On Birds and Dogs

Let’s get this stated up front: I am an Atlanta Falcons fan. Have been for years. Years that pre-date the turn of the century.

Another thing up front: I like dogs. They are cute and fun to play with, and can be great companions.

Right now, as an Atlanta Falcons fan, I am very, very concerned. And yes, it all stems from Michael Vick.

Again, let’s get this out front: what Mike Vick is accused of doing is deplorable. It is inhumane and unfathomable by myself. And, as a Falcon’s fan, I am going to be very upset if he misses any games (as I am guessing that he will—if not all of them). And while I have enjoyed watching him on the field, and have always felt that when he was out there the Falcons had a better chance of winning, I am not a Mike Vick fan. I am an Atlanta Falcons fan. I will cheer for the team no matter who is playing quarterback.

Now, with all that said, the idiotic actions that occurred in Virginia that have led to an indictment against Michael Vick may be the worst thing that has happened to a professional sports franchise in my lifetime.

Let me explain.

It is a long-standing, non-written statement in Hollywood that you can kill as many people as you want in a movie, but you should never, ever kill a dog on screen. It turns the crowd against the film in a heartbeat.

That is because, as a species, we can forgive someone for killing, maiming, or otherwise harming an adult human. But killing a dog? That’s wrong. That’s unforgivable. That is the type of thing that creates animosity on an amazing level.

With that in mind, the accusations against Mike Vick not only reflect on him as a person, but ultimately on the Atlanta Falcons as an organization. Why? Because PETA can’t picket Mike Vick’s house and get the attention that they will if they picket the Georgia Dome. Because, whether or not Mike Vick is actually with the team this year, fans in other cities won’t get a chance to target Vick by holding up signs that condemn the team without the Falcons being there. The Falcons and their organization will be the target of reprisal for this indictment.

Now, let’s say that somehow Mike Vick gets acquitted. He is found not-guilty by a jury of his peers. What then?

Not much different from what will happen than if he is found guilty, in regards to the Falcons as a team. The team will pay the price either way—though it would be, undoubtedly, a more severe response if he is found guilty. But if he is found innocent, and he is on the field, there are going to be those that feel they got the verdict wrong. That he is guilty, and they will make their piece known. They will picket the games, they will raise their signs, and…well, who knows how bad they might get?

So, maybe the Falcons need to let Mike Vick go now?

It’s not that simple. Aside from the financial hit the team would take due to the way that the NFL structures payroll and cap limitations, until he is picked up by another team (an unlikely scenario at this time) he will still be associated with the Falcons. And every single game, whether at home or on the road, will carry the shadow of dog fighting over it. Every game will have the picketers, the signs, and the cat calls towards the team with or without Mike there. Whether he is on the team or not.

Simply put, there is no good that can come of this. This is a shadow that will haunt the team for years, and will cause more problems than anything else that has ever happened to the team.

And that is simply due to the fact that humans have a place for dogs that does, in fact, sit above the life of a human. There have been plenty of incidents against humans that have plagued NFL players, and they have all been forgiven. But none of them has ever had anything against a dog—at least not on this scale—until now.

Whether he is innocent or guilty, the actions or lack thereof by Michael Vick have cast a bleak shadow over the Atlanta Falcons for the foreseeable future.

And speaking as a person who once stood up and cheered when he made some of the amazing plays that only an athlete of his caliber could, I am sad today. I am sad that, due to the stupid actions of one person, my team is suffering from something that they don’t deserve.

My team, the Atlanta Falcons, have a black eye. And they didn’t even throw a punch.