Michael Vick will be allowed to return to NFL

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who served a federal prison sentence of nearly two years for dogfighting, has been conditionally reinstated for NFL play by the league's commissioner, Roger Goodell.

It's unclear which, if any, football team will sign the disgraced star; his onetime team, the Atlanta Falcons, released him from his contract last month, and he remains a controversial figure.  One factor that may determine whether or not Vick is able to remake his image is his newly formed partnership with the Humane Society of the United States.  Vick will work with the group on its anti-dogfighting campaign and, according to Humane Society president and CEO Wayne Pacelle, the football star says "he’s changed forever. And he said he wants to show the American public that he is committed to helping combat [dogfighting]. He asked for an opportunity to help. I want to give him that opportunity."

Vick's conditional reinstatement means that he can participate in preseason practices, workouts and meetings immediately, according to the Associated Press.  Once the NFL season begins, he'll be allowed to participate in all team events other than games.  Goodell said he'd consider offering Vick full reinstatement, which would include the right to play in games, beginning the sixth week of the season, in mid-October.

In a letter to Vick, Goodell wrote, "Needless to say, your margin for error is extremely limited. I urge you to take full advantage of the resources available to support you and to dedicate yourself to rebuilding your life and your career. If you do this, the NFL will support you."  Retired Coach Tony Dungy will work with Vick as a mentor of sorts, our colleague Sam Farmer reports.

Vick's prison sentence officially ended last week, although he was allowed to leave the U.S. Penitentiary, Leavenworth, in May and served the remainder of his sentence at home in Newport, Va. 

RELATED:
The next step for pit bulls rescued in massive dogfighting raid: behavior evaluation, with an eye toward rehabilitation
Is Michael Vick in talks to be PETA's spokesman? The group says no
Supreme Court to hear case on dogfighting and freedom of speech

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Vick throwing a pass during a 2006 Atlanta Falcons-Dallas Cowboys game.  Credit: Rob Carr / Associated Press

Comments

[KJB]

I actually can't stand arrogant atheletes like M. Vick and I can't stand people that hurt animals. However, I do believe that he did his time and should be allowed to play. That's the way things work in this country. I wont cheer for his team though.

[Sara]

Apparently one can commit atrocious acts and be welcomed back into pro football with open arms. Positively Disgraceful and unflatteringly disgusting.

[LHASA OWNER]

Michael Vick should not be allowed back into the lucatrive sporting venue of professional football. What's the saying, "walks like a duck, sounds like a duck?"

[ForcaBarca]

Given that Tony Dungy will mentor Vick, I am confident that Vick will turn a new leaf. Tony Dungy is the polar opposite of Bill Bellichik-a man of decency and honor. I believe that Michael Vick had done due diligence by paying for the sins of his action. Now is the time for him to be rehabilitated.

[Chris]

Michael Vick should NOT be allowed back into the NFL, and the League is damaging what very little credibility it still has (and it's not much) by "conditionally" allowing him back.

I wish him well on his rehabilitation, but he should now sit on his multi-millions which he previously earned and do his court-ordered community-service. He should not be rewarded with a new multi-million dollar contract. There is NOT a SINGLE job on the planet in either the private or public sector which would rehire him after what he did. So, sorry, but "NO" to the person who claimed "that's how things work." That's not how they would work in any other job. The NFL should be NO different.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be able to get a NEW job (outside of the NFL), but he does not deserve to get his OLD job back. He forfeited it when he decided to be a criminal.

The NFL is a joke, and just providing yet another reason not to watch pro-football.

[Deirdre Spalding]

From now on II will not allow Pro football to be watched on TV in my house. Any advertiser on any televised NFL football game or print ad - I WILL DO MY BEST TO NOT BUY YOUR PRODUCT! I will encourage everyone to boycott advertisers, networks, etc FOR ALL NFL FOOTBALL teams/games. We will be a 100% college football home. I think the NFL is trash organization.

[Cawren]

By taping the mouth shut of a puppy or stray dog is how they teach the pit bulls to fight. So they can get a taste of blood with out getting hurt. .Mr. Vick is a piece of refuse that so happens to be an athlete. The only way that the NFL wouldn’t let one of their golden boys play is if they killed another football player and even that is debatable. No wonder our young people are confused between what is right and wrong. This nasty human will now make millions of dollars in front of a cheering crowd. So it must be OK to participate in the cruel crime of dog fighting. In our society money is reward, lets give a standing ovation to the low life.

[Dan]

Unbelievable. This says so much about our society. I will do everything in my power to boycott any team that hires this freak. Truly unbelievable. Sick. I guess we live in an age where one can do truly unimaginable, sickening, perverted acts and be welcomed back, since money trumps EVERYTHING these days.

Sad. Disgusting. Just really, really sad.

