January 09, 2006

Marcus Vick's downward spiral continues...: The former Virginia Tech quarterback, kicked off the team last week for unsportsmanlike behavior and legal troubles, now has more of the latter, after allegedly brandishing a gun during an argument in a McDonald's parking lot.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 03:14 PM - 61 comments

His agent has to be shaking his head, the chances MV will be a high draft selection appear to be running away, somebody has to put him in a straightjacket fast. Makes me wonder if he'll have to go to the CFL or Arena football league to prove himself first...?

posted by the red terror at 03:28 PM on January 09, 2006

And he says he is "excited" to move on to the next level by entering the draft. Does any team need his not-so-tested tallent in the NFL, with this much baggage? I for one hope not.

posted by Folkways at 03:30 PM on January 09, 2006

Is he even that good as a quarterback? I saw two complete games of his and he didn't seem that impressive. Is he better than say Troy Smith?

posted by arcklin at 03:36 PM on January 09, 2006

You know...I don't know anything about this guy, but why doesn't his mother or his brother or somebody dope-slap him in a hurry? Clearly he needs someone to yank his coat and get him to straighten out, or the law will be more than happy to do it. Why would you let someone you love run on the rocks like that?

posted by lil_brown_bat at 03:39 PM on January 09, 2006

If the charge is true, Vick did this one day after declaring his eligibility for the NFL. You really have to wonder about his mental health.

posted by rcade at 03:43 PM on January 09, 2006

Maybe he'll get lucky and be drafted by the Ravens, where Ray Lewis can mentor him on how to be a real criminal.....I wonder if MV and Maurice Clarett hang out together?

posted by jenny at 03:43 PM on January 09, 2006

Agreed rcade, and llb I do believe Micheal V did take him in a couple of years ago in Atlanta to try and straighten him out. Doesnt seem it did much good.

posted by Folkways at 03:48 PM on January 09, 2006

Just what the NFL needs is another Psycho! He won't amount to anything without any self control.

posted by sportsmomma at 03:50 PM on January 09, 2006

Give me a break, Ray Lewis isn't a hardened criminal because he pled guilty to a misdemeanor -- regardless of what crimes he was initially accused of. And, lbb, I bet his family has tried to talk to him. However, he clearly isn't thinking logically these days and is having trouble making good decisions. There is only so much a family member can do to help. He definitely isn't helping his NFL stock at all. I still think he should go to a different school and give himself time to look like he is trying to rehabilitate his image. I think a year to rehabilitate (ala Adrian McPherson) would definitely help him.

posted by bperk at 03:54 PM on January 09, 2006

im sure he just wanted his meal supersized

posted by steelcityguy at 03:54 PM on January 09, 2006

Just another example of a person thinking they are above the law because of who they are. He would be sorry if he actuall is charged and is punished for it. But he won't, they will give him a sorry ass punishment, like picking up garbage on the side of the road, when a everyday Joe would get some time locked up.

posted by megyed at 03:58 PM on January 09, 2006

Man, this guy is throwing his life away with his me-against-the-world mentality and clear sense of entitlement. If he keeps this up the only he'll be entitled to is the inside of a jail cell and a lifetime of misery.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 04:07 PM on January 09, 2006

If this kid's brother wasn't who he is, would this even be half the story it is? How many people actually remember that K-State quarterback Michael Bishop got into trouble continuously throughout his college career, culminating in getting arrested a couple of days before the Fiesta Bowl for "alleged sexual assault." My guess is that Vick's career is following the same path as Bishops, just in a more publicly scrutinized manner.

posted by hawkguy at 04:13 PM on January 09, 2006

... Ray Lewis isn't a hardened criminal because he pled guilty to a misdemeanor -- regardless of what crimes he was initially accused of. Lewis may have pled guilty only to a misdemeanor, but let's not minimize what he did after two people were stabbed to death following the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta. Lewis admitted that he told people in his entourage to lie after they were involved in the deaths of the men. He admitted giving a false statement to police after the murders. He hid the white suit he wore that night so well it has never been found. He paid $1 million to settle a civil suit filed by one victim's family and another sum to settle with the other. No one has ever been convicted of the crimes Lewis obstructed.

posted by rcade at 04:13 PM on January 09, 2006

And, lbb, I bet his family has tried to talk to him. However, he clearly isn't thinking logically these days and is having trouble making good decisions. There is only so much a family member can do to help. Very true, and I'm sure they did. It just struck me as really, really sad. But you're right, it's easy to sit here and say how preventable it all was, by other people in his life. As it happens, I've had the experience to know that you can't fix other people's problems, so I shouldn't have said that. It was just frustration speaking. He could still turn things around. I hope he knows that; I hope he can hear it when people tell him.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:14 PM on January 09, 2006

