July 17, 2007

You have to be one (allegedly) sick s.o.b. to enjoy this shit. Whether or not Vick is involved, what the hell is wrong with people? How can you sit there and watch this and enjoy it? And electrocuting the losing dog? They actually wet it down and electrocute it? How twisted do you have to be to do something like that? Sorry, I know it isn't really bringing anything new to the discussion, but I'm just so sickened and so pissed off reading about this. Whoever actually is involved should be put in a ring with a pitbull.

posted by SummersEve at 06:12 PM on July 17, 2007

GodDAMN. I rooted for that sick son of a bitch. I hope he fucking ROTS IN JAIL.

posted by vito90 at 06:17 PM on July 17, 2007

Come on, Get off the "poor little black guy" routine. Granted the Govt. got involved, but, it was because Mike Vick is a High Profile Athelete, not because of his color. If it had been Brett Farr or some other "white" athlete they (the Govt.) would have had to make a stand also. If Mike is guilty then he should be punished severly because as a "high Profile" athlete HE IS in the media attention. It comes with the job. Come on, Get with it. If your black, white green or yellow and you're "High-Profile", you are going to catch more attention. Being black is a chance of birth. Not an excuse. "If he did the crime, then, He must do the time!" Being black He should know that he is under a microscope and he should be MAN enough and Intelligent enough to realize it and watch his "P,s and Q's even more. His role model should be as an upstanding, NFL player and citizen and NOT as some street thug that expects to beat the system. When a black man "thugs out" he not only hurrts the NFL's image, but all of our images as well.

posted by skeet0311 at 06:29 PM on July 17, 2007

1. Gross 2. Indicted != guilty 3. Wachtler, who became the state's top judge earlier this month, said district attorneys now have so much influence on grand juries that "by and large" they could get them to "indict a ham sandwich."

posted by yerfatma at 07:16 PM on July 17, 2007

They should make Vick eat dog poo until he dies. Then they can electrocute his dead body and feed it to dogs.

posted by DudeDykstra at 08:00 PM on July 17, 2007

I agree. There is no way Vick will get what he deserves. Even if he does 6 years in jail, he deserves more. I would say he deserves to be thrown into a pen of these poor animals he has tortured and maimed and killed. Throw Clinton Portis in there with him while you're at it.

posted by Ricardo at 08:06 PM on July 17, 2007

from the ESPN post The indictment also claims that in the summer of 2002, at various times, Peace, Phillips, Taylor and Vick performed "testing" sessions at the property in Smithfield. After the testing, the indictment says, dogs that performed poorly were put to death by Peace, Phillips or Taylor. In April 2007, the indictment says, an additional "testing" session was performed by Peace, Phillips and Vick. Afterward, it claims eight dogs were hanged, drowned and/or slammed to the ground and killed. OK, I'm no animal activist. But even if you could explain away the desire to watch 2 animals go at it as some sort of "sport" or "enjoyable activity", how on earth can you justify killing the weak dogs that didn't test well...not just killing them, but "hanging, drowning, or slamming them into the ground until dead". That's something you only associate with 13 year old juvenile delinquents who are on a path to become future serial killers

posted by bdaddy at 08:17 PM on July 17, 2007

The ham sandwich was obviously guilty.

posted by SummersEve at 08:23 PM on July 17, 2007

the smoking gun has the indictment

posted by kyrilmitch_76 at 09:06 PM on July 17, 2007

About Goddamned time,too!

posted by sickleguy at 09:18 PM on July 17, 2007

I had a feeling this was going to happen..... Maybe this high profile coverage will open the eyes of the authorities , cause dog fights are happening all over the country... I agree with all the other comments he is a SICK FUCK

posted by jaclp at 09:26 PM on July 17, 2007

I agree that anyone that gets kicks out of this midevil sorce of activity is SICK. If he's found guilty I think we could be seeing his exit in the NFL. You could say his career litrally went to the dogs! Maybe now the Falcons can move foward and get a true QB. Every time he takes off with the ball you wondered when the season ending injury would happen.

posted by robi8259 at 09:46 PM on July 17, 2007

I also totally miss the point of skeet's post (who suggested race had anything to do with it?), but aside from that I can only hope that Atlanta enjoys the Joey Harrington era. Even better for us Minnesota fans, it starts against the Vikings.

