Let Michael Vick Play

For his role in an interstate dog fighting ring, Former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick was ordered to pay approximately $1 million for the care and rehabilitation of some of the involved dogs and sentenced to serve a 23 month federal prison term. He also was sentenced in a separate Virginia state court action to an additional 3 years in prison, a sentence which is suspended on the condition of good behavior.

Immediately after Vick's guilty plea to the federal court action, the NFL suspended him without pay for conduct that was "not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible." That may be what they said, but with the number of other NFL players involved in DUI manslaughter, attempted murders and assaults, without facing an indefinite suspension by the league, it is apparent that there was more here that tweaked the NFL.

In fact, the real reason Vick was treated so harshly by the NFL was not because he was involved in the mistreatment of animals, but because he violated their "no gambling" policy by providing money to the gambling side of the dog fighting organization. You can hurt and kill humans and get back in the game, but gamble -- now you're talking about a crime the NFL cares quite a bit about.

For Vick's crimes he has lost endorsement deals worth millions, been released by his team, was ordered to repay the nearly $20 million signing bonus the Falcons had given him back in 2004, and is being treated like a pariah. Now he is awaiting word on whether he will be allowed to play in the NFL again.

Enough is enough. Yes, dog fighting is bad and we should punish people involved in the mistreatment of animals. But this has been done. Vick has gone through the court process, been sentenced, and served his time. Continuing to punish him beyond the scope of the law is, if you pardon the expression, beating a dead horse.

Vick is a football player by profession. He has already missed two years of what, putting aside Brett Favre, is not a lifelong profession but one limited to just a few years. There is a reason football players, and especially talented quarterbacks, make so much money -- there are very few of them and they work for a very limited time. At 29, Vick only has a few more years where he can work in his chosen profession and denying him that after he has already paid his debt to society is wrong.

Commission Roger Goodell is not the morality police. He certainly has allowed worse offenders than Vick to play in the NFL and should stop the grandstanding right now. Both the federal and state government has dealt appropriately with Vick, it's time to let him get back to work.