Brotherly love, eh?

OK, so I read this in my hometown newspaper this morning, opposite the headline, Twins blast Tribe, 11-0 (but we won’t discuss that today). From Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press:

Philadelphia sports fans, it is said, would boo a cancer patient. They threw snowballs at Santa Claus during a game in 1968. They cheered when the Dallas Cowboys’ Michael Irvin injured his neck and had to be carried off the field in 1999. They behaved so badly that a courtroom was set up at old Veterans Stadium to handle arrests.

But the City of Brotherly Love is where [quarterback Michael] Vick will make his comeback attempt.

Now fiends. Everybody knows that Michael Vick did a very bad thing. He did his time, he’s paying his debts, and hopefully he has learned something about compassion for animals. However, I still maintain that compared to some other athletes, he got an unusually harsh sentence. Would that mere humans received as much aggressive defense as dogs. (If you like, refer to a past rant on that subject.)

So, I ax you: Does Vick deserve a second chance? Or is it fitting that the mighty should fall once in awhile? I covet your articulate and compendious responses.

I think he’s going to get, if nothing else, a huge lesson in “I can’t let them get me down.” Still, if he doesn’t produce for the Eagles, everybody’s gonna look bad.

Fink out.

11 thoughts on “Brotherly love, eh?

  1. PKPudlin

    A second chance? Well, okay. But Vick is going to be given several times the annual salary of the lowly Animal Control worker/ veterinarian, while doing a fraction of the work and getting all the glory. That’s the part that frosts me. If he wants to play football and the Eagles are willing to stoop to hiring him, he should be paid $40K to $60K per year, and no more.

    I still say there is a very special place in hell for those who abuse weak and helpless creatures. Vick’s got a hot seat with his name on it for sure. I wouldn’t want his karma, would you?

    PK, in a snit.

    Reply
  2. Mavis

    I abhor what the man did to those poor animals. I love animals, especially dogs. I’m a true believer in giving second chances. I’ve been there myself. We’ve all been given many chances to have “do overs” in our lives. It’s what we do with our new chance that shows our true character. Vick was caught, did his time for his crime, has asked forgiveness. I think he has a lot of proving to do, though. As far as what he’s getting paid…what ALL pro sportsmen are paid – that’s a whole other articulate and compendious reply.

    Mavis

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      Speak it, Mave. I agree that the guy should at least have a chance to redeem himself. I heard the Eagles owner on the news last night. He said something to the effect of, “If we don’t see an extremely proactive, aggressive player off the field, then we have made a wrong choice.”

      Only time will tell. Some people do really well with a second chance; others will squander every chance they get. We’ll have to wait and see into which category Vick falls.

      Reply
  3. Tom Hanks

    Seems like a lot of cheese-burger-eaters out there only get angry about animal abuse when it involves cuddly lovable dogs. Seems hypocritical. If cheese burgers are legal then why not Vick’s recreational activities? Heres a fresh rhyme off the top of my dome: an animals an animal, big or small, if one can be tortured…torture them all!

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      The PETA debate is a whole ‘nuther issue; one, I might add, that will forever be inextricably linked with another sappy epithet: …and no minds were changed.

      So when are we getting together again to make some muzik, pal?

      RF, proud cheeseburger aficionada

      Reply

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