Still in the doghouse

As I was going over the daily spring training headlines a few days ago, some news from Detroit Tigers camp caught my eye.

After a very public run-in with Florida police just days before he was scheduled to be in camp, Miguel Cabrera is back on the field, giving up nothing more than a likely fine and a half-hearted apology that was rife with cliche platitudes and - from the sound of it - likely written entirely by someone with much more intelligence than Cabrera.

The man was incredibly drunk, endangering the lives of anyone on the road that night, disregarded repeated orders from law enforcement, taunted those same officers by drinking openly in front of them, and topped it all off by asking the cops if they even knew who he was, as if it should make any difference.

Any non-millionaire trying to pull a stunt like that would likely still be recovering from the savage beating/tasering that would have ensued while Cabrera's incident will be forgotten the second he knocks in a game-winning run or blasts a 400-foot bomb.

I'm not trying to single out Cabrera. He's just the latest in a long line of athletes that have committed violent or dangerous crimes, yet have walked away with their public image not much worse for the wear.

The more that this pattern of public forgiveness and forgetfulness occurs, the less genuine the apologies of the offenders seem to get. Not only does this strike me as an insult to my ability as a fan to overlook illegal actions for the sake of a few wins, but it makes the offenders that much more likely to not learn any sort of lesson from the ordeal and doesn't give any sort of incentive to stop their destructive behavior.

As pitiful as that is, what's even worse is that the one athlete who has been the most sincere about his remorse and has worked hardest to make amends for his actions is still one of the biggest pariahs to the general public.

Michael Vick hasn't so much as picked up a speeding ticket since serving his 18-month sentence in federal prison for financing a dogfighting operation, yet his repentant nature is still met with scorn while others who are walking away with their fifth DUI or having a kid with an eighth different woman barely register on the radar for many.

When Vick does an interview about his wrongdoings and talks about all of the steps he is taking to make himself a better person, people say that his words are all scripted and that he hasn't changed at all.

When Vick spends his off days touring public schools preaching about the stupidity of his actions and how no kid should look at his past as a guide on how to behave, people say he just wants the cameras to take notice.

When a party with old friends turned into a violent altercation, people wanted him thrown right back in prison before the news ever emerged that Vick had basically run for his life to get away from what he knew was about to become a bad situation.

The craziest part about this continued outrage directed at Vick is that the main reason for most athletes' indiscretions being ignored - "he helps us win games" - is one of the most noticeable things that has changed about Vick.

In his days as a Falcon, Vick was criticized for not being a complete player and not showing the commitment necessary to improve or succeed in the NFL. Many players and coaches came forward with stories of how he was the last one to pull into work and the first one to leave.

Now, the stories couldn't be more different. Instead of coaches trying to locate Vick, it's Vick that is calling his quarterbacks coach, wondering why he isn't at practice yet.

Coaches claim that he watches twice as much film as he used to and understands offensive and defensive schemes better than he ever did in Atlanta.

In fact, his new teammates claim that the only time Vick's head isn't totally into that day's preparation is when he's at one of those aforementioned school visits imploring kids who still view him as a role model to act more like 2011 Vick and not the pre-prison version.

So, to recap, Vick's punishment was extreme when compared to the often toned down sentences or fines by other celebrities. His apology in his first public appearance after getting out of prison was incredibly genuine - he spoke at great length about everything concerning his crimes and did so without notecards or a P.R. rep in his ear - and his actions both on and off the field since his return have been exactly what teams and fans alike want to see out of their starting quarterback.

And where does that leave us?

Miguel Cabrera will get a standing ovation on opening day. Reggie Bush (flagrant violations that cost him his Heisman Trophy) is still adored in New Orleans. Cam Newton (charges of theft and academic dishonesty on top of allegations of NCAA violations) will likely have a statue built for him at Auburn. Francisco Rodriguez (assault on his wife and father-in-law) won't lose a cent of his multi-million dollar contract.

And yet, Vick is still public enemy No. 1.

The guy who admitted to everything - as heinous as it was - can't be trusted while others (see above) make the minimal apology or concession and walk away.

The guy who served his time without a single setback or black mark during his sentence "will never fully understand just how wrong it was to do what he did."

The guy who has been a model citizen and teammate since his return, and who has shown a new dedication to his career "is a constant threat to implode and take the whole team with him."

I'm not trying to downplay Vick's crimes. I believe he deserved every second of time that he spent behind bars, but I also believe in granting second chances. That being said, I think there's a good argument to be made that Vick has done more with his second chance - both personally and professionally - than most ever do.

When you look past the actual crimes committed by Vick, the other athletes named above, and countless others, there are many similarities and only a few differences.

Regardless of severity, all of these actions are crimes. All of them require punishment of some sort, and all of them require some sort of acknowledgement or apology by the offending individual.

The only differences are that Vick is the only one to fully go through every one of those steps and that he is the only one that retains an overwhelmingly negative public image once the incident is over and done with.

I was disgusted with the actions that led Vick to his prison sentence, but he is the only high-profile people faced with a crime that I respect more after the fact than I did before.

The system actually worked for Vick. When you commit a crime, you're supposed to face some punishment, learn from it, and bounce back as a better person. The one guy who has actually done that continues to be hated at every turn, but those who skirt around their transgressions never have to learn and continue to become worse people because of it.

I've never been a fan of Michael Vick, the football player, but I'm a huge supporter of Michael Vick, the person.

As much as I love sports and want to see my teams win, doing right and being a decent person should rate higher in anyone's scorebook than any amount of home runs or touchdowns ever could.

Michael Vick, you'll probably never get the same undying support as some of these other offenders who have gotten off easy. You'll never win any fan poll and "dog killer" will likely follow your name just as often as "All-Pro", but you're better for it, and the world is better for that fact.

Vick will never be able to undo his crimes, but he's done a great job of redoing his life in the last two years.

As more time passes, there will hopefully be an increase of others who see this and can appreciate Vick for what he is doing rather than what he did. Maybe that will even lead the public to dwell on the more minor incidents that others commit in hopes that it won't take another federally prosecuted crime to get someone to come out better on the other side.

Some people like to joke that your sole purpose in life may be to serve as a warning to others.

That might just be true, but it certainly doesn't have to be negative.

Many people will view Vick as a horrible person for the rest of his life, but that isn't the warning for others to heed.

Vick is walking proof that people can change, but only by facing their issues with sincerity and not trying to get off the hook.

If you lack the pride in yourself to take responsibility and right your wrongs, than the warning that Vick's ordeal serves is that you won't be the person that you should be.

Thousands might cheer you, you could make millions of dollars, and you might never spend a night in jail. But when you half-ass an apology, duck any criticism, and save no expense to keep a good public image, you aren't building a legacy, you're bleeding out decency.

The world might love having its Cabreras, Bushes, Newtons and others on game night, but when it comes to the more important lessons to be learned in life, we could use a few more Michael Vicks.