Another aspect of sports confronts the fan, young and old, dating back into the last century with the Black Sox scandal.  It seems to happen with increasing frequency - our professional sports figures are running afoul of the law, getting caught, sent to prison, serving their time (or not), and emerging in modern times with a great deal of their physical prowess intact.

The message and the solution are complicated.  Can professional sports recognize rehabilitation but protect its reputation?  Beyond that, are we as a society creating a legion of men uneducated beyond their sport who turn back to their sport because they have nothing else to do to support themselves?

These questions go beyond the merits of the individual cases, but are fundemental to understanding our reaction to each case.  Can Michael Vick show enough remorse to demonstrate to us, our kids, the Commissioner, the owners, that he won't embarrass us and them again, and more importantly, won't engage in the very behavior that landed him in jail in the first place?  Does rehabilitation work here, is time served sufficient retribution, or does our need for vengenance extend to denying Michael Vick the opportunity to use the one skill he wishes to rely upon to make a living?