Bold Eagles

"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." ~Andy Rooney

Falcons, Eagles....not so bad. Dogs? Well, that's another story.

I guess you can't really say Michael Vick isn't an animal lover. He seemed to enjoy his time with both of his bird teams. Canines appeared to bring out another side for the man from Virginia.

Unless you've been under a rock for the past 2 years, Vick admitted to participating in an illegal dogfighting ring, leading to a 23 moth sentence (of which only 18 months were served due to good behavior). Evidentally, he was a man's best friend in prison...if you know what I mean. This week, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick to a contract, prompting uproars from all sorts of animal friendly groups. Why am I surprised he wasn't signed by the Browns and their Dawg Pound?

This country LOVES a good debate and Vick's current situation gives everyone a chance to throw their opinion out there...should the Eagles (or any NFL team for that matter) have signed Vick to a contract?

Let me preface this by saying I am a NY Giants fan and the thought of Vick on the field doesn't exactly make me happy. The GMen has a new defensive coordinator and the Brian Westbrook-Donovan McNabb-Vick trio could bring one of the speediest backfields in the league. Plus, you figure McNabb is going to be hurt at some point in the season (after all, he is 231 in dog years) and I'd much rather see Kevin Kolb or A.J. Feeley throwing long interceptions than Mr. Vick scamper around like a wild puppy.

Yes, I'm terrible.

But not as bad as Vick, who didn't exactly grow up in a model environment. Vick's parents held several jobs, raising the family in an impoverished neighborhood in Virginia. His brother, also a player at Virginia Tech, was constantly in trouble with the law from charges of brandishing a firearm to molestation of a minor to a DUI charge. While Michael shouldn't be branded with the behavior of his brother, it does help illustrate the enivornment in which he was raised.

When you think of what Vick did to these animals....and keep in mind, these were not PEOPLE. They were dogs, and while dogs are held in high regard by many in this country, they should take a backseat to human life. Yes, I realize some people like to throw a cute outfit on their dogs and dress them up like they're going out for a night on the town, and then all is brought right back to reality when they sit Fido down to enjoy a nice can of slop, followed by a sniff of his own genitals.

"Don't stain the dog tuxedo shirt!"

If there was a list of animals with a rating of how precious they are dogs would be somewhere near the top. It might look like this: ants, spiders, centipedes, bin Laden, frogs, deer, Red Sox fans, bunnies, cats/dogs, and people (had to go with the slash between cats and dogs because my mom will likely read this and there's nothing like trying to deal with an angry Jewish mother).

What he did was reprehensible. To think of electrocuting any living thing, especially a dog, makes you wonder about someone's character. He had no regard for something crying out in pain and went on with the torture. That tells me a lot about him as a person. Maybe he was conditioned to be oblivious to the dog's feelings. Is he the same way around some groups of people?

Which gets me to my point...even though Vick did a gruesome series of acts, he served his time in jail as a punishment and was readmitted to the league. He should be allowed to get his life back together. Like I stated before, he didn't murder people. He killed dogs and there should be a line between the two groups. Remember the word is "DOG" and not the reverse. I don't have a problem with the Eagles signing him, but it's a question of what he's going to do from this point on. Is he going to be a model citizen? Will he make attempts to show remorse for his acts of animal cruelty?

I'm not thrilled the Eagles signed him for competitive reasons, but he should be given a second chance to get his life on the right track. They say that all dogs go to heaven.

Will Michael Vick?