Brandon Sneed wonders if any good can come from hating the Eagles quarterback.
So, even now, three years after he was convicted of bankrolling illegal dogfighting operations and a year after he got out of jail, Mike Vick remains one of the most polarizing sports figures in America … and let’s be frank, some people still hate him.
In one way, I get that. Vick was responsible for some nasty, nasty things done to some sweet, innocent dogs, things that make me shudder and shiver and wish for a drink. I’ve got dogs myself, and trust me, as much as I love to watch him play football and as much as I believe in redemption and want to believe he’s experiencing just that, there’s no way he’s ever dogsitting.
However, some of the angry things people are spewing make me shake my head and wonder if they might need a drink or two themselves. Relax, neighbors. I mean yeah, Vick’s no saint, but some of the things being said about him are about as shocking as the things he did.
To be sure, these things come largely from the Internet, a place only slightly more savory than your local sewage pipe, and those who populate it with comments sometimes make me wonder if they somehow ingested, from said sewers, some sort of brainkiller mutated fungi.
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What most people get most riled about is when folks like me say, “Well y’know, it was horrible, yeah, but the man was convicted of his crime and he served his time and, y’know, they weren’t people he was torturing and killing.”
“Oh, so you’re saying they’re just dogs, then?”
“Well, I suppose so, yeah.”
“Ohh, so it’s acceptable then to be cruel to those who are powerless, who society sees as somehow less important? Well then, let me tell YOU somethin’ …”
And here’s what I’ve been told:
“That’s what the Nazis said during the Holocaust—’They’re only Jews’.”
“That’s what the slaveowners said—’They’re only blacks’.”
“That’s what pedophiles said—’They’re only kids’.”
“Do you get it? This kind of behavior is sick and purely evil.”
I mean, what is there to say to that? (Actually, I know: “Bartender!”) Comparing him to Hitler, to abusive slave owners, to pedophiles? Really? What he did makes any normal person cringe, but he’s nowhere near what some people make him out to be.
Regardless of how we feel about Vick, we all agree that the torture and murder of dogs is gruesome. That’s why it’s been criminalized in America, and that’s why Vick lost his fortune and his freedom for it.
But don’t lose yourselves to misreasoned hatred. While dogs are precious members of many families in our culture, they are food in other cultures, same as we consider cattle food while those in India consider them sacred. They are animals; Vick is human, and he has, as far as any of us know, repented. He served his time. He’s paid the debt our justice system required. There’s no need for you to add more to that.
I know he did unspeakable things to those dogs and he was responsible for unspeakable things done to other dogs, but they weren’t YOUR dogs. Let’s remember that.
Some of those who so hate Michael act like he broke into their homes, took Fluffy and Fido, set up a ring right there in the living room, and made them go at it. Heinous though his crime may be, Michael did not personally harm anyone’s animals or property. In fact, he spent quite some money on financing personal property and purchasing the animals. And bear in mind that that is actually the crime he went to jail for, not the torture of animals.
Those of us who cheer for Michael to succeed … It’s not like we’ve forgotten what he did. We’ve just moved on, because it looks like he has.
Hating Michael Vick doesn’t bring back the dogs. Hating Michael Vick doesn’t stop others from killing dogs. (In fact, some studies suggest that the firestorm of attention around Vick actually only further popularized dogfighting in some areas.) Hating Michael Vick doesn’t make the world better.
All hating Michael Vick does is leave one full of hate, and the only impact that has is on the hater.
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Maybe this whole redemption narrative is fabricated and maybe these messages that he’s saying when he speaks to crowds of teenagers are all scripted and maybe it really is all some elaborate public relations scheme. But you can’t manufacture the unbelievable talent Vick exhibits on a football field. You can’t fake the mental fortitude and the uncanny ability to command a team that he’s shown since returning to the game.
Sports aren’t always a metaphor for life, like people like to make them out to be, but sometimes they’re a good barometer for how a person’s personal life is going. (Reference: Woods, Tiger.) And if that holds true for Vick, it looks like, in short, the young punk has grown into a man.
I’m not saying you have to like Vick and if you never do, I’ll understand. And look—I know he has publicists helping him out. But I also believe there’s more to it, too, and until he gives me reason to think otherwise, why not?
