Ban Michael Vick

Michael Vick's release from his prison term occurs today June 20, 2009.   Sometime in the near future, he will apply for reinstatement to the National Football League.    You, as commissioner, will be the sole decider of whether he should be afforded the privilege of playing again in the NFL.   You have stated that if Mr. Vick shows genuine remorse, he may be reinstated.  

As fans of the NFL, we, the undersigned, would like you to consider the following and ban Michael Vick for life from participation in the NFL:

1.  Michael Vick made a lifestyle choice, not a mistake.    He was not caught participating in his first dogfight, he had run the ring for his entire NFL career.   If not for getting caught in 2007, he might still be running the ring today.   That is not the actions of someone who understands it wrong.   It is someone who chooses to live the life of a criminal.   There is no room in the NFL for people who make such choices.

2.   Banning Mr. Vick will send a message to other players.   In the wake of Mr. Vick%u2019s arrest, many players came out said they saw nothing wrong with dog fighting.   Despite the fact that is illegal in all 50 states, players still felt the fighting of dogs was acceptable.   If they see participation in illegal activity costs them their future in the NFL, perhaps they will think twice before participating.

3.   Michael Vick participated in a gambling enterprise while running the dog fighting ring.   The NFL has a long-standing rule against any member of the League being associated with gambling.    If a family which only owned the site where the activity that led to gambling had to divest itself or be banned, then surely, someone who provided the activity that led to gambling deserves a ban.   There was betting on the dog fights.   Michael Vick provided the dogs, the ring and the prize money for participating in the fights.   Whether or not he participated in the gambling himself, he was most definitely associated with it.

4.   The rule against gambling is to keep organized crime from influencing football games.   Michael Vick was convicted of participating in an interstate dog fighting ring.   This was not a bunch of guys with dogs, getting together in the backyard.   There were training facilities, properties dedicated to the ring, and thousands of dollars in prize money.   That takes a large amount of money.   Not everyone in the ring had a pro football contract to fund the enterprise.  This interstate ring was organized, it was criminal.   Furthermore, it is more than likely that other members who participated in the ring were associated with organized crime.   Through Michael Vick, they had access to someone in the NFL.   Even without evidence of influence, the potential was there for corruption of the game.

Given the above, a lifetime ban from the NFL is merited for Michael Vick.