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He's lucky the judge didn't give him more. The guy lied and lied and lied until has back was totally against the wall and had no choice. Only cowards do that.2011 NCAA Football ATS: 13-4-1
2011 NFL: 11-3-2
Support the troopsComment
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Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980, in Newport News, Virginia) is a suspended and incarcerated National Football League (NFL) quarterback (Atlanta Falcons team). As a result of his role in illegal dog fighting and related gambling activity, he is serving 23 months confinement from federal conviction and sentence imposed in December in 2007.[1][2] Vick will be tried by a Virginia court on separate state-level felony charges in April 2008 (though his legal team has neither ruled out double-jeopardy arguments nor plea deals).
After becoming a standout high school football player with Newport News Public Schools, he was awarded a scholarship to attend Virginia Tech, where his football career included a trip to the 2000 Sugar Bowl, which was also the BCS title game. He left Virginia Tech after three years, and was the top pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. His early career included league records, playoff appearances and lucrative endorsements, and he would eventually receive a contract for $130 million in 2004, making him the highest paid NFL player at the time, with additional income from many product endorsement arrangements.
Following discovery by authorities in April 2007 of extensive facilities used for dog fighting at his 15 acre property in southeastern Virginia, Vick and three other men were indicted on federal felony charges related to his involvement with an illegal interstate dog fighting ring known as Bad Newz Kennels, which, according to the Urban Dictionary, is a reference to the slang name for the inner-city neighborhood in Newport News where Vick and several of the convicted co-conspirators grew up.[4] After all three co-defendants submitted guilty pleas and agreed to testify against him, Vick also agreed to a plea bargain and was convicted of a single felony county under federal law in August, 2007.
On November 30, two of his 3 co-defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson in Richmond to terms of 18 and 21 months each in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised probation following their release. The sentences, while substantially less than maximum penalties, were longer than had been recommended by federal prosecutors. This fueled speculation by legal experts that sentences for Vick and the other co-defendant, each of whom had greater roles in the dog fighting ring, will also be greater than recommended in their plea agreements.[5] Vick is due to be sentenced on December 10[6] and final co-defendant on December 14.[7]
As of December 3, 2007, all four men were still facing trials on separate state charges after indictments were returned by a local grand jury in Surry County, Virginia in September, 2007. Vick was being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia.[8] His trial in Surry County Circuit Court has been set for April 2, 2008. If convicted on each of the two state felony charges he faces, the maximum penalty is a total of 10 years in a Virginia penitentiary.
In August 2007, Vick was suspended indefinitely by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Falcons have sought to reclaim bonus money paid Vick, and on October 10, 2007, an arbitrator ruled that the team is entitled to recoup $19.9 million from him.[9] By the end of the summer, most of his many product endorsement relationships had been suspended or terminated. Subsequently, three banks filed multi-million dollar civil law suits in several U.S. District courts to recover loans which each of the banks claimed to be in default of terms.
On November 20, 2007, after Vick was observed to be liquidating some of his real estate assets, notably the dog-fighting estate property near Smithfield, Virginia and one of his three multi-million dollar homes (the one located near Atlanta), the federal authorities asked Judge Hudson to order him to set aside funds to meet the terms of his plea agreement. In response, Vick agreed to deposit nearly $1 million dollars in an escrow account with his attorneys to reimburse costs of caring for the confiscated dogs, most of which are now being offered for adoption on a selective basis under supervision of a court-appointed specialist. Experts say some of the animals will require special care for the rest of their lives.
Suspension by the NFL
Before the 2007 season, just hours after Vick plead guilty in the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting investigation, the NFL suspended Vick indefinitely without pay. In a letter to Vick, Commissioner Roger Goodell said that Vick had admitted to conduct that was "not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible." While Vick is technically a first-time offender under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, Goodell handed down a harsher suspension because Vick admitted that he provided most of the money for the gambling side of the operation. The NFL does not allow its players to be involved in any form of gambling, and even first-time offenders risk being banned for life. However, Goodell did leave open the possibility of reinstating Vick depending on how well he cooperates with federal and state authorities.[25] Earlier, Goodell had barred Vick from reporting to training camp while the league conducted its own investigation into the matter.
