Measuring remorse tricky situation for Goodell

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Here's a difficult situation most people will understand.

Your 14-year-old son gets caught sneaking out in the middle of the night during a rainstorm to go see his girlfriend, who lives a few blocks down a long dirt road.

When confronted about the situation, the son's first response is to lie, claiming he didn't actually leave the house, but accidentally fell out the bedroom window and got lost trying to find the front door. Oh, and his 10-speed got splattered with mud when a horde of out-of-control squirrels were fighting in a puddle in the front yard during the storm.

OK, so what's the appropriate punishment for this combination of an immature act compounded by an egregiously stupid lie?

The answers, of course, depend on a lot of factors.

Goodell has given no indication on when he'll make a decision on Vick.

(Drew Hallowell/Getty)

With that in mind, put yourself in the shoes of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who faces the daunting task of trying to figure out the proper punishment for suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick(notes). On Wednesday, Vick is supposed to be transferred from federal prison to home confinement. If all goes well, Vick will be a free man July 20.

However, not yet free enough to play in the NFL. In order to get back in the league he embarrassed two years ago with his participation in dogfighting and his subsequent lies to the NFL and the Falcons, Vick has to demonstrate what Goodell has termed "remorse."

It's a simple concept with an inexact threshold.

"I think that's going to be up to Michael," Goodell said. "Michael is going to have to demonstrate to myself and the public and to a lot of people, did he learn anything from his experience? Does he regret what happened? Does he feel he's going to be a positive influence going forward? Those are the questions I would like to [ask] when I sit with him."

It's hard to know exactly when remorse really has happened. When is the point that you know somebody gets it, when he truly understands what he did was wrong and won't do something like it again?

The answers to those questions are all over the place. Some people, such as Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, believe Vick has paid his debt to society and deserves another chance to play. There are some who think he never should play again.

Furthermore, there are plenty of people who think Vick is a walking train wreck, a guy doomed to get in some type of trouble again. While Vick never was arrested prior to the dogfighting incident, he skirted trouble time and again, seemingly daring fate. From dumping a water bottle that allegedly contained marijuana (though there was a later report to the contrary) to testing positive for marijuana before his sentencing in connection to dogfighting, Vick has lived on the edge of acceptable behavior.

Even more, he displayed a lack of respect for authority. His lies to Goodell and Atlanta owner Arthur Blank over the dogfighting are well-chronicled.

Will Vick be a spectator upon his release from prison?

(Chris Gardner/AP Photo)

In some regards, the timing helps Goodell. The notion that Vick can demonstrate enough remorse between July 20 and the start of most training camps by the end of that month is unrealistic. Vick will be lucky to get on a team before the end of the preseason, and Goodell easily could delay the decision through the 2009 season. What is Vick going to do, challenge the commissioner? That's not exactly showing remorse.

Still, at some point, Goodell faces one amazingly difficult decision. On Tuesday, he said he would listen to the input of others in this case, such as former Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, who recently visited Vick in prison and gave a favorable review of the meeting.

"I haven't sat down and determined the process, but I've never been one to shy away from input, from facts that can help in the ultimate input," Goodell said.

In the end, however, only Goodell can make the call. He has to play the parent, a role that few cherish in this situation. Point of fact is that six NFL owners were asked about Vick this week. All of them backpedaled from the question faster than Deion Sanders.

Goodell will have to measure remorse, a task about as easy to do as grabbing water.

For now, he's approaching the task deliberately. When asked if he anticipated Vick playing this season, Goodell said: "I don't anticipate anything other than sitting down with him at some point and having to make a decision."

Goodell paused every so slightly and then said: "Good trick question, though."

Unfortunately, this is one tricky situation.