To Favre or To Vick... that is the question

To begin this tale, our protagonists are one Brett Favre and one Michael Vick. Now, the easiest thing for me to do is say that I don't think either of these men should be playing in the NFL anymore. One has retired too many times and ruined his legacy, the other has killed, maimed, and tortured dogs, and well... ruined his legacy, and you would think his chances of being a professional football player. But alas, we are confronted yet again, as preseason gets into full gear, with the prospect that both of these quarterbacks will be playing in the league again come September.

Let's start with Mr. Favre. He retired, and then he took it back, and then his team didn't want him, so he said 'ha! i'm going to the Jets' and he did go to the Jets, and he sucked sucked sucked! Okay, that's not true, but if you get a Hall of Fame quarterback on your team, you kinda sorta maybe hope that your season will end with the playoffs and some sort of trophy - oh but it didn't. As George Constanza once said 'But ya are in the shackles... aren't ya?"

So Brett led the Jets, and then he wasn't sure how his shoulder felt, since he is 87 and sometimes when you get that old your shoulder is like 'yeaaaah, no, - I don't wanna throw no more.' But that has not yet been good enough for Mr. Favre, you see he's so gosh darn competitive (egotistical) that he thinks he should always be playing, for whom it doesn't matter - he would even go so far as to play for his formers teams chief rival. Imagine if Larry Legend came out of retirement to play for the Lakers, just to spite them for his alleged 'mistreament,' how do you think that would go over? But Brett really wants to play, even though he says he doesn't and wants to spend time with his family - and by his family he means large men in cleats and athletic supporters who like meat. So, supposedly he might play, which means that he could play, and if we're all unlucky, he will play. I really hope he doesn't play, but on the bright side, if he does play, ESPN will actually have to do some real reporting and now just sleep outside his house waiting for news on if he will play again. I'm just sayin...

An aside: here is what may or may not be the conversation between Brett Favre's publicist and the good people at ESPN.

Publicist: Hi, is this ESPN? Hi, it's Brett's publicist, I was wondering if you had room on SportsCenter for a Brett story?

ESPN: Um... another one, didn't we just do one? Didn't he say he was retired and wasn't coming back?

Publicist: Well yeah, but that's just because sometimes he doesn't take his meds and he gets very undecisive, ya know? He's back on his meds and he's pretty sure he's coming back, so can we do a story on it?

ESPN: Yeah I guess so, but how do you know he's coming back? Is it for sure?

Publicist: Ha, is it for sure? when have we ever done anything for sure? anyway, we got two Vikings players to say that they know Brett will be back this season, and we' like to run with that.

ESPN: wait, 2 players, which 2 players, do we have names?

Publicist: Really? names? can you name 2 players on the Vikings, can anyone? Here, let's say Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper suggested Brett might be playing or the Vikings this year.

ESPN: um, neither of those players play for the Vikings anymore, how about we say Sage Rosenfelds said it?

Publicist: Sage Rosenfels? are you serious, what kind of name it that for a football player, sounds more like that name of a rabbi? Did you make that up?

ESPN: no, that's his name, he's one of the Vikings starting quarterbacks.

Publicist: Sure he is, sure. Anyway, let's just say an unnamed source said that Brett may be playing this season, no need to go making up names.

ESPN: great, that sounds fine, we'll put it on the 6pm SportsCenter. Talk to you tomorrow.



And now for a word about Michael Vick. Mr. Vick was released from his 2-year prison sentence and re-instated into the league this summer, and then just last week signed with the Eagles as the backup QB. This is his second or third or fourth chance, who really knows, but needless to say, it is a hot topic in the NFL. I would say, and I have debated this, that he doesn't belong in the NFL. Yes, he did his time, but he also funded and committed heinous acts of cruelty towards dogs, and only showed remorse once he was looking at his life in an empty prison cell.

Some will say this is his second chance at life, and it is, but the issue is, isn't freedom the second chance, isn't not being in jail the second chance? I don't think that, necessarily, someone who tortured and killed animals deserved to be back in the NFL, even if they were in prison. I feel like Mr. Vick should have the opportunity to work again, and redeem himself, but that doesn't mean he should get his million dollar contract back. There was a sign on TV that said 'Give Vick a 2nd chance... Burger King is hiring." While comical, I feel that that reasoning rings true in this case. He has a second chance at life, of being free and getting the opportunity to come to terms with what he did and hopefully redeem himself. Playing in the NFL is a priviledge that few get, and most will tell you, once you make it to the NFL, it is your goal to stay there, because players come and go quite rapidly. Vick had his chance, and he blew it, and not only did he blow it, he did so while committing heinous acts against animals, and knowingly continued his behavior until he was arrested and sent to prison. So remorseful, sure. Seeking forgiveness and freedom? obviously. But reclaiming a role as a starting and/or back up quarterback upon your return to society - I feel like the boundaries for forgiving our athletes has been breached, and only time will tell how significant his return to society can be.