On August 27, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a press conference that the Falcons would seek to recover a portion of Vick's signing bonus. He also said the team had no immediate plans to cut ties with Vick, citing salary-cap issues.[26] It had initially appeared that Goodell had cleared the way for the Falcons to release Vick, since he ruled that Vick's involvement in gambling activity breached his contract. On August 29, the Falcons sent a letter to Vick demanding that he reimburse them for $20 million of the $37 million bonus.[27] The case was sent to arbitration, and on October 10, an arbitrator ruled that Vick had to reimburse the Falcons for $19.97 million. The arbitrator agreed with the Falcons' contentions that Vick knew he was engaging in illegal activity when he signed his new contract in 2004, and that he'd even used the bonus money to pay for the operation.[28]
At this point his future with the NFL is unclear, depending on how long of a prison sentence he serves on the federal conviction, the disposition of pending state charges, and how long of a suspension the league decides on. Many commentators have noted that even if Vick avoids a lifetime ban, the likelihood of him ever playing in the NFL again is low, as few general managers would be willing to take Vick on their roster. For example, ESPN's John Clayton said that only a few entrenched general managers would be willing to take such a risk, and even then few owners would sign off on it. Clayton also said that it is unlikely that he would be able to play in the Canadian Football League, as it is nearly impossible for a convicted felon to get a Canadian visa. Clayton did speculate that Vick would most likely play in the Arena Football League.[29]Comment
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Personal
Controversies and incidents
Between his selection by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft and early 2007, Vick was allegedly involved several incidents or events:
In 2007, conflicting statements were made by his estranged parents about possible dogfighting activities in 2001. Michael Boddie, his father, who now lives in Atlanta, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that around 2001, Michael Vick was staging dogfights in the garage of the family's home in Newport News and kept fighting dogs in the family's backyard, including injured ones which the father nursed back to health. Boddie said his son had been urged to not engage in the activity, but continued. He stated "This is Mike's thing. And he knows it." [30] Within days, Michael Vick's mother, Brenda Vick Boddie, who now lives in Suffolk, Virginia, responded. She told the Newport News Daily Press "There was no dogfighting [at our home]. There were no cages."[31]
In early 2004, two men were arrested in Virginia for distributing marijuana. The truck they were driving was registered to Michael Vick. The Falcons coach Dan Reeves recalled that he lectured Vick at that time on the importance of reputation, on choosing the right friends, on staying out of trouble for the good of his team. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Reeves as having told Vick: "You are an Atlanta Falcon...Whatever you do is going to be a reflection on all of us, not just you."[32]
On October 10, 2004, Vick and the other members of his party including employee Quanis Phillips were at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport on their way to board an AirTran afternoon flight to Newport News, Virginia. While they were passing through a security checkpoint with Vick, a security camera caught Phillips and Todd Harris picking up an expensive-appearing watch (either a Rolex or a fake) which belonged to Alvin Spencer, a security screener.[33] After watching the theft on a video tape, Spencer filed a police report. However, he claimed that Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, known as the Falcons "fixer", interfered with the investigation.[32] Although Vick representatives declined to make him available for an Atlanta police inquiry, six days later Spencer did get the watch back from them, according to the Washington Post.[33]
In March 2005 a woman named Sonya Elliott filed a civil lawsuit against Vick alleging she contracted genital herpes from Vick, in the autumn of 2002, and that he failed to inform her that he had the disease.[34] Elliot further alleged that Vick had visited clinics under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and thus he knew of his condition. On April 24, 2006 Vick's attorney, Lawrence Woodward, revealed that the lawsuit had settled out of court with an undisclosed amount.[35] Many fans bought custom jerseys from NFL.com with Vick's number 7 and the name "MEXICO" on the back, as a reference to his lawsuit. The NFL has since banned customizing jerseys with the name Mexico.
November 20, 2006- Vick and the City of Kankakee, Illinois enter into an agreement that permits Vick to pay sales taxes to Kankakee and not in Georgia or Virginia.
