Can you forgive Michael Vick?

You'd have to be pretty cold hearted not to. I mean he grew up in a certain culture where these dogs are seen as destined for one purpose. The breed was created just to fight. Did he do some despicable stuff? Yes. Did he lie about it for months on end? Yes. Did he finally come clean and admit to the world in what sounded like a contrite and meaningful admission of guilt? Yes. Now that he has done that we can move on.

I don't have any problem seeing him pay his debt to society and living his life free of hindrances. One exception, though - he has forfeited his right to play football in the NFL if only for the sole fact that he violated the league's gambling policy and soiled the name of the NFL. Not to mention the fact that he lied to the commissioner face to face. It truly is a privilege and he has lost it.

And to all these people like Skip Bayless who think that his suspension should coincide with his jail sentence, think again. In my opinion, he should never play again, but if for some reason Goodell should be lenient and levy a termed suspension, it should no doubt give the league the time to recover from this blow without having it resurface as soon as he gets out of jail.

Vick is in a whole other quandary altogether with his plea agreement. He agreed to snitch on any and every illegal action - not just gambling or dog fighting - that he knows about in the NFL or otherwise. If he starts snitching on NFL players, he will NEVER PLAY AGAIN. It would be too dangerous. Those guys remember, and will be taking shots at his knees. He is in a tight situation, because on one hand if he snitches the US District Attorney will recommend a sentence that could be served as house arrest or at a halfway house. If he chooses that route, he can and will never play again. If he chooses not to dish on other players, he might serve the full 18 months for not cooperating, in which case he would be almost too old and too far removed from the NFL for teams to take a chance on him - with all the baggage that he brings. If someone does, it will be at league minimum.

So yeah, I can forgive him.