Parenting Teens

Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has apologized to everyone affected by his actions in running an illegal dogfighting ring-especially kids who idolize him. Here’s an excerpt from a Forbes article, quoting Vick’s statements following his guilty plea in federal court Monday:

Michael Vick stood behind a podium, all alone. His amazing speed and quickness was of no use in this predicament. He couldn’t scramble away from trouble with one of those nifty moves. All he could do was apologize. And ask for forgiveness. And start “bettering Michael Vick the person, not the football player.”

Looking somber and speaking without notes, Vick said Monday he was taking full responsibility for his actions after pleading guilty to a federal dogfighting charge in Richmond, Va.

He could go to prison for one to five years.

“I offer my deepest apologies to everybody out there in the world who was affected by this whole situation, and if I’m more disappointed with myself than anything it’s because of all the young people, young kids that I let down, who look at Michael Vick as a role model,” he said.

Vick canceled a Tuesday morning radio appearance on “The Tom Joyner Morning Show”. Host Tom Joyner said Vick’s advisors suggested that the football player shouldn’t talk at this time because someone “might take any part of our interview out of context.”

Vick called dogfighting “a terrible thing,” said he initially lied to the NFL and his team about it because he was ashamed, and apologized specifically to all those he deceived about a gruesome dogfighting ring: commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, coach Bobby Petrino and his teammates.

“I need to grow up,” Vick conceded

Michael Vick does, indeed, need to grow up. The sad thing is that, at age 27, he should already be grown up enough to know better than this. The fact that he isn’t is a sad commentary on the state of those who do their growing up (at least physically) in the public eye.

Vick, just like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and lots of other celebrities-whether they be in sports, acting, whatever-seem to believe that, somehow, the rules don’t apply to them. They are under some impression that, because they are young, talented, and rich, they can pretty much go out and do anything they want and not pay the consequences. And they are finding themselves in legal and career troubles because of it.

Talk with your children and teens about they Michael Vick situation. Point out to them that their actions have consequences, and that they must take responsibility for themselves. They will grow up to be better adults because of it.

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