That's the question many Philadelphia Eagles fans -- and indeed fans all around the league -- must be asking themselves now. No doubt the Eagles signing of Michael Vick came as a huge shock, and it certainly sparked the anger of many fans and animal rights activists, including some in York County.
But Vick is trying to show the public he is, indeed, a different person. He has partnered with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to try and educate inner-city youths about the evils of dogfighting and animal torture.
While reporting for our local reaction story on Vick on Friday, I stumbled onto an interview with HSUS' Chief Operating Officer, Michael Markarian, who offered an interesting take on Vick's efforts with the HSUS, and just how much he could mean to the effort to stop dogfighting.
Markarian said Vick has already participated in two HSUS sponsored events: One in Chicago this week, one last week in Atlanta.
"It seemed to have a big impact," Markarian said of Vick's appearances. "We talked to kids afterward who said they've seen dogfights in their own neighborhoods. We think that Michael Vick's participation could really turn this problem around."
Of course there's a big "if" to all this. That's if Vick sticks with the program, and if all the remorse he's shown isn't just a ploy to win back his spot in the NFL.
"It's hard to know what's in a man's heart, but it seems to us like he's very sincere," Markarian said. "He knows what he did is terrible and he wants to make amends. He said to the group in Chicago if I can reach 50 kids or 100 kids, maybe I can save more dogs than I hurt.
"We were skeptical frankly. No one was tougher on Michael Vick than we were. But we also want people to be able to change and be better. We want to give people the opportunity."
Markarian understood that there will be some who never forgive Vick for his sins, but said he hopes to "channel that anger into something that's productive and stops animal cruelty."
"We believe that nothing can be changed by continuous punitive treatment. But a lot can be gained if Michael Vick becomes an ambassador and something against dogfighting. We think that can change a lot of lives. Lives of dogs and lives of young men.
"It's up to Michael to show that he's serious. Serious about the work and serious about sticking it out."
First off, I want to say that I agree with many that what Michael Vick did was cruel and is not something that should be commended. I will, however, say that I think that Michael Vick is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to punishment and negative comments from people and NFL fans. Other athletes in the NFL have been charged with far worse crimes than what Michael Vick was charged with, such as murder. Granted, Vick murdered dogs, but other players murdered human beings. By no means am I a person that hates dogs because I have two of my own and love dogs. I am just saying that murdering a person is far worse than murdering a dog. Vick is an outstanding athlete and should be given another chance by everyone. He has made great contributions to the NFL, and I am sure that he will make many more contributions to come.
Vick has changed. It's the media that hasn't and all those unwillingly to forgive who haven't as well.