The public outrage over the Michael Vick saga will not go away, and understandably so. Any recounting of Vick's subhuman treatment of dogs -- fighting them, hanging them, drowning them -- makes decent people, not just dog lovers, cringe. Yet, he and his associates seemed to revel in these brutal executions. Vick is not only a bad person, but also one who could well be psychologically disturbed. His evil was not caused by a momentary lapse in judgment. It was premeditated and cold-blooded.

In a society that should be close to shock proof, Vick has succeeded in outraging the world with his twisted deeds.

His 10-year, $130 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons gave Vick the wherewithal to escape the mean streets of Newport News, Va. He could have been the toast of cosmopolitan Atlanta, and, for a while, was. But he chose a different path. He used his fabulous wealth to stay with his boys and finance a dogfighting ring that has shattered his life.

After some deliberation, Vick has accepted a deal from federal prosecutors and will enter a guilty plea to dogfighting charges Monday. He had little choice. Three of his co-defendants have entered guilty pleas and were poised to testify against their one-time benefactor. Vick is expected to be sentenced to 12-18 months in prison. Additionally, state charges in Virginia hang over his head. Beyond that, the NFL is more than likely to add on a suspension that could keep him out of football through the 2009 season, at least.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is bent on altering the league's deserved bad-boy image. We can only hope he has more luck than David Stern has in modifying the gangster reputation around the NBA. Goodell figures to be extremely tough on Vick. He's presenting himself as the law-and-order commissioner at a time when such a person is needed.

And why shouldn't he be extremely tough? Vick deserves everything thrown at him. If the justice system chooses to show some leniency because of his guilty plea, that doesn't mean Goodell should or will. The only person being penalized is Vick. It's not like Goodell would be hurting the Falcons. They want nothing to do with him. This is a chance for the commissioner to send a heavy message, one that will be heard in every locker room in the NFL and throughout college football, which, it must be pointed out, is the breeding ground for the bad-boy mentality of the NFL.

If Vick is back for the 2010 season, he'll be 30 when training camps open. For most quarterbacks, that's the prime of their career. Vick, though, is not any quarterback. He is the most athletic person to play the position. He relied on a quickness never before seen from a quarterback to take his place among the league's elite and -- this is hard to believe today -- make himself one of the most popular players in the game.

How much of that athleticism will have deserted him because of age and rust when he returns to the football field? More to the point, even if he has a decent measure of his one-time excellence, will any team be willing to associate itself with him?

If Vick is smart, and there's grave doubt that he is, a large portion of whatever wealth he has -- and it will be a lot less once the Falcons are through trying to get their money back -- should go to the best public-relations firm that will have him. If he has any hope of playing again, he needs to rehabilitate himself, which might not be possible, and his reputation, which is always possible.

Vick needs to rely on the soft spot the American public has for people who say they are sorry. There will be many people who never will forgive Vick, and that certainly is their right. But if his image is properly handled, and he, not a PR firm, will play the largest role in that, Vick can get back on the right side of the public.

That's the only way any team will take a chance on him. For certain, some will never touch him. The Steelers, who take their image seriously, wouldn't take Vick if he were the last quarterback remaining on the planet. Other teams will feel the same way. But there will be teams, who put winning first and everything else last, that will reach out to Vick if he can rehabilitate his image.

Does he deserve such a chance?

Of course, he does. Once released from prison, he will have paid his debt to society. In this country, a man who has served his prison time has earned another chance. That doesn't mean everyone needs to fall in line to provide that opportunity. It means that some NFL teams have the right to do so without being excoriated by those who by those believe Vick deserves nothing.

This is America, the land of second chances. Even a lowlife like Michael Vick deserves as much.