<The Gauntlet presents its first in a weekly series of opinions pieces about the world of sports.
When the dust from the frenzy and media-hype surrounding National Football League quarterback Michael Vick since last April, all the remained was one man and one word: “Yes.”
With the eyes of his fans, family, team and the entire sports world locked firmly on him, Vick pled guilty to one count of of conspiracy to operate an interstate dogfighting ring in front of a supreme court Aug. 27.
Although touted as one of the best running quarterbacks in NFL history, Vick was unable to run from the truth as evidence and testimony from his co-defendants applied enough pressure for him to flip his initial plea of not guilty. He faced charges of killing six to eight pit bulls through fighting, as well as supplying money for gambling on the fights.
Vick’s sentencing date has been set for Dec. 10, where he will face up to five years in prison. He was also suspended indefinitely from the NFL, although his fate with the sports league following his unknown prison term has yet to be determined.
The NFL is no stranger to off-field controversy amongst its athletes, as professional football has been home to drug addicts, roid-ragers, egotistical head-cases, uncontrollable tempers and plain, old-fashioned felons. Few, though, have ever had the superstar, fan-favourite presence of the Atlanta Falcons head quarterback. Vick has unquestionably been the sole fan draw for 51 consecutive sold-out home games, a streak almost sure to be broken over the course of next season.
While the fate of Vick’s pro football career should be cut and dried, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has refused to comment on Vick’s dismissal from the organization, and has even hinted at possibly welcoming his return in the distant future.
The NFL has frequently turned a blind eye to criminals still in the playing stages of their careers–how many second-chance drug tests has Ricky Williams been given, again?– offering little more than a slap on the wrist with a mild scolding. It’s high time that the sport lowered its tolerance for lawbreakers, especially those in the spotlight. Ideal role models shouldn’t have criminal records bigger than their biceps and Vick would be a perfect example with which to set the trend.
While the Vick case will publicly give the NFL a black eye for months to come–the O.J. trial left a few scars–the NFL should finally put an end to debacles like this while it still has some dignity left. The sport needs to try to permanently distance itself from athletes that elicit such bad press through increased playing restrictions for off-field violators and public criticism of offenders.
By cracking down, the league can ensure that, someday, the worst penalties routinely related to pro football will be illegal facemasks, as opposed to illegal activites.