Vick in the Doghouse

With the reported plea bargain agreed to by Michael Vick in the dogfighting case, in which he is expected to serve to a year in jail, there is much speculation that his NFL career is over. Some think the NFL will ban him for life, for gambling if not for animal cruelty.

I, on the other hand, believe we will see Michael Vick on the field in the not-too-distant future. Pro sports is full of criminal athletes, and it is clear that, unless an athlete is physically behind bars, he'll find a place to play if he has talent. And Michael Vick has talent. He may get suspended for a year or so after he gets out of jail, but he'll be back.

I find all the calls to ban Vick from the game permanently interesting. Now, the crimes he is accused of are serious, but they only involved animals. I would say that all but the most minor crimes against people are worse than crimes against an animal. Consider Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. He was involved, not directly but to some extent, in a murder case. He eventually pled guilty to obstruction of justice, and his only punishment from the NFL was a big fine. He's still playing today, and that incident seems to be forgotten. I imagine that, 5-7 years from now, Vick's case will be largely an afterthought, and he'll be playing football every Sunday.