Michael Vick: NFL or UFL?

I'd like to think that Roger Godell has made his point that he's not going to baby any player or even personnel in the NFL since he became the commissioner. He has dealt swiftly and harshly with players who either make the league look bad or commit crimes, i.e. Adam Jones. The problem with my last statement is that Pacman got a few chances and may very well receive another chance to make more money to rain on some strippers. Godell has stated in the past that he wants to see genuine remorse from Vick. That seems a bit shallow to me. He paid the debt for his crimes, and the court of public opinion will forever convict him as long as he's alive. He can always just act remorseful. I won't even get into PETA wanting him to get psychiatric evaluations to satisfy them that he's okay to play. Lately, they are just a waste of oxygen just trying to be relevant in the public eye.

Roger Godell needs to think long and hard before he decides not to re-instate Michael Vick. There will be some consequences to that decision. They won't be very detrimental to the juggernaut known as the NFL, but they will have some ripple effects on some fans who believe that the No Fun League is hypocritical at best. As image conscious as the NFL has become they are under intense scrutiny by this fan because they are distancing themselves from the common man. They are making it harder and harder to attend games by making everything more expensive. Once in the stadium you have to pay high concessions and still have to watch commercials. For all that, I can stay at home and turn the channel. Some of the most fun parts of the game have been TD celebrations. Yeah, I know some take it too far, but most of them are fine. They are mad at players for delaying play with those "antics", but yet there are so many TV time outs to honor some beer company or E.D. pill.

Anyway, I digress. My point is that by not re-instating Vick, Godell will be saying to NFL fans that paying for your mistakes/crimes is not enough. If you can't convince him that you are truly sorry, you won't have a job. Other idiot players can do what they please, slander the NFL image and all as long as they show genuine remorse. If Godell bows to outside pressure he'll lose player respect as a genuine leader. Worse, he will lose Vick to the UFL. I don't care what their commish says, he'd love to take a chunk out of the NFL viewership to grow his league. Michael Huyghue is not trying to just be some minor league to the NFL if he can help it. He knows that someone with the star power, and the polarizing effect of Michael Vick is worth the gamble. His fans will watch, and more than that his critics will watch. They will watch and they will talk, and that will generate nothing but publicity for the rather low key PR that the UFL has been dishing out so far. The team that signs him will instantly energize their fan base, or rather generate a fan base. All will be wondering if he's lost a step or if he's a better passer now that he's older. Will he play QB? Will he be the same old Vick? No matter how many critics and protesters come out of the woodwork, the point will be that the team that has Vick will have a lot of coverage and interest. Companies will want a piece of that exposure, meaning more money for the UFL if they do pick him up.

Don't get me wrong, Vick won't instantly legitimize the UFL. But if he plays well, he'll go a long way to making it more visible to America and also keeping it from being the next XFL. Right now the UFL is full of has-been, never-was, and might-have-been players. There's potential there, but there's not enough publicity being generated by it. Whether that's on purpose or by accident, it's too quiet. Vick to the UFL would be an instant media blitz and I for one would watch to see how he does. I'm also certain that the NFL would also be watching. So if you somehow come across this blog Mr. Huyghue, convince one of your teams to grab Vick if you can. Don't let Godell influence or strong-arm you to stay away from him. I for one am certain his on-field attitude will be fine. We all know he won't do anything stupid off the field for at least 1 year. Take a chance and if he stinks on the field the amount of publicity your upstart league will get is still far more valuable than his possible failure on his team.

The NFL doesn't stand to lose or gain much by not re-instating Vick. They will gain some level of increased publicity but not much. You'll see a lot of owners criticizing whatever team signs him just to look like they are so moral. But just like a T.O., or a Barry Bonds, you don't hate a player as much when he's on your team helping you to win. Winning, it really does cover up so many faults.