A Tale of Two Michaels: If Vick Were a Wife Beater, Would We Still Love Him?

The masses stand in line ready and willing to beat up on Michael Vick (the Chicks included) for his admitted role in a dogfighting ring. He's been labeled everything from a monster to a pig, lost a giant endorsement deal with Nike, and faces an uncertain future in the NFL. But if Vick had beaten his girlfriend instead of forcing dogs to beat up on each other, there's a good chance he'd be getting ready for his closeup in Nike's next ad campaign and taking the field in the Falcons Monday night matchup against the Bengals.

Which leads us to this question: When an athlete beats his wife, why is the public so willing to turn the other cheek?

Before Vick entered his guilty plea on conspiracy charges in the dogfighting case, animal rights groups had already started reaching for their billy clubs and torches to hunt down this "evil presence" in the NFL and stop him in his tracks. And it wasn't hard for them to pick up support along the way. The public, clutching their Labradoodles tight, demanded immediate action against the fallen star long before he could have his day in court.

But where was this dramatic outcry for justice in 2003 when Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman was arrested for deliberately ramming his Hummer into a Mercedes-Benz driven by his wife and carrying his 2-year-old son. It was his third domestic violence related arrest and it earned him a 3 game suspension. According to the St. Petersberg Times, Pittman's wife told investigators she was subjected to 30 to 40 incidents of domestic violence that were not reported. Meanwhile, Pittman not only continues to play for the Bucs but is highly regarded as one of the most versatile and respected backs in the league. Translation: "Beating...what beating?"

What about former Indianapolis Colts Defensive back Mustafah "Don't Call Me Steve" Muhammad, who was convicted in 2000 of beating his pregnant wife with his stepson standing by? Apparently that's only enough to earn you a 2 game suspension in the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs star Larry Johnson has been arrested twice on domestic violence charges. Once for allegedly brandishing a gun during an argument with an ex-girlfriend and a second time on charges he grabbed his girlfriend by the shoulders and shoved her to the floor. Punishment: No suspension and 120 hours in community service. Oh, and he'll also be featured in a new line of commercials for Campbell's Chunky Soup starting this fall. So much for "Hard Knocks"...

While no one will deny the repulsive nature of Michael Vick's crimes, you can't help but wonder if the NFL, and its fans for that matter, would sleep a little easier knowing the Falcons phenom had used his wife as a punching bag instead of two precious pooches. Has the health and well being of man's best friend somehow taken precedent over man's girlfriend? History seems to dictate so.

When recently asked if I could accept Michael Vick ever playing in the league again, I looked at my black and white Border-Lab mix, a Katrina rescue, and sighed "Maybe, I don't know." (I tried to ignore the "Et tu Brute?" look in my mutt's big brown eyes.) And while I'm still unsure, what I know for certain is that I am among the millions of NFL fans who have done nothing to call for the dismissal of convicted wife beaters given the liberty to redeem themselves both on and off the field. I for one am not ready to say that domestic abuse is a more forgivable crime than dogfighting. And though I know it's true that two wrongs don't make a right, neither does one wrong.