Micheal Vick

[Philip22]

Eagles players honor Michael Vick with award for courage - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports

What a sham and Joke of a person!!

 

[trunks2k]

I'm an Eagles fan, but not a fan of Vick as a person (as a player, it's a little different, but he hasn't played too much this year for me to really judge if I really like him as a player). That said, given what the award is supposed to be about, i.e. the player that overcame the most adversity for the year, then yeah he does kinda deserve it. He came onto the team as a hated and untrusted player and the people of Philadelphia weren't too happy to have him on the team. He's earned the respect of the other players and the city, and as far as anyone can tell, he's turned himself around. So in that respect he's earned the award.

It's not the most public-opinion friendly option, but I don't know any other player on the team this year that had to put up with as much as Vick did. Maybe Westbrook, with his multiple concussions, but I think overall things were worse for Vick.

 

[TerranceL]

No doubt next year the award will go to Tiger Woods.

 

[Autumnleaf]

No doubt next year the award will go to Tiger Woods.

I can't think of anything causing more adversity to someone than for the media to put them through the ringer. I think Vick deserved the award too.

 

[Philip22]

I am afraid I would have to disagree, becuase Vick choose to knowly participate in illigal activities thus he brought the adversity upon himself where as others went thrugh adversity which was no fault of their own. Also Tiger woods can't win the award because it only applies to NFL players, as I understand it to be written

 

[clarksided]

The New Orleans Saints also gave the award to someone who brought adversity upon himself. Who cares? Honestly, adversity one brings upon oneself can be the most serious and the most difficult to overcome. That Vick and Hargrove (the Saints DE who received that team's award) inflicted their own problems doesn't it make it any less admirable that they have overcome them.

 

[katautumn]

Hahahahahahahaha I have tears streaming down my cheeks. Yes, it's so brave to commit a crime and then come back guns blazing as if nothing happened. Adversity my eye! He had endorsements lined up while in prison.

 

[Autumnleaf]

Hahahahahahahaha I have tears streaming down my cheeks. Yes, it's so brave to commit a crime and then come back guns blazing as if nothing happened. Adversity my eye! He had endorsements lined up while in prison.

When you are that good at something which people put value in you get rewarded for it.

 

[Yusuf Evans]

And the rich get richer

 

[Autumnleaf]

And the rich get richer

With football its usually the poor get richer. There aren't too many Rockefellers wearing NFL or NBA jerseys. Now the owners, that is a different story.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

From an ethical point of view, was what Vick did any worse than what the average person does when they support the veal industry, eat factory farmed chicken, or any of those sorts of things?

 

[Autumnleaf]

From an ethical point of view, was what Vick did any worse than what the average person does when they support the veal industry, eat factory farmed chicken, or any of those sorts of things?

It was no worse than [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] fighting.

 

[TerranceL]

From an ethical point of view, was what Vick did any worse than what the average person does when they support the veal industry, eat factory farmed chicken, or any of those sorts of things?

I must have missed the cow fights they put beef thru before they kill them for meat.

 

[katautumn]

From an ethical point of view, was what Vick did any worse than what the average person does when they support the veal industry, eat factory farmed chicken, or any of those sorts of things?

From an ethical point of view what Vick did is worse than eating meat that comes from factory farms, yes. Factory farms exist to feed millions of people. Michael Vick did what he did for no reason other than it amused him. He didn't need the money. He was probably the single most successful player in Atlanta Falcons history. And really, it wasn't even so much the dog fighting (which is deplorable in and of itself) - it was the way he tortured those dogs to a slow death. Dogs that were burned alive because they couldn't fight any more. Dogs having their feet dipped in acid to make them aggressive or as a means of punishment.

I get the feeling if he had done the same thing to cute little fluffy poodles people would be less inclined to forgive and forget. And lest we forget kids look up to professional athletes. What sort of message does this send? "Hey, kids, you can overcome growing up in the 'hood and become a famous football player and have wealth beyond your wildest dreams. You can even commit a heinous crime and still come out on top".

 

[clarksided]

Or you know, we could teach them that even if you make a huge mistake, once you serve the just (or excessive, in Vick's case) punishment for it, you can remake yourself and change who you are.

 

[b&wpac4]

Or you know, we could teach them that even if you make a huge mistake, once you serve the just (or excessive, in Vick's case) punishment for it, you can remake yourself and change who you are.

Why excessive? Do you realize that in the Bible, there are more commandments about the fair and good treatment of animals than of other humans? Not only that, but it shows that a culture that lived thousands of years before our own understood the need to treat animals well.

I think someone should have to do more than serve his time and do whatever it takes to secure his release and then play a year of football making more than I will in a decade before we begin giving them awards for courage. How about if he stays on the right path and continues to fight animal cruelty in ten years or so, we give him an award for overcoming adversity.

 

[Bushido216]

Or you know, we could teach them that even if you make a huge mistake, once you serve the just (or excessive, in Vick's case) punishment for it, you can remake yourself and change who you are.

I'm all for "once you've served your time the slate is clean", but winning an adversity award is obscene. Players go through adversity when something happens to them, not when they themselves commit the crime and pay for it.

Vikings safety Madieu Williams donated $2 million dollars... yes, that's MILLION folks, to found a centre for Global Health initiative's at the University of Maryland. Where's his reward?

 

[Yusuf Evans]

From an ethical point of view, was what Vick did any worse than what the average person does when they support the veal industry, eat factory farmed chicken, or any of those sorts of things?

The problem is that here in the United States, dogs and cats are almost on par with people in terms of the right to life; everything else is considered sources of food.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

From an ethical point of view what Vick did is worse than eating meat that comes from factory farms, yes. Factory farms exist to feed millions of people. Michael Vick did what he did for no reason other than it amused him. He didn't need the money. He was probably the single most successful player in Atlanta Falcons history. And really, it wasn't even so much the dog fighting (which is deplorable in and of itself) - it was the way he tortured those dogs to a slow death. Dogs that were burned alive because they couldn't fight any more. Dogs having their feet dipped in acid to make them aggressive or as a means of punishment.

There's no doubt in my mind that what Vick did was horrible and cruel, as well as unnecessary. Animals shouldn't have to suffer for our amusement, entertainment or to make us a quick buck.
I'd propose, though, that animals butchered for meat, especially veal calves, goose for fois gras, and in general, all factory farmed animals, suffer at the same level. I'd also propose that the only reason we eat things like veal or fois gras is for the taste, no one has a nutritional need for such foods (I'd go further and say that for the vast majority of us, there is no nutritional need for meat at all, but if one argued that they need some animal protein, there are at least more humane sources)
So, I think that when one looks at what someone like Vick did, it probably woudn't hurt to take a quick look at what's on their plate as well.
HSUS Investigation Uncovers Veal Calf Abuse, Closes Plant - Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

I must have missed the cow fights they put beef thru before they kill them for meat.

Then I'd recommend reading Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz, or just doing some reading on the treatment of veal calves or how foie gras is made. While they don't have cow fights, there is certainly mistreatment and suffering at the same level as what Vick's dogs went through.