Rick Reilly: "Time to forgive Vick is here"

[Auggie]

espn.com / 11-19-10

I'm just not sure what people want Michael Vick to do.

Quit football? Return to prison? Drown himself in the same lake where he and his crew used to drown dogs? Would he be forgiven then?

Now that Vick is having an eye-bugging season for the Philadelphia Eagles -- 11 touchdowns, zero interceptions, four starts, four wins, one "Monday Night Football" jersey sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- it seems only to have torqued off dog lovers worse.

"If it were up to me, they would have locked him up and thrown away the key," blogged Sumo Pop recently.

Much more: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5824801

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Time to forgive?

BULLSHIT!

[MrSlayer]

1. You can't force people to forgive someone.

Or tell them when they should. Some people will never forgive Vick for what he did. Some people never held it against him in the first place. For myself as an Eagles fan, I don't like him personally and I still derisively refer to him as "dogkiller" and "Ron Mexico" but I don't mind that he is playing ridiculously good, amazing really, for my team. I was a fan of the team long before he came and I'll be one long after he is gone. I cheer for the logo on the uniform and, in his case, not the name on the back. I'm sure there are plenty of Steeler fans who feel the same about their QB.

[madinmaryland]

2. I always hated the eagles and their fans, but for different reasons.

Mainly because most of them are/were douchebags.

:shrug:

[MrSlayer]

13. I wonder how many games you've actually attended.

My guess is none. I suggest you go to a Browns, Patriots, Jets or Raiders game wearing the opposing jersey and see what kind of treatment you get. Philly is no different than any other NFL city, we just get unfairly saddled with the "worst" reputation. I really don't care much though, if that reputation keeps cockroaches such as yourself out of the stadium then it's worth having.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Reilly Can Bite Me

Besides, this isn't a matter of forgiveness. I don't FORGET what he did. Just because Reilly is capable of forgetting what this guy did, doesn't mean i have to.

And, just because Reilly can FORGET that Vick already had it all, and he alone is to blame for puking it all away, i don't.

This is all on Vick and i don't have to forget or forgive anything.
GAC

[TZ]

4. We have to forgive him because he plays good football?

Thats fucking illogical apologist bullshit.
Seriously. Okay- if you want to say we should forgive him because he's done a lot of charity work and donated a lot of time and money and his free time helping out those he hurt (which I don't believe for a minute) maybe thats the case. And if he REALLY was doing those things he'd be playing less football and doing more charity.
But all this we have to forgive him bullshit has started since he had good football numbers.--This guy Reilly is definitely in the win and you can do anything. Hell Vick could probably assault women and this dick would defend him.

[Kingofalldems]

7. Reilly sounds like a typical jock sniffer

He wants Vick forgiven for having a good game.

[Iggo]

11. You're right.

I just read the whole article. That guy has a serious case of hero-worship.

He should see someone about that.

[Iggo]

12. Lebron, Jordan, and Brady said 'Great game, Mike!'

I mean, jeez, what more do you need?!?!?!

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Um, That's Not What I Said

I was disagreeing with Reilly. I do not have to forgive him, nor does anybody else.

That's what i was saying.
GAC

[joeybee12]

5. Bullshit is right...Reilly, like Vick, doesn't really comprehend the horrendous, murderous

thing that was done...until Vick does, until he REALLY does, instead of just talking about moving on, and being on the right path, he can go fuck himself...as can Dick Reilly.

[Goblinmonger]

6. From everything I have read, it seems Vick has turned things around.

Was what he did to those dogs horrible? Yes. I've been an ethical vegetarian for over 20 years. I know he inflicted a great deal of pain on those dogs. I also know that there are much worse people in the NFL than Vick. I also know that there are people that I deal with on a daily basis that are going out this weekend to inflict a great deal of pain on deer in the name of sport but nobody seems to bat an eye at that.

So, I'm good with Vick. He paid his price. He seems to have honestly turned it around in the dog killing realm. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that and "forgive" him because that seems like the progressive thing to do. I know I am in the minority on this on DU and the sports forum, but I'm fine with that.

[madinmaryland]

8. The sad thing is if you posted this in the gun forum, you would

have all the gun nuts screaming at you for wanting to take their guns away because you don't like the fact that they hunt.

[Iggo]

9. No it ain't.

Tell ya what, Rick: You worry about you; I'll worry about me. I'll make my own decision on when, if ever, the time is right to forgive him for what he did. And it won't be based on what I see him do between the lines on a football field. It will be based on what I see him do inbetween football seasons.

You see, when someone takes years and years fucking up his own life and the lives others', it takes more than 11 weeks of a football season to make a determination on whether or not that person has lived up to his promise to turn his life around and make amends. The man did his time and seems to be living mostly on the straight and narrow, and for that I've ceased the piling on, knowing from experience that it takes a considerable amount of time for certain people to even put a dent in their total debt to society. He's got some work to do. Give him time to do it.

Then, when he asks me for forgiveness, I can consider it. But now is not the time.

[Poiuyt]

10. Psychopaths can not be rehabilitated

At least no method has been found. And their rate of violent recidivism is about triple that of other offenders.

Roger Goodell seems to be obbsessed with promoting Michael Vick. For someone who's concerned about the image of the NFL, this doesn't make sense. Sure, Vick has been saying all the right things, but I don't believe for one minute he thinks he did anything wrong. He just knows how to work the system. The fact that he's playing well right now should have no bearing on his status.

[Bluzmann57]

14. Good point about Goodell

He does seem to be trying to boost Vick. And Roethlisberger. But he gives a drug user (Johnny Jolly) an indefinite suspension. Jolly hurt no one but himself. We all know what Roethlisberger did and we all know what Vick did. The NFL disciplinary policy is bullshit. Pure and simple.
Hey I know! Let's worry about what guys are wearing or what guys are tweeting. Let's not worry about sexual predators or cruelty to animals. At least that's how it looks to me.

[madinmaryland]

15. Why is there not an indictment of Eagles fans for wanting to see opposing

players hurt and cheering when they are knocked out for the season.

FUCK THEM!

It was funny listening to the douchebags on WTEM this week wanting to see Vick get injured by a hit. Douchebags are becoming Eagle fans. FUCKING DOUCHEBAGS.