This Sunday, January 26th the Pro Bowl will be played in sunny Orlando, Florida. The Pro Bowl with its declining viewership for years doesn’t hold too much interest for the fans. However, this year’s game has seen a lot of attention swirling around Roger Goodell and his decision to allow Michael Vick along with Terrell Davis, Darrell Green, and Bruce Smith to be honorary captains.
Immediately, petitions calling for the ouster of Vick by animal activists made the news and had sports talk shows buzzing.
For those who don’t know about Vick’s criminal past, he was involved with a dogfighting operation on his property, Bad Newz Kennels, in Virginia. He bankrolled the operation in which he was intricately involved. When the dogs didn’t perform to his satisfaction, he along with his cohorts killed the dogs in grisly and horrifying ways. Vick drowned dogs, electrocuted them, hanged dogs from trees, slammed them to the ground repeatedly until they died. Beyond gruesome. Animal activists, including me, were disgusted and appalled to learn of this dogfighting operation. As I sit here and know what his fighting dogs endured at his hands, it makes me sick to my stomach.
After he was arrested and charged, Vick was suspended indefinitely by Goodell which held the door open for him to return to the league.
Vick served an 18 month sentence at Leavenworth prison in Kansas from 2007-09 for bankrolling the operation. He was never charged with animal cruelty. Vick returned to the NFL in 2009 when the Philadelphia Eagles hired him as their QB. He was welcomed by most fans.
For his retirement in 2017, the Atlanta Falcons gave him and Roddy White a special ceremony celebrating them with a loud ovation in the Georgia dome. Vick was greeted by welcoming and cheering fans. It appeared that any animosity toward the formerly disgraced quarterback was gone.
With the announcement of Vick named as honorary captain, outraged animal activists have put this former animal abuser’s name front and center on the news. Petitions have over 1 million signatures demanding that Vick be removed from the game because of his criminal animal cruelty past. The petitions had radio and tv sports talk shows asking if Vick has redeemed himself.
I didn’t sign any petition knowing it wouldn’t deter the outcome. A phone number for the NFL was posted online to ask the NFL to get rid of Vick. If you take a look at how the NFL has disciplined players who have committed crimes, it’s understandable Goodell wasn’t going to change his decision about Vick.
According to NFLarrests.com, over 50% of the players have committed some type of criminal act. The crime they commit most is DUI with drugs and domestic violence almost tied for 2nd place. What’s even more disturbing is how the NFL has dealt with players involved in domestic violence against women and children.
Last Septemeber, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote a scathing letter to Goodell. He demanded an even tougher stance on players charged with domestic violence.
“The NFL has failed to lead on the issue of domestic violence & sexual assault by its players. These heinous crimes must be taken more seriously with greater oversight & accountability. As the regular season starts, I’m demanding Commissioner Goodell take stronger action,” Blumenthal wrote on Twitter.
Here are a few examples to which the senator was speaking:
“Goodell suspended Ray Rice for two games in 2014 after he was charged with third-degree aggravated assault for hitting his then-fiancee in an elevator in Atlantic City. AFTER a video showing Rice knocking her unconscious and dragging her from the elevator came out, the Baltimore Ravens released the three-time Pro Bowl player and the league suspended him indefinitely.”
“Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was convicted in July 2014 of assaulting and threatening a woman. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound player threw her in a bathtub and onto a sofa covered with guns before threatening to kill her. He appealed the ruling and was allowed to play the first game of the season before the Panthers placed him on the exempt list. He reportedly reached a settlement with the woman and she could not be located in order to testify, so the domestic violence charges were dismissed and expunged from Hardy’s record.”
“Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was suspended for only six games by Goodell in August 2017 after the league concluded following a yearlong investigation that he had several physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 with his girlfriend at the time.”