November 26, 2006 - After a Falcons loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome in apparent reaction to fans booing, Vick made an obscene gesture at fans, holding up two middle fingers. He was fined $10,000 by the NFL for his obscene gesture, and agreed to donate another $10,000 to charity.[36]
January 17, 2007 Vick surrendered a water bottle which had a hidden compartment to security personnel at Miami International Airport. "The compartment was hidden by the bottle's label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright," police said. Test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing.[37] Vick announced that the water bottle was a jewelry stash box, and that the substance in question had been jewelry.[38]
November 3, 2001 Fans in the family section of the stands cheered when Atlanta Falcon's quarterback Chris Chandler was injured because it meant that Vick would be given a chance to play. Chris Chandler's wife Diane confronted the fans, which led to a commotion which led to an object being thrown. Coach Dan Reeves said that he would speak with the players about how their families were expected to act following the game. Vick himself decried the incident: "That's so crazy, man," Vick said. "I don't see how anybody could be cheering while somebody's out there getting hit. As hard as we go out there and try to please these fans, as hard as we go out and play, I don't see why anybody would even make those statements."[39][40]
Dog fighting investigation
Main article: Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation
Beginning on April 25, 2007, widespread media publicity was drawn by discovery of evidence of unlawful dog fighting activities at a property owned by Vick in a rural county in southeastern Virginia.[32] Vick was indicted on and eventually pled guilty to federal dog fighting charges, and was accused of financing the operation, directly participating in dog fights and executions, and personally handling thousands of dollars in related gambling activities.
Federal criminal prosecution
In July 2007, Vick and three other men were charged by federal authorities with felony charges of operating an unlawful six-year long interstate dog fighting venture known as "Bad Newz Kennels" at Vick's 15-acre property in Surry County, Virginia. Vick was accused of financing the operation, directly participating in dog fights and executions, and personally handling thousands of dollars in related gambling activities. By August 20, Vick and each of the other three co-defendants had agreed to separate plea bargains for the federal charges.[41][42] They are expected to each receive federal prison sentences between 12 months and a maximum of five years.
On August 24, Vick filed his plea documents with the federal court. He pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to operate an interstate dogfighting ring. In addition, he admitted to providing most of the financing for the operation itself, as well as participating directly in several dogfights in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina. He also admitted to sharing in the proceeds from these dog fights. He also admitted that he knew his colleagues killed several dogs who didn't perform well enough. However, while he admitted to providing most of the money for gambling on the fights, he denied placing any side bets on the dogfights. He also denied actually killing any dogs himself.[43] ESPN obtained copies of the documents under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and made them available at:
Vick federal guilty plea
Vick federal statement of facts
On August 27, 2007, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted Vick's guilty plea. In the scheduled December 10, 2007 sentencing, Vick faces a maximum of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and 3 years of supervised release. Prosecutors have asked Hudson to sentence Vick to 12-18 months (the minimum amount possible under federal sentencing guidelines) if Vick cooperates with the government as he has agreed. However, Hudson does have the right to increase the sentence up to the maximum limits, and warned two co-defendants (Peace and Phillips) that the brutality in killing the dogs warranted exceeding the guidelines in their cases.[44]
Failed drug test, beginning jail time early
While free on bail, Vick tested positive for marijuana in a random drug test which is a violation of the conditions of his release while awaiting sentencing in federal court his felony conviction. Vick's positive urine sample was submitted September 13, 2007, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on September 26.
As a result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ordered Vick confined to his Hampton, Virginia home[45] between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring until his court hearing date in December. He also was ordered to submit to random drug testing.
