Blog: Ban Vick forever

I feel almost as if I am reporting a breaking story, but here goes. Michael Vick pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges yesterday – charges that included gambling, bankrolling gambling, dogfighting and, perhaps most gruesome of all, the brutal and downright sickening murder of pit bulls that cannot be described in words.

Hopefully, this will bring some sort of closure to the blackest of black eyes that the NFL has ever received. This is a story that has dominated the sports headlines since it first broke.

ESPN has had detailed coverage on all of its networks every day, with yesterday serving as the grand finale, a live broadcast of Vick’s hearing when he formally admitted his plea to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, with wall-to-wall coverage afterward.

Hopefully the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons can begin to focus on the season and not on the disgraced former quarterback. Hopefully justice will prevail, and Vick will be given the sentence he deserves both regarding prison time and the NFL.

He has embarrassed the league, his team, his sponsors, his fans and, most importantly, himself. Nothing he says now or ever can make up for what he has done; only his actions can, and even then it will take some serious convincing.

Pete Rose was banned for life from Major League Baseball just for gambling. Michael Vick broke numerous federal laws. He violated his player contract and the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Roger Goodell will be judged by the decision he makes regarding Vick. He cannot back down – he must do what is in the best interest of his league, and that is to ban Michael Vick from the NFL for life.

– Michael Fitzpatrick