Michael and his brother, Marcus, come from trouble. The area of their Virginia upbringing is known as "Bad Newz" around those parts, a haven for drug deals, reckless gunfire and the ruthless taking of people's lives. Marcus was the ill-fated brother, piling up criminal convictions with astounding regularity, until Michael's secret life became public.

So it's not about the protests from animal-rights people, fervent as they will be. That's old news for Vick, now preaching to kids about the evils of dogfighting and, by all accounts, being quite sincere about it. As soon as he breaks off his first 28-yard run, you'll be amazed how quickly the doubters disappear. What never vanishes, for Vick and every other high-profile athlete with a nasty side, is the temptation.

Everybody's going to want a piece of Vick now, including people for whom crime, drugs and strip clubs are a way of life. He could so easily be drawn back into that world and the shady characters within. I suspect Vick will be just fine on the field, as long as the Eagles establish Donovan McNabb as the quarterback, no questions asked, and let Vick thrive as a Wildcat-based wingman. The real story will be told after dark.

This is where Commissioner Roger Goodell walks a fine line. Earlier this month, Vick was captured on video in a nightclub with rapper Young Jeezy, and it caused a bit of an Internet stir, but Vick stayed cool that night, well within the realm of decency. The feeling here: As long as Vick stays off the police blotter, forget Week 6 as the date for his return. That's needless punishment for a man who served 18 months in prison. Bring him back for Week 3, and let the show begin.

The first honest man

There's a feeling in the scientific community that steroids will one day be legal, that their medicinal benefits are too great to ignore and that they will be refined to degrees of heightened safety. We're a long way from that point. We're still in a nebulous world of potential side effects and the "tarnishing," if you buy that argument, of sporting achievements over the past 40-odd years. But the day is coming.

We live in an age of aggressive performance enhancement in all walks of life, an obsession that is bound to escalate, not diminish, in sports. Years from now, in that ever-so-enhanced world, people will view baseball's so-called Steroid Era and scoff at the notion that Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and others drew so much scorn, skepticism and ridicule. It will be clear that they only reflected a widespread pattern in society, a roaring tide that could not be stemmed.

As such, we need athletes to start speaking honestly about their deeds, to disarm the public with clear-headed admissions. That's why Bronson Arroyo, of the Cincinnati Reds, is my MVP in baseball so far. Speaking with USA Today, he talked openly about seeking an edge with "andro," amphetamines and multiple supplements until baseball got serious about drug testing. He says he could easily be on that list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003, and that he still downs every supplement he can get away with - because that's just how it is in this culture.

"You don't want me to get Albert Pujols out? Give me a break," he said. "If you give me (the amphetamine) Adderall, and I strike out Pujols in the seventh inning with the bases loaded, there's a pretty good chance I'll take that Adderall the next time."

Why did the union drag its feet so long on drug testing? "Right or wrong, the union is there to make sure we look good in the media, make as much money as we can and continue our career as long as we can," he said. "I don't regret a thing. Neither should anyone else."

Granted, there's a loose-cannon element to Arroyo's comments. For the wisest people on the planet - the ones who dismiss artificial enhancement and always will - the subject will forever be unsettling. People are going to realize, though, that for all the hand-wringing over athletes' use of steroids, it's the lying that is most inexcusable.

Arroyo has taken a bold new stance. Meantime, he took the mound Thursday against Washington and pitched a two-hit complete game. Perhaps he'll start a couple of trends.

E-mail Bruce Jenkins at bjenkins@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle