National Broadcasting Company, Inc.
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
August 23, 2008
Dear Sirs/Madams,
While I cannot claim to be a great fan of football, I do watch games on a regular basis because I respect my spouses’ enjoyment and devotion to a game he can no longer play. With that in mind, I decided to write you with respect to Mr. Michael Vick and his position with the NFL.
The public in general has calmed down with respect to the Michael Vick case, although many other people have not, and I am one of those people. I give Mr. Vick all due credit for overcoming so many of the issues that beset the young men in his hometown and working hard enough to achieve his dream of playing for the NFL. However, it is obvious that he was unable to escape at least one of the activities common to the disadvantaged youth of his early years.
When Pete Rose was banned for life from baseball, baseball officials made the ban stick. Reading that there is a possibility that Vick might be able to play again in the future regardless of his “lifetime ban” is both disturbing and disgusting.
While it is true that Mr. Vick apologized to his community, fans, neighbors, fellow players and family, I have been unable to discover any instance where he has apologized to the animals for the torture he put some of them through. While many people think such an apology unnecessary, I believe it is evidence that Mr. Vick still thinks of such animals as property that can be treated any way he chooses with impunity, and since many of the statutes still on force, to some degree his position is legal, if immoral.
Whether or not he performed the acts himself, he still bears responsibility for the drowning, hanging, and electrocution of dogs that failed to play up to standards. The idea of a man with these values, a man who is a hero to millions of young men who still desire nothing more than to emulate Michael Vick, is terribly frightening. While celebrities should be able to have a private life, the fact is their activities do set a standard of behavior for young people all over the world. I ask you directly, is this an example of the behavior we desire our youth to emulate?
I sincerely hope that lifetime ban imposed on Mr. Vick actually is a lifetime ban. In the event that it is not, and that Mr. Vick is allowed to exercise the options the NFL provides for players to return to the NFL, I sincerely hope that the Commissioner will at least require Mr. Vick to permanently work as a volunteer for the ASPCA so that he can see first-hand, as often as possible, the results of activities such as the one he so thoughtlessly participated in and supported.
