On the drive into work today, I started wondering if Amy Trask's involvement in an animal rescue would keep Al Davis from signing Michael Vick. My initial impulse is yes. If Amy doesn't like it, she is one person in the organization Al Davis wouldn't want to lose, even for a football player like Vick.
Then I started thinking. Amy Trask is a very smart woman. If Al Davis signs Vick, she can immediately help Vick rebuild his life and help out animals as well. Vick may also be able to save many more dogs than he killed through ARF, Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation.
The "Hall of Fame" board of ARF also includes the owner of the St Louis Cardinals, David Pratt, Mark McGwire (who could use a second chance himself) and the publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, George Riggs. Along side Chairman Tony LaRussa on the board of directors is Amy Trask and veterinarian Sandy Block of Bollinger Canyon Animal Hospital in San Ramon.
There is simply no better way for Vick to prove he has changed, than to work with this type of organization to save more dogs than he killed. This organization has numerous bay area and specifically Oakland connections that hard to ignore. The sports connection may also be a good one for Vick sake.
There are also football reasons. Chris Mortenson of ESPN recently tweeted that WR thin teams would be more likely to be interested in Vick than QB thin teams. Last I checked, the Raiders had one of the worst WR cores in the entire league.
Also, the Raiders may be the safest team when it comes to sponsorship and fan loss concerns when it comes to signing such a player. Some might say Vick is a PR nightmare. I would say that doesn't change anything in Oakland.
Shout out to the San Jose Mercury News and Oakland Tribune. Do some research with your very own George Riggs and see if he thinks ARF would have any objection to working with Vick.
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