Shades of Lawrence Phillips. While there will always will be an NFL team wanting to take a chance on him (if he's a halfway decent player), Marcus can now just stand outside the jail cell and watch his football stock plummet.

posted by roberts at 04:20 PM on January 09, 2006

I think teams are more likely to take a chance on a troublemaker if he's a running back rather than a qb because of the qb position having more of a leadership role.

posted by tron7 at 04:33 PM on January 09, 2006

Just another example of a person thinking they are above the law because of who they are I hate that line of thinking. People commit crimes because they think they can get away with it (or in the heat of passion). It doesn't matter if they are rich/poor and famous/no-name. I seriously doubt that someone poor/no-name has thought "I'd love to pull this gun out and threaten Bob over here, but since I'm a poor man with no connections, I'll just keep it in my jacket for now."

posted by grum@work at 04:41 PM on January 09, 2006

Sounds like a candidate for the Raiders...Al Davis must be noticing him.

posted by oldog at 05:05 PM on January 09, 2006

Detroit Lions first round pick to replace Harrington.

posted by Bill Lumbergh at 05:10 PM on January 09, 2006

Just another example of a person thinking they are above the law because of who they are I hate that line of thinking. People commit crimes because they think they can get away with it (or in the heat of passion). It doesn't matter if they are rich/poor and famous/no-name. But being rich and/or famous, even locally, does have a lot to do with being able to get away with it, or the perception that one can. Just look at high school star athletes -- if they get cut extra slack or given extra help because of their star status, do you think they (and everyone else) don't know what's going on? Send a kid that message often enough, and some of 'em are gonna grow up into adults who feel that the rules do not apply to them -- because they never have before, have they?

posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:16 PM on January 09, 2006

Dear Michael Vick, If by some happenstance you're reading this, I'd like to maybe suggest you to take in your brother for a little while and give him a hand. I know you're not without a history of wayward behavior yourself, but Marcus needs to grow up and fast, and you might be the one person he'll actually listen to who can help him. I don't know what the nature of your relationship is with your brother, but if you have any desire to throw him a lifeline, now looks like a real good time. Respect, CB

posted by chicobangs at 05:22 PM on January 09, 2006

Nice chico. Nice.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 05:28 PM on January 09, 2006

If this guy wasn't Michael Vick's younger brother, do you think there would have been much notice of this nonsense outside of Blacksburg? The reality is that this guy is probably not high on the radar for the NFL anyway, and he would probably not be picked on the first day. He is nowhere near as good as Michael, and based on QB ratings, Michael is a pretty average (at best) NFL QB. Maybe he'll be the QB for the next version of Mean Machine.

posted by socal at 05:33 PM on January 09, 2006

Obviously Michael Vick came up with nothing and made something of himself. Once doing so, gave to his mother and younger brother. Maybe that's why Marcus, obviously from his behavior, feels so entitled. It's a shame when we help folks out they aren't sure what to do with it. Marcus needs to fend for himself and simply pay the consequences. Poetic justice would be that no NFL team in their right mind would pick him up....and Canada will tell him to stay in his own country

posted by whiteheron at 05:35 PM on January 09, 2006

It appears folks here are trying to place some blame on places other than where the blame should be placed. Its NOT up to his mother to "straighten him out..its not his brothers place either. Its not his deprived childhood. The character hes lacking can be seen in his mirror every morning.. The simple fact is...You cant polish a turd. If Prison is where hes headed ( it ought to be, and If it was one of us here, it WOULD be) then so be it.

posted by pizzpoor at 05:41 PM on January 09, 2006

I not only fear for his career, but his meaningful life.

posted by Joe88 at 05:51 PM on January 09, 2006

i agree with the red terror about him going to the afl he will go undrafted and then go there

posted by Barry-from-H-town at 05:54 PM on January 09, 2006

mv regrets he allowed his "competitive emotions to take control". sincerely sorry. Will that be his excuse this time too? This, like all his v tech antics, will be blamed on his youth and lack of maturity. I don't think the nfl needs another thug with an attitude on the field. The media should stop focusing on thugs and crybabies.

posted by kosmicdebris at 06:09 PM on January 09, 2006

Brandishing a weapon, I don't think I'd do jail time for that, probation and fine at most. Not that I plan to find out

posted by mick at 06:24 PM on January 09, 2006

I think he would be a perfect fit in the Cowboys oganization. I think they're looking for Q.B. He could complete the the drug ring when they huddle up!! May be Marcus & Barry Switzer could hook up and trade guns!!!