“The league suspended Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt for only eight games for two “physical altercations,” one in which Hunt shoved and kicked a woman in a hotel hallway while he played for Kansas City. Hunt was cut by the Chiefs during a Super Bowl push last season after video emerged of the incident involving the woman. Hunt was let go by the Chiefs after the video of the incident was released. The NFL was criticized for not disciplining Hunt until the video had been released.”
“Ben Roethlisberger, the two-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, was suspended for six games in 2010 after he was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student. Goodell later cut his suspension to four games.”
The domestic violence towards women doesn’t stop. Here are two cases from last year.
5/25/19 – Tyrel Dodson, Buffalo Bills, was arrested and charged with domestic violence after he hit his girlfriend and damaged her front door. He pled guilty to misdemeanor charges and was suspended for six games.
11/19/19- Mark Walton who played for the Miami Dolphin was arrested for domestic violence for punching his pregnant girlfriend several times in the head.
So if Roger Goodell has no serious issue with NFL players hitting and punching women, why would he give a damn about a player abusing and killing animals? Giving light suspensions to players who hurt females says a lot about the mentality surrounding the NFL.
There was no way Goodell was going to take action against Vick because of petitions when his previous decisions have clearly spoken volumes to what he thinks of abuse. If he did remove Vick as honorary captain, what message would he be sending to the victims of abuse by the players? Placing dogs ahead of people? Nope. Then you there would’ve been outrage over that.
Ultimately, Vick is seen as a redemption story by the NFL and most fans but not by animal activists. But is he worthy of being an honorary captain? Do his stats measure up to the other captains’ stats?
Davis, Green and Smith are Hall-of-Famers. Bruce Smith played in four Super Bowls, 11 Pro Bowls and holds the all time career record for sacks. Darrell Green played in three Super Bowls and has won twice. He has also played in seven Pro Bowls. Terrell Davis has been in two Super Bowls and named MVP of one.
Vick’s outstanding feats in the NFL are playing in one NFC Conference Championship game and played in four Pro Bowls. Vick held the rushing yard record at 1,039 yards but it was broken by Baltimore Raven QB Lamar Jackson last year for a record of 1,044 yards.
Comparing the stats of Vick to the other captains shows he’s not in the same league as the others. There are many other worthy contenders who could’ve been chosen.
In the end, how many people will really see the game anyway?
Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer, and an unabashed animal advocate. Her love for animals and quest for the hard truth is what drives her passion for all things animals. She hosts the television show, “A Close Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.” She adores her tripawd, Brody, who was a formerly abused pup who lost his leg because of cruelty inflicted upon him. If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com. Like https:www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookatAnimalWelfareIssues and be sure to check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com.
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So true so true so true so true so true
He paid his dues. He went to jail 4 18months. He joined the hsus and went around and talked to kids about what he had done. At least he did pay unlike other men in the league. How many have committed crimes but didn’t go to jail. It’s time to move.
The NFL cares about making money than human life. Sad. G
NFL doesn’t care about people or animals!
The NFL is full of criminals. Goodell has allowed it for years.
Would be no different for Vuck face.
ESPN is running a documentary on Vick. I believe in redemption but I’ve never heard Vick be remorseful for his actions. He was concerned about his football career when he and Wayne Pacelle, former HSUS CEO “bonded” in an effort to help each other. Wayne did it for publicity. He seized an opportunity and even made money off of it. Pacelle fundraised for Vick’s dogs back in 2007 but the HSUS NEVER had the dogs! Not one. He also wanted all of them killed. Who the hell wants this piece of crap to help with animals. He’s fundraising today. He’ll never stop. He’ll also never be the center of attention again. Thank God.
Roger Goodell’s only motive is to make money. If sees $$$ it doesn’t matter what the players do. He’s allowed rapists, abusers, drunken thugs to paly in the NFL. Dead dogs mean nothing to him. Look at the NFL’s super bowl halftime show. This is what they think of women. Jlo and Shakira shook their butts, cameras kept showing crotch shots, slapped their own as#$%- that’s so empowering to women- NOT! and let’s not forget pole dancing. sheesh. This is the NFL.