Michael Vick's time in a federal prison finally came to a well-publicized end on Wednesday.
The former Falcon lightning rod has paid much of his debt to society and will attempt to start getting his life back in order with an eye on returning to the gridiron.
I hope he gets a chance.
As despicable and disgusting as his crimes were (and as a dog owner, the thought of dogfighting makes me sick), Vick has so far done what the justice system has asked of him. And, should he continue to fly straight, why shouldn't he get a chance to resurrect his life and career?
It's a chance that anyone else would receive.
Granted none of this my call. And if Vick can't impress NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that he is truly remorseful, he may be trying to create his comeback indoors or north of the border.
-- SOMETHING ELSE MAKING HEADLINES this week is talk of the Georgia vs. Florida game possibly leaving Jacksonville.
Let me first say that I am not against this move. I think it would be an interesting game to play in the Georgia Dome once every other year (rotating with the traditional site of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party). And you know that the Atlanta Sports Council would throw a party worthy of this contest.
That said, I wish all the talk would stop -- mostly for the sake of Georgia coaches, players and fans who want to see the Bulldogs develop any sort of consistency against the Gators.
Frankly, complaining about a game site when you're losing said game consistently smacks of desperation and almost comes off as whining. And the more Georgia coach Mark Richt calls the game a competitive disadvantage, the more you can feel the odds tipping against Georgia -- at least in the Dogs' collective psyche.
In fact it almost seems Georgia has been beaten in this contest before the game started on several occasions -- not that the Gators needed much help in many of the battles. In fact, since Steve Spurrier shifted the dominance in the series to all things Orange and Blue upon his arrival in 1990, the Bulldogs have won just three times (1997, 2004 and '07) in Jacksonville.
To be sure, the Gators were clearly the better team for much of the 1990s. But, since the New Millenium began, the Bulldogs have played close with Florida, only really getting blown out last season -- 14 points was the biggest Gator win since 2000 (prior to '08). And, on at least two of those occasions, the Bulldogs had the better team ('02 and '05).
So, why did Georgia come out on the losing end six of the last eight times this game has been played?
Don't tell me it's because the Bulldogs traveled further for a game than the Gators. Obviously, travel can play a role, but Georgia's road-warrior status under Richt has been well-documented; and the Dogs seem to react well to an us-against-the-world set up under Richt.
A big part of the difference is the Gators themselves. Florida is currently the top program in the SEC (two of Georgia's losses came to BCS championship teams -- '06 and '08) and therefore, arguably, the nation. And while Georgia is certainly a top 10-15 program every season, it seems that Florida is on another level for now.
Yet another factor seems to hold sway, and that's that Georgia, after Florida's long dominance in the series, doesn't always believe that it will win this game. Of course the Bulldogs know they can win, but knowing and believing are two distinct mindsets.
It appeared that Richt had shattered that feeling with Georgia's massive end zone celebration and resulting '07 victory. But last season's payback win by the Gators seemed to reset Florida's dominance. And with the players the Gators have returning in '09, few will predict the Bulldogs to show that '07 was more the norm.
I certainly understand coach Richt wanting to do something to change the recent trend of this rivalry -- after all it his job to do the best for Bulldog football. But changing the site of the game seems like the least likely way for the Bulldogs to regain a foothold against the Gators -- even if it might present a fun alternative for fans.
*** "Leeding Off" appears once a week on Access North Georgia and is an opinion piece from sports editor Morgan Lee. Aside from featuring my opinion on local, regional and national sports, Iâ
Monday
October 28th, 2024
4:18AM
