Barack Obama Praises Eagles For Giving Michael Vick A 2nd Chance

Peter King of NBC reported on Sunday that President Barack Obama recently called Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, to praise the organization for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance.

According to ProFootballTalk, Obama told Lurie that "a level playing field rarely exists for prisoners who have completed their sentences."

King also tweeted that Obama "said too many prisoners never get fair 2d chance."

The Eagles signed Vick after he spent 18 months in prison and two months of home confinement for being convicted of running a dogfighting operation.

Vick earned the Eagles starting quarterback job early this season and is now a candidate for MVP.

The 30-year-old has thrown 20 touchdown passes, rushed for eight and has a passer rating of 103.6

Comments

[Denni]

11:38 AM on 01/03/2011

I'm not a sports fan so I don't care how successful Vick is. I am an animal lover so his actions are STILL atrocious in my eyes and I have a hard time even looking at his face. At the same time, I believe we are supposed to be a forgiving society and if he feels TRUE remorse and has walked away from a life of causing pain and destruction to innocent animals, I don't want to see him punished the rest of his life. What reason would anyone have from walking away from something like that if they can never be forgiven and brought brought back into the fold?

[Robert Daily]

11:20 AM on 01/03/2011

“If Michael Vick had taken your dog and beat it in the head with a shovel, held it under water while it gasped for air, and choked it until its eyes bulged out, you wouldn't forgive him. You’d want to end the life of this “Bad Newz“ (talented or not, black or white). But, as long as it's not your dog, you don't care“. Good day Mr. President.

[Xyz22]

06:43 PM on 01/02/2011

He's playing football for a multi- million dollar paycheck. He served 18 months in prison after he spent 5 years killing dogs. He should have been banned from the NFL. Period.

[Artie Livingston]

05:24 PM on 01/02/2011

And this is why I support causes like www.writeaprisoner.com Getting inmates back to work and back to society should be our goal as a nation. Even if you hate Vick's action, you should want to see him reformed and contributing to the world.

[elljayo]

06:25 PM on 12/31/2010

i am all for forgiveness when genuine remorse is present, but i believe michael vick has had a change of heart and character the day he makes restitution without having criminal penalties, a multimillion dollar contract and the eyes of the nation holding him accountable. he should be banned from the nfl at the very least.

[Dog Defend]

03:49 PM on 12/31/2010

All animal lovers and anyone with a shred of decency should boycott all Eagles games. I refuse to finance Mike Vick. He should be forever barred from playing any professional sports.

Take a look at photos of the mercy Mike Vick showed the dogs. He should receive the same kind of mercy.
http://www.animalrightsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/loveofdogs31.jpg
http://www.jollybengali.net/theconfluence/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gypsy.jpg

Mike Vick will not change but find a way to continue dog fighting under the radar of officials. I say this because for years he participated in dog fighting and only stopped because he was caught. Even his own Father urged him to stop in 2001 and he refused. If a Son will not listen to his own Father, then who will he listen to?
In 2007, statements were made by his father, Michael Boddie, about possible dogfighting activities in 2001. Boddie told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that around 2001, his son had been urged to not engage in the activity, but continued. He stated: "This is Mike's thing. And he knows it."

If Obama wants Mike Vick to have a second chance then let the government give it to him. Recruit him in the military so he can observe REAL men and women doing REAL work and not for the absurd amounts Mike gets for tossing a ball around.

[Ketsugo John]

07:22 PM on 12/29/2010

"Michael Vick should have been executed."
http://tinyurl.com/2cs74wq
“But the idea that the President of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs (is) kind of beyond the pale,”

[Veeve]

01:53 PM on 12/29/2010

Unlike most of you, I have 3 rescues at home. I abhor what Michael Vick did in the past. I also grew up in an area where dog fighting is not exactly unheard of. Seeing as so many of you have never done anything in life that you're ashamed of and would do anything to take back, I'll be thankful that a man got a shot at redemption and he decided to make the very most of it. Can Vick develop empathy towards animals? I don't know. Maybe he does empathize. Professional athletes; specifically, football players, boxers amongst others see themselves as gladiators and when they can not fight/play anymore, they are tossed on the scrap heap and forgotten by history just the same as Vick's dogs. I don't know and I can't know. But the older I get, the less ambitious I am to level judgment against others. What I do know for certain is this... I don't want to live in a world without redemption. If that's the kind of world you want, be careful what you wish for.

[freegeg]

01:41 PM on 12/29/2010

Obama is not qualified to be president. Period. This is ridiculous. Why this? Why now? If he he wants to be a celebrity talk show host he needs to resign the Presidency.

Why would The President call The Eagles to discuss energy efficiency at their stadium? What does that have to do with the President of the United States?

Why is the President glad that a millionaire animal abuser is getting a second chance to make millions more?

[Whitney Kraner]

02:31 PM on 12/29/2010

Maybe because he ran on creating a GREEN economy... Try using your brain before you have an emotional attack on the keyboard.

[spidey]

01:35 PM on 12/29/2010

At least Obama kept his promise of adopting a rescue dog from a shelter…. oh wait.

[unliberal]

01:29 PM on 12/29/2010

Oh and at a salary of $3.75 musd, isn't he one of the evil rich??

[unliberal]

01:28 PM on 12/29/2010

This was just so O'bama could claim one more job saved or created.... heh

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

11:33 AM on 12/29/2010

Obama, the Panderer in Chief

[spidey]

11:28 AM on 12/29/2010

Wow, Has Obama no decency? Michael Vic is a psychopath that can throw a ball and that deserves a call of support from the president? How about a call of encouragement to someone that lost their home or the family of someone he sent to Afghanistan?

[Soliel]

01:11 PM on 12/29/2010

I totally agree. I think he has no feeling for animals.

[noratoo]

03:11 AM on 12/29/2010

How can one refrain from having an opinion on this?

My friend who follows sports asks: If the Eagles rehired Michael Vick for the money, has President Obama made something of it to get on the good side of Pennsylvania voters in terms of politics as sport? Hmm.

The way Obama has inserted himself into the sports spotlight of the winning team is all very peculiar, imo. Peculiar. Just one opportunist complimenting another opportunist about a useful decision?

And hearing folks talk about Vicks' 'redemption' is also strange; like, "if God didn't approve of Vick, he wouldn't still be able to play ball so well" or something like that.

Well, some folks seem to believe Micheal Vick has been redeemed by a God (and, others believe Vick has redeemed himself); if so, then perhaps Vick should advise President Obama on how he (the president), too, can stop torturing and find redemption? Because President Obama still has authorized numerous prisoners to continue under unlimited/indefinite (that is, tortuous) detention, among these prisoners being alleged whistleblower Private Bradley Manning.

Yes, peculiar. And how about considering this a possible example of the psychology of one torturer praising another torturer? Peculiar for regular folks to see group self-appreciation among torturers, but probably not peculiar to see in a system of pathocracy. [Pathocracy and political ponerology discussed here http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/political_ponerology_lobaczewski.htm ]

Situation has an inherent creepiness.