posted by TheQatarian at 10:17 PM on July 17, 2007

Sorry Guys, BUT the first couple of postings on this site (which are no longer being shown) were about how our govt. only got involved because Mick Vick was a high profile BLACK athlete. And I (as a black man myself) get tick off as people like Mike Vick enhances the "sterotyping" of my race. So I apologize because without those postings my posting seems completely out of text. Sorry

posted by skeet0311 at 10:32 PM on July 17, 2007

An indictment doesn't mean he's guilty. It looks bad, but so did Ray Lewis and he faced neither legal nor professional consequences. Given the way other athletes under a cloud have been treated, he has to be suspended by Roger "Tough on Crime" Goodell, right?

posted by rcade at 10:42 PM on July 17, 2007

Ok...like many others, im far from what you would call an animal rights activist, but readin crap like this...lets just say I'd like to run into Vick on a back alley somewhere if he really is behind it (as it seems) And like others have already said before me...how sick do you have to be to enjoy watching something like this? Unfortunately though, how often do high profile people actually do time when they break the law? Once in a blue moon maybe? I guess all thats left to say is FUCK YOU VICK. P.S. "If convicted, Vick and the others — Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor — could face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution." <- What the hell is $350,000 to a NFL quarterback with a multi-million dillar salary?

posted by kenakabones at 11:19 PM on July 17, 2007

I remember just a few years ago everyone saying Marcus Vick was the black sheep of the family and not to compare him to Michael, who was such a positive role model. I guess that is all sorted out now. Michael Vick is lower than a Dogs Dick. I hope he is ripped apart by a pack of his own angry dogs.

posted by urall cloolis at 11:34 PM on July 17, 2007

Well, my guess is that if he goes into prison for 6 years he won't be making "multi-million dillars", and could have his house seized as a "criminal asset". Well, I dont know about you, but Im about willing to bet he will spend minimum if any time in prison. How often do famous people go actually....like i said at first "Once in a blue moon maybe?" I guess only time will tell for that one. And as for your point that he "could have his house seized as a "criminal asset"" I personally hope he does (as long as these chargea are true) P.S. Thanks for pointing out my typo. I'm horrible at those

posted by kenakabones at 11:52 PM on July 17, 2007

Jack Johnson's crime was liking white women.Ali's crime,not fightin a bogus war.Ray Lewis' crime:riding with the wrong people in his limo.Jamal Lewis' crime:TALKING ABOUT A DRUG DEAL 3 years before his arrest.now Vick.I'm sure there are countless others,like the football player in georgia who got tossed in the pen for having sex with that white girl.I don't care what anybody says.if you are a Black athlete with big name,the government is going to be on your back.Joe Louis even fought for the army,and he died broke because the IRS screwed him to death.I REST MY CASE.

posted by mars1 at 11:56 PM on July 17, 2007

if you are a Black athlete with big name,the government is going to be on your back. You have got to be joking right? Read Skeet0311's 10:32 pm July 17th post. It may help you out in the long run.

posted by jojomfd1 at 12:35 AM on July 18, 2007

What's a nubian?

posted by igottheblues at 03:03 AM on July 18, 2007

Obviously the dogs that were killed were killed for more than just "they didn't fight good". They are still worth money uninjured. They were injured beyond help and euthanized. But black gang member thugs wearing bling killed them so they were electrocuted, hanged and "slammed to the ground" etc. Like it matters what makes them dead. Chris Benoit choked his retarded son and wife to death..what makes you more "sick"?...no comment? These guys fought dogs (allegedly) and then euthanized a few, 'call congress cause those rich negros are at it again'. What's the world coming to.

posted by Bishop at 06:02 AM on July 18, 2007

The difference, as I see it, is that any freakin' moron understands what Chris Benoit did was absolutely horrible. There's no arguing that. We don't need 86 comments pointing that out. What Vick has been involved in, however, is always worthy of debate because it involves animals. Some people will always approach the inhumane treatment of dogs/animals as the worst thing someone can do. But dogfighting/cockfighting, etc. are still acceptable and practiced by a large, underground society. Some, though they don't probably admit it out in the open, get a kick out of baiting and/or fighting animals. My biggest problem is with the thought processes of Vick. Why would he become involved in this type of activity, whether it was as a participant or a backer? Is he too stupid to realize what the ramifications would be if it was uncovered? That's a tragedy. He basically works at throwing away what's left of his already-shaky NFL quarterbacking gig.

posted by dyams at 07:36 AM on July 18, 2007

Okay Bishop I will agree that Chris Benoit was a "sick fuck". As far as I am concerned he and Mike Vick can both burn in hell. I guess the only difference is that Benoit got to go straight in while Vick will only get bumped up to the front of the line when it is his turn.

