“The Ed Block Courage Award is a yearly honor given to those NFL players who “exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.””

Each of the 32 NFL teams gets to select a recipient.

The Philadelphia Eagles chose Michael Vick who joined the team in August as their recipient.  Vick had spent the last 18 months in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring on his property.  

Vick’s award received mixed review both in the sports world and was soundly rejected by the animal rights world.  Many in the sports world simply feel that Vick was awarded too soon.  He needs more time.

 

Vick was quoted in thespec.com:

It means a great deal to me,” Vick said Wednesday. “I was voted unanimously by my teammates. They know what I’ve been through. I’ve been through a lot. It’s been great to come back and have an opportunity to play and be with a great group of guys. I’m just ecstatic about that and I enjoy every day.”
A three-time Pro Bowl pick in six seasons with Atlanta, Vick has played sparingly with the Eagles. He has two touchdowns rushing and one passing in 12 games.

Vick’s peers have acknowledged his courage and his journey back to the NFL. PETA, the animal rights group doesn’t quite have the same warm fuzzy feeling about Vick receiving this award as the Philadelphia Eagles. They issued a statement reprimanding the Eagles:

“The Philadelphia Eagles fumbled when they gave Michael Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, which was named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children,” the PETA statement read. “Michael Vick should not be the person anyone points to as a model of sportsmanship, even though he has now exchanged dogs for touchdowns after serving time for extreme cruelty to animals. We wish him well in educating others, but this is not appropriate and does not mark a joyous moment in NFL history.”

Has the dude served his time? Has he shown remorse? Can leopards or NFL players change their spots?

Can the Eagles select their own recipient of the Ed Block Award without slack jaw from PETA?  They already took some from PETA for signing Vick.  When has a person served their time?  Vick has done countless hours of community service working with the Humane Society, and speaking to schools and community groups about his involvement in dogfighting and publicly admitting his wrong-doing.

Does Vick need more time before he is allowed back into the fold?  Vick is a gifted and talented athlete who wasn’t content with all he had.  The endorsements, NFL salary, and the accolades weren’t enough.  He had to have more.  And his life came crashing down upon him.  Has he had enough time to rehabilitate?  Is it time for second chances?

42 Thoughts to “PETA Castigates Eagles Over Vick”

  1. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Look at it this way. If PETA doesn’t like it, they can boycott the Eagles, heck even the whole NFL. I can’t imagine the total damage being more than $15. The “Peta” world and the “NFL” world don’t seem to mix too well in my mind. I could be wrong!

  2. Formerly Anonymous

    I was a little worried that after Vick was injured in the game against San Francisco that the Eagles were going to hang him or drown him, as Vick personally did to the dogs that got injured in his fights.

    (Sorry to bring up such horrible imagery on Christmas Eve, but thuggish barbarity and Michael Vick go hand-and-hand.)

    Yes, Vick has done his time and he is a free man, but that doesn’t mean he should have gotten another chance in the NFL and he certainly shouldn’t be honored for anything. I very, very rarely agree with PETA on anything, but hounding (no pun intended) Michael Vick is entirely appropriate since Vick is pretty much the poster-boy for unEthical Treatment of Animals.

  3. Emma

    I have absolutely no regard for any organization that would deny insulin to diabetics, that repeatedly has shown a greater regard for animal life than sacred (and often suffering) human life. What Michael Vick did was disgusting and unconscionable, but I don’t really give a rip what PETA thinks about it, nor should the NFL.

  4. El Guapo

    I’m in favor of letting a human being get on with his or her life after they serve their time. If Vick earned respect or whatever in 2009, then it shouldn’t be denied him because of something he did in 2005.

    But that’s just me.

    But I couldn’t care less about some trivial sports courage award.

  5. Opinion

    You may judge a person by their nature. How they treat animals is one of the best tests. Vick showed us his true nature towards other living things. Doing his time won’t change that.

    People like Vick make me wish I believed in Hell so I could imagine him in it.

  6. Wow! Quite a lot of opinion here.

    Emma, want to explain the insulin thing? I know that insulin diabetes connection was made because of lab work…ok…experiments on dogs, but other than that, I simply don’t know anything about PETA involvement.

    I probably also need to know why life is sacred while we are at it.

    I don’t like some of the terrorist tactics PETA has taken. That is a group whose basic principles I agree with but their exectution and implementation of those primciples goes way too far for me to have any respect for them.

