Michael Vick: No Hero | Teen Ink

Michael Vick: No Hero MAG

By Anonymous

The Michael Vick saga is the story of a man who had everything and lost it all. And I cannot remember a tale more atrocious than his.

In 2001, the Atlanta Falcons selected Vick to be their franchise quarterback. He was seen as the savior of the team. The Falcons were so sure about Vick, they traded a shot at getting LaDainian Tomlinson, who many ­considered the best running back in the NFL. After the 2002 season, when Vick led the Falcons to the playoffs with a 9-6-1 record and beat Brett Favre in Lambeau Field, he received the biggest contract in NFL history: $130 million for 10 years. The following year, Vick missed most of the season with a broken ankle. In 2004, he led Atlanta to the NFC Championship but fell short.

Last year, Vick’s legal issues began to mount. In January, he was held at an airport on possession of marijuana, but tests revealed no illegal substances and he was never charged. In April, Vick was charged and convicted of dogfighting. His sentencing date – December 10th – was the same day the Falcons would play the Saints on Monday Night Football. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison.

In my opinion, this penalty is not harsh enough. By forcing innocent dogs to fight to the death, Vick has disgraced his family, the Falcons, and the city of Atlanta. Vick had a dogfighting ring on his property and mass graves for the burial of these dogs yet he initially pleaded not guilty. This is a testament to how immature Michael Vick really is.

Vick himself made me mad enough, but then I watched the Monday Night game. “Free Vick” signs were visible around the stadium. When Roddy White scored a touchdown, he displayed a “Free Mike Vick” T-shirt. I could only think, Do they know what this man did? He killed innocent animals for his own amusement. And, to me, the reaction by the Falcon fans was distasteful and atrocious. Vick deserved to be disciplined. Atlanta must realize the severity of his actions.

The Falcons and their fans need to move on. To me, Vick has played his last down in the National Football League. And rightfully so.

Michael Vick is no hero. He was an average quarterback who could run. But it’s time for the Falcons to move on and forget him.



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This article has 365 comments.


vickhater said...
on Nov. 5 2009 at 10:22 am
no he is not a great man

vickhater said...
on Nov. 5 2009 at 10:21 am
your wrong he didn't learn his lesson he should not of done wat he did and if think that u think he learned his lesson ur crazy!

vickhater147 said...
on Nov. 5 2009 at 10:18 am
nice article but he should not of been able to come back into the nfl the fourth down conversion failed in his life.

astleye said...
on Nov. 1 2009 at 6:07 pm
I think what michael vick did was wrong and I think he deserved to go to jail. Dogfitting is illegal. I think if he was so amazing maybe they could have won a super bowl. I think to myself "How can you even think about killing dogs." I think this is a well written story and you could have used some more descriptive words, but overall it was well written story.

i eat pie said...
on Sep. 29 2009 at 3:12 pm
I think it was a very good article. What Michael Vick did was very wrong! Good article!

Beastwilson said...
on Sep. 29 2009 at 9:25 am
the article on michael vick is both interesting and sad. its sad that michael vick fell so far. we liked all the descriptive stuff.

on Sep. 11 2009 at 11:02 am
ok i will...

BRIA THOMAS said...
on Jul. 23 2009 at 2:52 pm
BRIA THOMAS, FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
PEOPLE SHOULD LEAVE MICHAEL VICK ALONE LOTS OF PEOPLE DO DOG FIGHTING AND NOBDY SAYS ANYTHINHG TO THEM BUT LET A CLEBERITY DO IT THEY ALL OVER HIM YES WAT HE DID WAS WRONG BUT EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES SO LEAVE IM ALONE HE HAS LEARNED HIS LESSON

on May. 13 2009 at 3:41 pm
VandaNoon PLATINUM, West Pittston, Pennsylvania
42 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
what i can remember
is a lot like water
trickling down a page
of the most beautiful colors
-Marie Digby 'Unfold'

In regards to everyone else's comments, I have to ask: since when has being a good athlete equated to being a hero? What happened to the days of policemen, firemen, etc. being revered? Michael Vick commited a crime, and saying he's still a hero because he can throw a football, is silly. Yes, he's a good athelete. And yes, he's now a criminal. Both things are true, and both things can't be ignored.



