The New York Jets signed Michael Vick Friday, but at least one animal rights group isn't happy about it.
After the Jets announced Vick's signing, PETA tweeted: "At least Michael Vick can't drown, electrocute, hang, or shoot a football the way he terrorized 'man's best friend.'"
But is PETA unnecessarily dredging up an old issue?
Vick's younger brother says he thinks the issue is long gone. On Saturday, Marcus Vick tweeted at PETA asking if it was "still on that [BS]." PETA never responded to Vick's tweet.
Vick served 21 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring after pleading guilty back in 2007. (Via WSB-TV)
After he got out of jail and was reinstated by the league, Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009.
And, while it was an unpopular move at the time, talk of Vick's past eventually died down. (Via New York Daily News)
WABC points out Vick now works with the Humane Society to help prevent cruelty to animals in the future.
But for some Jets fans, that's not enough. One fan told WCBS: "As an animal advocate ... I personally have no use for him" and another fan called the move a "slap in the face." A third told the station it's hard to root for the team now that they've hired Vick.
A columnist for the New York Daily News says it's not Vick's "forgettable baggage" that'll be a problem for him — it's his age and constant injuries. Still, the columnist admits Vick is a "controversial figure."
And after several years of disappointing seasons, the team will take its chances with a potentially risky hire.
It came the same day that the Jets released quarter Mark Sanchez. Sports Illustrated called Sanchez's five seasons as quarterback a "sad saga" and even a "comical failure."
A writer for USA Today says Vick gives the team a new sense of hope after an 8-8 finish last season. There's now talk that he could even be selected as the team's quarterback.
Vick's deal with the Jets only lasts for a year. The team will reportedly pay him $5 million next season.