  7. Lafayette

    Vick is sick indivual and a thug to boot. Vick is just one of the many thugs getting paid big bucks to play a game. I’m in favor of second chances, but Vick as for a courage award. HA!
    He’s a coward in my book for the things he did to those dogs.

    Opinion, the hounds of hell are calling for Vick. 🙂

  8. Formerly, you were just full of yourself with the puns today! Good ones!!

  9. Lafayette

    Will Santa be visiting Vick? Track Santa, compliments of NORAD.
    http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

  10. Opinion

    PETA’s real agenda is animal rights. They are against, for example, the consumption of animal flesh in any form and pet ownership. I sympathize with the ethical treatment of animals; however, one has to keep their end game in mind.

    They might be right. I’m not really that sure we are any more important than any other living thing on this planet. On the other hand, as carnivores we are simply fulfilling our evolutionary destiny to eat other living things in whatever form they may be. For an interesting “look back” at our origins, suggest you pick up the current copy of National Geographic and read about the Hadza. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/hadza/finkel-text We were them not that long ago… and we really haven’t evolved that much.

  11. Emma

    Moon, insulin derived from pigs (porcine) is very close to human-produced insulin, and PETA does not believe in animal research or in deriving cures from animals, not to mention eating them. More than half a million people in the U.S. are insulin dependent. That’s a lot of dead human bodies, if PETA had their way.

  12. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like a good steak or a good burger once in a while.

    Against pet ownership? Who is to take care of the dogs and cats of the world? Feral cats are not cute little kitties. They can take your face off or make hamburger out of an arm.

    Wild dog packs? Not a pretty picture. Take your kids inside.

  13. I wasn’t sure of the exact connection. Thanks Emma.

    I would like to avoid animal research where possible. It isn’t always possible. And then there is a mental heirarch of animals in my mind. I would treat a dog differently than a pig. I suppose I am a bad person for such differentiation.

    I have already given my opinion on steak.

  14. Emma

    Prime rib for Christmas dinner…..Merry Christmas, PETA!

  15. Formerly Anonymous

    And just to clarify, I am not a supporter of PETA at all. It just happens that this one time PETA is right.

    BTW, did you know that PETA runs one of the largest ‘kill’ animal shelters in Virginia? Only about 1/6th of the animals ‘rescued’ by PETA survives.

  16. Formerly, please elaborate. Why do they have a ‘kill’ sheleter?

    Emma, matching dinners here.

    And so I don’t seem insensitive, I don’t eat game. Just my own personal choice. I dont care that others do or don’t though.

    As for Mr. Vick, I suppose the Eagles can award anyone they want. It’s their award. However, I don’t care how many years Michael Vicks spends in jail or doing penance, I still think he is a rat bastard.

    Of course, the Howler dogs are the most important people in the house–even the young stupid one with brown-green eyes.

  17. Formerly Anonymous

    Here’s a quick summary from the San Francisco Gate. It doesn’t go into much detail about each incident, but there are a lot more incidents than an organization like PETA should be involved in.

    Bottom Line: If you ever have to put a pet in a shelter, make sure it goes to an SPA or Humane Society shelter and not PETA!

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/23/EDG11DC9BK1.DTL

  18. Opinion

    @Emma
    Emma, Prime Rib is our Christmas tradition… we do ours on the Weber grill.

  19. Glad Giant has them on sale. Now I want to cook mine today.

    I have a country Edwards ham to go with mine and a city ham for the sissies.

  20. Twinad

    What’s the difference between a country Edwards ham and a city ham?! I have never made a ham in my life and only eat it at my Mom’s once in a blue moon. I’m clueless.

    I’m usually a frozen turkey person, but the only frozen turkeys at Giant on Sunday were 20+ pounders! And I only have to feed 6 people and we leave town tomorrow so I certainly didn’t need 17 pounds of leftover turkey. So I went to Giant today to get a Perdue roaster chicken and there weren’t any! Only fresh ‘Lil Butterballs…so I’m trying out a fresh turkey today! Just went in the oven. I must say, I did feel sort of weird purchasing a 9 pound turkey…like I’m some kind of baby turkey killer/eater.

  21. Elena

    Opinion : I agree Opinon! You may judge a person by their nature. How they treat animals is one of the best tests. Vick showed us his true nature towards other living things. Doing his time won’t change that.
    People like Vick make me wish I believed in Hell so I could imagine him in it.

