Today officially marks quarterback Michael Vick’s coming out party. After spending almost two years in jail and completing what was once an indefinite NFL suspension, Vick will debut tonight in his first game, since December 2006, for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The drama that has and continues to surround Vick, particularly because of PETA supporters, seems absurd, if not, superfluous. This claim does not mean I hate or abuse dogs. Nor does it contest the egregiousness of Vick’s involvement in dog fighting.

(The fact that I even have to disclose that I am not opposed to dogs and think that what Vick did is wrong actually only legitimates that which I’m contesting).

That said, the fact that Vick served a longer prison term and NFL suspension than say Leonard Little or Donte’ Stallworth is baffling and arguably galling. When did animal rights usurp the privileged position of human rights in both a legal and NFL context?

This becomes especially striking given the post-enlightenment western society in which we live that is conspicuously preoccupied with the individual, or at least a certain individual.

In 1999, Little, a defensive end for the St. Louis Rams, was suspended eight games and sentenced to 90 nights in jail, 1,000 hours of community service, and four years of probation. Because my specialty is not law, I’ll return to the former. Little was suspended before the Roger Goodell “fascist”-esque era of suspensions and fines began in 2006 so maybe he doesn’t work as an example.

But Stallworth does.

After pleading guilty to a DUI manslaughter charge earlier this year, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver will be reinstated following Super Bowl XLIV in February 2010.

And, the former New York Giants wide out Plaxico Burress has already been told he will be immediately reinstated following his prison stint for [stupidly] shooting himself in the leg while out at a New York nightclub.

This all becomes important because, despite Vick playing in tonight’s preseason game, according to Goodell, he can be suspended through Week 6 of the regular season.
Really?

Obviously, Vick, now being able to say he’s been to jail and become beyond broke after indulging in the highest-paid NFL player lifestyle isn’t enough of a punishment.

Goodell is concerned with maintaining a certain image and upholding specific values like integrity ("being in the NFL is a privilege"). I get it and I actually respect that, but it can only work if he’s consistent with his punishments (think Hammurabi’s code).

For example, it doesn’t make sense that the punishment for Spygate (Belichick really was channeling Nixon) included fines of $500,000 (yes, the largest fine imposed against a head coach) and $250,000 to be paid respectively by Belichick and Kraft. Oh, and they gave up a first-round draft pick.

Within a football context, I’d argue stealing playbooks from the visitors’ locker room and using video equipment to steal your opponent’s signs/calls/audibles should be much more intolerable.

I think the reason football is so attractive is because, despite the odds, wins and losses are actually hard to predict so any team [even if it’s the Oakland Raiders or the Detroit Lions,] has the possibility of pulling an upset. So to introduce cheating eliminates what we crave most: the anticipation, the unpredictability, the competition.

This all started as an article on the different (and unfair) ways players and coaches are treated by the NFL vis-à-vis the conduct policy. But aside from Spygate, the Andy Reid’s house is “a drug emporium” drama, Wade Wilson’s use of performance-enhancing drugs, and, now, Tom Cable’s purported jaw-damaging, chair-throwing act, there aren’t any other examples of coaches pulling antics requiring NFL retribution under Goodell.

And, diva acts like coach Bobby Petrino ditching the Atlanta Falcons after barely 24 hours of another blowout loss for the college football job in Arkansas meant Arthur Blank had no coach after 13 games into the season. Raiders fans are probably aware of the Lane Kiffin and Al Davis’ back-and-forth, but maybe that does not count, but of course let me know if I’m wrong.

However, despite the nominal amount of coaching “misconduct,” the punishment for their “crime,” is not tantamount to that of the players. Reid never was held accountable for having drugs in his home, but defensive end Shaun Ellis can’t play in the New York Jets season opener and has to pay $100,000 for having less than 50 grams of marijuana in his car. And, while Goodell is threatening Cincinnati’s receiver Chad Ocho Cinco for his potential Twittering during Bengals games, Belichick never was suspended and the Raiders are supposedly under investigation for the Cable throwdown. Child please!