I'm looking forward to debating! Is Michael Vick worthy of playing in the NFL?

Legally speaking (that is, according to our justice system), Vick's repaid his debt to society. The NFL apparently believes that Vick's been punished enough by them, too, or he wouldn't be back with a team. However, that isn't good enough for me because he tortured dogs after forcing them to fight each other.

We aren't talking about stealing car stereos, or embezzling money, or some other such thing. We're talking about a knuckle-dragging drooler who has no compassion for other, living things. Can the court system punish Vick forever?

No, because there is only so much that the court system can legally mete out for his crimes. I don't remember what the maximum sentence happens to be for this type of offense, or if Vick got the maximum - all I know is that he's out of prison, which means that he's finished with that part of his punishment. Can the NFL punish him forever?

If they really wanted to, yes, they could. However, Vick's atrocities were not directly related to football. God knows that, had Vick been busted pulling a Pete Rose, the NFL would have crucified him - we can't have a guy interfering with the game's outcome, because that would be bad for the entire league's bottom line.

I don't want to see the court system or the NFL punish Vick any more - he's repaid his debts to them. I just don't want to watch Vick play, that's all, because I can't forget that he did horrible things to innocent creatures. As long as I can't stomach the sight of his ugly mug, I can't be a fan of him personally, or of the team that signed him.

I don't think you should take away someone's talent for someone's mistake. I like the argument made by n3tfl0w above me that Stallworth is alright, but Vick isn't. Let me tell you something.Do you know why so many people hate Micheal Vick and not that much of Donte Stallworth?

I'll tell you: E-S-P-N. Thought Stallworth and Vick are on a diffrent playing level, it a world full of cheats and sudden deaths, Stallworth's actions fits the screwed up world we live in. We EXPECT these things to happen, which is why Vick's conviction was so blown up: no one expected it.

The same was made of the first people who were accused for using steroids in baseball. We all used to be SO stocked. Now, Big Papi's name is in the mix, and we only shrug, saying, "I wonder what's he's gonna say about it: admit to his mistakes or cover it up like the rest of them".

There's no more surprise; it's lowering of expectations. Vick's expectations were beyond our beliefs, which is why his reinstatement is such a surprise to us. But in general, I believe that every person on Earth deserves a second chance.

Vick's one mistake shouldn't completely waste his talents. He's already had 2+ years of that, and he needs to move on. I mean, imagine the boo's he's gonna hear, the ridicule he's gonna received when traveling to cities.

This guy's gonna hear it for the rest of his life. I think he should have a least one good thing going for him: football.So is he worthy of playing in the NFL? If he can compete with the best of them, he should.

If Vick shouldn't play, then Burgress shouldn't play, Ricky Williams shouldn't play, Stallworth shouldn't play, etc.Etc. And why would the NFL just feed their banned players to the new UFL? Or even worse--the AFL?

NO, I don’t believe they should take Vick back. These athletes are full of themselves and believe themselves to be untouchable. Vick knew what he was doing; he just didn’t think he would get caught.

I have a hard time understanding why these athletes go out and commit crimes as with what Vick did. It’s like they tell themselves no matter what they do, they will always be accepted back to the NFL. When we in the real world commit a crime and are held accountable, we serve our time and it’s still not over we get denied jobs because of things like that.

NFL was his employment so why is he being accepted back and soon will be making millions again. I think when he did what he did; it should've ruined his chances of being accepted back into the NFL. Let’s start holding these guys accountable for their actions and stop accepting them back into the NFL then maybe these athletes would quit acting as if they are untouchable and start living by the laws of the land like the rest of us people do.

Let’s not look at things like, well he still has talent, or he is a heck of a football player, well maybe he should of thought about that before he did what he did. So now he should have to go and get a minimum wage paying job and suffer the long term consequences of his actions. The NFL needs to re-evaluate their rules and regulations on accepting players back into the league after they have committed a crime.

What Vick did was unbelievably bad - I know that. I haven't worn his jersey since. However I still want to see him play football because he's a great talent and shouldn't be punished for the rest of his life.

He's gotten the opportunity to turn everything around. Lets hope that sets an example. I love my 2 beautiful dogs, and I love my family.

However I wouldn't want the person who killed my dogs punished more than someone who killed someone my family. I know its a little extreme but Vick has been such a target for so long!

He should play again, but he should have gotten a long suspension. There are plenty of things that earn you suspensions, DUI, drugs, etc, regardless of whatever punishment the legal system imposes. I can't see how killing dogs shouldn't earn a longer suspension than Ricky Williams smoking a joint.

The NFL is way off base here.

NO! He may be a great NFl player but he just fits the football player stereotype. Dumb, Stupid and an Idiot!

My anger was beyond human comprehension,when he was allowed back in! Fortunately, that anger stayed within me. Or else I would have killed someone.

He's career should have been finished! Not because of what he did to the dogs but what HE did! He couldn't even make his OWN speech.

He didn't even meant it. He should just be thankful he got into the NFL or else he wouldn't be any help to society, NO brains. I was hoping he would be thrown out to see how he would end up....... In the sewer where he belongs!

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.