    Research has clearly demonstrated that people who are cruel to animals show a stronger tendency to be violent towards humans. PETA, to my knowledge, has never suggested that people die so that animals may live. What they espouse is that there is a better way to create solutions than to use animals in often meaningless experiments. And IF you are going to use animals, you better damn well sure treat them humanely.

    Emma,
    Have you ever watched a dog skinned ALIVE so that stuck up greedy women can wear fur? Have you ever seen a cat with electrodes in its brain, suffering, to see if some well known medicine can cause stroke even though they have already shown its efficacy? Or monekys, suffering in pain, because they have endured purposeful head trauma and undergo surgery with no anesthesia and research protocol so poorly designed that all results from their research will be found invalid.

    How about the generation of babies born with out limbs because an anti nausea medication was found to do no harm in rats. last time I looked, human beings were quite different from rats!

    I may not agree with everyting PETA does, and I am not a vegetarian, but the work they do is incredibly important if you believe that human beings have a responsibilty towards all of G-d’s creatures.

  22. snicker…re baby turkey killer. I didn’t know turkeys were less than 12 pounders.

    country ham and city ham…depends on where you live. If you are in Virgina, and not at a grocery store, (where labels are misleading) a country ham is salt cured. The longer the cure, the saltier it is. I prefer the not so salty. They are also called ‘Smithfield hams’ which is sort of like saying Kleenex or Xerox. The brand takes over. Actually Smithfield ham then goes off into the Luter, the red eye, the Gwaltney, etc.

    I order them pre cooked. They are a real pain in the ass to cook yourself and now my mother is dead, I forget strategic steps and I can’t call her and ask. Although, knowing my mother there is probably a ham hot line right up to the pearly gates.

    City ham is pink ham. It can be smoked, sugar cured, boiled, etc. Most people who don’t eat country ham ie salt cured ‘Smithfield’ type ham are eating city ham. Country ham is usually reddish rather than pink.

    This link should help. There is also a picture.

    http://www.fabulousfoods.com/index.php?option=com_resource&controller=article&article=19964&category_id=224&Itemid=

    I got a half one of these. Had I known of that sale I would have gotten a whole one and given half to family.

    https://virginiatraditions.com/Boneless-Virginia-Ham.aspx
    there is also a video showing how to cut it. I got boneless. Easier.

  23. Twinad

    Thanks for the ham lesson MH! I think I’ve had both kinds then. I had a piece of a Honey Baked Ham last week in the office. That was pretty good! It was pink, so it must be a “city” ham. Have a great holiday weekend! I’m looking forward to a few naps.

  24. Honey baked is city ham. Yup. My mother knew far more than I do. I take the easy way out. A boneless precooked ham. I have cooked them and it is worth whatever extra you pay to just buy it cooked.

    You have a good holiday also, twinad.

  25. I am somewhere between Elena and Emma on the animal issue. I dislike PETA intensely. I cant think of anything they have done that other groups haven’t done without resorting to terrorism. To me, shooting someone’s coat full of dye is terrorism. I know someone who got it who was wearing faux fur. Her coat was ruined.

    There are some cases where animals are invaluable in research. If it comes down to pigs or people, I am going to vote for people each and every time. However, we can be humane when we have to use animals for research, or should I say as humane as possible.

    When I stop eating all meat and wearing leather shoes and carrying leather purses then I might get more militant. Until then….sigh…

    Speaking of, who is the group that has the abused dogs on the air all the time? There are 2 different groups. One plays Sarah McLaughlin and the other one plays something just as tear-jerky. I would never give them a penny. They are on all the time and I have to continually change the channel. It doesn’t make me reach for my wallet. It makes me hate the organization.

  26. I look at how people treat animals and the wait staff. Those are real tell-tale character checkpoints.

    Supposedly most serial killers, especially those with even quirkier habits, like Jeffrey Dahmer, got their start abusing animals and family pets in horrific ways. Good enough for me.

  27. Elena

    I believe I am the middle M-H 🙂

    Like I said, I don’t believe everything PETA does, but they have been invaluable in bringing out many atrocities committed against animals and deserve credit for that.

