The 2010 NFL season, according to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, is shaping up to be the “Season of Redemption.” Michael Vick, star of the redemption chronicles, lit up the field with his miracle performance against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. Vick’s storied rise, fall, and rise again is one of the many stories of NFL players this season who’ve had brushes with the law and have managed to crawl out from their mistakes in order to hear the cheers of fans on any given Sunday. So why is it that sports, rather than the pew, make for a better “redemption” story?
I don’t think there was any way for Vick to redeem himself other than on the field. Dog fighting and abusing animals to many people in America is a crime almost on par with murdering a child. (and for PETA, probably is.) Vick’s vilification didn’t end after he had served his time, he had more heaped upon him when he became a Philadelphia Eagle. Many fans were upset with the organization for hiring him. If there was any place that Vick could end up, it’s Philly. Philadelphian’s are rough and tough, but also appreciate hard work.
Vick has proven his repentance by adapting a low-key demeanor, even after Monday’s stunning performance on the field. Somehow, his athleticism served as a sort of an ascetic punishment for all the wrong he committed to pit bulls. Giving up his body to the pain, by running, passing, and strategizing his way into the record books, (bruised ribs and all), his penance is made pure in the eyes of the public because of the resulting touchdowns. That is, if one believes in penance. Judging from some of the commentary, prison isn’t even enough to garner forgiveness.
Had the Eagles not taken a chance in signing Vick, I don’t think he would have received absolution in a church. Perhaps this is sacrilege, but the football field, basketball court, and golf course, make for better spaces for repentance than any altar. After all, in some Christian traditions like Pentecostalism, sinners are expected to come to the altar and give a testimony of their sins. Sometimes people get the chance to testify about how God may have changed their life, but for an athlete, this can be especially difficult. God(s) may not like arrogant athletes, or starts, but mere humans often want more humiliation than any God(s) will ever require.
What I do wish, however, is that Vick could get the accolades for being smarter than the press and announcers make him out to be. A year and a half in Leavenworth after moving from prison to prison gives a man time to think about what he’s done, and what he can do to make himself better when he is released. I do fear that somehow Vick’s story will be used to justify the prison industrial complex by saying, well look how Vick redeemed himself! Every other prisoner should be this way!
The American public likes penitents, but they also like a good redemption story. Vick, humbled by all of the accolades Monday night, tweeted first thing Tuesday morning “God Can Turn Mistakes Into Miracles ……….. Good Morning Twitter Family!” Michael Vick’s performance on Monday night football after a pre-game altercation between Redskins and Eagles players, prompted by the Redskins, is proof that bravado is not the only element in being a winner. Neither is a $78 Million salary (sorry Donovan). Sometimes, it’s doing the wrong thing, paying the price, and letting your life afterwards make it right. Besides, if the dogs Vick abused can be rehabbed, why can’t a repentant Michael Vick receive the same consideration?
