The first reaction, at least judging from the comments on the radio and in the blogosphere, was total shock. I mean, the guy's orange suits still haven't been sent to the dry-cleaners. He was just released from federal custody on July 20, after having spent 19 months at Leavenworth and a few more at a halfway house.
I know there was plenty of talk about his return to the NFL, but this was a sucker punch that no serious Philadelphia fan was expecting. I mean, we're still dealing with the loss of B. Dawk, a universally beloved gentleman (if not gentle man on the gridiron), and the memories of T.O. aren't completely covered in cobwebs. So now we have to deal with another bad boy, this time a real felon instead of a pretentious, fashion-forward prima donna?
Much but not all of the criticism comes from the animal-rights community. That's to be expected. If O.J. Simpson were still playing and the Bills took him back, you'd expect NOW and Women Against Abuse to be out there with bullhorns and fury. People whose cause is protecting animals are justifiably outraged at the thought of a Vick comeback, as if his federal sentence were just a regrettable hiatus in an otherwise stellar career.
IT'S IMPORTANT to remember the extent of his crime. Vick allowed, and abetted, unbelievable cruelties. Dogs were strangled, drowned and electrocuted on his watch.
And his response during a "60 Minutes" interview aired last night?
"It's wrong, man."
It's wrong, man. Consider that for a moment. "Wrong." You wanted to scream back at the TV and say things I can't put in print. To let him know that even a stay at Leavenworth isn't enough to cancel out his debt if he can turn around and use the totally inadequate "wrong" to describe pure sadism.