  28. Opinion

    @Elena
    I’m with Elena on this one. PETA is “over the top” on its end goals; however, I certainly sympathies with anything that improves the treatment of… well… any other living thing. I extend this thinking to the treatment of people since our pets get better health care and have better diets than most of the people in the rest of the world. Their strategy is to slowly raise awareness about animal treatment changing our view of how we treat “other” animals and eventually give animals rights. Since that’s inconsistent with evolution (have you seen a wolf attach a sheep? We also are carnivores… albeit evolved carnivores; ergo, I do enjoy an occasional steak), I don’t really support them as an organization. I’m more of an ASPCA type of person.

    M-h, I agree with the waitstaff observation. I often took potential employees and subcontractors to lunch just to observe just that as part of my hiring/partnering decision. It’s a chance to observe their true nature.

  29. I am more of an ASPCA person also. PETA just lost me over the terrorism. I also don’t like being grossed out. Tell me. I have an imagination. I don’t watch their videos.

    The inking of suspected fur wearers is when I closed my check book and went to ASPCA. Actually local shelters need help also. I prefer to give to non-kill shelters though.

    As a carnivore, it is hard for me to put much stock in what PETA says because …well…I don’t believe in what they believe in.

    I feel certain they do some good. But so do other organizations along the same lines.

  30. Elena and I debate PETA periodically. We still like each other when we are finished. 😉

  31. Elena

    I am a member of PETA, HSUS, SPCA, and Humane Factory Farming. They all serve an invaluable role in educating the public on various issues that have to do with animal treatment. PETA, I believe, is the sole reason why so many famous designers no longer use real fur in their lines. I have always been, since I was a small child, disgusted with the idea of killing an animal just so you could “think” you looked good. I don’t agree with throwing red dye on people, but I have to admit, I give dirty looks to people when I see then in fur.

    I was standing in a line, waiting to get into a bar in Georgetown (many years ago I have to admit), and some girl, bleached blonde hair, strutting her stuff, cutting in line, wearing a full length fur coat ( must have been at least 70 degrees), acting like she was the royal queen. I just could not keep my mouth shut, and told her that a thing or two about the number of animals that were murdered so she could walk around in warm spring weather, fake hair, fake boobs, fake personality, all in the hopes of pretending to be better than the people around her because, really on the inside, she was totally miserable. Umm, yes, my girlfriend dragged me away as she thought this girl was gonna try to pummel me.

  32. Diversity Gal

    Humans are omnivorous and always have been, right? Way back in the day…I’m talking WAY back, it just depended on where you lived and what food sources were available. Some groups of humans focused on hunting and some on gathering…some both.

    In any case, I’m kind of with Elena on this point. I find some of PETA’s die-hards mega-annoying, but I also think they have some great points. Plus, there is a lot of diversity of thought in their ranks, even if it doesn’t appear so.

  33. How does one know when one is wearing real fur vs fake fur? Much of the faux fur worn today is indistinguishable from the real McCoy. The person I know who got inked was wearing faux fur.

    Other than sensibilities, what is the difference in killing something to wear its coat and killing something to eat it?

    I have a coat with a fur collar. I have had it many years. I am not going to throw it away, nor would I buy anything fur nowadays. It was a gift.

    I also have a leather coat. Cow vs raccoon? My shoes are leather and for Christmas dinner I will be eating pig and cow.

    The lines of distinction are becoming blurred here.

    I think each of us has to do what we feel is right. I don’t eat veal or game. I don’t care if the rest of you all eat veal or game though.

    I don’t wear fur. I do own a coat with fur on it. If someone wants to wear mink, that is up to them. As long as the fur is legally obtained and not from an animal that is an endangered species, then while I might not do it, I am not going to go all right to life over it.

    The ink/dye squirters are terrorists in my opinion. They use violence to express their political opinion and to sway others. Torching an SUV, shooting an abortion provider are only more extreme degrees of the same mentality.

  34. Elena

    M-H,
    Please, to http://www.peta.org/ and click on the video with Eve Mendez, you will see why the fur industry, in particular is exceptionally heinous. Also, I agree that many people wear leather. It is very difficult to buy shoes that are not leather. But it is not a status symbol to wear leather, it is a status symbol, in some people’s minds, in wearing fur coats.

  35. In America I would agree. In places in Asia and Europe wearing fur is far more practical and probably a necessity.

    You know I won’t look at gross out pics, and that includes slaughter houses. That’s why I don’t eat veal. For the record, I dropped Green Peace also when they turned terrorist.

    What is the distinction between leather and fur though? Dead is dead. Intent doesn’t make any of it less heinous.

