Well we've now come full circle. Kevin Kolb, the successor at QB to Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, left the first game of the new NFL season on Sunday with a concussion. His replacement - Michael Vick. That's right, Mr. Bad Newz Kennels himself, back at the helm of an NFL team just three years after his conviction for participating in and financing an interstate dogfighting ring. Although they ultimately lost the game Vick sparked his team to a comeback, to the delight of the not always delightful Philadelphia Eagle fans. Many of these fans are calling for Vick to remain in the starting QB position even when Kolb is healthy enough to play again. If the Eagles win this weekend, although they are playing Detroit, I am sure that there will be a buzz in the air about the return of the great Michael Vick.
Well Jesus would truly be proud of us all. I mean we are quite a forgiving bunch. Is it that we are forgiving, or is it that we are forgetful? I mean time heals all wounds right? Unless, of course you were hung, drown or electrocuted like some of the dogs at Bad Newz Kennels. There's no healing that. So as you are watching the Eagles take on the Detroit Lions this weekend there are a few things I would like to remind all of you. As Vick drops back to pass remember that this is the man who not only financed a dogfighting operation, but admitted in court to participating in the murder of animals. And let's remember that we aren't talking about lethal injection here, we are talking about electrocution, drowning, and shooting. We are talking about rape boards and dogs chained to the axles of cars. One lucky dog was repeatedly slammed against the ground until he finally died. Is it all coming back to you now? I too am guilty. I saw Mike Vick take off down the sidelines Sunday, watching him accelerate noticeably faster than anyone else on the field, and his speed and athleticism had me wanting to root for him. I guess it's human nature.
As humans, we took on a responsibility when we domesticated dogs. Or I guess I should say when we domesticated wolves. When they were wild pack animals they could defend themselves, and feed themselves, and hunt, and mate, and survive. They were independent. Once we made them our companions we made them dependent on us for survival. They didn't ask for it, we chose to domesticate them and we could because we are the "big dogs" on the planet. But once we made them dependent on us, we took on the responsibility of caring for them. Sick psychopathic people like Michael Vick who have no ability to feel compassion and no concern for life take advantage of animals like this. So where is the "Good News" in all of this, as the Blog title suggests. Believe it or not it looks like Michael Vick isn't the only one getting a second chance. Thanks to the efforts of several people and organizations, 47 of the 51 dogs seized from Bad Newz Kennels are going to be saved. There is a new book called The Lost Dogs which chronicles the journey of the 51 dogs after Vick's arrest in 2007. The dog on the cover named Jasmine is now a resident of suburban Baltimore. Her story was first told in an SI article in 2008 which I urge everyone to read. The link to the story is http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/12/22/vick.dogs/index.html. What stood out the most to me when reading the article was how quickly these dogs, who were abused from birth, began to be socialized again.
So crawl up on your couch this weekend with your dog, turn on the Eagles game and cheer for the Detroit Lions like you grew up in Motown.
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