Welcome Back, But Don't Expect Any Pom Pom Waving

Michael Vick is back. He's eligible to play again after he serves out his six game suspension. Good for him.

Don't expect me to cheer.

I'm glad Vick gets a second chance at his life. He claims to have learned a lot from his prison sentence and often people who've actually done time become the biggest proponents of sound judgment in life. Vick doesn't deserve to be ostracized from the NFL forever because of one big mistake.

Just don't look for me to jump on his bandwagon.

I'm a proponent of what's fair. My logical side says that Vick served out his time, he suffered financially and had to leave his livelihood in the prime of his career. He should now be allowed to put that chapter of his life behind him without us constantly reminding him of it.

I'm also the owner of a wonderful puppy. My fatherly side says that son of a bitch has a screw loose and should never be allowed near another animal again. Not even in a zoo.

I know Vick grew up in a different environment than I did. I know that to a lot of poor black kids, the term dog evokes images of a terrifying police dog ready to pounce if let off the leash. It's an unfortunate issue and one that I hope will get resolved for good. But blame the owners for that because the dogs are just doing what they've been taught.

If you've ever had a dog, you know what's up. A dog isn't just some filthy animal constantly sniffing around for any kind of sapid object, whether it's food or a pile of poop. They are the most loyal and loving creatures around if treated right.

You are your dog's life. Everything they do is based on you. If a dog is chewing up the house, it's probably because you aren't paying enough attention to him and he's upset. The favorite part of a dog's day is when you wake up or walk in the door. They just want your love and attention and will do whatever they can to get it.

This is why I'm so taken aback anytime I hear about abuses to the animals. Someone who willingly causes harm to a creature devoted and reliant on you awakens my vengeful side. These are the times when I imagine tying up the abuser to a tree in 100 degree weather and a beating them constantly with a stick to see how long they can handle it.

Vick was one of these people, which is why he is such a flash point for controversy. Many people consider their dogs to be their kids and to hear what Vick did causes a huge emotional reaction. My girlfriend still refuses to even mention Vick's name.

So in the name of justice, I welcome Vick back to the NFL. In the name of pet fatherhood, I warn him not to expect a standing ovation from me.

Concrete Charlie Will Not Be Happy, Neither Will Your Grandpa

Chuck Bednarik is an NFL legend who played for the Philadelphia Eagles throughout the 1950's- before professional sports was synonymous with riches. In order to avoid penury, Bednarik sold concrete in off-season. That job coupled with his devastating tackles (Bednarik is the guy who nearly killed Frank Gifford with a hit) earned him the nickname Concrete Charlie.

If you've heard anything from Bednarik over the past 20 years, it's probably him bitching about how spoiled today's athletes are. He proudly talks about how blue collar the sport used to be and how everyone played iron man style back in his day (Bednarik played line and linebacker). He bitches constantly about the corporate nature of today's game and how every player is just a specialist who couldn't last a week in a real working class football lifestyle that existed back in the day. To sum up, Bednarik is a grumpy old man.

I guess you can add some more ammo to Concrete Charlie's argument now after Michael Vick left his job as a construction worker to play with kids at the Boys and Girls club.

There nothing wrong with working at the Boys and Girls Club, it's a noble endeavour that helps keep kids off the streets and hopefully out of trouble. But it ain't construction. I worked in construction for one summer in college and I also volunteered at an after school program during one semester. It wasn't even close. Construction was hot, brutal, infuriating work (how the hell does this peg not fit there?! I measured it twice!) Working with kids can get tiring, but it's very rewarding and you really do have fun all day.

I'm sure the story will be spun that Vick wanted to give back to his community since he used to attend the Boys and Girls Clubs, but I'm guessing that he just didn't like construction. Now he works with kids on health and fitness. I'm pretty sure it's not easy to get a job doing that. Volunteers are always welcome, but getting paid is totally different. Vick is a celebrity though, so I guess that's his "in" to his new job.

Somewhere out there grandfathers who preach old school work ethic are snorting with disgust. I know Concrete Charlie will.

St. Louis Not So Sainty?

There might be a sequel to the movie, "The Longest Yard." This chapter will take place in eastern Missouri.

According to Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post, the St. Louis Rams have a genuine interest in signing Michael Vick when/if he becomes eligible to play NFL football again. That's not a surprise, the Rams have been collapsing for years and Marc Bulger is one defender's shove away from concussing his head into Troy Aikmanville.

Some team is going to take a risk on Vick. He has served out his sentence and is ready to move on with his life. He might even turn out to be a solid addition since he probably won't expect to be cosseted like many modern day superstar athletes. A prison term and the loss of all your wealth tends to bring a crushing reality to that world.

