Barking up the wrong tree

I'm gonna talk about something everybody is definitely sick of hearing about.

No, not health care. Not Obama’s "lack of citizenship." No politics. Or at least not really.

I'm here to dispute the case of Michael Vick.

So backtrack to the beginning. December 10, 2007: Vick is sentenced to 23 months; almost two years for dog-fighting/cruelty to animal charges, and mildly influenced by a minor violation of his pretrial agreements (that he wouldn't possess unlawful narcotics/other substances).

I give mad props to U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson for laying down the law in this case, even when prosecutors only suggested 18 months behind bars. Typically, the illustrious class is able to evade the law in one way or another, so this was a good message and example for Hudson to send out there. And don't forget organizations like PETA were jumping up and down more vigorously than they have in a long, long time because of the slap-in-the-face for animal rights violations Vick received.

At the end of the trial, after the verdict was read, Hudson told Vick that he needed to apologize to the many stakeholders in his case: the millions who looked to him as a role model, all those he hurt, etc. Vick replied with a "Yes, sir," and was thus locked up.

All that seems like so long ago, doesn't it? And it was. Two years is a long time, especially in a case with such charges that are normally (and wrongfully) overlooked by courts.

Vick was allegedly good in jail for the 19 months he was there, even playing prison football, and he called his time there a "turning point." Good for him.

Once Vick got out, the media coverage snowballed into the Philadelphia Eagles' signing him on a two-year contract. At the press conference, Vick spoke to the public for the first time since his prison release. His message was of thankfulness, luck, regret and change. "Now I want to be part of the solution and not the problem," he said, even vowing: "I won't disappoint." A big promise, but coming from a big guy. Again, kudos.

But that darned PETA (Philadelphia's society, this time) had to go and start yapping. And when that watchdog sounds the alarm, reverberations are felt nationwide. Now, I'm not saying PETA is a bad organization; I've been a bit of an animal activist myself, even adopting vegetarianism more than once in my lifetime. It's just that this lobby wields too much power. Or rather, their followers are just extremist in many cases.

Susan Cosby, Philadelphia's PETA Chief Executive Officer said: "Philadelphia is a city of dog lovers and, most particularly, pit bull lovers. To root for someone who participated in the hanging, drowning, electrocution and shooting of dogs will be impossible for many, no matter how much we would all like to see the Eagles go all the way."

Come on, Cosby. This kind of talk is ridiculous, to say the least. The language used in this is true propaganda; Michael Vick wasn't convicted for electrocuting or gunning down canines. He was sent to jail for organizing and funding dogfights (which is still terrible, but not as terrible).

Most importantly, I've gotta say Philadelphia Eagles fans are by the most intense--and vicious--fans I have yet to encounter. I still remember the year the Tampa Bucs played in Philly for the Playoffs and my favorite player Joe Jurevicius' baby boy had just died. And these nasty, inhumane (got that, PETA?) fans mockingly asked him, "So where's your son?" with drunken laughs. I rest my case, you Philly wankers.

Like I said, two years is quite a long time. And maybe Vick has repented, maybe he has not. But who's to judge? And who's to decide? The NFL's already let him back in the league and he's bound to a two-year contract now, against much protesting, so it's not like there's anything anybody can do about it now.

Besides, losing almost two years of his young life is punishment enough, says I. Don't forget that this so-called protege has a family, and even a fiance that had to wait for his release before they could marry.

And obviously Vick will have to undergo intense physical training to get back to his tip-top shape that he undoubtedly left behind before he left the prison cell. And even when he does get back into shape, it will never be the same.

This lapse of time has cost Vick more than time; it's cost him contentedness and the promising future he once had.

So to PETA/animal rights groups/protestors, I suggest: Get over it while you can.

Because most fans aren't going to care about his past, or his future because it's not looking that great.

Yeah, what he did and sponsored was absolutely horrific. I'll definitely testify to that. But Vick's served his sentence, he's done his time and he's paid the price for his crimes. And he goes out into this new world knowing that a second conviction is going to be worlds worse than this first.