Barring the unforeseen, Michael Vick will have just turned 29 when he is released from prison in 2009 after receiving a 23-month sentence for financing and participating in a dog-fighting ring.
Two questions remain:
1) Will the NFL tack on an additional suspension to the prison term, and 2) will any team give Vick a shot at salvaging his career in football?
As tough as Roger Goodell has been on those who run afoul of the law, I find it hard to believe that he will force Vick to miss more than the two years Vick will have already been absent from the league. If the justice system is convinced that Vick’s paid his debt to society, then he should have an opportunity to seek employment in his chosen profession.
And I also believe an owner not named Arthur Blank — the owner of Vick’s former team the Atlanta Falcons — will give Vick a second-chance.
It will take some quality PR work on Vick’s part, but given his unique athletic abilities, there will be more than one team that offers him a contract.
•Saturday night at GM Place provided all of the evidence anyone would need to argue that the NHL has still not fixed its schedule completely. I have never seen so many people on their feet to watch a visiting team’s warm-up.
Evgeni Malkin providing a “Did you see that?” moment with his perfect backhand flip pass through traffic on Peter Sykora’s goal. And then the sudden realization that two of the world’s best were about to go one-on-one with the game on the line created butterflies in the stomachs of the nearly 19,000 on hand when Sidney Crosby was awarded a penalty shot in overtime supplied the icing on the cake.
If that doesn’t tell you why the Penguins and every other team should visit each rink every year, you’ll never get it.
•Even though they won the boys’ and girls’ finals respectively, the Kitsilano Blue Demons and Riverside Rapids weren’t the big winners at this year’s HSBC Basketball tournament. Well over $100,000 in scholarships were handed out to approximately 40 high schoolers at this year’s tourney thanks to the hard work of Howard Kelsey and his tireless committee for the annual event.
Mix equal parts college athlete, sports fan and broadcaster. Shake vigorously. Serve chilled Monday-Friday on the TEAM 1040 from 6-9 a.m. or online at thetoulbox.blogspot.com
