Shock and Awe

First things first - what Michael Vick did was abhorrent. Dog fighting is vicious, cruel and panders to the worst in us. Killing the dogs that perform poorly is just unconscionable.

But there was no way that a history of dog fighting and a short prison term was going to keep Michael Vick out of the NFL.

There is a very short list of proven superstar quarterbacks in the league. Brady, Peyton Manning, Little Eli (depending who you ask), and probably Roethlisberger. A few young guns who may be on their way up - Cutler, Rivers, Flacco. Then there are the solid starters - Brees, Hasselbeck, Romo, and McNabb. What is that - not even a dozen guys? For 32 teams. In a league where Kurt Warner still has a starting job, you know there aren't enough quality QBs to go around.

And here's Vick. 29 years old. Former number 1 pick. Pro-bowler. He is, simply, way more talented than most of the quarterbacks out there. So someone was going to take the chance. Someone would be willing to say "he's paid his debt and seen the error of his ways."

It was only a matter of time.