a VA Tech fan, naturally I have always been a fan of Vick and everything he has accomplished as a person and a football player. When I heard the news about the dog-fighting charges I was, needless to say, utterly shocked and upset with Vick. How could he be so blind. Throwing away everything that he worked so hard to accomplish in life and now it could all be destroyed because he listened to some old friends and associated himself with a bad crowd that he should have known were "bad newz." It was sad to see such a promising life get halted in an instant and everything just blew up in his face. Yet, everything Vick has worked for as a professional and a person still hangs in the balance has he tries to "redeem" himself through a new and improved game on the football field.
Personally, it will take me a very long time to forgive Vick for his off the field antics. What he did to those defenseless dog is just beyond wrong at this point. I had heard of dog-fighting cases before but not as horrific as the Vick case and that is really disturbing. As much as I want the infamous cliche "every one makes mistakes" to apply to Vick here but I think his situation cannot be rectified on that statement alone. However, as a football fan he is well on his way in redeeming himself on the field after falling off there before his incarceration. He is an amazing football player and now is one of the top QBs in the league in my opinion. As long as he is not playing the Giants I will always want to see Michael do well on the field.
So has his legacy been re-born this season. I think so. Most are calling it a "renaissance season" for Vick and I would have to agree with that assessment. It's good to have him back on the field where he belongs and see him starting to do well again. Now let's see if he can keep it that way and help his legacy continue to mature again into the Michael Vick we all knew he could become.
-R.N.N
rnelson0187@gmail.com
@ryannnelson87 on Twitter
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