posted by Doc at 06:43 PM on January 09, 2006

Imagine if Marcus Vick, Maurice Clarrett, Terrell Owens, and Ray Lewis were on the same team. That would be a sight indeed.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 07:38 PM on January 09, 2006

Oh snap, Doc! Someone forgot to close that y2k tag!

posted by yerfatma at 07:42 PM on January 09, 2006

Al Davis is falling in love with this guy.

posted by sonomajoe at 08:56 PM on January 09, 2006

I see a very confused young man. It's easy to dismiss this guy as arrogant and become angry because of jock-related entitlment, but this kid needs some serious help. Reading various articles following other altercations, it's noted that a number of people, from a variety of backgrounds, spoke up for Marcus. I could care less if he plays another game of football, just get him the help he needs.

posted by Sundog at 10:27 PM on January 09, 2006

... Ray Lewis isn't a hardened criminal because he pled guilty to a misdemeanor -- regardless of what crimes he was initially accused of. Lewis may have pled guilty only to a misdemeanor, but let's not minimize what he did after two people were stabbed to death following the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta. Lewis admitted that he told people in his entourage to lie after they were involved in the deaths of the men. He admitted giving a false statement to police after the murders. He hid the white suit he wore that night so well it has never been found. He paid $1 million to settle a civil suit filed by one victim's family and another sum to settle with the other. No one has ever been convicted of the crimes Lewis obstructed. posted by rcade at 4:13 PM CST on January 9 The Ray Lewis case was a plea bargin. The defense team really earned their money. Lewis admitted to false testimony, a misdemeanor. He then testfied against his companions as a witness for the prosecution. The defense motioned to dismiss the Lewis testimony as unreliable, on the grounds that, he had already pled guilty to filing a false report there by establishing him as a less then reliable witness. He was dismissed and his testimony struck from the case. He was the only witness, ( that was still alive ) so the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. Two murderers walk, justice is served cold and somebody is paid big time!

posted by gronir_ hitrops at 10:28 PM on January 09, 2006

How many times do we have to see ability and promise go to waste because of emotions?If you are not going to fire because of life threatening actions, then use your information instead of your emotions.Screw up in school on and off campus!Get into an argument for prides sake and now you are risking your entire well being for it!Clarett had his entire world fall apart in the course of one year being impatient.None of you would exclude Owens or Lewis from your team if the game was on the line!You cats need to stop perping a fraud!!! Little Vick can not handle the pressure and shadow of Big Vick. That simple!Peyton did not follow in Archies steps at Ole Miss.No pressure to be daddy.Eli was always compared to both.How the hell do you replace a two time SB winner with a rookie?Eli will have his flashes but no bright lights.Marcus I have no sympathy for superior foolishness.

posted by AASR-AF&AM at 10:37 PM on January 09, 2006

Wow he really belongs in the NFL....is there a Round 50 in the draft?

posted by Grrrlacher at 10:53 PM on January 09, 2006

Sounds Like He Is Having To Much Fun For The No Fun League !!!

posted by Tigger at 10:56 PM on January 09, 2006

Marcus has even LESS talent than his no talent brother Michael! This kid would NEVER make it in the NFL, so why are we even talking about the immature punk? Lets talk about a college kid who has his priorities straight and a good head on his shoulders. Perhaps Vince Young or Reggie Bush. Nice young men who have promise both in and out of the NFL.

posted by LiveWithIt at 12:36 AM on January 10, 2006

Marcus Vick..hmm young man full of life, full of potentials, full of his own damn self probably. Marcus Vick wrong place wrong time you say? Hmmm.....Never heard of that town but I heard of places like bad choices and hard decisions. I've heard that those two places intersect and there have been some terrible accidents caused by drivers not paying attention to the curves and valleys in that area. Marcus Vick huh?.Soon to be multi millionaire. Life already panned in advance.........wine ,women and rap and oh yeah a gun. Probly needed it though to live up to an image. Everything going for him I've heard. Where I come from, nobody ever had those many things waiting for him. All cause he........what? Because he could play football pretty well.......? So Marcus is really the court jester here in this ongoing amusing sit-com. time for the kid to grow up and join the rest of us out here in"real world". I don't give one damn about all the excuses that we will hear for this jokers bad behavior. Where I come from, guy like this would have been laughed to shame for the embarssment he has caused his momma. Man is old enough to go out and buy a gun we figured he's old enough to use it. Nobody in our burg would have one unless he planned to use it.......So I don't give one damn about "oh what might have been" for this idiot. I am however glad that we might have prevented a murder by an overly pampered mammas boy that don't have a clue about what it means to be a good man........hell, who knows...ol Marcus might have shot me graveyard dead if he would have noticed I was the only one not licking his football boots after doing something so very important as scoring a touchdown................

