Perhaps it was the way he valiantly encouraged dogs to rip each other to shreds in the fighting ring. Or maybe the manner in which he drowned, hung, or otherwise dispatched the losers (very sportsman-like!).

Or it could have had something to with his fortitude in the face of a 19-month prison sentence/the wrath of animal rights activists/rehabilitating his image/personal finance problems … all so he could make his brave return to football.

But no matter what trumped-up reason Vick’s teammates came up with for nominating #7 for the Ed Block Award for Courage, this is about as hypocritical as it gets.

According to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation Website, the award is designed to honor

…those National Football League players who exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Recipients are selected by their teammates for team effort, as well as individual performance.

The Ed Block Courage Award recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and dedication. He is also a community role model … He becomes an Ambassador of Courage for victims of abuse, violence and neglect.

After this year, I think the Ed Block folks may want to consider adding “human” to that last sentence.

I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but I think it’s safe to say that what Vick did to his dogs not only qualifies as “abuse, violence, and neglect,” but was also extremely cowardly. Not to mention that in many cases, violence toward animals is often the first sign of a violent pathology that can easily expand to include human victims.

Now I am not one of those crazy people who think Vick should continue paying for his transgressions for the rest of his life. He served his time. He did some apologizing, a little groveling, and a decent amount of (court-ordered) community service.

But I am also pretty sure that none of the above makes him a shoe-in for an award designed to celebrate courage. Just like animal abusers, many drug dealers, thieves, and maybe even murderers can all probably be rehabilitated. But does that mean we should celebrate the bravery of these criminals in “enduring the hardships” they brought on themselves?

Probably not.

But then again, we live in a world in which a prestigious university invites a corrupt politician to lecture about ethics, and Madonna is named an expert on marriage. So taken in that context, Vick getting an award for courage is probably not as surprising as it should be, but still, in my opinion, disgusting.