Nick Laham/Getty ImagesMichael Vick is having one heck of a season. He supplanted Kevin Kolb as the starting quarterback of the Eagles, and he's done it so well that no one is even thinking of questioning Andy Reid's decision.Michael Vick was convicted of dogfighting charges in 2007, and since his release Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
from prison, he's been fighting a never-ending public image battle. When he was returning to the league last year, there was a huge debate over whether any team would want to deal with the kind of public relations nightmare signing him would create.Now Vick is a winner and suddenly is popular in one of the toughest sports cities in America, Philadelphia.It says something if the Philadelphia fans are embracing Vick, but it also brings up the larger question of whether the Phili fans, and the nation at large, would be so willing to buy his story of contrition and redemption if he'd come out and thrown four interceptions and fumbled away the game.If there's anything to be learned from this, it's that human nature, and America's obsession with sports,doesn't change. We want to root for winners and we want nothing to do with losers.If Vick were playing horribly, there would be nothing but dog-fighting jokes being told about Vick and he would be getting booed out of town.Do You Believe Michael Vick's Redemption Story?Do You Believe Michael Vick's Redemption Story?Yes80.8%No10.6%I love Dogs Too Much, He's Dead To Me8.6%Total votes: 339Ironically, Vick's success this year has opened the very window to his redemption losing would've closed and locked.The fact that people want to know what Vick has done since his conviction means they want to know if they still should root for him, on-field heroics aside or not.So the debate now has turned to "Should we accept Michael Vick back into the league?" to "Should we believe him when he says he's a changed a man?"Vick has become a poster boy for the idea in America that anyone who has paid for their crimes and done their prison time has earned a second chance.While Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
the type of crimes Vick committed are heinous on any level to Western Civilization, the fact is he did confess to the crimes, paid his fines, did his jail time, and like any other person coming out of prison, the rules of society demand we give him a second chance.Vick is on the lecture circuit, talking about his dog-fighting days, and how he perceived the violence at the time. While most of what he says is believable, and understandable, not all of it adds up.Vick says it was the "culture" he grew up in that moved him toward running his own dog-fighting ring. That's completely believable as you go around certain areas of the country, you run into things that are completely foreign to your sensibilities.Nick Laham/Getty ImagesHowever, when he said he didn't know it was "wrong," I find fault with that because of the laws on the books, and the steps he had taken to conceal it from the public. Even if he didn't think it was morally wrong, he knew it was illegal, and he knew on some level he didn't want to get caught.But based on the interviews he's done, and the word of others like Tony Dungy, it is becoming believable that Vick is changed man. He certainly won't be running anymore dog-fighting rings, and his dedication to his job speaks to a new level of professionalism.While it is "just football," Vick is approaching it like the best in the business do. He's going to the facility every day, practicing, breaking down tape, attending meetings, and doing the things we as "regular people" would expect of Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
a guy playing at that level.Yes, winning has affected our view, but in this case it might be a good thing, otherwise he might have just dismissed Vick as another spoiled athlete who lost it all due to poor decisions.As we stand here today, and only Vick knows for sure if our view of him is right or wrong. Vick appears to be on the right track, and we can only hope he doesn't deviate from that course again.
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