[In the trenches]

I didn't hear all you dog lovers protesting when the guy killed those 2 dogs a few weeks ago, he got 90 days. Vick should be allowed to play football again, he didn't kill anybody. Leavenworth for fighting dogs, that's crazy. Welcome back vick, don't worry about the haters, they are always going to be there.

[Outraged]

Pro athletes are role models for the youth of this country like it or not. Some role model this guy is. Professional football is diminished by his presence on the field.

[Slim]

He done his time. That's the way it works in America.

[NJim]

Charles Barkley once said "I'm NOT a role model" and that is so true. These people ARE NOT role models and shouldn't be viewed as role models. Michael Vick is a great athlete and should've never been suspended in the first place. He did his jail time, paid his fines, let the man move on.

[Steph]

WHAT HE DID WAS TERRIBLE...yes...but unforgivable? ...no....He served his time; he paid his debt, and he' s TRYING to prove to people that it's possible to learn from the mistakes we make in life. And Thats a powerful message if one REALLY lives it. So, people can argue all day about the levity of his crime.... all while we've forgiven people, and not just celebrities, for far more disturbing acts. Why deny him his profession? Look, I'm not even a Vick fan.....but you just can't throw the man away.....give him the chance to PROVE he's changed! And finally, People keep talking about the "image" he portrays to kids...well there are 3. lessions this man can TEACH any child.....#1.Abuse of any living being is WRONG.......#2. Learn from your mistakes; and be accountable.....and #3. Forgiveness is a powerful thing! And by my saying all this, I'm NOT in anyway proclaiming all crimes are equal, and everyone deserves forgiveness... so keep those rebuttals to yourself........NOW, If Vick would have "skated" and not served anytime at all?.....then my opinion whould be different on this subject......HOWEVER.....he served his time....

[Tone R]

IM HAPPY VICK IS GETTING A SECOND CHANCE!! TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ANTI-VICK: GIVE THE GUY ANOTHER SHOT, ITS PPL LIKE CHRIS BROWN AND OJ WHO DESERVE TO BE PUT IN JAIL...I BET THE NFL RATINGS THIS YEAR WITH VICK BACK WILL BOOST SKY HIGH!!

[Mr.Saunders]

I think M.Vick Should be able to play. He did his time for the crime and he is paying his debt to society. So what if he WAS a criminal that don't mean he deserves to lose his right to play the sport he loves. Do you really think there are no others criminals in the NFL they just haven't been caught. Its pointless and ignorant to not let the NFL or it endorsers in your home all because one man. Are you serious saying that your that weak that his presence in the NFL will change the things you buy, like clothing?(nike, under armor, reebok, and countless others) food?( bugerking, walmart, kmart, mcdonalds, beer, water, gatorade) even your car and insurance companies endorse them * LAUGHS* so what you going to do start kicking rocks everywhere?( aka walk ) i think not so stop all that foolishness. For the guy who said hes not going to watch whatever team Vick is on i hope he goes to your favorite team or your home town team so you can hear bout him everyday. DONT JUDGE HIM BY HIS PAST JUDGE HIM BY HIS FUTURE AND WHAT HE DOES ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

That is all
Love,
Mr. Saunders :)

[bditman]

This creep is a disgusting human being. Just because he can throw a football and run fast does not make him any less disgusting. This is a huge reason why College Football is just a better game and a more fun sport to watch. If he did this while he was in College, he would be gone from the team and out of school - no matter who was the coach. No we get to see how low the NFL will go. For every great thing that Santonio Holmes and Brett Favre stand for, there is a bigger, more inescapable symbol of the NFL's worst. The NFL needs a Commissioner with guts to tell this creep Vick that he is history.

[scott kempner]

I just remember vick's so-called apology, telling one and all that what he did was wrong and immature...Immature??? At what age then should one grow out of the desire to torture and murder innocent creatures for fun and profit?...10? 15? 21?....that's an apology??....two years in prison for the torture and murder of 25 (that we know of) dogs??!!....the NFL disgraces itself in it's greed & insensitivity and spits in the face of sports fans and humanitarians by allowing this murderer back in their ranks...Is he all grown up now?

[Jordan]

Donte Dtallworth got into a car drunk KILLED SOMEBODY and takes there life, and gets charged with vehicular manslaughter, and the NFL is letting him play with no penalty. Vick just killed a bunch of dirty dogs and does his time, and is still being treated like a murder have some Common Sense people!!!!!!

[witheld]

Michael Vick's sentence was far too lenient, and he should never be allowed to play again. Who is he fooling by "partnering" with the HSUS? He just wants to make millions again! Shame on the NFL and fans who are willing to forgive these horrific crimes in the name of the almighty pigskin and megaprofits!

