Don't always count on a second chance

During this past weekend, whenever you heard the name "Michael Vick" it was generally followed by the words "second chance."

And you might think that if someone who committed such a horrific crime would be given another shot, well, everyone would get another shot.

But in television news you'd be dead wrong.

Every year it seems the TV trades are filled with television news people who commit crimes, most often drunk driving.

Not all of them come back or are given a second chance. While television is a business just like the NFL, sometimes the money factor isn't enough to save you. It all depends on the situation, the manager, and yes, the ratings.

Personally, if I were a ND right now and one of my staffers was arrested for drunk driving, that person would be outta here. I've got zero tolerance for that kind of stuff, and let's face it, most viewers will lose respect for people who have that little regard for their fellow man.

But we've all seen instances of high profile anchors who got hammered and then got behind the wheel, only to return to their jobs like nothing happened.

That doesn't guarantee anything if you're the person who slips up.

Over the years I've seen a few people make career ending mistakes, ranging from instances involving drugs to insubordination. Those people, though very talented, didn't get a second chance. In those cases, management wasn't in a forgiving mood.

You may be the highest rated anchor in the market, but that doesn't guarantee you're bulletproof.