posted by longrider at 03:22 AM on January 10, 2006

Even with all the physical attributes Vick and Clarrett possess, they both found it necessary to brandish weapons. There's something very methodical and premeditated about that. Smacks of something deep and sinister. Not the "bullying" kind of crime, more like the "malicious intent" kind of crime. Can't even think that playing football would be a goal for either of these two wayward sons (but I know it is). Priority should be learning how to make positive contributions to society once again. Take note moms and dads . . . these are our children, we need to try and love them the way we love our other sons - the Vince Youngs and the Reggie Bush's. It's truly a sad thing to hear this kind of news regarding such young people.

posted by babooze808 at 05:10 AM on January 10, 2006

Even with all the physical attributes Vick and Clarrett possess, they both found it necessary to brandish weapons. There's something very methodical and premeditated about that. Smacks of something deep and sinister. Huh? It's simple expected value: no matter how big and strong you are (and Clarett might be a bit out of shape), trying to mug people by hand is a losing proposition since you're very likely to get a fight and there's a decent chance you'll lose. A gun makes both things much less likely, making the potential payouts higher.

posted by yerfatma at 06:23 AM on January 10, 2006

He's F'd himself. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

posted by alumshubby at 07:03 AM on January 10, 2006

Imagine if Marcus Vick, Maurice Clarrett, Terrell Owens, and Ray Lewis were on the same team. That would be a sight indeed. Even though everybody hates TO, he doesn't belong in that group. It's still not against the law to be a complete jerk.

posted by dzot at 08:30 AM on January 10, 2006

Back to the Ray Lewis case, the other defendants were acquitted - not because of Ray Lewis, but because of the prosecutor's office. They failed to properly prepare witnesses -- who couldn't get their stories straight. They failed to include lesser charges -- instead going for murder charges. There was no testimony that anyone saw Ray Lewis involved in the fight. And, his behavior in the aftermath, including telling everyone not to talk to the police, would have been just good legal advice if it came from a lawyer. Civil suits are settled because it is cheaper to settle them than try them. They do not reveal any sort of guilt. I don't think any of Lewis' behavior reveals him to be any sort of hardened criminal. And, after his probation, his record was cleared, the prosecutor's admitted that he was innocent of any direct involvement in the murders (which is why he didn't get suspended by the NFL). Despite all of this, he is still considered the poster child for bad behavior because of an overzealous prosecutor and lots of bad publicity.

posted by bperk at 09:19 AM on January 10, 2006

I wonder if MV and Maurice Clarett hang out together? I imagine they'll have plenty of time to hang & bang in jail. I had such high hopes that Marcus would become the next Ron Mexico and set the NFL on fire with a passer rating of 75.8 like his brother.

posted by sadsadcubsfan at 09:30 AM on January 10, 2006

This Marcus thread is bringing out alot of Michael hate(on his game, not his person).

posted by tron7 at 10:40 AM on January 10, 2006

I hope they put him in jail where thugs belong. But instead, we will draft him into the NFL and let him make a couple million a year until he becomes such an embarrasment that they kick him off the team. (I.E. Lawrence Phillips). Then he will become a broadcaster (I.E. Keyshawn Johnson).

posted by mcstan13 at 10:42 AM on January 10, 2006

Guidance from his brother? Getting advice from Ron Mexico, is like Abel seeking counsel from Cain. Both Vick brothers are products of a system that chooses to coddle and protect the physically gifted athletes. If 10% of the pampering effort could have been spent on "adapting to the real world" lessons, then we wouldn't be reading about the Vicks and the Claretts on the Police Blotter page.

posted by majortom at 10:43 AM on January 10, 2006

People coddle these athletes because people like us reward them for doing it. We put our eyeballs and our money into a system where college athletic programs are multimillion dollar enterprises and the BCS is decided by a small group of schools that are pro sports in everything but athlete compensation. We support pro leagues that take students before they complete college, which is great for the small number who turn pro, but terrible for the others who wash out and could have used the degree. It's very rare in college sports for fans of a team to tell a coach or AD to dump a great-but-troubled player from the team and get him counseling and academic support. Even at lowly schools like my alma mater UNT, I think there's only been one time where I spoke out about a good athlete who got into an incident with the police. (As it turned out, he later died in a car crash driving home when he had alcohol in his system, sadly enough.) So if we're going to play the judgment card here on Marcus Vick, maybe it's time to also be a little more of a hard-ass when it comes to our favorite schools.

