Ezra or Dog?

As challenging as Michael Vick may find it Sunday against the Eagle's arch rival, the New York Giants, that contest may be the easiest part of his week in light of his announcement that someday he'd like to have a dog.

Oh dear. The reception to Vick's announcement suggests it's going over about as well Mahmoud Ahmadinejad volunteering to be the spokesman for the Jewish National Fund. Thought that pop music reference, in the interests of inclusion (I'm sure), was a nice idea in theory. So Tori Amos sang 'get off that cross we need the wood,' who could have seen that coming?

I'm not gonna rant or rail-here's the deal: Michael Vick was arrested for cruelty to animals and related charges, found guilty, sentenced to incarceration and was released to resume his life. He has, as the cliche goes, paid his debt to society.

Except pretty obviously, and we have how many news cycles to go before game time, he hasn't. Many have neither forgiven, nor forgotten. Perhaps that's a good thing but perhaps there's a danger it can become too much of a good thing. The only way this could get hotter would be if Michael Vick ends up being a television spokesman for Beneful. Now that's a happy ending to set both tongues and tales wagging.

-bill kenny