Co-defendant Quanis Phillips was incarcerated earlier after his August 17 plea hearing after having failed drug tests with monitoring equipment and regulations already in place. [46] [19][47][48]
In November, Vick turned himself in early to begin getting time-served credit against his likely federal prison sentence, and was being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia awaiting sentencing on the federal convictions on December 10, 2007.[49]Last edited by homedawg; 12-11-2007, 09:25 AM.Comment
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Federal sentencing
On November 30, Peace and Phillips were sentenced by Judge Hudson to 18 and 21 months in federal prison respectively. The punishments were higher than recommended by federal prosecutors, and included three years of supervised probation following their release from prison.[50] Taylor is also due to be sentenced on December 14,[51] but, like Peace and Phillips, had agreed to testify against Vick at trial before he also accepted a plea agreement.[52]
News media reported that statements the November 30 hearing made it clearer that co-defendant Tony Taylor led Bad Newz Kennels. He guided others who were newcomers to the dogfighting underworld, according to arguments presented in U.S. District Court during the sentencing hearings. An attorney for Phillips argued before Judge Hudson that Taylor was known as "the dog man" as "an experienced dogfighter ataylnd trainer."[53]
On December 10, 2007, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. Judge Hudson said he was "convinced that it was not a momentary lack of judgment" on Vick's part, and that Vick was a "full partner" in the dogfighting ring.[54]
State criminal prosecution
Long anticipated separate Virginia charges against all four men were placed following indictments by the Surry County grand jury when it met on September 25. The principal evidence considered was the sworn statements of the defendants during their plea agreement process before the federal court, although the indictments are for different charges. Vick is charged with two class 6 felonies in Virginia, which carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for conviction on each charge.[55]
Vick will face a jury trial in Surry County Circuit Court on April 2, 2008. He turned himself into authorities in November to begin serving an anticipated jail sentence on the federal dogfighting conspiracy charge, and as of December 4, was being held in Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia. His co-defendants were also assigned trial dates. Purnell Peace faces a jury trial March 5. Quanis Phillips will also be tried March 5, but did not ask for a jury trial, and neither did Tony Taylor, whose trial will be May 7.[56]
Disposition of dogs
As of October 2, 2007, the 49 dogs which were seized in April remained in animal shelters in Hampton Roads and central Virginia. An ASPCA evaluation showed that one animal, identified as #2621, was aggressive to the point the evaluation couldn't be completed and it has a history of biting people. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ordered that it be euthanized. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond announced in court filings that the other 48 canines may be safe enough to place in the community with strict conditions.[57]
On October 16, Hudson acted on a government motion requesting animal law expert Rebecca J. Huss to serve as the guardian-special master to oversee the possible placement of the 48 dogs, or their euthanasia. The judge also granted a request by the U.S. attorney's office that each of the pit bulls be spayed, neutered and have microchips implanted.
Huss, who is a Professor of Law at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana, has a Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law from the University of Iowa School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law.[58] In a statement released by Valparaiso University, she said:
"As someone whose academic endeavors focus on the legal status and value of animals in our lives, I am honored to represent the interests of those at the heart of this case, the dogs."[59]
In November 2007, Vick was observed to be liquidating some of his real estate assets, notably the dog-fighting estate property near Smithfield, Virginia and one of his multi-million dollar homes, several of which are located in Suffolk, Virginia[60], near Atlanta, Georgia, and the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Florida.[61] ESPN reported on October 20 that the one near Atlanta was listed for sale at a $4.5 million asking price.[62] At the request of federal authorities before his sentencing in federal court, he agreed to deposit nearly $1 million dollars in an escrow account with attorneys for use to reimburse costs of caring for the confiscated dogs, most of which are now being offered for adoption on a selective basis under supervision of a court-appointed specialist. Experts say some of the animals will require individual care for the rest of their lives.[63]
Endorsements, business activity
During his NFL career, Vick became a spokesperson for many companies; his endorsement contracts have included Nike, EA Sports, Coca-Cola, Powerade, Kraft, Rawlings, Hasbro and AirTran.[64][65] His contract along with his endorsements had Vick ranked 33 among Forbes' Top 100 Celebrities in 2005.[64] However, two years later, he was not even listed on the most recent Forbes Top 100 Celebrities. Even before the animal cruelty case surfaced in 2007, Vick's corporate status had deteriorated, apparently due to extensive bad press. Among the negative incidents cited by observers of this was his middle finger gesture to Atlanta football fans in 2006.[66][67] His endorsement deals with at least six companies (Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Kraft Foods, Hasbro and AirTran) have expired over the past few years and have not been renewed.
