MORE ON MICHAEL VICK

I am just not buying it. I am a psychologist. I help people for a living .Just like Andy Reid, I want to believe that Michael Vick has learned his lesson. As I noted in prior blog, I am looking for him to integrate his sadness with his anger.
I don't care if Andy Reid or the other players think he is a nice guy. Players who beat their wives and do illegal drugs can be the nicest guy in the locker room. That is superficial . It's what you do in real life that matters, not what you do on the field or in a locker room. Anybody that can do to animals what he has done is a damaged person. The word nice doesn't even apply. Harmful, scary, unpredictable, and many others come first to mind.
So what do we see in Michael's quote the other day about the birthday party shooting? We see that Michael is scared about letting the people down who gave him a second chance. Is he sad because his words didn't match is actions? No. He is upset because he is scared that his bad choices may cost him $3.5 million and his job as a football player. He said: "I was scared about alot of things...gaining the confidence of the people who put me in this position.. scared for my career...my family...myself...my freedom. I know I didn't do anything wrong...I knew that it was a situation that should never have occurred....If I could reach back and do it all again, I would listen to my mom...We all think we know certain things, and want to do what we want to do, but you have to start listening to your mom at a certain point...."
Michael is admitting that he has no social conscience, that he does not know right from wrong. He had to listen to his mother to define it for him. Otherwise, he feels entitled to do whatever he feels like, including having fun with his friends at an animal's expense. What is he going to do next when his mother isn't around to be his voice of reason? Stay tuned as there will be a next time when there is nobody else around to be his conscience.
As for the Eagles, I guess the desire to win has greater value than holding athlete's accountable for their actions. Andy Reid seems so determined to give Michael another chance. I still wonder if he is dealing with Michael or his own sons when he makes that kind of decision. I guess zero tolerance gets defined by the NFL and the law who have judged him not guilty of a crime in the birthday party incident. I guess my definition is a little stricter. I want Michael Vick to demonstrate that he has a conscience that goes beyond protecting his right to do what he wants. Until that time, he continues to represent the poison that is ruining sports and dampening my enthusiasm for football and the Eagles.