"Mistake" isn't the right word for Vick

Sorry I'm a little late to the party, but with moving out of my apartment this week and the start of the preseason, things have been a bit crazy.

Late Thursday night, Michael Vick signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. He will now get a second chance to resurrect his career, his image, and most importantly, his life.

I think we were all in agreement that Vick deserved another chance. This is America - the land of redemption. He paid his debt to society, forfeiting 18 months of his life in prison, and losing millions of dollars in the process.

We should all be ready to move on, however now we seem to be back to square one. The Vick defenders are back out in full force, and they continue to defend what he did. They call the dog-fighting crime a "mistake" or a "lapse of judgement". I even heard it compared to abortion, which regardless of what you believe morally, is legal and is not a felony.

I want to clarify something: there is a difference between a mistake and a felony.

A "mistake" was when I got a drinking ticket freshman year in the dorms at IU.

A "felony" was when Michael Vick tortured, electrocuted, and killed dogs, invited his buddies over to gamble on it, all while bank-rolling the entire operation.

There's also a difference between forgiveness and a second chance. Vick has his second chance, but he's far from earning forgiveness. He has to do this by staying out of the police blotter, staying active in the community, and proving to himself and NFL fans that he's sincerely sorry.

Don't blow it this time Mike.