Woe is Vick

God, between the Mets, Michael Vick and of course the ongoing saga of the trade talks between the Blue Jays and Your World Champion Philadelphia Phillies for pitching ace Roy Halladay, it is a real struggle to pick just one thing to focus on today, just in the world of sports. My sense is that there could be more today on the latest situation with the Mets, their GM and the fired Director of Player Personnel, and at this point I am expecting there to be much more in the way of trade talks about Roy Halladay this week, so let me just give my thoughts today on the Michael Vick situation.

For those who don't know, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday "conditionally reinstated" Michael Vick to the NFL, allowing Vick to take part in team functions if he is signed anywhere, including in the final two preseason games of the summer, and said he will consider Vick for full reinstatement to play in regular season games, essentially sometime during or before Week 6 of the NFL season. Privately, it is said that some in Vick's camp are less than satisfied with the Commish's lack of clarity regarding the timetable for Mike Vick to be allowed back into NFL games. Even Buffalo Bills receiver and brilliant sports historian TO lashed out on Monday about the way Vick's return to the league is being handled. And you know what?

Terrell Owens is right.

There's something I bet you never thought you'd read me saying here, isn't it? But it's true. Mike Vick was suspended indefinitely back on August 24, 2007 for his role and direct involvement in his now-famous dog fighting business. Now, here we are two years later -- 32 NFL games, plus a bunch of preseason and potential playoff games to go along with it -- and Vick still hasn't sniffed the NFL. He sat in federal prison for nearly two years, serving his time after pleading guilty to the charges brought against him. That was two years of his life -- more or less right smack in the middle of his prime -- that he's never getting back. And while Vick sat in a jail cell for 23 months, the rest of the NFL sure didn't wait for him. We had two great NFL seasons sans the best-running quarterback in the league bar none, first with the Cheatriots going 17-1 and losing the superbowl to the Giants, and then the Steelers edging out Kurt Warner and the upstart Cardinals this past February. All while Vick sat in jail, not playing the game he loves and not making any money in the best earning years of his life, while also spending most of the money he had acquired prior to the charges on his defense.

Don't get me wrong here. What Mike Vick did was despicable to say the least, and some of the details are so gruesome that I literally cannot even conceive of them. I'm not saying he should have been allowed to leave his jail cell on Sundays to play in NFL games. But let's be fair here guys. Vick has already been suspended from the NFL for two years for his crime. Giving him an additional suspension now is totally ridiculous. He sat for two years already, directly because of the dogfighting stuff. Again, that's 32 games. Think of the other suspensions you've seen coming out of the NFL. Four games for substance abuse. Four games for steroids. Two games for drinking and driving. And here is Vick, who was suspended from August 2007 until July 2009, and now people are clamoring for four (or more) games to be tacked on to the end now? And the Commissioner won't even be straight with him as to the timetable for Vick to get back into actual NFL games?

Of course If Roger Goodell doesn't mind being a wimp, he can heap all the additional suspensions he wants on to Mike Vick at this point. It's the pussy way out because Goodell knows the public thinks what Vick did is detestable and many probably want nothing to do with him ever again, so there is little chance of any public outburst against Goodell or the NFL if he keeps Vick on the sidelines right now. But just because it's easy don't make it right. How about instead of doing the safe thing, Roger Goodell do what's right instead. Leonard Little got drunk, drove home from a party and killed a woman -- an actual human being -- back in 1998 and he served an 8-game suspension before being allowed to play in the NFL. Mike Vick kills a bunch of dogs -- albeit in disgusting, mind-numbingly twisted ways -- and a 32-game suspension is not enough?

Everybody deserves a second chance. This guy has sat in jail for two years and 32 NFL games. Let him back on the damn field already.

If any team will even have him, that is.