We’ve been a bit remiss in our coverage of Michael “Ookie” Vick, the disgraced NFL star who was sentenced to 23 months in a federal penintentary for sponsoring a brutal dog-fighting ring.

Since we last checked in on Mr. Vick, he has finished his stints in Leavenworth and a half-way house, and is now back home in Newport News, Virginia. There’s still the matter of his bankruptcy, which is still winding its way through the court system. But, in an effort to show that he has changed his ways, Vick has been working, first on a construction site, and more recently, as a counselor at a youth sports complex.

Of course, Vick’s real aspiration is to return to the NFL and even that scenario seems more likely that it did a few months back. Late today, League Commissioner Roger Goddell partially re-instated the former Falcons quarterback, allowing Vick to sign with a team and participate in training camp, including the final two pre-season games. However, he would likely serve a league-imposed suspension at the start of the regular season, requiring Vick to sit out the first 4-6 games. That means Mr. Vick could complete the final portion of his league suspension and return to action, full-time, by early October.

Supporters argue that Vick has served his time and deserves another chance. But others wonder if the one-time NFL sensation is truly repentant, and can be the type of “model citizen” that the league now demands. If Ookie will spend the rest of his career under a magnifying glass, then he didn’t help matters with a recent evening “excursion,” as reported by various media outlets:

Apparently former Falcons QB Mike Vick was released from federal custody on Monday and wanted to get a sweet, sweet taste of freedom. That, and the sweet, sweet smell of cheap perfume. Numerous Internet reports say that one of the first places he visited was a strip club in his native Virginia. Oh, and that Allen Iverson was with him.

A blog called “Young, Black, and Fabulous” posted this:

Said YBF reader spotted Mike at a popular Gentlemen’s club called Atlantis in Virginia Beach last night. And he was partying it up with Allen Iverson and his wife. Hmmm. One of the dancers also said that Allen didn’t throw out a single dollar all night despite bragging about being a “money making machine.”

To be fair, both Vick and his attorney have denied the report. But if perceptions matter in our society–and they do–then Ookie would be well-advised to stay away from such establishments. And he might want to get the “money-making machine” on board as well. To our knowledge, Iverson hasn’t denied the strip club story.
Go figure.