Should the NFL Allow Vick to Return?
Terry L. Mitchell
June 01, 2009
Former pro football star Michael Vick is now serving out the remainder of his federal prison term at his home in Virginia. Vick stuck a plea agreement in 2007 after being indicted on dog fighting charges by a federal court. As a result, he received a two-year sentence, which he had previously been serving in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Once he completes his home confinement this summer, Vick has hopes of returning to the NFL. For now, he is allowed to go outside his home five days a week – with a monitoring device attached – to work at a $10 an hour construction job. But should the NFL take him back this fall? It is now up to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is currently weighing that decision.
I believe the NFL should allow Vick to return, but with certain rigid conditions and restrictions. First, he should have to agree to accept the league´s minimum salary during the first two seasons of his return. Due to the heinous nature of his crimes, he must now re-earn his right to make the big bucks again (not that the salary he would be making would be considered peanuts).
Second, Vick should be required to donate 10% of his future salary and retirement benefits to charity. In addition, he should have to spend a minimum of 100 hours each season filming public service announcements and performing community service work for the cause of preventing dog fighting and other forms of animal abuse.
Third and finally, he should be put on a kind of probationary status for the remainder of his career, during which he would have to remain an exemplary player and citizen in order to continue playing. This means that a failure of a league-mandated drug test, a violation of the NFL´s standard of conduct, and/or any kind of felony or misdemeanor other than a minor traffic or parking ticket would result in his permanent expulsion from the league. Any ongoing contract he had at that time with any team would be rendered null and void, and he would receive no further compensation from anyone associated with the NFL.
I believe any reasonable person would consider these things a small price for Vick to pay in exchange for the resumption of a lucrative football career.
Once he completes his home confinement this summer, Vick has hopes of returning to the NFL. For now, he is allowed to go outside his home five days a week – with a monitoring device attached – to work at a $10 an hour construction job. But should the NFL take him back this fall? It is now up to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is currently weighing that decision.
I believe the NFL should allow Vick to return, but with certain rigid conditions and restrictions. First, he should have to agree to accept the league´s minimum salary during the first two seasons of his return. Due to the heinous nature of his crimes, he must now re-earn his right to make the big bucks again (not that the salary he would be making would be considered peanuts).
Second, Vick should be required to donate 10% of his future salary and retirement benefits to charity. In addition, he should have to spend a minimum of 100 hours each season filming public service announcements and performing community service work for the cause of preventing dog fighting and other forms of animal abuse.
Third and finally, he should be put on a kind of probationary status for the remainder of his career, during which he would have to remain an exemplary player and citizen in order to continue playing. This means that a failure of a league-mandated drug test, a violation of the NFL´s standard of conduct, and/or any kind of felony or misdemeanor other than a minor traffic or parking ticket would result in his permanent expulsion from the league. Any ongoing contract he had at that time with any team would be rendered null and void, and he would receive no further compensation from anyone associated with the NFL.
I believe any reasonable person would consider these things a small price for Vick to pay in exchange for the resumption of a lucrative football career.