Michael Vick may have written a book in prison

By
Kevin Allen
on March 24, 2009 8:56 AM

Michael Vick will be out of prison and back in the headlines as early as May. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is busy burying the lead in their stories about the convicted dog fighting enthusiast.

To the long list of words that some may use to describe the former Falcons quarterback, it seems possible that 'author' may be added. The last two sentences of an article about the return of attorney Daniel Meachum to Vick's legal team in today's AJC read:

"Vick allegedly has written a book while in prison and is seeking co-authors and a publisher.

"'That may or may not be in the making,'" Meachum said. 'That would too premature right now. But I'm committed to helping Mike get back on his feet.'"

Hang on, AJC. There's got to be more to this story than the fact that a Vick book "may or may not be in the making." Most states have what are called "Son of Sam" laws that prevent convicted criminals from profiting on their crime through such mediums as movies, public recountings and ... books.

Both Georgia and Virginia have such laws.

So the question then becomes where the money would/should go if Vick were to write a book about his experience. Obviously, animal rights organizations like PETA would suggest the money go toward ... well, them. But different states have different laws about how the money is filtered.

Vick will attempt to convince NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to re-instate him this summer. (Plenty of you weighed in with some strong opinions last month when we asked whether you'd welcome Vick to the Bears). Perhaps writing a remorseful book that sheds some light on his journey from dog killer to remorseful former dog killer could help his cause. Of course, reminding the general public that he was, at one time, a profiteering dog killer could backfire. So, perhaps a message on each page reminding readers that Michael Vick won't be profiting on sales of the book would be beneficial.

What do you think? Would it be a good move for Vick to write a book about his experience? If so, where should the money for that book go?