Second Chances

I recently finished an article about religion, specifically Judaism, behind prison walls. It was fascinating and actually reinforced the importance of volunteers in the lives of prisoners. Their visits, which are often religious in nature, give the prisoners a welcome respite from the regiment of their days.

Many of the volunteers that I spoke with talked about the concept of not abandoning someone just because he/she had made a mistake. All of which reinforced the notion of giving people second chances, which brings me, in a very round-about way to Michael Vick. (You knew I was going somewhere with this. . . )

Anyway, the Philadelphia Inquirer recently ran a story about the future of the Philadelphia Eagles' commitment to animal welfare issues since Michael Vick's future with the team is uncertain. "Plans to have Eagles players appear at animal related fund raisers, issue player and pet trading cards, and release pet-friendly public service announcements have not yet materialized."

Many are wondering whether all of this talk was just designed to appease the public until Vick could make his mark on the playing field. He did see limited action; he did throw for at least one touchdown that I remember and he also made his share of errors. No decision yet on whether or not his contract will be extended but I do believe he proved his worth on the playing field by literally getting himself back in the game.

As for whether or not he proved that he had mended his ways, I do believe that remains to be seen. And so the issue here seems not to be about second chances but arenas in which those chances occur. Do the Eagles deserve credit for believing enough in Vick as a player to afford him the opportunity to return to the field? Absolutely.

But do they deserve credit for helping him make amends for what he did to animals? That remains to be seen.