Nation sports columnist Dave Zirin appears on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to talk about Michael Vick’s first interview since signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. Zirin and Philadelphia sports columnist Steven A. Smith discuss whether Philly fans will embrace Vick, and Zirin notes that this is more than just a sports story; it’s a story of whether a felon can be allowed to rehabilitate his image in a country with 2.3 million people behind bars. The panelists also point out that over and over again, sports stars are charged with violence against women and then are accepted back into their chosen sport without the amount of fuss being kicked up over Vick. Zirin notes that he’s had to face off against PETA in defense of Vick but that it’s not a question of whether he supports animal abuse but a question of whether he thinks people should get a second chance.

—Sarah Jaffe

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