It goes against the cynic in me, but here’s why: Life is hard enough, and these days, it’s about as hard as it’s ever been for Americans and it’s certainly as hard as it’s ever been for my generation.
And so, with the economy, the housing market, the national debt, the wars, I think that a story like Vick’s is good for us. I think it’s healthy to believe in something like what we’re seeing there.
Maybe last season was a fluke, and maybe one day soon this new world Vick’s built to live in will fall to pieces like the proverbial house of cards, but I doubt it. There’s a reason the Philadelphia Eagles just offered him a six-year, $100 million contract: They believe in him.
Originally posted at brandonsneed.com.
—Photo AP/LM Otero
About Brandon Sneed
Being from Atlanta, and having seen the way Mr Vick, paraded around town, doing whatever he wanted, in the name of being a “star” and rich, before all this happened I am reminded how much more there is to any story. I am all for second chances, I’ve had mine. I’m for redemption, I’ve had mine, and do believe that whether or not I like him now or if he has paid his debt, much is lost in this story that is not about him at all. Being a sports hero to many kids, and presenting yourself as such while engaging in this kind of behavior sends a very disconcerting message. If a kid in my neighborhood and his buddy swung a dog like a jump-rope against the pavement until dead, he would be considered a big risk to keep around. With or without sports talent.
Because he is Michael Vick, sports star , was he given favor ? Would a politician, or church leader get favor? Probably. What part does motivation play in all this ? Vick was being a jerk, showoff narcissist with more money than brains and manners. Much more dangerous than the kid in my neighborhood who might be called a psychopath. The sixty year old man from South Ga, who fought dogs, cocks, and ran moonshine to feed his family probably doesn’t see the equality in this redemption after twenty years in a swamp prison in South Ga. I am pretty sure Mr Vick’s treatment wasn’t so harsh. If he had no talent as an athlete, would he have gotten the same treatment? So he comes back, and picks right up where he left off after having to listen to some noodling from the fans who gave him what his talent and hard work gained him. Big deal. Where will the moonshiner go?
Lots of people have lots of talent that is never seen. I admire the work he has done to polish that talent and find it sad he wasted a shot….initially, that many would have loved to have and equally deserved. They certainly don’t make the fortune Vick “lost”- a ludicrous idea, by the way. Arthur Blank, gave him chance, after chance, after chance, before he had to let him go when this came. Vick didn’t lose a fortune. He paid his way out, and until the broken system that allows that gets fixed, the Mike Vick’s of the world may just have to deal with it. We don’t get to use the system to our advantage and then whine about it. It is called accountability, and a real man would want to be accountable, not just be concerned about how much he has been victimized by his own bad behavior. If he can come back, and reengage that talent after sitting in jail working out and getting his mind right then I am all for it. But shouldn’t everyone get the same chance.? Many who would rally in Vick’s favor would also say convicts deserve no TV, News, or anything that is not punitive, in order to pay their debt. Something tells me Mr Vick didn’t face that opposition.
Does Philly believe in him? Or do they believe in the money he can generate? He lost a fortune ? If it was lost doing illegal things, then too bad. I lost fortunes too from divorce, being laid off and a bad economy. I just didn’t have a Vick “fortune”. The idea that we should get extra for doing the right thing is a bad concept. I shouldn’t get bonus points after getting out of jail because I was good for a year, and if i am not a Mike Vick, I won’t. I get to be a convicted felon with all it’s trappings. Talent or not.
I do not hate Mike Vick. I don’t like what he did. I hate the system that raises one to this level in the name of second chances and redemption or other PR spin while the sixty year old guy who fought dogs to feed his family sits in jail. Vick did it for other reasons and could buy his way out. Ultimately it is not okay with me for the kids who idolize him and long for such talent to think that you can behave anyway you want, as long as you can buy your way out of it and hire a publicist. That is a bit like saying go forth and sin, and ask for forgiveness later. Is THAT the lesson I want to teach ? It is all diversion and points to the idea we make heroes out of those that may or not deserve it based on their personality, fortune, or charisma. Or worse, economic viability.
Pete Rose wasn’t gambling with YOUR money. My how times have changed…
Jack, how did Vick pay his way out? He spent nearly two years in a federal prison, where he got into fights and regularly just wished for a G-D honeybun. Our system isn’t perfect, but it got to Vick about as harshly as you can get to someone. If you want to rant about someone beating the system, rant about Albert Haynesworth, who KILLED SOMEONE while driving drunk and got virtually nothing.
