After getting out of prison this summer, Michael Vick expected to be a starting NFL quarterback again.  Call that crazy, call it vane, call it wishful thinking, call it egomania or psychosis or whatever you like, but it sure didn’t happen.

It would appear that even after two years in prison, the reality that he is NOT a starter might finally be sinking into Michael Vick’s head.

Failing to be a starter, even after getting his hopes up after McNabb’s injury, might end up being something that Michael Vick has difficulty dealing with and felons and substance abuse recoveries are typically most at risk when they set unrealistic goals and then see those goals slip away from them.

Michael Vick is not known for dealing with wild success and later much more average success well.  You might say his inability to cope was his downfall.

After achieving what many of us consider to be a coup to even get BACK in the NFL, the fears of those of us that felt he should not return may now be approaching something closer to reality.  Our fear was not that he might play again, but that he might not be able to cope and then resort to illegal outlets for stress.

Michael Vick now finds himself in the position of potentially having to remain humble and contrite in the face of being cast aside as a second or third fiddle for special situations, situations that in the preseason were lack luster, unexciting, and seemed to disrupt the Eagles offense more than it disrupted its opponents defense.

For those of us that would like to see Michael Vick out of the NFL, not out of spite, but out of the very likely potential for new damage that Michael Vick has the ability to reap, the next few weeks could prove to be the most difficult for Michael Vick.  To be honest, the last thing in the world I personally want to do is come on here in a week, a month or a year and say I told you so, we told you so, Michael Vick has not changed, the NFL was foolish to bring him back in, and plain ignorant to bring him in so soon.

In the interest of warding off Michael Vick creating yet another tragedy, whether it be in dog fights, drug use, or some other outlet for violence, I hope he gets support and help now because he has not exhibited the ability in the past to cope with stress, good or bad.

On Sunday, a team of 11 Red Star Animal Emergency Services responders from the American Humane Association will return to a shelter near St. Louis to help care for and socialize some 500 dogs that were rescued in a July dogfighting raid, the biggest in U.S. history, which spanned Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas. This news comes on the heels of guilty pleas from Robert Hackman, Teddy Kiriakidis, Ronald Creach and Michael Morgan entered Monday to conspiracy and other crimes, admitting their roles in breeding, trafficking, fighting and killing pit bulls in a lucrative dogfighting network, the Associated Press reports. A fifth co-defendant, Jack Ruppel, pled guilty Sept. 4.

Humane responders take on task of socializing 500 dogs from raid – Paw Print Post: A community for Dog, Cat, and Pet Owners – USATODAY.com

Michael Vick’s dogs will be receiving some media attention today, helping to focus the spotlight on some of the victims of his crimes as opposed to shining the glory of the lights on the criminal as has been done all summer long by most news and media outlets.

Dr Phil’s looking for feedback – Should Michael Vick have been reinstated?

“Do you live in the Philadelphia area?  Do you feel that Michael Vick should have been reinstated to the NFL? Yes or No?  Why do you feel this way?  If you think Michael Vick deserves a second chance to play professional football, please let us know, and give us your reasons why.”

If you want Dr Phil and his audience no how you feel about this situation, leave your comments here.

September 15, 2009 : 8:44 AM ET

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, some five million to seven million viewers of the popular “Dr. Phil” talk show will get a look at the Vicktory dogs at Best Friends Animal Society.

A segment of the show will be devoted to NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who recently suited up with the Philadelphia Eagles and returned to the football field after serving a 23-month sentence on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge.

But more importantly, the segment will feature some of Vick’s victims — 22 of whom came to Best Friends in January 2008 to heal from the trauma they suffered at the hands of Vick and others in his dogfighting ring.

I’m a lover…

“What is important to us is that people consider the dogs,” says Ed Fritz, campaign specialist for ‘Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog,’ one of four Best Friends’ campaigns aimed at reaching the goal of No More Homeless Pets. “There’s a lot of talk about Michael Vick and if he deserves a second chance, but no one is talking about the dogs. Don’t these dogs deserve a second chance? As long as Vick is playing with the NFL, it’s up to us to support the victims of his cruelty. Michael Vick didn’t serve one day in prison for animal cruelty. He was punished for dogfighting conspiracy.”

Vick has apologized publicly, but many question his sincerity.

“To our knowledge, neither Vick, his handlers, nor the NFL has called to ask how the dogs are doing,” wrote Best Friends co-founder Francis Battista in a moving commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer. “And these very real, living victims of the crime are nowhere to be found in the continuing debate about Vick’s rehabilitation.” Read the entire commentary here.