[JOHNNY NETTLES]

AMERICA WAS BUILDED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT EACH OF US DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE IN LIFE, MICHEAL MAKE A MISTAKE AND HE SERVE HIS TIME IN JAIL. HE DESERVE A CHANCE TO BE REHABBILITATED AND PROVIDE A LIVING FOR HIM AND FAMILY, OTHERWISE THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM. BY ALLOWING VICK TO PLAY FOOTBALL WILL SAVE US SOME MONIES DOWN THE HIGHWAY. MICHAEL DOES NEED TO BECOME A SPOKEMAN FOR THE CARE OF AMINALS, JUST REMEMBER HE IS NOT THE ONLY DOG FIGHTER OUT THERE HE HAD THE BIGGEST NAME AND BELIEVE ME EVERYONE GOT SOME MILAGE OUT OF THIS ONE. THE BOY GOT TALEN T AND WE FOOTBALL FANS WANTS TO SEE HIM ON THE FIELD ON SUNDAYS, IF GOD CAN FORGIVE THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN TOO. THANKS TO THE NFL COMMISSIONER FOR MAKING THIS UNPOPULAR DECISION TO BRING MICHAEL BACK, HE WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

[Des]

I'm not a football fan, and I didn't know who M. Vick was until his arrest. I am an animal lover. I am also an American who believes in the right of another American to pay his debt to society and be able to move on with his life. Ban him from owning animals, make it mandatory that he sponsor a shelter, but allow the man to earn a living. He paid for his crimes, let's see if he's learned from them. If he does it again, than yes, ban him from football, lock him up and throw away the key.

[L.A. Voter]

The problem is so many people think all Michael Vick did was "fight a few dogs." That is NOT all he did. He killed, or conspired to kill, at least thirteen Pit Bulls that we know of. He didn't shoot them quickly and painlessly. He slammed one's body into the ground. Some were drowned, some were electrocuted, some were hanged, some were shot.

According to the USDA he and his friends also put non-Pit Bull family pets in with powerful fighting dogs because "they thought it was funny" to watch them be hurt and killed by Vick's fighting dogs.

As another commenter has pointed out, all Vick ever admitted to in public was fighting dogs and "immature acts." But in fact Michael Vick and his friends experimented with new ways to kill living beings. That is not a mistake, that is not a cultural thing. In fact, it's an insult to poor people and African-American people to imply anything of the kind.

What Vick and his friends Quanis Phillips, Purnell Peace and Tony Taylor did was no different than how Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer started out, which was torturing and killing animals -- deriving pleasure and enjoyment from watching the fear, pain and death of a creature who is utterly helpless and vulnerable. The ONLY difference is that Vick and his friends were caught sooner than Dahmer and Bundy. But a person who derives pleasure from inflicting pain, fear and death doesn't get better. They don't learn to feel remorse. Remorse means understanding what he did was bad and hurtful, and feeling guilt about inflicting pain. But Vick enjoyed it. You can't change that. Either you enjoy others' pain or you don't. That IS the difference between a sociopath and a normal person. The only thing a sociopath who enjoys inflicting pain is going to learn is to hide that proclivity from "normal" people, and to pretend to be normal. He's not going to learn to be a good, non-pain-inflicting person, any more than Dahmer or Bundy would have.

Roger Goodell is another story. When it became clear the extent of what Vick had done, Goodell characterized Vick's actions as "not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible.” But he apparently no longer cares about that. He's hoping people will have forgotten so some team can make money off of Vick. Goodell doesn't suffer from a mental illness like sociopathy, like Vick does. He's just a run-of-the-mill hypocrite.

We should tell Goodell that just as Vick is not entitled to get rich no matter who he hurts, neither is the NFL entitled to give criminals a free pass just to make a buck. There are other talented young men all over this country who deserve the break Vick is getting -- young men who haven't had his chances and opportunities, and who would never hurt a creature who can't fight back.

[JOe Clifford]

I can't believe he is reinstated, not because he hasn't paid his debt to society, but he lied to his bosses, the fans and his teammates. He comes from a long line of trash (his brother Marcus stomped on the knee of an opposing player in the 2006 gator bowl among other things) and I don't think he is remorseful, I don't think he has changed and I don't think he should play in the NFL and I, too, will boycott any products that advertise during NFL games. The league has deteroriated into a bunch of thugs, simple as that.

[Snoop]

You animal lovers shouldn't be watching football anyway. Think of all those pigs who died just to make the footballs. What an immoral sport!! Maybe you should pass a Proposition to ban the playing of any NFL games in California. Your idiot state should be kicked out of the Union and annexed with Russia.

