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Nils Lofgren on Michael Vick
By admin on Dec 7, 2010 | In Advocacy
Link: http://www.nilslofgren.com/
Nils says so well what I have been attempting to convey to sports fans myself. That anyone holds Vick up as any sort of hero or star makes me physically ill.
By Nils LofgrenSpecial to ESPN.com
An open letter to the men and women of the sports reporting community,
I am so disheartened and disappointed by your collective, lopsided praise of Michael Vick due to his recent spectacular on-field performance.
Jemele Hill stated on ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" that if Josh Hamilton could win one of baseball's MVP awards after recovering from alcohol and drug abuse, why couldn't Vick win the award in the NFL? Well, for one thing, Hamilton has neither tortured dozens of dogs nor murdered defenseless animals.
I do not know what is in Michael Vick's head or heart. But in a recent ESPN interview, and elsewhere, he stated that while he was committing these heinous acts of cruelty, it never occurred to him that he was doing anything wrong.
What a chilling, telling statement.
In Vick's case, I believe his second chance should certainly allow him to be free and to love and raise his family. I think he should make speeches about the error of his ways and help animal groups. I understand that he is doing some of these things and I applaud that. He's also admitted to being haunted by his dogfighting days. That growth is welcome and necessary, but comes too late for me and those dogs.
I support his right to earn a living. But, while I can't fault him for taking great advantage of the opportunities afforded him by playing in the NFL, I feel he does not deserve that lofty a place in our society and culture. However repentant he may be, he committed acts whose vileness will resonate down the years. When you do what Vick did, a second chance should never include the rare gift of an NFL career and the potential bounty it offers.
Shame on the NFL for not banning him permanently.
How can we justify this saga to our children?
The fighting is bad enough. But when the dogs aren't up to their standards of violence, they'll beat the dogs against walls until they're dead, hang, electrocute or drown them.
And if the schedule is too busy for torture that day, they'll just shoot them dead as the poor dogs gaze desperately into their eyes for just one moment of love or kindness. But love is one thing those dogs are forever and viciously denied.
When you do what Vick did, a second chance should never include the rare gift of an NFL career and the potential bounty it offers.
In addition to forcing the dogs to fight, Vick and his cohorts bred the dogs. A butcher is often called in to rip out the teeth and nails of these innocent canines, making it easier to chain them to what is known in fighting circles as a rape stand to be forcibly mated -- cultivating only fear, rage and hate in these blameless creatures. All of that to create more fighting dogs whose lives will just repeat a cycle of unspeakable suffering.
Well kids, although doing those things is wrong, two years after you admit to doing them the NFL will let you have a job that may lead to an MVP award and many millions of dollars in a new contract.
Parents are already dealing with a society seemingly gone mad. We have many troubled kids in our country. Some of them act out by hurting animals, themselves and others in various ways. How do we square our interest in saving children when they can clearly see this kind of evil behavior, for some, is only a big bump on the road to fame, fortune and glory?
Truly frightening.
I am a giant sports fan. However, the cynic in me thinks maybe if Vick were a third-string lineman, the NFL would have set an example and banned him for life. Maybe many of the other significant charges Vick was facing wouldn't have gone away if he didn't have the prestige of being an NFL quarterback who can afford high-priced lawyers to wrangle pleas and deals.
For the NFL to be that forgiving of evil, vicious behavior is a terribly inappropriate act of forgiveness and has brought a sick, sad, dirty feeling to many of us fans who have loved the game for so long.
And to you reporters, whom I enjoy and respect, the sentiments in this letter are suspiciously absent in your hundreds of hours of Vick coverage.
Recently, on another edition of "The Sports Reporters," Mike Lupica said that this Vick issue spoke to the shallowness of the pro sports world.
Wow! Three seconds versus hundreds of "Vick's so great!" hours. Way to go! Just because the NFL lost its spine and common sense on this matter doesn't mean you reporters have to get in line and go along.
Sincerely,
Nils LofgrenMusician and huge sports fan, hurt and demoralized
Nils Lofgren is a virtuoso rock guitarist who has toured with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Ringo Starr, Neil Young and others. He has also released more than 40 solo albums.
6 comments
Teach children to be vindictive, instead. Teach them that if they ever make an error in judgement, their lives are over and they will never be forgiven. Teach them to shun all those who don't walk the straight and narrow. Teach children to feel superior to everyone who hasn't made the same exact choices that their grandfathers' have deemed 'acceptable'.
This is wonderful. I can't think of a more Christian message during the holiday season. Bravo.
So 18 months in jail and 6 more in a halfway house isn't punishment enough? A man loses the right to perform his profession? You say if he was a third-string lineman he would have been suspended for life. I say if he was a construction worker you wouldn't care at all.And Vick is not making millions of dollars...er, he is, but he isn't seeing it. He's on a court-ordered budget - its not much different than what my own is. He filed for bankruptcy, and did it the honorable way - he will repay his debts, and his creditors are reaping the rewards of his return to the NFL, not Vick himself.
Between his actions on behalf of animals, and his playing success after years away from the game, in spite of a country rooting for his failure, I say he does now deserve our positive attention. But all of you who judge him, go home and eat your chicken, eat your beef, and ignore your own participation in animal abuse.
Vick has even made a statement that he wants another dog! Please tell me that the state or someone of authority has restricted this irresponsible man from having pets.And the news today rescued 128 puppy mill dogs in Birmingham. BAN THE MILLS! How can we do this people. The Ban is important.
I agree with the above poster (number 2) - why is everyone acting like going to jail is some little thing?Also, the writer says Vicks didn't know what he was doing, and acts like this enhances his argument. Uh, what? Logically, it weakens it. If he was raised thinking it was okay, then he needs education, not further punishment. And it seems he has been educated. I believe his remorse is genuine, and his pro-animal actions will be more effective if he is an NFL star.
This is so true vick got his second chance we he got out of jail he should never have been able to play in the NFL i was a big eagles fan nomore the NFL sports world makes me sick i will never stop being the voice for the dogs that are abused.Or any animal. 
What people often forget in these debates is what people like Vick represent to the thousands upon thousands of inner-city boys in this country. Ask most 14 year old inner-city black boys what they want to be when they grow up, and you will almost certainly hear either "football player" or "basketball player." Many of these boys do not live in good areas of town, and pro sports is a very glamourous option for them. But these boys also tend to live around a lot of violence and illegal activity. For them to see someone commit a felony, only go to jail for 2 years (those of you who are saying that this is a significant punishment have obviously never been inside a minimum security prison), and then get out and STILL have the opportunity to live their dream, well. . .that doesn't provide very many reasons for these boys to avoid illegal activity, does it?
Michael Vick is a bad role model for the people in our country who desperately need a good one. Let him go off and do something else.
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