Here's another nightmare for the NFL — and this one might be its biggest.

The league has already endured offseason embarrassment created by the illegal actions of Bengals receiver Chris Henry, former Bears lineman Tank Johnson and Titans defensive back Adam "Pacman"Jones.

NFLcommissioner Roger Goodell suspended Henry and Johnson for eight games each and is making Jones sit for the 2007 season.

Now what does he do about Michael Vick?

With due respect to those other guys, Vick is a fantastic talent and one of the league's poster boys. He was the first player selected in the 2001 draft. He signed a 10-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

Go to almost any football game anywhere and some kid will be walking around wearing a Michael Vick jersey. His exciting style of play is idolized by plenty of youths.

Now he's been indicted for connections to a dogfighting ring in Virginia.

As much as Vick's playing style is idolized, the activity of dogfighting and its gruesome consequences are abhorred by nearly every segment of society.

Goodell is waiting for due process to be served before he passes any kind of suspension on Vick.

Interesting.

Pacman Jones wasn't granted such patience. He was suspended by the commissioner's office before he was even charged with his latest run-in with the law.

True, Jones does have a rather damning history — five arrests since his selection by the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 draft.

But Vick hasn't exactly been a choir boy. He did flip off fans during a game and was fined $10,000 for doing so. The marijuana-odor-at-the-airport thing didn't go anywhere, but no one would have been surprised if it did.

Whether Vick took part in the dogfighting activities or not, the whole mess took place on his property. The training of the dogs, the housing of them, even the dogfights themselves, were going on there.

On that point, there is plenty of evidence.

And the fact Vick owns the place automatically links him to the activity.

The legal system will determine just how involved Vick has been in this ordeal. Maybe he'll get a slap on the wrist, probation, maybe a few years of jail time.

But he is involved.

If Goodell is serious about enforcing his hard-hitting policy against players bringing embarrassment upon themselves, NFLfranchises and the league in general, then Vick has to be suspended.

The hope here is that a double-standard doesn't exist with the commissioner.

The Bengals, Bears and Titans can get along just fine without Henry, Johnson and Jones, respectively.

Without Vick on the field, the Falcons are in deep trouble. With Vick on the field, the NFLhas a public relations problem.

Maybe Vick will be found innocent. Regardless, this whole thing will not go away.

What happened on this man's property is sickening.

Allowing him to play football while suspending others doesn't exactly soothe my stomach.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.