People are protesting Michael Vick from retiring as a Falcon
By John Buhler
There exists a petition to prevent former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick from retiring as a member of the team because of his dogfighting scandal.
On Monday, two of the Atlanta Falcons’ most distinguished players will be honored in a joint ceremony to sign one-day contracts to retire with the team that drafted them. One of those players is standout wide receiver Roddy White. The other is controversial starting quarterback Michael Vick.
Neither player was on an NFL roster in 2016. White last played for the 2015 Falcons, while Vick last played for the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers backing up Ben Roethlisberger. Normally, this would be a time to celebrate both players’ excellent careers with the Falcons, but Vick certainly has a checkered past.
After the 2006 NFL season, Vick was indicted for his role in a dogfighting operation in his native Virginia. He was convicted of his wrongdoing and served 19 months in a federal penitentiary. Vick was released by the Falcons and would later sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 after his prison sentence.
The notion of the Falcons honoring Vick is not sitting well with one group in particular. A Care2 petition exists hoping to prevent Vick from being honor by the Falcons on Monday. Roughly 38,000 protestors have signed the petition.
Obviously, dogfighting is against the law and it is totally understandable that many people would be up in arms about Falcons owner Arthur Blank allowing Vick to retire as a member of the Falcons.
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However, Vick has more than apologized for his wrongdoing. He spent 19 months in the prime of his NFL career in a prison cell. Since his conviction, Vick has expressed atonement for his actions. Overall, the NFL world has forgiven Vick for his action. There is a good chance that the bulk of these people pushing for a protest have no interest in football.
He was culturally significant in Atlanta during his heyday, proving that mobile quarterbacks could win in the NFL. It’s a one-day contract that would bring the Vick saga full circle in Atlanta.