I'm ready to forgive Michael Vick, are you?

So today Mike Vick is released from prison after serving time for his part in an organised dog fighting ring. And I’ve got a question for you: Are you ready to get over it already? Because you know what? You should be.

Us bloggers love Vick. Just like Brady, whenever we can’t think of something to write about, we can always do a quick post ridiculing him, safe in the knowledge that it will be accepted by our peers in the blogosphere. I’m sure I’ve been guilty of that many times here on STN. We love to hate on him, vilify him for what he’s done and poke fun at him. He’s an easy target and lets face it, it sure beats having to research a fresh story doesn’t it?

But in this humble bloggers’ mind it’s time to let go.

Now, I’m not a fan of dog fighting, cock fighting, hunting or anything like that. Heck, I don’t even like WWE for crying out loud, but when you put Vick’s crime into perspective and look at the attention it has received and how badly he has paid for it, surely the punishment has gone far enough. The man made a horrible, stupid mistake but come on people, it’s not like he stabbed someone, ran someone down with a car or held them at gunpoint and robbed them. What he did was wrong, but he’s more then paid his price hasn’t he?

Surely he has. Vick has lost everything for his crime. Not just a temporary suspension of his freedom, but also his house, his money and quite possibly, his career too. But why should that be? If a construction worker commited the same crime, he would be allowed back to work the minute he was released. Why then should Vick not be allowed to return to his job? Because it pays more? Get the hell out of here.

I know that football players are supposed to be role models but you know what? That’s a cop out. We’re all supposed to be role models. We’re all supposed to show respect for our elders, be polite and play by the rules. But name me one person that hasn’t made a mistake in his life. Show me one person who hasn’t done something stupid that they sincerely regret. Or even better, find me someone who had millions of dollars in his early twenties and didn’t do something that others would be horrified by. Spare me your outrage you high-horse riding, moral high-ground fuck.

The truth is that Vick was a poster boy and as such has had the kind of fall from grace that people in his position who screw up can only expect. But he’s paid for his crime, a crime that no actual human being was hurt by.Why am I saying this now? Because somebody has to. You don’t have to like the guy, I sure as hell don't, but I’ll tell you what I do like-watching Mike Vick split a defense in half with a ridiculous, touchdown scoring run. I miss watching him play and if you’re being totally honest, you miss that too.

What I’m saying is simple. If someone wants to give him the chance, Vick should be allowed to play again. I’m not saying that we should forget what he’s done, but we shouldn’t stand in the way of his chance of redemption either. What right have we to deny a person his right to make amends? If he screws up again, that’s when we bring the hammer down.

So I’m asking you, openly and honestly: Are you ready to let sleeping dogs lie (sorry), are you ready to give a guy who fucked up another chance? Are you ready to get over yourself?