Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
DANA POINT, Calif. — Michael Vick, in the final stages of serving a 23-month sentence for bankrolling a dogfighting ring, will apparently have to pass another standard before he is cleared to return to the NFL. He must show remorse.
That's the opinion of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pled guilty and who will eventually rule if Vick applies for reinstatement after his July 20 release date.
"I'm not going to make a judgment until I know all the facts on Michael Vick," Goodell said Wednesday, as the league wrapped up its annual meetings. "I think it's clear he's paid a price, but to a large extent he's going to have to demonstrate to the larger community — not just to the NFL community and to me — that he has remorse for what he did and that he recognizes mistakes that he made.
"Everyone makes mistakes, but he has to show that genuine remorse in his ability to be a positive influence to correct the things that he did wrong publicly."
Goodell did not specify how Vick must show remorse, and said he is unsure of how he will weigh various factors. On Wednesday, Vick was in transit from a Leavenworth, Kan., federal prison to an unknown facility closer to Newport News, Va., where he will testify in an April 2 bankruptcy hearing.
USA Today
DANA POINT, Calif. — Michael Vick, in the final stages of serving a 23-month sentence for bankrolling a dogfighting ring, will apparently have to pass another standard before he is cleared to return to the NFL. He must show remorse.
That's the opinion of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pled guilty and who will eventually rule if Vick applies for reinstatement after his July 20 release date.
"I'm not going to make a judgment until I know all the facts on Michael Vick," Goodell said Wednesday, as the league wrapped up its annual meetings. "I think it's clear he's paid a price, but to a large extent he's going to have to demonstrate to the larger community — not just to the NFL community and to me — that he has remorse for what he did and that he recognizes mistakes that he made.
"Everyone makes mistakes, but he has to show that genuine remorse in his ability to be a positive influence to correct the things that he did wrong publicly."
Goodell did not specify how Vick must show remorse, and said he is unsure of how he will weigh various factors. On Wednesday, Vick was in transit from a Leavenworth, Kan., federal prison to an unknown facility closer to Newport News, Va., where he will testify in an April 2 bankruptcy hearing.
USA Today