The lesson from this is that people are human and the products of what they’re taught as children, for better or worse. Far as anybody can tell, Vick is trying to overcome that. And like I said, none of us are smart enough or intuitive enough to discern anything other than what we can see. Same as when he got caught. To judge beyond that is unhealthy, unproductive, detrimental to society, and a flat-out waste of time.
And where did Pete Rose come from? I mean, I agree—I don’t think that he should be banned from baseball and I think he should be allowed in the Hall of Fame—but how does he come up in your argument?
But seriously, thanks for the thoughtful reply. Really appreciate that. I mean it.
I agree, comparing him to Hitler or a pedophile is a couple steps too far, and I certainly don’t waste a whole lot of time hating Michael Vick. But I will argue that a dog’s life is just as valuable and worthy (in some cases, more so) as a human beings. I understand that some cultures eat dog meat and we do horrible things to other animals, and I don’t believe any of that is morally right if the end result isn’t food for sustenance. Dog fighting is not about slaughtering an animal to put a meal on your child’s plate, it’s about senseless blood lust and greed.
So my take on Michael Vick is this: let him play football. God knows there are other athletes in that league with moral compasses that could shame Vick’s. Let him live his life as any of us do and let him make the type of money that an NFL superstar makes. But just like any other murderer, let him live his life in the light of mistakes he has made. Because to me, that’s what he is.
Chris, don’t get too carried away. Again, yes, he did horrible things to dogs, but calling him a “murderer” implies things that aren’t true. Technically, yes, he murdered dogs. But you know as well as I do that “murderer” is a term reserved for a human being who’s killed another human being, and to call Michael Vick that is unfair and—again—suggests hatred that only serves to tear down. And that sort of thing is worthless.
And dude, dogs’ lives worth more than humans’? C’mon. That’s a stretch.
Well, Brandon, that actually opens up a completely different can of worms, one which isn’t constructive to this conversation. Yes, I believe dogs lives are worth more then some humans. I also believe that humans have no more inherent value then any other animal on this planet, as we are all animals. So to me, the label applies.
Regardless of what label I choose to place on him, my opinion remains the same. He committed a crime and should live with the “convict” label. Again, he is free from this point to go about his life in whatever way he sees fit within the guidelines of his parole and he has served the sentence imposed on him by a court of law. I recognize that. Any other convicted felon that goes out to apply for a job has to report his record to a prospective employer and would have to deal with the stigmas associated with being a citizen of that caliber, would they not? So Michael Vick does as well. I won’t spend time hating him, I will applaud the season that he had last year and say that if The Eagles feel he is worth $100 million, then that is what he should be paid. But when he comes out in the media saying things like he wishes he could have a dog again, because he misses them and wants his kids to be around dogs, I’ll say cry me a river dog-killer. He made his choices, and now he must live with the consequences.
So you’re arguing that because Michael Vick didn’t personal electrocute MY dogs, I shouldn’t be so upset? If your neighbor’s house burns down, do you just shrug your shoulders and say “sucks to be you”? I agree with Chris and Jack. How can anyone claim Vick is remorseful when he asks “what did I ever do to anybody?” Clearly he doesn’t think his past is any big deal. Brilliant editorial on the same topic here: http://dogtime.com/michael-vicks-latest-comments-off-the-cuff-and-unbelievable.html
No, Tom, that’s not what I said at all. Of course what he did is upsetting. That’s why he WENT TO FEDERAL PRISON. I said it’s fine to be upset, and if you’re upset, then I understand. But being upset doesn’t do any good, either. It was an encouragement towards something positive. Nothing more, nothing less.
And the neighbor’s house burning down metaphor … that’s nowhere close to the same thing. If it’s a neighbor, then you probably know them personally, and there is actually something you can do. And I think that the people who are raising and rehabbing the dogs rescued from Bad Newz Kennelz are doing something really awesome. I’d take one of the dogs myself were I near them and if I didn’t have two dogs of my own. And that’s doing something.
My only point was that hating Vick is a waste of energy, and that at the end of the day he’s a human being who made some bad choices. Just like all of us. His choices were worse than what bad choices I’ve made and probably worse than yours. But he’s also facing those consequences, and he’s moving on. I just think the rest of us should, too.
