Football, Dogfighting: Vick’s Return

On Sunday, Michael Vick returned to regular season play in the NFL. He saw some action in a game in which the Philadelphia Eagles really did not need him.

The atmosphere surrounding the story resembled that of the circus, which does not surprise. We are what we are. As an editorial in The New York Times reports, one vendor is marketing Vick jerseys for dogs; an animal rescue group is offering dog food donations for every sack of Vick. Send in the clowns.

The Times also notes that Vick had promised to be a cautionary role model regarding the evils of dogfighting. "A recent address to Philadelphia youngsters was heavier on bromides about leadership than his culpability for torturing animals," the editorial laments, albeit without apparent surprise -- an attitude we share.