I don’t respect what Michael Vick did in terms of the treatment of animals. If you love dogs, any animals or have any compassion for life, it’s tough to feel much more than disgust for the guy. And, quite honestly, the guy has never been my favorite QB. Sometimes brilliant and other times simply unpredictable and quirky, Vick could lose a game as quickly as he could win one.

He could run and he could throw (to a degree). But Vick has been one of those NFL quarterbacks who has been more RB than QB. What that trait often leads to in the pros is the making of mistakes in key situations. Vick never could find the consistency of a Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb or Tom Brady.

Vick had to be the playmaker often one, two or three times too often in a game. A great QB in the NFL is not only a superb athlete (Vick was definitely that) but a smart player (and too often he was not that).

The news is that the Feds have the goods on Michael Vick and that he’s agreed to plead. This, I admire. Why? We live in a world where the athlete—the star—refuses to accept responsibility for what he’s done.

Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Rafael Palmero and many others have refused to accept that they are guilty of some sort of infraction. They simply deny what they have done, lie or act like what they did was no big deal.

In MLB, Jason Giambi has basically admitted to wrongdoing regarding steroids, while the new “get tough� NFL policy has all but forced athletes to admit that they have done wrong. Remember that just a year or so ago, MLB offered a very soft punishment regime for those using steroids? They were forced by popular opinion and the U.S. Congress to set higher standards.

Vick’s career is probably over, which to me is just very sad. In a strange way, he’s being a positive role model for young athletes. Admitting to a crime he did commit and being genuinely repentant is human and reveals that someone like Vick recognizes his shortcomings and may be willing to try to do better.

When Vick pleads guilty, he’ll at least be acting like a man by taking responsibility for his actions. Which is more than many of us are willing to do.

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