AirTran
AirTran did not renew their relationship on May 8, 2007. This was after both his missed appearance on Capitol Hill on April 24 and the police search at his property near Smithfield, Virginia later the same week, when the dog fighting investigation became widely known, but well before the most damaging allegations and the federal indictments.
AirTran has made no public statements regarding the reason for ending the endorsement relationship with Vick. However, ESPN reported on May 31 "especially stinging to AirTran was that Vick's publicist blamed the airline when the quarterback known for his quickness failed to arrive in Washington to speak before Congress. AirTran said Vick had ample opportunities to get to his destination on AirTran but chose not to."[68]
Impact of dogfighting case publicity
Following the widespread publicity of the dogfighting case and details of alleged brutality executing dogs not considered vicious or aggressive enough by hanging, drowning, shooting, electrocution and other means, many companies suspended and/or terminated his endorsements and withdrew Vick-related products from sale.[69][70][71][72] Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons, the Reverend Al Sharpton and PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk were among many people who sent letters to Vick's corporate sponsors condemning dog fighting.[73]
On July 18, 2007, following extensive media coverage of the content of Vick's 18-page federal indictment of the previous day, Neil Schwartz, director of marketing for SportScanInfo, which tracks sporting goods sales, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "I just think it's going to be really hard for Michael to somehow repair his public image unless these charges are totally false... American people are incredibly forgiving, but the heinous nature of what went on here may be a whole different ballgame." The same article also quoted Bill Sutton, a professor of sports business at the University of Central Florida: "You won't find him anywhere" in advertising or marketing in the near future.[74]
MSNBC quoted David Carter, founder of the Sports Business Group, a Southern California-based provider of strategic sports-marketing services: "Number one, animal cruelty is something no one will tolerate. Number two, you have the underbelly of possible gambling. Number three, you have the strength of [animal] advocacy groups. They aren't going away."[75]
According to the Virginian-Pilot in a July 19, 2007 article, Vick's biggest marketing deal at that time was with Nike.[76] Later on the same day, USA Today reported that Vick's legal troubles had prompted Nike to suspend the release of its latest product line named after him, telling retailers it will not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, "this summer."[77]
On July 27, Nike announced it "has suspended Michael Vick's contract without pay, and will not sell any more Michael Vick product at Nike owned retail at this time." However, the company said it had not terminated the contract, as animal-rights activists had urged.[78] The same day, Adidas announced its Reebok division would stop selling Vick football jerseys and the NFL said it had pulled all Vick-related items from NFLShop.com,[79] including Falcons jerseys customized with Vick's name and number.[80]
Within a few more days, Donruss, a trading card company, decided to pull Vick's card from any future 2007 releases, according to Beckett Media, which covers the collectibles industry.[81] Upper Deck, another trading card company, took similar action.
