Petition to Remove Michael Vick as NFL Pro Bowl Captain Gets Over 400,000 Signatures

A petition was created after Michael Vick was honored as one of the NFL Legends Pro Bowl Captains calling on the NFL to remove Vick.

NTD Newsroom

Published: 12/8/2019, 7:16:33 PM EST

Petition to Remove Michael Vick as NFL Pro Bowl Captain Gets Over 400,000 Signatures — MIchael Vick attends SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIII Radio Row in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 31, 2019. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

A petition created after Michael Vick was honored as one of the NFL Legends Pro Bowl Captains calling on the NFL to remove him has received more than 400,000 signatures.

Vick had been a promising football player during his time at the NFL. Then, at the height of his career, he was revealed to be a participant in a dogfighting ring. He later served around 18 months in prison for conspiracy related to dogfighting and gambling before returning to the NFL, according to CNN. Following his return, although his reputation was tainted, the NFL had forgiven him.

For some fans, it might be a positive thing for Vick, but others were appalled at the actions taken by the NFL, according to Fox News. Joanna Lind created a petition demanding the NFL reconsider and remove Vick as the Legends Pro Bowl Captain, according to the news outlet.

Lind wrote: "Just saw this on Facebook and was absolutely disgusted. When is the NFL going to take any responsibility for the behavior of current and former players? To honor a man who had zero regard for animals is unacceptable, and I would like your help to make sure he is not honored at the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl."

Over the course of two weeks, the petition garnered over 400,000 signatures and is still climbing.

According to Clutch Points, another petition was started in an attempt to remove Vick as one of the NFL Leaders Pro Bowl Captains. In the petition, a user called Aladdin Nation said that Vick didn't deserve the title because of his criminal past.

"Mike Vick does not deserve the honor of being Pro Bowl Captain. He is a convicted felon and a known animal abuser, is this who we want our children to look up to? Disney, how could you condone this?? There are so many players that have made amazing [contributions] to society. However, Michael Vick is not one of them," Aladdin Nation wrote in the petition.

CNN reported that Vick had admitted his criminal activity back in 2007. The news outlet also said that Vick had been involved in illegal gambling. Following his incarceration, he was suspended from the NFL and had gone bankrupt.

In 2009, Vick served his time and came back to the NFL, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played until 2017, when he retired, according to CNN. However, following his retirement from the field, he signed on as a sports analyst for Fox Sports.

This article has been updated to include more details on crimes committed by Michael Vick and remove erroneous information. NTD News regrets the error.