posted by urall cloolis at 07:55 AM on July 18, 2007

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, etc. etc. I feel obligated to point out English Common Law (and thus the US legal system) is based on the premise this isn't so.

posted by yerfatma at 08:01 AM on July 18, 2007

Yerfatma, I understand the legal system has different principles; I was speaking generally, not legally... I mean, OJ Simpson is legally innocent, right?

posted by don-peyote at 08:07 AM on July 18, 2007

I love how Chris Benoit's a "white athlete" now that Bishop can use him to make tendentious points about race. Pro wrestling is soap opera. The only resemblance to sport is the grueling physical toll of what they do, which encourages them to 'roid up. Stop being an apologist for dog fighting, Bishop. Using the verb "euthanize" to describe getting a maimed dog wet and electrocuting it may be the most ridiculous thing said in this discussion, and that's saying a lot. Well, I dont know about you, but Im about willing to bet he will spend minimum if any time in prison. My guess is that some of the others will do time but they will ensure that Vick doesn't take the hit, for practical reasons as much as anything else. A maximum six-year sentence isn't much, and Vick's the one with the money to assure them all an aggressive defense. Vick's definitely going to be suspended, though. The Falcons are in a rough spot.

posted by rcade at 08:14 AM on July 18, 2007

BornIcon, I think Vick is now innocent until found guilty of being a willing participant in the promotion of dog fighting and the actions that surround it. Pretty much. I mean, these are just allegations. It's just funny to me how people are quick to jump the gun over allegations without actually hearing or even knowing the facts but that's the way the 'court of public opinions' seems to be.

posted by BornIcon at 08:25 AM on July 18, 2007

I have to agree with rcade as well. If he is formally charged, I can assure you that the prosecution will maul the co-defendants and Vick will probably skate out with 5 years of probation - MAYBE.

posted by okoeedrifter126 at 08:44 AM on July 18, 2007

I think Goodell's walking himself into a trap by setting a new standard for punishing players. Sooner or later, owners are going to get tired of taking a money hit for his get-tough reputation. Losing Vick will cost the Falcons millions.

posted by rcade at 09:00 AM on July 18, 2007

We now return you to your regularly scheduled outrage and fury. Maybe that should be our motto.

posted by BornIcon at 09:20 AM on July 18, 2007

rcade, but what is their argument? We are going to lose milions because you won't let this felon play for us?? I think this and the Pacman incident/s are going to get a whole bunch of players to think twice and then some. There are far more players doing good than bad and if it costs an owner some $$ then let him/her learn their lesson. Don't ever lower any standards and make bad behavior acceptable.

posted by gfinsf at 09:25 AM on July 18, 2007

Let's all agree that Vick is a SCUMBAG! whether, black/white/purple etc.... still a SCUMBAG. It's just another asshole celebrity/athlete who doesn't have the common sense or morals to realize that they were given great opportunities in life to make a difference with their fame and fortune, but instead piss it away on stupid and arrogant choices in their lives. And let's face reality, a high powered asshole attorney that will make a fortune defending his client, will probably get a light slap on the wrist for Vick once everything is said and done. And after all is said and done Vick might be traded or released by the Falcons, yet he will still have his multi-millions and eventually be picked up by some other team either here in the NFL or the CFL.

posted by koolhandvuk at 09:29 AM on July 18, 2007

I mean, OJ Simpson is legally innocent, right? No, OJ Simpson is legally not guilty. /lights fuse

posted by grum@work at 09:32 AM on July 18, 2007

Bishop, my word, get a grip. The Vick thing became a Federal case because the Commonwealth Attorney for Surry County, Gerald Poindexter, had a search warrant in hand backed by a great deal of solid information, and chose to let the warrant expire rather than execute it. Poindexter is African American. Not only did he not move on Mike Vick, he was also the one that started hollering out the race card when the Feds took over after he chose to do nothing about Vick. BTW, it wasn't the FBI with guns blazing that moved in on this poor, unfortunate high profile black athlete. It was the Department of Agriculture. Mr Poindexter, you seem to be spineless, clueless, a poor imitation of Jesse and Al, and low on professional ethics. Maybe you were even trying to cut a brother some slack by looking the other way. For your meritorious conduct, you have been chosen to receive an exclusive, all-expenses paid double bunking with Mike Nifong. Rich McKay and Arthur Blank of the Falcons, if you have brains in your heads, you have known for a while that things were not right with your star player. For allowing Mike Vick to be himself in his own special way without apparently conducting any sort of investigation of your own into his conduct, for steadfastly supporting and enabling him through his travails, for being in such denial that you traded your #2 QB while local and national law enforcement officials were becoming very interested in your main guy, and for being on a European vacation this week as the heavy shit was being handed down by the grand jury when any executive with a clue would have been at home and on the case, trying to figure out where this bad scene was headed - for all your negligence, dereliction of duty, and lack of resolve or initiative, you have been chose to be triple-bunked with Myles Brand. (For those who don't remember, he was Bob Knight's boss at Indiana who didn't have the balls or brains to fire Knight despite having an overwhelming amount of just cause.) Mr. Blank, if you can't bring yourself to get Vick gone, you know what they say at Home Depot: "You can do it. We can help". Commissioner Goodell, when is that press conference going to get started?