Thanks for the comment.
Therein lies the problem: the value of dog vs. human life. Evidently, some or many Vick hatera hold the view that dogs hold as much or more value than humans. As such I’m their view, Vick’s actions were as bad or worse than serially torturing and killIng children. For people who feel that way about animals, his actions are unforgivable.
In that context I inderstand their outrage, as much as I disagree with their view. This is like people who consider embryos to clumps of cell not understanding why people who consider embryos to be Homo sapiens oppose abortion. Of course they do.
People who consider animals to be equal in value to or even above humans probably feel that MV should be still in prison, not counting his millions once again. I now understand.
I have news for you, the Falcons offered him an even bigger contract and look how that turned out. Being offered a boatload of money doesn’t speak to how you are a person, and sometimes not even as a player.
I hated Michael Vick before I knew about dogs. I hated him because he’s so overrated it’s not even funny. Yes, he had a great year last year. But what about 2001-2007? All he was was a athletically gifted guy who couldn’t master the QB position. And yes, I do think last year was a fluke. We’ll see. If he keeps up that kind of performance this year I’ll eat my words. But last year was one year versus the better of a decade of being slightly below average. I’ll stick with the law of averages.
And lastly, it doesn’t matter a damn that those weren’t our dogs. What kind of rationale is that?? Because he tortured and killed his own dogs that makes it better? Of course not! Now granted, he’s not Hitler. Hell, he’s not even Ray Lewis (accomplice to murder) or Donte Stallworth (manslaughter). My disdain for those guys runs deeper than it does for Vick. But make no mistake, I hate Vick.
You don’t just suddenly stop being the kind of person who willfully tortures animals. The lightbulb doesn’t suddenly go off in your head when you’re caught, and all of a sudden you realize “Wait…electrocuting and killing dogs is bad?!?!” Eureka!” He knew it was bad. He was caught. And yes, he did his time. But do I believe this bullshit PR facade? Not for a second.
And lastly, if there’s one more reason to hate Mike Vick it’s pretty simple…
I fucking detest the Eagles!
That he is more hated than Albert Haynesworth who killed a human being sexually harassed and totally disrespects women is beyond me.
. . . and sexually harassed . . .
Y’all don’t rally against Jared Allen every time he goes out and kills a dear…
I never understood how some animals get put on pedestals but with others its totally fine to kill for sport.
If you “hate” Michael Vick you have issues in my opinion.
He did his time. He’s moved on. You should too. Get over yourselves.
Deer*
Michael Vick was needlessly cruel to those dogs. It wasn’t just about the dog fighting, it was the horribly inhumane treatment that those dogs had to endure. It is nothing like raising animals for food. Farmers don’t torture their cows and pigs just for fun, which is what Vick and his friends did. It was sadistic. That isn’t just a mistake, that comes from something deep inside. In that way, he IS like a murderer or a pedophile. He has an evil streak. I don’t hate him, but I don’t think 2 years in prison changes a fundamental character flaw.
I don’t hate Michael Vick. I think he is a diseased individual who has proven to be capable of horrible atrocities, and should be kept away from animals and children and other human beings for our own safety.
He can certainly play football, and I can certain choose to spend my money on everything but football, and refuse to purchase any product endorsed by a torturing sadistic creature.
I think that, aside from football, he is a waste of human life; a pathetic and small man who needed to abuse the vulnerable to feel big. That is worthy of pity, disdain, contempt…not hate.
He’s not worth hating.
Vick haters are a bunch of self-righteous as ses like Rhea Hughes who put themselves in the place of God deciding who is worthy of forgiveness and for what offenses. As I remember Jesus’ words there was only one unforgiveable sin and it wasn’t for killing a dog!
I’m not a vegan or anything, but if you buy eggs from the store you’re probably supporting an industry that causes more animal suffering than dogfighting ever can or will. Does that make you a horrible monster worthy of death? I don’t see why so many Americans freak out over killing dogs, comparing the killers to Hitler, pedophiles, etc., yet are fine with treating animals terribly for higher profit margins/cheaper Egg McMuffins.
Michael Vick deserves to rot in prison for life. Two years wasn’t enough. If he tortured dogs, imagine what else he’s capable of.