Michael Vick-afied

How about Michael Vick getting his job back? As far as I'm concerned any job will do and one that is going to pay him enough to recoup some of the tax money we've already spent on him is great. Other people don't see it that way; they are calling for a boycott of all NFL sponsors.

I want to be clear I would not, could not, and do not support dog fighting or any other fighting for that matter. So here is the thing (for me anyway). Vick committed a crime for which he was judged and sentenced. He served the time deemed necessary by the law to consider his debt to society paid and his lesson learned. As such he has CONFORMED TO THE RULES OF SOCIETY, IS NOW REFORMED and able to RESUME HIS LIFE within the restrictions society has decided imposable based on the type of crime he committed.

The call to "vote with your dollars" by boycotting the NFL supporters is a wildfire blazing up Internet connections. The problem is people don't fully realize what it means to effectively boycott something as large as the NFL supporter list. You're not talking about a small single location local business you're talking multi billion dollar multi national corporations, their parent companies, and all of their subsidiaries. It's not as easy as switching from Budweiser to Heineken. You need to boycott every product made by the Anheuser Busch Company, click the link and check out the list of their brand names at the bottom of the page. Be sure you don't buy any of them EVER, because while Michael Vick's career will be over in a few years you'll still have your same moral standing that dog fighting is bad and anyone caught doing it or willing to support someone willing to employ that someone should be punished indefinitely.

Here is a HUGE list of NFL supporters I found on line. It's from two years ago but it is just to give you the scope of your undertaking:

Trading Cards: Donruss/Playoff, Press Pass, The Topps Company, Inc., Upper Deck Company. Collectibles: Activa Consumer, Bradford Exchange, Boelter Brands. eBay/NFL/PLAYERS INC Auction Site, Gracelyn, Inc., Healy Awards, K2 Licensing and Promotions, MBI, Inc., Merrick Mint, MVP Pics. Original Mini Jerseys, Peter David, Pro Specialties Group, Riddell, Sababa Toys, SC Sports, Team Beans, TMP International, Inc., UPI Marketing, Inc., Upper Deck Authentic, Wincraft, Winning Streak Sports. Video Games: Atari / Humongous, Electronic Arts. Board Games: Specialty Board Games, Strat-o-Matic, USAopoly. Publishing: OverTime Magazine, Posters, Calendars, Fine Arts and Photos, Fathead, LLC, John F. Turner & Co, Inc., Getty Images, Photo File, Inc., Trends International, Fantasy Football, AOL, EA Fantasy Football, ESPN.com, Fox Sports, Head2Head Sports, National Fantasy Football Championships (Krause), National Football League, Payday Sports, ProTrade, The Sporting News, CBS Sportsline, Stats, Inc. (DigiMedia, AFS, SportsBuff, SI.com). Apparel: College Concepts, LLC, Dallas Cowboys, Exclusive Pro Sports, GSI Commerce Solutions, Inc., Mitchell and Ness, Outerstuff, Reebok/On Field Apparel, Ripon Athletic, Stahls' Hotronix, VF Imagewear, Inc. Wireless: Airplay, EA Mobile, THQ Wireless, Events, NFL Players Gala Featuring the JB Awards, NFL Players Live! at the NFL Experience ,NFL Players Rookie Premiere, NFL Quarterback Challenge, Media Properties, Helmets Off (FSN), JB Awards (CBS), NFL Players Rookie Premiere (NFL Network) , PLAYERS INC Website (www.NFLPLAYERS.com), Quarterback Challenge (TBD), Wheel of Fortune/NFL Players Week (Syndicated), Community Awareness Programs, Native Vision, Pop Warner Little Scholars, Stay Cool in School, Special Olympics D.C., PLAYERS INC/NFL Sponsors, Bank of America (Formerly MBNA America), Burger King, Campbell Soup Company, Canon USA, Coors Brewing Company, Dairy Management, Inc., DirecTV, FedEx, Frito-Lay, General Motors, IBM, Snickers, News America, Motorola, Pepsi, Prilosec, Gatorade, Samsung, Sirius Satellite Radio (Satellite Radio Partner), Southwest Airlines, Sprint, State Farm, Tropicana, Visa.

I invite you to visit their home pages, research their product line, parent companies, subsidiaries, and all of the subsequent products so you can boycott them all.

There are things that don't show up on this list, you local stadium for one. Make no mistake there is a direct correlation between it and the NFL, no NFL no stadium. If the stadium is defunct a few hundred people are out of work and your city is stuck with a decaying leviathan. Who is going to pay for that? You do. Your response would be there are other professional sports events there. If you effectively boycott all of the supporters of the NFL you're effectively boycotting the supporters of every other professional sport so they won't be playing there either. Since you're boycotting all of the NFL supporters you won't be going to that venue for anything anyway. In fact you won't be patronizing any business ever associated with that venue because they, no matter how indirectly, support the NFL.

Poor Bob Kraft with his new and shiny Pratriot Place. For those of you who haven't been there or aren't from New England you will also be boycotting: Aeropostale, Baskin Robbins, Bath & Body Works, Bed Bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, Claire's, Crabtree & Evelyn, Dunkin Donuts, Eastern Mountain Sports, Five Guys Bugers, Fossil, Game Stop Tournament Store, G.H. Bass Co. Gillette (there name is on the stadium after all), GNC, Godiva, Hollister, Life Is Good, Off Boradway Shoes, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Puma, Red Robin, Showcase Cinema...Oh you can just go to the website and check it out for yourself. Don't forget you'll also be boycotting anyone who ever performed in any venue there and all of the movies that ever played there and all of the products that support them because they contributed cash to the venue that then paid it's rent to some subsidiary of Bob Kraft who owns the Patriots which is an NFL franchise.

Wouldn't it be better to funnel your energy and money into something with a better chance of success and with more impact on the actual issue, i.e. dog fighting and its participants? Volunteer at an animal shelter. Start a fund for rehabbing fighting dogs so they can be adopted. I wouldn't adopt one but that presents another opportunity for you, build a sanctuary for dogs no one will ever adopt or can't be retrained.

My point is you need to think through what you say you are going to do to change the world and decide if it is actually going to effect the change you are hoping to achieve.

If you feel dog fighting is a crime that should be perpetually punishable to the perpetrator as well as anyone who remotely comes in contact with him what other crimes do you feel need to be perpetually punishable? Is there any hope for prisoner reform? Are we simply wasting our time with a penile system? Maybe you should work to change the sentences currently on the books for those crimes you deem irreparable. Would you be happy about any company that employed Mr. Vick in any capacity or would you prefer he be dependent on your tax dollars for the rest of his life? Are you willing to ask every local business if they employ someone with a criminal record and if so boycott them and all of the products they sell or use as well.

Some would argue Vick will be poised to be a role model for young children and this infuriates them. How is it you're raising kids who think someone who fights dogs and has a job throwing a ball is a role model? If football is that important in your house you can't blame Michael Vick. Chances are you were watching before he came along and will still be watching long after he is gone. If your concern is for someone else's kids then you must not have enough to worry about.

And finally (I can hear the sigh of relief) Michael Vick has NOT actually been reinstated. He has been given clearance to practice with any team that may want to sign him six weeks into the season. At that time the commissioner will review the case again not only for Vick's sake but for the sake of the entire NFL franchise. I wonder if you're boycotting will have changed his mind by then.