According to a SurveyUSA poll done yesterday, 42% of of Roanoke-area adults believe the sentence (23 months in jail and 3 years probation) handed down to Michael Vick was "too lenient." Just 19% believe it was "too harsh," and 37% say it was "just about right." On another question, whether Vick should be allowed to play football again after he has served his time, 32% say "Ban Him From The League Forever," 32% say "Suspend Him," and 34% say "Immediately Allow Him To Play Football."
By the way, here's the Humane Society on the Vick sentence.
John Goodwin, Manager of Animal Fighting Issues for The HSUS, stated, "We commend Judge Hudson for sending a strong message to animal fighting criminals: Dogfighting is a dead-end activity that carries meaningful penalties."
I couldn't agree more.
Now, after reading about his confession that he held losing dogs while a noose was slipped around their neck and then dropped them, I find it so disgusting, so appalling that someone who should have risen above the appelation of red-neck trash, that I couldn't care if he had gotten 23 years in prison. Yes, even for killing mere dogs.
If I didn't know what type person engages in the barbarism of dog fighting I would wonder what kind of person would let some poor defenseless dog strangle to death before their eyes, then allow another dog to die the same horrific way. But I do know. It is the type that is devoid of normal human feelings. All sorts of excuses could be made for such people, but it is absurd to argue that there are saving graces in someone who could be so cruel to such creatures who want nothing more than to curl up at your feet and lick your face, loyal creatures who are turned into killers for no decent reason.
Personally, I hope he never gets another chance to play pro football again. No jokes this time...this man is a lesser animal than the ones he murdered.
I was looking around at other famous athletes who have been engaged in similar activities. here are some examples.
From what I hear, Troy Aikman has been involved in dog fighting for YEARS and to a much deeper level then Vick. Too bad Vick was black and successful.
Roy Jones Jr. has been involved in game cock fighting since he was young. He still owns a lot of the game cocks. I know this because I have some relatives who have actually been to game cock fights where he was at.
That being said. Vick will do his time and be back on the field within a year or so. I expect that the teams that hire him will face a lot of pressure from activists. The 64 percent of people who want to either let him play immediately or suspend him is a significant number I think. Also if you add the 19 percent who think that the sentence was too harsh to the 37 percent who think it was about right then that number is 56 percent. This would indicate that the majority of people don't think this was egregious enough to merit the invective that has been spewed at him while acknowledging that he did a bad thing.
He will serve his time. After that he should be left alone to pursue his career.