On July 31, St. Louis-based sporting goods manufacturer Rawlings, which used Vick's likeness to sell merchandise and modeled a football using his name, ended its relationship. The same day, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority stores, part of a major chain, have also stopped selling Vick-related goods.[72]
Upon the filing of Vick's Plea Agreement and Statement of Facts with the federal court in Richmond, Nike announced it had terminated his contract (which had been suspended earlier).[82]
On August 29, 2007, An eBay auction for 22 Vick football cards, chewed up and slobbered on by two Missouri dogs ended with a final bid of $7,400. All the proceeds are expected to be donated to the Humane Society.[83]Comment
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Banks
Royal Bank of Canada
On September 20, Royal Bank of Canada, DBA RBC Centura,[84] filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Newport News against Vick for more than $2.3 million, arguing that his guilty plea to federal dogfighting charges and the resulting impact on his career have prevented him from repaying a loan which was to be for real estate purposes.[85][86] The suit claims Vick is in default of $2,313,649.37 for various reasons, including that he failed to provide accurate financial statements. The bank claims he failed to meet a September 10 deadline to repay the loan.[87] The suit is seeking the remaining $2.3 million Vick owes, plus $499 daily interest beginning September 16 and additional money to cover legal fees.[88]
1st Source Bank
On September 26, 1st Source Bank, based in South Bend, Indiana, claimed in a federal lawsuit that it had suffered damages of at least $2 million as Vick and Divine Seven LLC of Atlanta had refused to pay for at least 130 vehicles, including many Kia Spectras, Ford Tauruses, Chrysler Pacificas, and a Dodge Charger. The cars were acquired by Divine Seven to be used as rental cars. The "Specialty Financing Group" of 1st Source provides financing for rental car fleets in many locations around the country, according to the bank's web site.[89]
Vick signed the loan agreement documents as Chief Financial Officer of Divine Seven.[90] Art M. Washington was listed as Chief Executive Officer. The website for Georgia's Secretary of State lists "Divine Seven LLC" as a registered corporation which was created on December 15, 2006 by Washington and Vick. Washington is the designated registered agent.[91] The company's listed address, 2527 Camp Creek Parkway, in College Park, Georgia is also listed as a Payless Car Rental franchise location.[92] College Park is a predominantly African American city in a south Atlanta suburban area adjacent to the busy Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to a spokesman for the bank who was quoted in a news media report of September 28, 1st Source has been able to repossess most of the cars, which will limit Vick's financial liability in the lawsuit.[93] A written demand for payment was made August 24, but was not honored, according to documents filed with the U.S. District Court in South Bend.[94]
Wachovia Bank
On October 2, 2007, Wachovia Bank filed suit in U.S. District Court in Atlanta seeking about $940,000 from Vick and Gerald Frank Jenkins, a business partner and their Atlantic Wine & Package LLC. The bank claims the two have defaulted on a May 2006 loan of $1.3 million to set up a wine shop and restaurant and have not made scheduled payments since his federal indictment in July. The bank says Vick's circumstances are a factor in the default; Atlantic Wine's ability to make good on the loan and Vick's guarantee have both been "impaired" by recent events, the suit contends.[95] The bank seized $370,000 from Atlantic Wine's checking accounts, but the company still owed principal of $937,907, plus interest and fees of $1,876 through Oct. 2.[96] The Wachovia suit also claims that Atlantic Wine has multiple checking accounts, and that two of those accounts were overdrawn by a total of $34,680.[97]
In March, 2007, an Atlantic Wine & Package store and adjacent Tasting Room restaurant at 3560 Camp Creek Parkway opened in the suburban Atlanta town of East Point.[98] A primarily African American community, East Point is home to R&B and hip hop groups such as TLC, OutKast, Coolbreeze, Organized Noize, and Goodie Mob, as well as an alternative rock group, Seven Envy.
Dr. Jenkins, a retired surgeon, is also an owner of Atlantic Wine and Package and the adjacent Antica Posta Tasting Room in the City of Sandy Springs, another Atlanta suburb, which opened in September, 2007.[99] A Tasting Room website notes that Jenkins has owned a store named Atlantic Wine in the nearby Buckhead section of Atlanta since 2004. A news media report indicted that he had brought Vick in as an investor.[100] A newspaper article about his appearance at the opening in March described Vick as "the main shareholder of the three investors."[101] Ernest Greer, an Atlanta attorney, was named by news media sources as a third investor in the restaurant and wine store venture, but was not named in the Wachovia suit.[102]
On March 14, 2007, Vick made a personal appearance at the Tasting Room in East Point to promote its opening, before reports surfaced of his involvement in dog-fighting. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time that four similar restaurants were planned for other parts of the Atlanta area. Vick claimed it was his first business venture in the area and is part of a plan to establish a better relationship with the local community.[103] Photos of Vick from that event have been removed from the restaurant's Web site, as have all references to the quarterback.[104] News media reported that, despite the bank's lawsuit, the businesses were still operating.
