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Allen:

You're right. The NFL should make his punishment consistent with others and in any case should wait to see what the sentence is.

I think a lot of folks are riding a knee-jerk wave on Vick's case. Politicians, sports folks, lawyers, pundits on the 24/7 opinion news media outlets, etc.
Vick should get no more or less than anyone else convicted in a similar case in a Virginia court.
As for the NFL angle, he should be treated like anyone else in a similar circumstance.

There is, of course, a gambling angle here, which is radioactive in the NFL. But players have been involved in gambling-related suspension and come back to fruitful careers, including Paul Hornung of the Packers and Alex Karras of the Lions.
The bigger problem is Vick's alleged acts of animal cruelty by his own hand. But he still deserves fair and consistent treatment.

He'll play again, and he should. Even with the gambling angle, this is a serious offense, but it's not that serious in the large scheme of human depravity. (After all, the govt is going to kill the dogs that he didn't--one of those sentimental ironies akin to the medical care of inmates being executed.) I wonder, however, who will want him given his vastly overrated skills and semi-toxic PR rating.

A year off the field is plenty. Give the guy a chance to make a decent, honest living. It is the American way.

****** BAN VICK FOREVER *******

Plus he should be registered as a dog offender and all dogs should be notified when Vick moves into their neighborhood.

Just in, Vick was suspended indefinitely without pay by the NFL.

Were he ever to come back to play, he'd have to do a million PSAs urging young people to never do anything remotely as cruel as this to another living being. In fact, he should be forced to provide loving homes and vet care for thousands of maltreated dogs. He can afford it. He should not be allowed to live off more than the median income with the rest of any monies he makes going to ASPCA or the like.

Jim:

Your comment about Vick having to urge people never to "do anything as remotely cruel to another living being" got me to thinking about the irony of the guy being suspended from a league that manufactures, promotes, and celebrates violence. We want Vick to be a humanatarian in a league that saves its highlight reel for players who break other player's ribs or take someone's knees out (if you watch the reel, the celebrated #1 "hit" is a cheap blind shot on a kicker).

Character counts. He's out.

Oh, don't get me started on the sickening glorification of violence in professional sports! If people want to voluntarily put their lives in jeopardy, with some basic safeguards, while collecting millions, though, it's a free country, I suppose. At least stuntmen and women make the illusion entertaining without inflicting real damage unless true accidents happen. Roman-style bloodsport is increasingly popular, as we go the way of that empire, complete with our own Neros and Caligulas.

To all of America that is standing with their mouths wide open because of Vick and the dogs, Pacman and the club and Iverson's spousal abuse I say wake up. If these supposed icons have fallen from a pedastal it is a pedastal that we the public placed them upon. I never understood how it seems that when someone excels in professional sports, acting etc. we feel as though they walk through some magical door and all of a sudden they become better people. I would almost make a bet that Michael Vick was introduced to dog fights a long time before he became a superstar as are some of our kids today. With the number of dog attacks within our own area we would be wrong to think that there are no dog fights in our neck of the woods. I choose to place my concerns with the real superstars,our troops in Iraq, the single mothers that refuse to accept welfare, blue collar workers and public servants. P.S. If there is a magical door will somebody please email me directions!!!!!