Michael Vick

[Soup Fan]

Just as Vick is entitled to stand trial for the charges brought against him, we have every right to form our own opinions based on the available facts and evidence.

I have read the indictment (available at thesmokinggun.com) and I have listened to numerous legal analysts on this subject and it all adds up to Bad Newz for Vick. The federal government does not usually move in on a guy unless they feel that they have the goods. As it stands, they have his 3 cohorts, at least one of which is likely to cut a deal and testify against him, and 4 cooperating witnesses.

Vick bought that property as a vacant lot with the money from his rookie deal. He built the black sheds. He built the fences. He built the house. If you can suspend your disbelief and ignore the preponderance of evidence out at this point, then I don't know whether to feel sympathetic of jealous, because my feelings about Vick were formed by my own research into the case brought against him. Not because some douchebag on a cable news channel told me he was guilty.

[beantrac]

Being from around Atlanta and loving all Atlanta sports, I feel it is a real low blow to all Falcons fans and Dog owners. If i had a property (doesn't matter if i had 1, 2, or 30) and someone was living there. I would know what is going on at that house, even if it was my brother, sister, cousin, maybe even my parents. Cause in the end I would be the home owner i would get in trouble.

I say he atleast knew it was going on, even if he didn't participate. And that is guilty by association.

Love the Falcons, but i hope he gets in touble. Just to make an example for all dog fighters. If it was me in the situation, i would have already been put away for my 5 years.

[J_Bone]

I have to agree with you Soup Fan. At first I thought maybe he was being setup and dragged into it because of who he is and just didn't want to believe Vick was involved. But after much realization, I agree the Federal Government usually waits till they have enough evidence to go forward with suck allegations.
I'm waiting for the final verdict, but it's hard not to have judgment about this.

[Striper]

Let's all remember that their is a also a difference between being guilty and being proven guilty.

Just because a jury doesn't convict someone doesn't mean he didn't do it. It just means that the prosecutors didn't convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt.

[dodson914]

It's pretty much over for him. One of the other guys being charged has now plead guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government for a lesser sentence. Also, when the Feds prosecute they have a 95% success rate.

[Jeepthrills]

The gambling issue is, although a major part of the investigation, minor in comparison to the treatment of the dogs. A girl who works for me went to a dog fight with her boyfriend one night a few years ago, not knowing where he was taking her. She said it was the worst thing she had ever seen. She was terrified to be there and even more scared to leave. The guys who run these things are the worst type of people out there.

The upside that I do see in all of this is that my guy Joey Harrington gets to start again. You have to be a little nervous now if you are a starting QB and your team brings in Joey as your backup. Last year it was in Miami for Culpepper who ended up out for the year. This year it's Vick. I hope he does well and that Vick gets absolutely nailed in this whole thing. He is a bad guy and so is his brother. I do feel bad for the fans of Virginia Tech. After the tragedy they went though this year, now their most famous alum is making headlines for his behavior.

P.S. Ray Lewis did not kill anybody. He was guilty of obstruction of justice for not cooperating with the police.

[Undr Par]

I think the truly sad thing about all this is that people still come out and say that Dog fighting is a southern thing (as if to say it's ok)....

also seating back and watching and listening I also see how once again this has become a race issue, people saying they are only after him cause he's black and mostly all his supporters are black etc........sad how if your a piece of crap (you are a piece of crap) regardless of race....but people cause of his race will either support him or not support him......

personally I hope his career is over, he's involved, this isn't the DUKE rape case sitaution here, things haven't been done because someone wanted their name out there like that DA....theres edivence to convict and I hope they do.

[Jeepthrills]

I think the truly sad thing about all this is that people still come out and say that Dog fighting is a southern thing (as if to say it's ok)....

The outcry would be just as big if he was white. The race card is played all the time when there is no other justifiable defense for someone. It's very unfortunate because there are still too many situations where racism truly exists. When people use it as a feeble excuse, it takes away from the real claims. I don't like Barry Bonds but I pulled for Mark McGuirre. I don't like Michael Vick but I like Joey Harrington. That makes me a racist. I form my opinions about people by their actions. These are two bad guys. Kobe is another. Some people would view this as a racial thing. However, my oldest son's name is Jordan Michael. He is named after Michael Jordan. Many of my all time favorite athletes are black or other minorities. Tiger Woods is a little of everything. I think sports has always been one of the great ways to cross the racial barriers. I cheer for guys based on their uniform and not their skin tone. just like I dislike guys based on what they do, not what they look like.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Now that Vick has agreed to plead guilty --

excerpt clipped & pasted from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...082002030.html
Michael Vick agreed yesterday to plead guilty to the federal dogfighting charges against him, a move that could land the Atlanta Falcons star quarterback in prison and leaves his once-dynamic football career shrouded in uncertainty.

-- he no longer deserves nor gets the "presumption of innocence".

Now, it will be interesting to see what penalties the courts & the NFL impose.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

I think the truly sad thing about all this is that people still come out and say that Dog fighting is a southern thing (as if to say it's ok)....

I don't know whether or not dog fighting is a "Southern thing". What I do know is that I've lived virtually all my life in North Carolina, Florida, Texas & Virginia and have never been invited to a dog fight and have never had any personal knowledge, before or after the fact, or a dog fight.

I'm not going to accept it being a "Southern thing" without some pretty solid proof.

[Jeepthrills]

Based on everything I have heard, the NFL may wait until he serves his jail time to suspend him. That way he is not suspended while he can't be playing anyway. I would expect him to get at least one year from the NFL. After two years away from the game and all of the benefits being an NFL millionaire include, he will have a hard time latching on with a team, if one will chance the bad PR of taking him.

[iacas]

Based on everything I have heard, the NFL may wait until he serves his jail time to suspend him. That way he is not suspended while he can't be playing anyway. I would expect him to get at least one year from the NFL. After two years away from the game and all of the benefits being an NFL millionaire include, he will have a hard time latching on with a team, if one will chance the bad PR of taking him.

I hope he's just banned for life.

[Matt P]

I don't see him being banned for life, espeically when looking at Lenord Little who has killed someone while driving drunk and continues to get in trouble for drunk driving is still playing. He will do his time in prison--12-18 months, plus any additional that he may get from the State of Virginia, but that may be just for time served, and then he will get a year or two from the NFL. Like mentioned above, the trick will be whether an NFL team will pick him up. Maybe he will go to the CFL.

[flap]

He is done as a football player.I do not think even Al Davis will touch him when in 2010 Goodell lets him back in.

[gillman52]

He has been a controversial personality ever since he put on a Falcons uniform. The sports talk shows and local paper have been all over this but what does the rest of the country think???

Cruelty to animals is bad, and the dog is "King of the Hill". His value for advertisers has been severely diminished, and I wouldn't want to test the strength of the "Dog" lobby. I look for him to be behind bars.

[Guest ShadowXOR]

I hope he gets jail time, his career is ruined, and he is banned. Anything is really too good for this waste of oxygen.

The NAACP is a joke as well. Supporting someone doing this no matter what their color is wrong.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

I see NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Vick indefinitely without pay and "freed the Falcons to "assert any claims or remedies" to recover $22 million of Vick's signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004." Sounds like a pretty sound move by the Commish to me.

[J_Bone]

I got this a while back.....Sorry, I just had to post it.