[Doggpound17]

I guess if I were perfect and mistake free then I might be able to cast a stone and with that said.... as disguisting as the crime is I am more appauled about a player or players driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and/or domestic violence issues. Leonard Little killed someone while DUI and if I remember correctly he played that Sunday and the rest of the season only to be caught DUI again.
I love all animals and truly hate what Vick did but I am only a man as is everyone willing to judge Vick but I say he should be able to redeem his name the American way

[Sheriff Mohammed]

As human beings we make mistakes. It is imperative we learn to forgive. Vicks could use his experience for good. I agreed with the NFL Commissioner that his magine of error is slim. Wish him good luck as he rebuild his image

[pat p]

It's sad to think that Vick is going to be allow to go back and play. But who is going to eraes the bad treament that the dogs recived. Like they say forgive and forget. For animals its not the same theres is very few people that truly care for them. I understand if you dont like animals i guess its ok, but dont hurt them.

[Mir]

NFL - full of criminals, makes sense that they would welcome him back with open arms.

[scott kempner]

Look, the guy murdered innocent dogs for who knows how long, gets caught, and suddenly he's sorry....Yeah, he's sorry. Sorry he got caught. His ridiculous apology and excuse, "I was immature". What a joke! Maybe they're just "dirty dogs" to that one reader, but to the millions of dog owners, & dog lovers, that is far from the case. They are loving LIVING creatures who provide more unconditional love to more people who may otherwise never get to experience that all too rare and beautiful state than sociopath/psychopaths, like this Vick "person" will ever provide another living thing . He is a murderer, plain and simple. But, of course he'll be reinstated. We live in the land of King Dollar, after all. Money Uber Alles, my fellow Americans. if this is your vision of justice in America, i feel sorry for you. If this "man" wasn't caught, he'd still be doing it. If you don't believe that, it's not just your morals that need examining. But, he's all grown up now, and found his maturity in prison, a great place for doing so. So, it's all just fine. He's sorry he got caught, and that's all we can be sure. He looked into the faces of these creatures as they drowned, were electrocuted and strangled. He saw their terror, their fear & their pain first hand, and still murdered them. That we CAN be sure of. You tell me what kind of "person" that is. It's interesting that you want to hold him up to other murderers of people as a way of excusing what he did. Nice comparison!

[Tiiz]

There is a reason for the justice system. According to the American justice system we prescribe and adhere to...justice has been served. There should be a standard approach to athletes who disappoint. But you can't take it out or make an example of one b/c of WHAT they did. Actors and athletes have long histories with the wrong side of the law. No one is asking them to quit their jobs. Kobe Bryant, Baseball Hall of Famers who broke the rules, and the list goes on...There are many flaws with our current system...why do athletes make so much money? But don't hate them b/c they do. Does he deserve to play? No. Should he? Yes. Besides, that's WHY America is so great...it's built on 2nd chances.

[Jim Denver]

I was shocked that the NFL would allow such an evil person to come back.
I do not want my son to know such a person.
I hope he is going to turn a new leaf but the NFL??? I mean really...there are millions of people that could take his spot and players need to show more appreciation instead of vanity.
I am positive that I will not watch the games that he plays in.
I do not want my kid to hear the comments during the game, and I hope to shield him from such evil acts...I read peoples comments that compared to hunting and there is not a comparison to breeding an animal to kill then abusing it to make it crazy only to see if it can destroy another animal that had the same treatment...I mean really...
I hope the NFL commissioner is forced out because of such a poor decision.

[Janet Stanton]

Michael Vick absolutely should NOT be reinstated by the NFL, even conditionally. Vick was directly involved in the brutal execution and torture of many dogs. Twenty-three months in jail was a slap on the wrist. He's an abomination and a horrible role model for young people everywhere.

[Cawren]

I wonder how many "free to good home" ads are answered in order to collect the "bait" animals to train fighting dogs?

Standard practice for training fighting dogs is to get a puppy or stray dog and tape their mouth shut. This is done so the fighting dogs (With no resistance) can attack and tear, getting a taste for blood with out getting injured. .Mr. Vick had everything in the world going for him, still again and again he chose cruelty. This man is not going to punch a time clock and work on an assembly line in some factory. He is a sports figure with adulation and endorsements. That means he is looked up to. But in reality he is a piece of refuse that so happens to be a talented athlete. The NFL has sold its soul. Is everything short of murder their guideline for reinstatement? What a standard. No wonder our young people are confused between what is right and wrong. This nasty human will now make millions of dollars in front of a cheering crowd. The message? It must be OK to participate in the brutal rampant practice of dog fighting. In our society money is reward, lets give a standing ovation to the reinstated thug.
Good luck to the team that takes him.

[Val Welch]

Mr. Vick has served his time now he needs to go get a real job...I absolutely love football...child molesters serve their time but they are still not allowed to work with children...he should not have the oppurtunity to be glamorized...he served his time he is forgiven, but he should move on...it doesn't make it right what he did...

[Turty Squip]

Where can we find a list of companies that place ads during Eagles games? Anyone? Thanks...