Michael Vick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaComment
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Perhaps to some, but not to me. I don't think he deserves to die or anything, but I do believe karma owes him a small fraction of the pain he caused to countless number of innocent animals. Compared to what he did a knife in the thigh is nothing. Or maybe someone should just break his legs. Either way I will be very upset if he ever plays in the NFL again.GO TITANS!Comment
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with all due respect bookie, max possible 5 years compared to him actually getting 2 is light IMO, with chance of good behavior early parole, we're looking at 1.5 years.
but 2 years in jail is no walk in the park nevertheless. I do agree with you there.
HOWEVER. I have not heard a definite answer from Goodell that Vick would come back into the NFL.
if he does, THAT alone is getting off easy. 2 years in jail nonwithstanding.
I mean I wouldnt know this, but someone (regular joe) who has been to jail, for 2-5 years, gets out and tries to get a job.
what kind of job do you think he'll land? anything remotely in the 60k-80k range? or anything above average and respectable?
now compare that to Vick possibly getting back into the NFL, and say he's been blackballed reputation-wise, well some team will take a chance on him, and at the very least he will get veteran's base salary which is what? half a mil? maybe less? still significantly better than your avg. convicted criminal..
just my 5 pennies:hide:
"Schooly D is fat cake yo."
-Big Pimpin-Comment
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I have to weigh in here and say Vick should have been given a year in jail, another huge fine and maybe a (1) year suspension from the NFL! This is just an opinion! Earlier in the year I wanted him behind bars forever! However, for a man to lose everything because of dogfighting is not justification!
I know we have animal lovers in here! I can totally respect an individuals love for their animal! BUT, we are talking about an animal here, right!? What about the other athletes connected to murders, rape, etc..... Many NFL players with far more pressing issues/accusations/allegations slide thru with plea bargains or quiet settlements and STILL suit up ever Sunday!
It's a tough call IMHO! I guess you can say I value humans more than animals! I just can't justify stripping a man of a living (which may be the end result here) because he financed a dogfighting ring!
:bang:White crushed Americans need weird energy - Robert PollardComment
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I think 2 years is about right....that is not going to be fun.....and he deserves every day....
...now I hope I don't here his name again for 23 more months...Comment
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Chances are Vick is going to a low-security camp anyway, so I'm not so sure we can even say he is serving "hard time." He committed crimes that could carry a much larger penalty, didn't even pretend to show remorse, and lied. I'd say he got off easy, all things considered. I don't wish bad things on the man, but the laws are the laws. If you or me get caught doing this, we're going for longer than this and to an actual prison. Bet on that as your lock of the century. If Vick was so damned worried about "losing everything" maybe the dumbass should have realized he was COMMITTING A CRIME! Just like I don't feel bad for people that get fired due to DUI, they knew what they were risking going in to it, and need to pay for the crime.
Defending Vick, even as a Falcons' fan, is dumb.Comment
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Agreed 1000%. This thing has lost some of its perspect IMHOP. Now I am a dog lover have had them my whole life and if someone were to kill the one I own now I would go ballistic........but, like many crimes dog fighting has been around since the beginning of time and until the Vick situation we never read about it, talked about it, or were that concerned about it, though we knew it was happening somewhere. Vick has put a face to this evil business, but like Roth said this is not on par with the crimes that many of our prestigous stars undertake as hobbies or pasttimes while they are away from the field. If it were we would be prosecuting these fools who run these operations far more publically and often. The Govt. wanted to make an example out of Vick and they did a hell of a job doing that. If Vick had of never lied about his involvement, never denied his actions was immediately forthecoming when the **** hit the fan the heat generated by this subject would be far less than what we see today. The Govt putting a face to the sport will potentially deter others from the business, but I would bet that we will not hear of another dog fighting case anytime in the near future...and for all you that feel Vick should be stabbed, shot, beaten, have one broke off in his A** you need to ask yourself why that is. I am not discounting this disgusting act as meaningless but in the grand scheme it is not as henious as many crimes committed every day. To that point I read that the trafficking and the gambling were considered the crimes with the most substance. What does that tell you?In this great country of ours we love to build up our stars to demigod levels, and we are even happier to tear them down should they make mistakes...especially when the try and cover up the mistakes with LIES. It is usually not the crime but the lying that makes for the downfall???????Comment
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