Michael Vick: On the Wings of Eagles

Resurging. Rejuvenating. Restoring.  Those adjectives have surprisingly been used to redefine the career of Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick throughout the NFL’s 2010 campaign.

After his tumultuous fall from grace, as one of the premier athletes in the world, many considered Michael Vick as just another talented athlete who sadly squandered his God-given abilities and foolishly sabotaged his finances and brought on his own demise. But this story doesn’t end there. After humbly serving his time—both in the literal sense of his months of incarceration, and the figurative sense of serving as second and third string quarterback—Michael Vick has emerged renewed—heartily committed, heroic in the heat of the game, and a spokesman for the Humane Society. 

Regardless if you are offering cheers or jeers for Michael Vick, he has silently taught many spectators a lesson:  you can lose what you’ve worked for in the blink of an eye, but even so, that doesn’t have to be the end all. The principle of reciprocity notes that there are consequences for every action—whether good or bad. And while sometimes the world is less likely to offer forgiveness for acts of redemption, Vick has shown that sometimes you are granted a second chance in life. And in that, it is imperative to make the most of each moment you’re given and to “do the right thing” no matter how you are received.

Editorial