The Courageous Michael Vick

Makes you wonder what the Eagles players really value, or how they define courage.

I mean come on, it shows a great deal of courage to get paid millions of dollars to play a sport when you’re nearly bankrupt.

Westbrook deserves it the most. I mean come on, the guy is going to put his body in the path of Brian Dawkins on Sunday after 2 consecutive concussions.

Seriously, what are they thinking? This must have been a case where some of the players thought it would be funny to vote for him, never thinking he’d actually win. Meanwhile, there’s Westbrook coming back from 2 concussions to try and play.

to help put a good spin on this one…

I don’t hate Vick, I feel like he has payed his debt to society and hope that he can turn his life and image around, this is totally on the Eagles organization for giving him the award.

The things he has said, just pisses me off though.

But this comment in particular bothers me, “I’ve overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear”.

Really Michael Vick? REALLY?

I’m sure marines, soldiers, seaman, and airman that have come back home seeing their friends and partners die in the heat of battle have nothing on someone on you.

I’m sure Javon Walker, who a couple of years sat in a limo with Darrent Williams, soaked in his blood and holding his dead teammate in his hands didn’t have a thing on you.

I’m sure Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills tightend that was paralyzed a few years ago, probably hasn’t had to deal with anything.

Glad he’s doing better, hope for the best from him, but he needs to come back to reality. People deal with crappy situations all over the world, most of them never had million’s of dollars and threw it all away on something that is clearly illegal.

Redemption, sure. Pity? Look somewhere Ron Mexico.

I don’t know how any decent human being could do that to dozens of dogs

They have a true brotherhood in that locker room that I am jealous of. They stand up for each and every one of their brothers. That is the difference between us and them. That will likely be the reason they send us home in Week 17.

drowning, electrocuting,torturing and who knows what else to poor innocent dogs then I’m out on that brotherhood. I have no use for a person that hurts kids or animals. This world would be a lot better off with those people eliminated. Where’s the f—king courage in coming back to play football for a lot of money. I wish nothing but the worst for the SOB.

First, this has nothing to do with the Eagles; it has more to do with a feeling, within some circles, that no matter what the cause (even if the cause is your own conduct), the consequences suffered as a result are never, or not fully, deserved.

Thus, heroes are made of (and awards are given to) those who succumb to our basest instincts merely by their getting caught, punished, and serving their sentence (this is all Vick has done so far).

To many, Vick’s punishment was his just deserts. But to others, he is a victim; to them, the prison term, the lost money, the damaged reputation, etc, are the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, rather than just deserts. Looked at this way, he has shown courage in the face of adversity.

Looked at from this point of view, we better understand things like Joey Porter’s tributes to Plexico Burress. According to Porter, Burress is a victim—he needed to carry a firearm for personal safety and the laws of NY are unjust and therefore the punishment undeserved. For Porter and others with this type of thinking, athletes who run afoul of the law (and not only athletes) are victims (of their social milieu, their upbringing, or a society stacked against them). And victims need should not be held accountable for their conduct.

In my humble opinion, this type of thinking is poison; it is as distressing as a complete lack of empathy for people who make mistakes.

We are better served by teaching our children that, although we can all make excuses, being an adult means taking responsibility for our actions, regardless of the underlying factors. From this point of view, Michael Vick is being an adult, finally. People should not get awards for doing what they are supposed to do.

It really amazes me how many other people dont have a problem doing that at all. The hatred just oozes out of these comments. Some people dont even have the fundamental man to man respect to call him his right name. To call any man you dont know an “SOB” is childish. We can disagree all day about Vick, but I’ve got a real problem when men start calling other men outside of their name. Thats just childish and uncalled for.

You get the “Humanitarian Service Medal” for those words of wisdom…

but if I was a previous winner of that award, I’d feel insulted.

It took Vick guts to come back and face the music but there was a lot of money to be made by facing that music and his “struggles” don’t compare with what many other NFL players have had to go through.

Can’t do anything about that other than disagree with the Eagles.

Corcoran State Prison.