To say the Vick case has sparked debate among sports fans is an understatement. On one side are those who would ban Vick from the NFL permanently, on the other those who believe he was made a target for prosecution because of his celebrity status.

Like many people I didn't pay close attention to the charges when they came out. An NFL player in trouble with law enforcement isn't that unusual, and I thought a six game suspension was the likely outcome. My knowledge of dog fighting was limited, my understanding of the legal ramifications less. I didn't suspect the case would cause this much outrage, either from Vick's detractors or supporters.

After taking in the many media reports and reading countless blogs here at FOX Sports, here are some questions that seem to be emerging.

Is the Vick case about race?

From a legal standpoint, no. Prosecutions for dog fighting cut across racial and ethnic lines. But the reaction to the Vick case definitely is influenced by race. In an era of political correctness, real discussion of racial issues is limited. The off field behavior of athletes, often African-American, becomes a forum for expressing cultural concerns and sometimes prejudices.

The word "thug" seems to have become a code word in these discussions with racial implications. It is worth noting that this term frequently was used by bloggers about Vick prior to his current legal situation, when less serious charges were brought against him.

Taken simply as a legal case there would still, and should, be a degree of outrage over the allegations against Vick. But the sheer volume of the reports and blogs about Vick make the arguement that this is about more than Michael Vick. In terms of race, this is becoming the O.J. Simpson trial of the 21st Century.

As Paul Simon once wrote "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." That is the take away from this conversation in terms of race, and what is heard depends on which side of the divide you are standing.

What is misunderstood is how big the problem of dog fighting has become, and how seriously the law takes it. There are thousands of prosecutions annually and the vast majority of states have made dog fighting a felony offense separate and apart from the laws on animal cruelty. The law regards the violence of dog fighting as representing a culture of barbarity which will surely impact not just animals but society at large.

But dog fighting prosecutions are seldom about just animal cruelty.

There are huge sums of money involved in dog fighting, with seizures of as much as $500,000 reported in individual cases. Gambling revenue from dog fights fund drug trafficking and gang activity.

In this context dog fighting prosecutions are a significant tool in efforts to limit drugs, gambling, and gang violence. Raids on dog fights are also a low cost means of apprehending large numbers of known felons in one location.

The bottom line is that the government would have been pursuing the Bad Newz Kennel organization whether Vick was involved or not.

Are there other factors involved?

Celebrity and backlash against celebrity. As dissimilar as Paris Hilton and Michael Vick are, they share a high recognition rating from the public. It would be hard to find someone who doesn't know of them. They also are unique because their celebrity isn't matched by their achievements. Paris Hilton, stripped of celebrity, is just an heiress who goes to alot of parties. Vick, minus the Nike ads and hype, is a very good quarterback who hasn't reached his potential or won the Super Bowl.

When celebrities fall they provide as much, or more, entertainment value as when they at their peak. People who can't understand why Hilton is even famous, or why Vick gets as much publicity as quarterbacks who have taken their team to the Super Bowl, take great pleasure in seeing "unearned" fame taken from them. Read the blogs. There is not just disgust with Vick, but almost a joy at seeing his fall. It hasn't always been pretty.

Is Vick's career in jeopardy?

Count on it. He has, at best, a 50% chance of ever playing again. Vick could go to trial and could be acquitted, but that does not seem likely. The other defendants have agreed to testify against Vick and, by all accounts, the prosecution has a compelling case. As the last defendant to plead, Vick has little to offer prosecutors who can seek the maximum five year sentence. If Vick serves even two years he will have lost a major part of his career and would return at age 30 having lost some of his skills.

What is being overlooked at this point is the likelihood that the State of Virginia, which has sat on the sidelines until now, will join in with state charges. The bill that is about to come due for Vick is probably going to be more than just the 2-5 years on federal charges. It is not likely, but possible, that Vick might leave prison at 35 instead of 30 in which case his playing days are over.

What will the NFL do?

The dog fighting charges are not even the worst of it to the NFL. The defendants in the Vick case allege he financed the gambling end of the operation. The league warns players that some gambling activities (those that bring discredit to the game) may result in a permanent ban.

You have to view how the NFL will react to Vick in the context not only of the dog fighting, but also of the associations Vick has made. The people gambling on these fights are not persons the league is comfortable having around the edges of the game. Was Vick ever at risk of being approached by persons associated with dog fighting to shave points? You just don't know and it's a risk the NFL can't afford to take.

Finally, there are the PR issues. Animal rights groups are not going to forget Michael Vick. Not today, not tomorrow, not five years from now. The baggage he will carry for the rest of his career is going to be alot for a team to take on.

What about Michael Vick, the human being?

Nobody seems to care much about this question. Vick is, like most people, a mixture of good and bad. On the one hand you have the Bad Newz Kennels. On the other, charitable activity in Newport News and Atlanta and positive comments from teammates who know him well. As anyone who saw Michael Irvin's induction speech at the Hall of Fame can attest, redemption is possible even after poor decisions and worse results.

The biggest question isn't whether Vick can come back at the same skill level as a quarterback, but what kind of life he can build after all this controversy fades. That is the one question nobody, maybe even Michael Vick, can answer.