posted by rcade at 11:22 AM on January 10, 2006

It sounds less like a coddling of athletes and more like a harsh standard for athletes. To what extent would a non-athlete be thrown out of school for some of these things. At my alma mater, it would be highly unlikely that they would even find out about it. And still, nothing would be done without a conviction. Throwing people out of school because they have been accused of something is pretty scary. Usually the schools have internal disciplinary assessments for violations of the school's conduct code. Sometimes these have been found lacking or lenient, but generally, that is so for all students, not just athletes.

posted by bperk at 12:10 PM on January 10, 2006

To what extent would a non-athlete be thrown out of school for some of these things. At my alma mater, it would be highly unlikely that they would even find out about it. Brandishing a pistol? At that point, it's only technically the dean's call; depending on where you do it, you're likely to go to jail for that. And still, nothing would be done without a conviction. Throwing people out of school because they have been accused of something is pretty scary. Well, yeah, but if the accusation is credible, and if the alleged offense is the sort of thing that makes a school uneasy about having the alleged perpetrator on campus, you can see why it happens, and why it's sometimes the best decision a school can make. Remember that credible accusations are what cause the criminal justice system to toss people into jail, sometimes refuse bail, and bring 'em to trial -- all this in advance of a conviction. A college also has to sometimes make decisions in advance of having beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof, and they err on the side of caution: tossing someone out of school (and possibly having to reinstate them later), vs. taking the risk of harm to other students.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:55 PM on January 10, 2006

Throwing people out of school because they have been accused of something is pretty scary. Actually, I don't think Marcus Vick got kicked out of school on the strength of nebulous accusations. It's a matter of record that he was arrested for driving on a suspended or revoked license on Dec. 17; it's also a matter of record that he stomped on Elvis Dumervil during the Gator Bowl, which is what triggered his dismissal from the team. To my knowledge, nobody affiliated with Virginia Tech has taken any action against Marcus Vick regarding the alleged gun incident.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:19 PM on January 10, 2006

They don't need to, wasn't he dismissed end of last week. Then he stated wanting to be in the draft Saturday and was accused of the weapon thing on Sunday. He had nothing further to do with the school and it really isn't any of their business. On a side note (maybe I am niave but willing to learn), why do you guys refer to Michael Vick as Ron Mexico?

posted by skydivemom at 03:55 PM on January 10, 2006

skydivemom, it ain't pretty, but here it is.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:20 PM on January 10, 2006

I see! Thank you for clearing that up TBH.

posted by skydivemom at 04:29 PM on January 10, 2006

The authorities will do one of two things. Either they will throw this out and accuse the three people who accused him of exaggeration in their complaint, or they will go in full bore and actually get him prosecuted and convicted. Usually, though, the former is what happens, but he has not yet even been talked about by any NFL team. The 'the world owes me' syndrome is really prevalent for a lot of over-hyped college players, which this Vick definitely is. Best thing could happen to him is a conviction and jail time. THEN he'd learn.

posted by mrhockey at 07:01 PM on January 10, 2006

Usually, though, the former is what happens Actually, rather than "accus[ing] the three people who accused him of exaggeration in their complaint", when the DA decides not to prosecute, I suspect more often it's simply because he/she simply feels he/she can't make the case, regardless of the accuracy of the complaint. Given that Vick was charged on the three counts after he surrendered on Monday, I'm guessing the DA feels it's worth moving forward, at least for now.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:25 PM on January 10, 2006

I don't think any of Lewis' behavior reveals him to be any sort of hardened criminal. And, after his probation, his record was cleared, the prosecutor's admitted that he was innocent of any direct involvement in the murders (which is why he didn't get suspended by the NFL). Yes, Ray Lewis was not convicted of a crime, so he is not a criminal. He did as per the testimony of the two murder defendants witness what transpired between the accussed and the victim. Which resulted in the victims death. He did as per court record testify against his associates. He did lie( I didn't see nutin' ), as corroborated by the defendants, about what he witnessed.( hence the misdemeanor ). Part of a plea bargin is that when a case is dismissed any misdemeanors that were implicit in the structure of the case become moot and therefore dismissed as matter of public record ( after a mandatory probationary period ), although still part of the case record. So while not a hardened criminal, he is a liar, an unreliable witness and the kind of guy that would " drop a dime " on a friend, just to save his million dollar football career.

posted by gronir_ hitrops at 10:32 PM on January 10, 2006

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