I Believe in Second Chances
By Nick Pease
We all make mistakes.
Making mistakes is a part of life and it’s something that most people learn to deal with and have the maturity to accept. It’s just as the sayings go – “no one is perfect” and “we all screw up.” Heck I’ve probably goofed today more times than I can count. The problem, however, with mistakes evolves when we try to give weight to our goof ups and say that some mistakes are more important than others.
Sure, some mistakes are certainly bigger than others and can have larger consequences, can cause severe pain and heartache, and even lead to harsh punishment. But in the end, whether you forget to pay the cable bill, order chicken instead of beef, or slam your car into a tree head on – we all make mistakes, and that’s what they are – mistakes. With that said, I believe in forgiveness, and I believe in second chances.
So, yes, I believe Michael Vick deserves a second chance to play in the NFL.
Now let’s get something clear from the get go, what Michael Vick did was terrible. It was bad. Real bad. And he absolutely committed a crime. But it was also a mistake. It was something that he should not have done or even been a part of. But Vick went to court, was sentenced, and served prison time for the crime he committed. When he has fully completed his sentence, I say he deserves a second chance. Ofcourse there are lots of outstanding circumstances here, like if he will even be reinstated into the league, but if everything pans out – I say give the guy another shot.
I may be completely wrong, but I doubt Vick will return to the activities that led to his imprisonment. And if he does, well then I certainly think his career in football should be over. But I don’t believe we are looking at a repeat offender who routinely gets in trouble off the field. Vick made a dumb, dumb mistake and I believe he has paid the price for those crimes and now I believe he deserves a second chance.
And let’s face it folks, I mean let’s just be real with each other, we’re not talking about a third string strong safety or a wide receiver from the Jets no one has heard of. We’re talking about Michael Vick, a man with an insane talent and ability to play football – and to play extremely well. Several years ago there were only about three quarterbacks who were actually fun and exciting to watch – Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Michael Vick. You just never knew if Vick would break the pocket and dash down the field for 70 yards.
Don’t get me wrong, just because he’s good doesn’t mean he deserves to return to football, that’s only to say he has a God given ability and he deserves the chance to show he has learned from his mistakes. We all need second chances to show we have learned and that we can move on.
The same can be said for you, me and Ed Johnson of the Indianapolis Colts.
A defensive tackle with a history of trouble, Tony Dungy gave Johnson a chance to play for the Colts last season with one ultimatum – stay out of trouble. When Johnson was pulled over for speeding early in the season, police found marijuana in his car. He was promptly cut by the Colts the next morning. Colts fans were irate, considering Johnson was a huge force on our defensive line and DT was an already depleted position. But many also respected Dungy and his decision.
Recently Johnson was resigned by the Colts. He adds experience and depth to a very young and talented position on the Colts roster. Head coach Jim Caldwell essentially said that Johnson made a mistake and deserves a second chance. He did make a very stupid decision, he valued smoking some weed over playing professional football – something most of us can only dream of. But he sat out the remainder of the season, stuck to think about his decision and if he’d ever get another shot. Well now he has and hopefully he can make the most of it.
I hope Ed Johnson does succeed with the Colts. And I hope Vick is able to play football again and succeed as well. Yes, they made mistakes, but they deserve second chances. We all do, because sometimes it’s what we really need.