But the folks in the St. Louis Rams P.R. department have to be wringing their hands because adding Vick to the team would not only add a felon on offense, it would remind football fans that the team still has a felon on the defense.

Defensive end Leonard Little has been with the Rams for over a decade and in that span he has over 300 tackles, 81 sacks, two drunk driving arrests, and one manslaughter charge when Little killed another motorist while driving drunk.

Imagine if you went out one night and partied. You drive home a little drunk and end up killing a woman in a car accident. What do you think your punishment would be? Do you think you might be a little haunted by the accident for the rest of your life, knowing you just murdered someone involuntarily and that there could be a kid/husband/mother who's life just got turned upside down?

Little got 90 days in a work house (during the off-season of course) and 1000 hours of community service. Little spent the next year saying all the things you'd expect someone to say: "Not a day goes by that I don't think about it", "I'll never be completely over this", etc etc.

Apparently Little got over it because just six years after killing someone, he was arrested again for DUI. Gee, you think he might have a drinking problem? He didn't kill anyone this time, but you can guess the hit his image took in the court of public opinion.

Little has been smart since then and has pretty much stayed out of the public eye while other players such as Donte Stallworth populate the crime pages. But if Vick comes to town, the ghosts of Little's past will be dug up again. He won't have much time to get used to it because the Rams play the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 of the pre-season. Expect multiple prison jump suits to be worn throughout the stadium.

You Want Him?

Get ready for the Vickmania. It's pretty quiet right now, but if Vick gets reinstated by the NFL anytime over the summer, just grab a mattress and hide in the bathtub.

No one will create a bigger argument between fans. Vick will make T.O. seem as controversial as Jay Leno. Hell, my household could be a verbal battleground with my girlfriend firmly entrenched in the "anyone who would do that doesn't deserve to ever see the light of day again" camp.

I'm disgusted by Vick's actions, but I understand that Vick didn't grow up in the greatest of environments and apparently bad decisions do run in his family. Still, I've never wanted Vick playing quarterback of any team I was rooting for.

I'm torn though because Tony Dungy, an NFL man whom I respect more than any other, recently spoke with Michael Vick and he honestly thinks Vick has been taught a lesson and deserves another chance. I've always admired Dungy for his quiet, classy, and truthful demeanor. He's the coach that most resembles my childhood favorite, the great Tom Landry.

He's asking us to let Vick have a second chance to see if he learned from his momentous mistake. I'm curious now because what if Vick really has been humbled by his experience and has a new outlook on life? Maybe the younger, arrogant Vick who relied on his athletic ability and didn't seem to appreciate what he had has been replaced by an older man whose ego has been yoked and who will actually be thankful for a chance to play NFL football game.

Whether you're for or against Vick's return, the one thing no one can argue with are the X's and O's of football. Vick was never a cerebral quarterback and he's never been a fiery leader in the mold of a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. But Vick has won some playoff games and he did lead the Falcons to the first ever visitor's playoff victory at Lambeau Field. While no one expects fans to greet Vick with a buss, a winning quarterback would make them happy.

So which team might be interested in Vick? Well, the easiest way to start is to eliminate the teams with top quarterbacks already. New England, Indy, Dallas, Chicago, the Giants, Philly, Arizona, San Diego, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and even Cincy are all out. BARRING INJURY.

Any team with a young QB who is apparently the future is out. So no home for Vick with the Jets, Chiefs, Bucs, Bills, Ravens, Texans, Lions, and Falcons are out.

So that leaves 12 teams to pick from. Well, no one from the Bill Parcells/ Bill Belichick coaching tree are likely to take a risk on Vick. So that eliminates the Broncos (much to my girlfriend's relief), Browns, and Dolphins.

Jeff Fisher is already dealing with Vince Young so the Titans are out and Jack Del Rio will probably stick with David Garrard which eliminates the Jaguars.

The Rams had a chance to draft a a QB, but didn't, so that makes me think they'll stick with Bulger.

This leaves the final teams: the Seahawks, Panthers, 49ers, Redskins, and Raiders:

The Panthers just resigned Jake Delhomme, but does anyone trust him? The Seahawks have Matt Hasselbeck, but he's old and fragile. Plus, the Seahawks coach is Jim Mora Jr. who coached Vick in Atlanta. The Redskins just ran their young QB through the ringer, the 49ers have QB issues, the Vikings have been on a QB merry go round for years, and the Raiders are......whatever.

So place your bets and take a guess. Any team is a training camp injury away being interested in Vick. If it's your favorite team, just try to channel your inner Dungy and give Vick a chance to screw it up himself before you descend on him like an avalanche.