Maybe the NFL Will Let Vick Play, But Teams Should Stay Far Away

With the impending prison release of former Atlanta Falcons superstar Michael Vick on the horizon, there are a number of factors and issues the National Football League has to consider and prepare to deal with. This situation is, for obvious reasons, a highly sensitive and potentially explosive one that Commissioner Roger Goodell will have to thoroughly review and handle appropriately – which there’s no doubt he’ll do.

Regardless of ones personal feelings about Vick, the fact is he’ll soon complete his prison sentence and fulfill the conditions of his punishment for the crimes he committed. So as far as society goes, Vick will be a free man and able to move on with his life – which will most likely involve an attempt at a return to the NFL.

Although the NFL and Commissioner Goodell will have to determine how much longer Vick’s indefinite suspension will continue, individual teams are already considering whether or not they’d be interested in signing the three-time all-pro quarterback.

From a public relations perspective, it will be very dangerous for an organization to publicly acknowledge that it’s even considering signing Vick. The specifics of Vick’s crimes are still very fresh in the minds of many sports fans, and the nature of those crimes will never be understood or easily forgiven.

So for a team to endure the heavy scrutiny and intense negative reaction by the media and to jeopardize the support and trust of its fans and community by signing Vick, you have to be certain the QB will regain his Pro Bowl caliber game and be able to perform at the world-class level he once did.

If Vick joins a team and he struggles, the media firestorm surrounding the organization will burn a thousand times hotter then it would if he had put up big numbers on the field and led a winning team into the playoffs.

America loves a winner. And whether it's fair or not, almost any athlete can be forgiven for almost anything in America…as long as that athlete is a winner.

Look at Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. In 2000 Lewis was indicted for murder and aggravated assault when a fight between his group of friends and a rapper’s entourage, following a post game Super Bowl party in Atlanta, left two men dead.

In exchange for reducing the charges against him to obstruction of justice (a misdemeanor) and probation, Lewis testified against two of his associates and walked away essentially a free man (three years later Lewis reached financial settlements with families of both murdered men and avoided certain civil actions).

Since the ugly and tragic incident, Lewis has gone on to win a Super Bowl, be named its MVP, win two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, earned six more Pro Bowl selections and now stands as a certain lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Despite suffering some initial taint to his public image, Lewis’s reputation rebounded quite well and he has since earned millions of dollars in endorsement deals.

If Lewis wasn’t a great player, would the Ravens, along with their fans and community, have stood behind him and allowed to him to continue to play for their team?

Not to mention the NFL (pre Goodell), that only fined Lewis and didn’t suspend him for even one game.

During his time with the Falcons (2001-2006), Vick experienced great success on the field and became a bonafide NFL superstar. But after almost two years in Leavenworth Prison, a federal medium-security institution, it’s extremely doubtful that Vick would be able to perform anywhere close to the level he played at before his incarceration.

For a professional athlete to miss two seasons during the prime of his career is a very significant loss of time. When you add the fact that the athlete has been locked away from society and unable to train or keep up with a proper dietary regiment important for a pro athlete, the probability Vick will rise again as a good player, let alone a great one, is remote.

So for an NFL team to take a chance on Vick would be extremely unwise. When you weigh the pros and cons, it makes no sense to try to incorporate Vick into your organization and your team’s community.

The media, fans and community surrounding a team would voice severe opposition to adding a player of Vick’s questionable character and criminal background, causing a public relations and marketing nightmare.

When you factor in further the extremely thin chance of Vick excelling again at the professional level, you have to realize that even considering signing Vick is a bad idea for a pro sports organization that relies heavily on its team brand and support from its community and fans.