Just yesterday, Michael Vick, the National Football League quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for illegal dogfighting charges.

The Bad Newz Kennels investigation, named after the eponymous interstate dogfighting ring, began in April 2007. Vick initially denied any involvement in the ring. But he pleaded guilty in August to financing the operation and helping to kill six to eight of the dogs. He was sentenced to prison along with his co-defendants Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillip yesterday.

It's a shame that Vick ended up like this. He had great talent in football, which first became apparent when he was in Newport News, Va., public schools. He continued to demonstrate his talent in football as the top pick in the 2001 draft, and he became the highest-paid NFL player in 2004. His football career future seemed very promising until his conviction.

People are often stunned to see a celebrity's fall. Vick's participation in dogfighting was inhumane, cruel, and a case of bad judgment. Vick made a huge mistake, and now he has to take great responsibility for it.

Vick has many fans, and many believe that he had the ability to become one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football. However, talent alone is not enough to make a person the best in his field and sustain that success. Talented people have to be able to work hard, study, concentrate, and, for one thing, not be sidetracked by doing illegal things. They have to perform well by knowing what's right and what's wrong in life.