Michael Vick Deserves Some Compassion

For the last two and a half years, the media and animal rights activists have saturated our daily lives with the Michael Vick coverage. To me, there are a lot of lessons to be learned by Vick, and a lot of coat-taling that needs to come to a hault.

In life, everyone should own up to their wrong doings for what its worth, but it is only fair, that if there is a wrong, there should be a chance of making it right. Who ever said two wrongs dont make a right should be given a humanitarian award.

With Vick’s release, the media, NFL executives, owners, and even the social networks have waged a full blown discussion on the Mike Vick issue all over again. This time inquiring minds would like to know if he was sufficiently punished, if his head needs to be examine by a neurologist, or whether the NFL should give him a second chance to play right away?

If you ask me for my two cents on this issue, my responses would be simply this: the players union has been taking a back seat on this issue and yes he should be alowed to play. The NFLPA ha been extremely silent, even though they have the resouces to assist troubled players with rehabiliation, or do they? If it was not for Tony Dungy taking a humane approach to this situation amd reached out to Vick, most people would turn the other cheek. As a matter of fact, Terrell Owens came to Vick’s defense even before the Player’s Union.

Supposingly, now we hear that the NFLPA will include the NFL’s disciplinary actions in their pending labor talks. As if, they need one more item on the agenda which already seems taunted. Unforntunately for Vick, he is thrown right in the middle of the circus. However, I am concerned with the fact that he needs some serious damage control in the form of a good publicist and/or someone from the union’s player development department. Vick is a player who had his fair share of ups and downs with the Falcons, but still enjoyed good publicity and was not exposed to or heavily scrutinized by the savage media, as he will now.

Yes, he was a human highlight reel, but he only did his fair share of in depth interviews as a player. In that regard, he would need the media savvy skills and a point man from the union at his side. After all the NFLPA needs their branding too. He will need to land on his feet firmly, but some help might be required.

The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in my opinion, needs to firmly stipulate to Vick about his future. As I am not quite sure what the conditional reinstatement entails. Commission Goodell seem to have a bigger problem, as his body language spoke volumes at the press conference. In my humble opionion, he showed little on no compassion is his announcement. Someone should ask him, if he has ever been given a chance with anything in life. For his usual “god-like” posture is a leading indicator of his lack of care.

But really and truly, Vick placed himself in this “fracass” (as they say in Jamaica), and only he can get himself out. My advise to him would be to keep Tony Dungy on his speed dial and reach out to Deon Saunders, who have given an ear to a few troubled players in the past.

To me, Vick owes it to the fans to prove his critics wrong, now that he has been given a chance at the NFL. He should embrace the idea and be positive, passionate and prepared. He should take full control of is life abd be the owner of all his decisions and must definitey – his destiny.

As for the NFL, maybe the executives need some lessons in human relations – some of the greatest classes are given at Harvard (speaking as a former particpant). Make no mistake, the NFLPA will take the league to task during the ongoing labor talks about the disciplinary actions and how those should be rendered. But as of now Vick need their help.

The NFLPA should help Vick put together a plan to get his life back on track. After all I assume he is a paying union member or was, and his rights and dues are as good as the next player. Second chances, sympathy and compassion are incentives given to humans, as life surely calls for this some times. We dont have to reject seeing the right side of a wrong-doer, some times his regret should warrant some compassion.