Like all of us, I've made my share of mistakes and suffered my portion of consequences. But to risk damaging the portrait of manhood I've painted for my children would be devastating. Not just for them, but for me.
That's why I believe Michael Vick has already faced a punishment more severe than prison. He's done something most fathers pray they'll never have to do. He's admitted his greatest faults to his children.
But Vick has also admitted something more. He's admitted that he must change.
As a father, Eagles coach Andy Reid knows the value of that. Having watched his two sons make mistakes that resulted in jail time, Reid understands that none of us is infallible, and that there are times when a second chance is warranted.
I applaud Reid for demonstrating forgiveness. I commend him for facing a media more concerned with stoking the flames than dousing the fire. Most importantly, I admire Reid for presenting a portrait of manhood to which all of us should aspire.
Standing up for what is right isn't always popular. Embracing someone who has fallen isn't always easy. But sometimes, as a man, you must stand on the strength of your convictions, and ignore the cries of the crowd.
No one understands that better than Tony Dungy - a man who won a Super Bowl with the same quiet dignity with which he has lived his life, and endured the loss of a son to suicide along the way.
Dungy learned, like all of us do, that sometimes, despite our best efforts, the results are beyond our control. That hasn't stopped Dungy from mentoring Vick. In fact, I have the feeling that Dungy, an intensely spiritual man, is comforted in knowing that a higher authority is in charge.
It's a good thing, too. Were everything left to us, the voices of condemnation would drown out the voices of reason.
