You can talk the talk, but do you walk the walk?

I really didn't want to post about this again because the Michael Vick story disgusts me, but I'm finding some of the reaction by the media to be so idiotic that I just had to speak up.

Most high profile sports writers, including Bill Plaschke and Michael Wilbon, are saying that Michael Vick should be given a paid leave of absence to focus on his legal issues. Wow! I like the way this works... get indicted on federal charges and get a paid vacation (and at $6m per year, that's a pretty good boondoggle). I wonder if their opinion would be the same if the same type of past behavior and current allegations were made against a star member of their staff. Would they want to be associated with this type of story?

Arthur Blank, founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, is at least saying the right things.

"Given the differing perspectives and strong feelings around this issue, we probably won't make everyone happy, but we are committed to doing the right thing. As the owner of this club, that's ultimately my responsibility. In the meantime, know that I'm saddened and distressed about this."

This issue goes far beyond good and bad PR. A talented workforce is an absolute requirement to a successful team, whether it be in business or sport. However, a team's performance is reliant on more than just functional talent. No employee is irreplaceable, and values, character and chemistry are just as important as talent when crafting a winning team.

Now that he's talking the talk, let's see if he walks the walk and treats Michael Vick the same as he would any other employee. You can't have two sets of standards and values when building a team.