The Philadelphia Daily News found itself in its own doghouse Wednesday when its main front-page headline for a story about the Philadelphia Eagles naming Michael Vick starting quarterback read “Top Dog.”
We’re no stranger to controversy, and we realize we’re not perfect. Heck, we have to call ourselves The Independent Florida Alligator and be not officially associated with UF after we refused to stop printing abortion clinic classifieds.
And Vick is most certainly no stranger to controversy. Convicted on dog fighting-related felony charges in 2007 and attempting the mother of all public relations rehabilitation programs, the new Eagles quarterback is still trying to rebuild his life.
A life that some of Vick’s dogs were not given the liberty to rebuild. A life some of Vick’s dogs were denied the chance to live.
And we realize the Daily News’ headline was just plain unnecessary.
Vick has served his time. He’s paid for his crime. He’s filed bankruptcy as a result. We don’t want to punish him forever.
But to continually refer to anything Vick-related in canine terms for the rest of his life is in poor taste and only insults the atrocities mercilessly committed against Vick’s and other’s dogs who were forced to mutilate other dogs for human entertainment.
Instead of continually insulting Vick for the heinous crimes that have since past, we should use his example as a vivid memory of the horrors that arise from treating dogs as worthless possessions and slaves to our benefit.
