Charlie Hustle and Michael Vick

There are certain topics in this world that make me very angry when I think about them. One such topic (as my friend Stacy can atest ;-) is violations of Constitutional rights. But another topic is Michael Vick, expecially when put in the context of Pete Rose.

Pete Rose, "Charlie Hustle", was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He played for four teams throughout his 23 year career, most noteably for the Cincinnati Reds. He had a career batting average of .303 and is the ALL TIME hits leader in baseball history. He further managed the Reds from 1986 to 1989. He won three batting titles, three World Series titles, two Golden Gloves and Rookie of the Year. He appeared in 17 All-Star games. He also once posted a 44 game hitting streak. Even as a die-hard, lifelong Cubs fan, I found Pete Rose amazing to watch and couldn't help but root for a guy who went out on the field every single day and gave the game his all. In a world where athletes are grossly overpaid in a country where the common man is struggling, Pete Rose earned his money.

In 1989, Pete's world came crashing down around him. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig banned the great Charlie Hustle from baseball, the game he was born to play. Rose was accused of betting on baseball while he played for and managed the Cinicinnati Reds. I don't knwo why Pete accepted this fate, other than, clearly, he knew he was guilty. No longer would he be allowed to play the game he lived and breathed every day of his life. Worse, one of the greatest baseball players of all time has been banned from ever being in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, where, clearly, he deserves to be.

Now let's address the issue of Michael Vick. Yes, he plays football rather than baseball, but it is a professional sport nonetheless. In 2007, Michael Vick was convicted of felony dog fighting. He had been staging dog fights with a pack of pit bulls, alowing them to tear each other from limb to limb. He called it a sport. In his plea bargain he admitted to hanging or drowning 6-8 dogs. He also failed a random drug test while free on bail. He was sentenced to 3 years in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas. He served less than one year. After depositing nearly $1,000,000 in an escrow account to care for the dogs, Michael Vick declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy and was protected by our government for from further lawsuit.

After being released from prison in 2009, Michael Vick was not only allowed to return to professional football without anything more than a "conditional probationary return" that meant nothing. He is now the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars. And, if he proves himself "good enough" at his craft, of which he is admittedly talented, he could someday be elected to the Hall of Fame.

So my question is this: ON WHAT PLANET IS BETTING ON SOME BASEBALL GAMES WORSE THAN MAKING A PACK OF DOGS HALF KILL EACH OTHER???????? Michael Vick should be banned from football for life. And if I had my way, he would be torn apart by an angry pack of pit bulls...