Courage or Resilience? You Tell Me

And just when you thought Michael Vick had faded into obscurity, the Philadelphia Eagles recently announced that he had won an Ed Block Courage Award. The award, according to the web site, is given to one member of each of the NFL's 32 teams (voted on by his teammates) who exemplifies the "principles of sportsmanship and courage." The Eagles unanimous choice was Vick.

Needless to say there has been a lot of backlash. PETA, among others, issued a statement criticizing the Eagles for selecting Vick. Over on 2dogs2000miles, Luke has spoken out against the choice, starting a heated debate among his supporters. And even William Rhoden in the New York Times, notes "perseverance more than courage seems a better description for the qualities [Vick] has exhibited on the comeback trail."

Rhoden goes on to compare Vick to the player the Jacksonville Jaguars selected: Richard Collier. Collier was shot and wounded in September 2008. He is paralyzed and lost a leg as a result of the attack. While Vick travels the country speaking out against dog fighting, Collier works equally hard to end senseless violence.

Which football player is more courageous? I suppose it depends on your definition of courage, but in my opinion, turning a life threatening accident into a positive force against violence, wins out. Vick held his destiny in his own hands and chose to make decisions that landed him in jail. Collier is an innocent victim of random violence, who had no control over his fate.

Is Michael Vick courageous? For what--surviving jail and losing his empire? No he is resilient, thanks to a lot of people who believed in giving him a second chance. Has he come far--perhaps, but it remains to be seen whether or not his commitment to the humane treatment of animals is a life long cause or just the means to the end, in his case, a Super Bowl ring.

I'm not sure it is in the best interest of anybody to give Michael Vick any more publicity for doing time or losing his fortune. And while I'm pretty sure it takes courage to believe in yourself to overcome public scorn and humiliation it also takes good old fashioned persistence, hard work and a stiff upper lip. Ask Martha Stewart who managed to put prison behind her fairly quietly.

It seems to me we shouldn't be handing out awards to anybody who committed a crime, went to jail and returned to his livelihood. There are thousands of people who face more daunting challenges each and every day and somehow manage to keep themselves out of jail.