Filed under: Football
![Dwaine Caraway, Michael Vick]()
He might have won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, led his Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs, avoided scandal off the field and became the national poster boy for public character rehabilitation.
But to some, Michael Vick will always be a dog-killing criminal unfit for any honors, awards or plaudits, and it seems Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert is on that list.
Last Saturday, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway gave Vick the key to the city before Sunday's Super Bowl.
Exactly why Vick got the key is a little cloudy to me. He had a nice season, but so did a lot of NFL players (not wearing Dallas Cowboy uniforms).
What exactly did Vick do to deserve the key to Dallas?
He avoided criminal behavior.
He played well.
Is that all it takes to get back in the public's good graces? Looks like we are setting the bar awful low for Mr. Vick.
You would think Caraway would have gotten clearance from his boss before giving Vick such an honor. He clearly didn't.
Leppert said that official keys to the city are reserved for elected officials of international status.
"Clearly, this was not the case in this situation and done without my knowledge or approval," Leppert said.
Vick was convicted and served his 19 months in prison. He paid for his crimes. He played well this year. Maybe he really has reformed.
But that doesn't mean I or anyone else who cares about animals have to join the Michael Vick fan club or buy in to his public relation corporation-driven campaign to win over the public.
The split between Mayor Leppert and Mayor Pro Tem Caraway underscores a racial divide I've seen in the Vick case.
In general, I have found white folks like Leppert to be far less willing to give Vick a pass for animal cruelty.
Meanwhile, brothers like Caraway seem far more willing to forgive Vick and his transgressions, which included wetting down and electrocuting one dog, hanging others and slamming another to the ground.
Vick also put family dogs in to the fighting ring with trained pit bulls and found it funny to watch the pets fight for survival.
What a guy!
Earn you living, Michael Vick. Throw your touchdowns and win your awards.
But I'm not cheering.
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