Will Vick Stick?

Unless you've been placing bets at a local underground dogfighting ring for the past 24 hours, you've no doubt heard that Michael Vick has been released from prison and will begin home confinement. By the laws governing this great country, Vick has served his time and like any robber, wife-beater or Enron executive, he is free to pursue another job. For Vick, I don't believe the question is will he again be given full-time employment in the NFL, after all Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis are all possible suitors. The million dollar question is how will his return be received by the franchise, its fans and PETA-pleasing dog lovers.

We live in a society that looks for ways to forgive....Ray Lewis, Kobe Bryant, ARod...all much maligned, but all cheered wildly after the game-saving tackle, the clutch basket, the late-inning bomb. Our Hall of Fames are filled with murderers, rapists and cheaters. Vick's case though is somehow different...it incited racial and moral debate not seen since the Duke lacrosse incident. It asked us all to place a value on the animals we are so accustomed to feeling around our ankles at the dinner table, it opened our eyes to a sport and culture few of us new the pervasiveness of, it transformed us all into scolding, subjective judges and jurors, it caused the everlasting black vs. white debate to resurface.

I wouldn't consider myself a Michael Vick fan, and not because of what his wallet and fame did to so many innocent dogs, he's just not a player that resonates with me. But even I can't admit to not putting life of hold when he starts to scramble out of the pocket looking to use his two feet to literally create something out of nothing. I wonder though if two years will have slowed him down? I wonder what the GM and owner who welcome him to their organization will say, I wonder how the NFL will deal with the PETA protesters standing outside their league offices, I wonder if fans will still cheer him knowing Fido, Lucky and Spot are at home waiting for their master to return.

One thing I don't wonder about is how Vick can answer all these questions. After all, he can simply look to Lewis, Bryant, Rodriquez or any other star athlete who has found himself on the opposite side of the law for the answer.

The answer is WIN. Be a winner, perform in the clutch, be that city's hero and all will be forgotten.

Vick no doubt understands this...but will it happen?