Bad ideas in football

I was surprised and disappointed to read that the Philadelphia Eagles signed Michael Vick yesterday.

Clearly, the main goal of any sports team is to win, and the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl. They lost to the Oakland Raiders in 1980, and failed again against the New England Patriots in 2004. Michael Vick, at one time the highest-paid player in the NFL, could be the one to get them that ring.

But on a personal level, I find the idea of Michael Vick playing for the Eagles abhorrent. My dad used to take me to Eagles games when I was a kid, and my parents even celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary by going to that 1980 Super Bowl. (My mom is a very tolerant person.) Vick disgusts me. I don't believe he feels any real remorse for what he did to those dogs, and anything he says on the subject is just PR bullshit in an attempt to rehab his image.

Signing Vick is a desperate move from a desperate organization, one I think the Eagles will come to regret.

Michael Vick's dogs given new lives

The current issue of Sports Illustrated has a story on what happened to Michael Vick's dogs. Incredibly, nearly all of them were able to be saved and are living happy, calm lives. Reading the article, I was amazed by the dogs' capacity to recover emotionally from their traumatic experiences at Vick's hands and very moved by the efforts people have gone to rescue them.

Dogs have so many gifts to offer and deserve to be treated with love and respect. They are truly remarkable creatures and besides being loving pets, they can help improve the lives of those around them in many ways. I could not help but think of my dog, Stella, while reading this article and how much happiness she has given me. It is wonderful to know Michael Vick's former victims are safe with new families and have a fresh start in life.