Petition To Ban Michael Vick as 'Pro Bowl Legends Captain' Tops 300,000 Signatures
Michael Vick is slated to be one of four honorary Pro Bowl captains but one group is protesting his inclusion, citing his past incidents of animal cruelty.
Announced as a ‘Pro Bowl Legends Captain’ for the upcoming all-star event in Orlando, Vick certainly stacks up on the field as a playmaker quarterback and a transformational player at his position. But his career and legacy were stained when it was discovered that he was running a dog fighting ring out of his house.
Vick played one season for the New York Jets in 2014 where he had 100 appearances and three starts.
In just a matter of days, over 300,000 signatures have been obtained by Animal Victory Petitioners, an organization that creates “petitions to persuade government officials to create severe punishment laws for Animal Abusers.”
A petition has been created via the organization, entitled ‘Remove Michael Vick From Being A 2020 Pro Bowl Legend Captain.’ The petition gives background on Vick’s past involvement with the dog fighting ring.
“Out of the hundreds of professional football athletes who have led upstanding lives, the NFL has chosen a convicted dog-fighting organizer as someone who they want to honor,” the petition said.
“Please add your signature to this petition, which will be presented to officials with the NFL. Michael Vick should not be placed in a position of honor - the dogs who were tortured and killed deserve to be remembered and honored. Not the man who played a part in their suffering.”
Since that time, Vick has made amends, including working with legislative bodies including Congress as an advocate for greater laws to eradicate animal cruelty and abuse. In 2015, he went to the statehouse in Pennsylvania to lobby for legislation protecting animals from being kept long-term in hot vehicles.
He also has been active in raising scholarship money in honor of the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting. During his time with the Jets, he made numerous charitable appearances, including working closely with the United Way.
