Scooter was a miniature dachshund and the kind of dog little kids dream of having.  She used to umpire wiffle ball games between my brothers and I in our Kearny, New Jersey driveway.  I’m a dog lover because of Scooter. 

Now Mike Mulligan wants the Chicago Bears to sign Michael Vick.  And it makes sense.

Before my valiant readers ascend upon their highest of high horses, answer the following questions.  (1) Do the Bears have a capable backup quarterback on the roster?  (2) Is Vick a three-time Pro Bowler available for peanuts? 

The dog lover in me wants Vick to flounder in the anonymity of the Arena League and fade into obscurity.  The playwright in me wants to believe in redemption for all human beings, specifically when that redemption can resoundingly benefit the Chicago Bears.  It looks like Vick won’t be a factor until the sixth week of the season and, even then, he’ll become nothing more than an insurance policy on the health of the Bears’ most important asset – Jay Cutler.  That is unless he’s able to adapt to a slash/receiver-type role and becomes the cure for two of the team’s most pressing ails.

Let PETA picket on Lake Shore Drive.  I’ll take sixty thousand football fans over three dozen vegetarians any day of the week.  From a football standpoint, this decision makes sense.  More sense for the Chicago Bears than any other club in the league.  PR problems are only PR problems when teams lose.  PR problems get buried behind “News of the Weird” when you make the playoffs.