    Ok, I just looked and it ruined my day. I don’t like looking at crap like that. And I don’t see that the fur is a bit worse than the slaughter house film. I simply can’t make the distinction. Why do you look at stuff like that? It is very disturbing. Now I have to eat prime rib and ham. I also know that all slaughter isn’t barbaric.

  36. Elena

    I think when you kill an animal, ONLY for its fur, that is simply a sin in my mind. Like I said, I am not a vegetarian, but I do make a concerted effort to buy my meat free range and my beef from local farmers who raise their cows humanely until the very end when they are slaughtered humanely. I am a carnivore and I guess what I am suggesting is that there should be a line somewhere, and I believe, 100%, that line should end at wearing fur just to look good. Eskimos wear fur, for WARMTH, but also utilize the entire animal. Ever had dog steak, cat soup, fox soup, mink steak, etc etc? Even in places like Korea, where they eat dog, it is suppose to be illegal and there is a very substantial campaign to end that practice. It is impossible to live a life free of hyprocrisy, but we can at least make an attempt to draw some lines in the sand, and that is where skinning animals alive, to feed an industry only meant for stupid fashion, as in the film you watched, is simply barbaric in my opinion. Most people who wear fur, if it is not a cultural survival necessity, wear it for class distinction. THAT is what I am opposed to.

  37. Elena

    I know that film is disturbing, I have never been able to get certain scenes out of my mind. The first time I saw it I cried at the inhumanity of people. At least kill the animal quickly, a slow torturous death is just beyond my capability of comprehending.

  38. Skinning animals alive should NEVER be done for any reason. There is NOT reason that justifies it.

    Lewis and Clark ate dog.

    I am still stuck on the leather vs fur conundrum. I honestly don’t believe there should be a difference. In my mind, there is, but I could never verbalize it. I think it might be because I can afford leather and not fancy furs. I can justify my purses and shoes by saying well, I eat beef (pork, lamb etc) but I don’t eat mink. Somehow I am not sure that all leather is obtained from beef cattle. But that is how I justify leather. I would probably have a leather sofa also. But I am a hypocrit on this issue. I admit it freely.

    I can’t watch things like that. But you have to remember that I cry in Bambi. I can watch 10’s of thousand of people killed in cold blood before I can watch Bambi or read Black Beauty.

    I don’t think about steak or hamburger or roast beef as being a former animal.

  39. Opinion

    @Moon-howler
    Regarding the leather vs fur conundrum, I’m from Iowa. On the farm, we attempt to use every part of an animal. I have no problem using leather or fur form an animal slaughtered for food. I think it does the animal a bit of honor to use every thing we can. On the other hand, I really object to harvesting animals just for their fur while throwing away the rest. That strikes me as human vanity at its worse. That’s why While I may disagree with PITA’s tactics and end game, I do have a bit of sympathy for their cause.

  40. It bothers me too. In fact, I get sick about people in the late 19th century using buffalo for target practice, until the herds were decimated.

    I am just not convinced. I think that many a cow is slaughtered for leather only.

    Truthfully, I try not to think of that end of the food processing chain. I have not ever spent any time around slaughtering like some people have.. I don’t mean commercial slaughter, but ‘home’ slaughter.

    Funny, we are all pretty much ending up at the same place. I have some sympathy for some of their cause. I certainly am not against pet ownership though. And I do eat meat.

  41. Emma

    I can’t imagine any reasonable person would support vivisection, as Elena suggests, just because they do not support PETA. But PETA has gone from advocating against animal cruelty to acts of extremism that border on terrorism. It surprises me that SPLC doesn’t have them on a watch list. Hmmm.

  42. Formerly Anonymous

    The part that I always find funny about the PETA types that throw red paint on fur coats, is that they apparently are unfamiliar with the concept of insurance. Odds are if a woman is wearing a milk coat, it is insured. If you ruin it by throwing paint on it, she will file a claim, and buy a new coat, resulting in more minks being killed.

    It’s like the ban on the sale of ivory has led to the death of the legitimate ivory market (antiques and ivory from elephants that died of other causes) but the black market/poaching market thrives.

    On an unrelated note, I’m probably going back to lurker mode for a while. I’ll probably comment occasionally, but it will be less frequent. Don’t worry though, I’ll be back before the November elections. I’ve got a reputation as a GOP Operative to maintain!

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