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Michael Vick |
ROGER GOODELL certainly has the attention of his constituency.
Less than a year after taking over as NFL commissioner, Goodell suspended prodigal Tennessee Titan Adam "Pacman" Jones for the 2007 season. He barred Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry for eight games and is mulling a potential punishment for Chicago Bears sharpshooter Tank Johnson.
Those are all nice public-relations moves to show that the new sheriff is serious about cleaning up his league's image. The message seems to be getting through; the Bengals (the NFL's most notorious team) released linebacker A.J. Nicholson Monday, three days after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
But the real test could come in the next few weeks, if Virginia prosecutors charge Michael Vick in the investigation into alleged dogfighting on property he owned in Surry County.
Jones, Henry and Johnson are talented role players. Vick is one of the NFL's biggest stars, a man who fills the Georgia Dome and whose jersey outsells all others.
As a good lawyer should, Goodell is waiting for the legal process to run its course. The Duke lacrosse fiasco showed the danger of jumping to conclusions and sensationalizing a case based on celebrity.
Still, if Vick is found to have enabled or even condoned illegal dogfighting, Goodell will have little choice but to impose discipline. The case already has gotten the attention of California Rep. Tom Lantos and the influential People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who want Vick punished if found guilty.
To Goodell's credit, he hasn't waited for outside intervention before cleaning up his sport. Bud Selig might never have conceded that baseball had a steroids issue if President Bush hadn't called for reform in a State of the Union speech--or if two San Francisco Chronicle reporters hadn't made a convincing case against Barry Bonds.
But I digress. If the investigation shows no dogfighting occurred on Vick's former property--or if he had no knowledge of it--Goodell won't have to act.
Yet prosecutors reportedly have some curious evidence, including a "pry bar" used to pry apart a dog's jaws, and bloodstained carpeting.
If they put the "Vick" in "conviction," the entire NFL will watch Goodell closely. The commissioner would have the ammunition to hand down a lengthy suspension.
Vick's previous indiscretions--a middle-finger salute to disgruntled Falcons fans and the curious "water bottle" airport incident, for which he was never charged--may seem minor in themselves. But they form a pattern of behavior similar to Goodell's justification for suspending Jones and Henry.
It's instructive to note that Vick's popularity in Atlanta was waning even before the dogfighting allegations came to light. He has missed the playoffs the past two years, flipped off fans and failed to support his former head coach (Jim Mora) before he was fired. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who values community relations, reportedly is growing impatient with Vick.
Some fans even wanted the Falcons to keep the recently traded Matt Schaub and deal Vick--a move that would have been blasphemy two years ago.
Vick repeatedly says he's learning from his mistakes and plans to disassociate himself from friends who could get him into trouble. For most of his life, Vick has managed to elude consequences the way he avoids tacklers.
But most parents will tell you that the only way a child really learns is through punishment. And if Vick's found guilty, Goodell may make an example of him--if only to prove that the rules apply to everyone.
Washington Redskins Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels recently made light of the accusations in a TV interview. If Goodell's justice comes down on Vick, though, no one will be laughing--especially the former Virginia Tech star.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443