Anyway, this was a well-written article. Slightly biased, but obviously that was how it was meant. It's a Sports/Opinion article, after all.

on Apr. 3 2009 at 9:46 pm
hayleypm93 SILVER, Edinburg, Virginia
5 articles 2 photos 3 comments
Even though I'm all for animals and carry around my Humane Society tote, Michael Vick is a great man. Yes, beyond a doubt, Michael Vick is a hero. Look how far he's gotten in life! He is a PROFESSIONAL football player for goodness sake--and a quarterback nonetheless!! Michael Vick was born with talent and has spent his life on honing that. Goodness, give the man some credit! Can you even imagine what it would be like to be so publicized and expected to be nearly perfect ALL DAY LONG? No, I didn't think so. Michael Vick, as well as all famous people (including Michael Phelps fyi) are constantly bombarded by the public, leaving them with virtually no private life. All people are bound by human nature to make mistakes, but celebrities will 9 times out of 10 have theirs all over newspapers and whatnot. Think of all the mistakes you have made and picture them each being publicized...it's terrible how Michael Vick is treated now. It's just hypocritical to downgrade him like people do because he made the wrong choice. Though he made a bad dicision, Michael Vick is still a great hero and always will be.

Vick #1 fan said...
on Apr. 2 2009 at 3:24 pm
Look back on all the nfl player that did more than that.i know it was not right for him to do that but he did.Vick was the best QB but now he cant be when he lock up.He can run,pass and all pust of the QB's now can not do it like VICK did and thay will not do it like him.I'm a big fan of VICK and will all was be.

D.Branch#25 said...
on Apr. 1 2009 at 5:11 pm
I thought the article was pretty good about the way he was so successful, but then when everything started to reveal about how he was treatin his animals i think that was just terrible

lucky 13 said...
on Feb. 13 2009 at 6:08 pm
you are right it was worng what he did. your story was good.

baller27461 said...
on Nov. 2 2008 at 10:50 pm
I do not agree with this article one bit. For starters had Vick not been a NFL superstar no one would have known that this went on. The auther of the article also left out important facts like Mike was not the manger of the dog fighting his friends where, whie trying to make a profit. Laslty, I bielive that Vick is just another person who has been a victim of getho guilt

baller2746 said...
on Nov. 2 2008 at 10:45 pm
This article gives a false coneption of Mike Vick. Though this article states that Vick had been the so called manger of the dog fighting it had really been his friends who had cost him so dearly. Vick is just another superstar who has been struck with something I call getho guilt

MagicMan said...
on Oct. 27 2008 at 8:19 pm
I thought it was good

football said...
on Oct. 24 2008 at 2:44 pm
i thought this article was good

Nikeillini14 said...
on Oct. 24 2008 at 2:00 pm
I think that this article is a very important article to read. Micheal Vick was every football fans dream. He had it all till he did something stupid and now look who he is. 23 months in prison I feel is nothing compared to what this man has done. The sad thing is, people don't see it a harmful thing of him killing inocent dogs. They see it as him being a alstar quarterback and they just want him back to play ball.

AlexTheLion said...
on Oct. 22 2008 at 4:49 pm
I agree and believe he should be punished for his actions. That is cruelty to animals and no human being, not even Michael Vick, has the right to do that. I do agree with him that he had everything, including one of the biggest salaries ever in football history, and let it all go because of drugs, alcohol, and dog fighting. Any player who commits these actions should be sentenced in jail and banned from the NFL.

GetSoSerious said...
on Sep. 24 2008 at 5:04 pm
This is a ridiculously pointless article. Not only the fact that the story is OLD, Vick is paying his debt to society. If you care about innocent dogs dying why don't you fight to end greyhound racing where they kill THOUSANDS of dogs a year. Leave this man alone. Get out of media hype and think for yourself.