posted by beaverboard at 09:36 AM on July 18, 2007

gradys_kitchen..... I think you have some scrambled eggs in your basket!

posted by koolhandvuk at 09:47 AM on July 18, 2007

Bishop... After reading your weirdest rant yet, I feel I must ask: do you condone, and/or participate in, dogfighting? From this link, you can clearly see the preferred methods of euthenasia for cats and dogs: Dogs and Cats Preferred methods Barbiturates By far the most acceptable technique for euthanasia of dogs and cats is i.v. administration of sodium pentobarbital at a dose of 150 mg/kg, with almost immediate unconsciousness followed by respiratory depression. Inhalant anesthetics Halothane or isoflurane may be used as an acceptable means of euthanasia. Exposure should be maintained for at least one minute after apparent clinical death (cessation of respiration). Vital signs should be checked for at least five minutes after exposure to ensure that unintended recovery does not occur. You'll note that nowhere in there does it recommend tossing the dog in a bathtub with a hair dryer in it, or holding it underwater until it drowned, or beating it to death, or grabbing it by its hind legs and swinging it like a baseball bat against the ground until it dies. Guess who else tortured animals? Jeffrey Dahmer. Ted Bundy. Ed Gein. John Wayne Gacy. All white guys, and all sick fucks. Hope that makes you feel better. When you rant and rave about Steve Foley, or Pacman Jones, or Ron Artest, or anybody else, depite your occasional over-the-top hyperbole, I can see where you're coming from, and appreciate your point. Here, however, you've gone off the deep end. Comparing euthanizing Barbaro with torturing dogs is the most half-assed leap of logic I've ever seen. This isn't a fake water bottle with an "unknown particulate" inside. This is barbaric and inhumane. Big difference. To the people saying that Michael Vick should be tortured, mauled by dogs, have his nuts chopped off, etc., you're incorrect. He should have his day in court, and if he's convicted beyond reasonable doubt, should suffer the legally accepted punishment for his crimes. Disband the lynch mob and leave it to the authorities. Get a fucking clue people. Physician, heal thyself.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:50 AM on July 18, 2007

Sorry Jerseygirl, but, that was the way I was taught. Guess I'll have to start a post on hanging my teacher.

posted by skeet0311 at 09:53 AM on July 18, 2007

I think one other thing to think about is if Vick is thrown out of the NFL, he is no Joe Montana, Brady or Manning....At best, he is an excitng player who disappoints. If you were a GM, would you trade picks or players for him?? Next year if Atlanta drafts the kid from Louisville, and they will try with Petrino, there is a real potential for excitment. What "real" football fan would want Vick as his/her QB to win a Super Bowl. Not me and I bet not you.

posted by gfinsf at 10:08 AM on July 18, 2007

Vick is screwed. A couple of things: 1. While an indictment doesn't mean guilty and other big name athletes have escaped conviction, those points ignore the key under-lying fact here: this is a federal indictment. The old adage about how one can indict a ham sandwich is a comment on the indicting process. It is not a comment on the likelihood of conviction. If this was state court (where OJ and Ray, etc were tried), the indictment would be less important and the prosecutors vastly less talented. But this is federal court. Federal prosecutors don't proceed with indictments until they know they will get a conviction. The conviction rate is above 95% of those who are indicted. Given that the indictment included the testimony of at least four cooperating witnesses that federal prosecutor thought was strong enough to bring before the grand jury, coupled with the fact that one or more of the other three guys will likely roll on Vick as he is the main target, that 95% conviction rate is probably up towards the 99.5% conviction rate. And he is in the rocket docket in federal court in Richmond, so the defense won't be able to use delay tactics to build a defense or drag it out. And everything about federal court is worse for him: more competent prosecutors, stricter judges, more prosecution-friendly procedural rules, more prosecution-friendly jury pools, and on and on. In short, this indictment means a whole hell of a lot. There is at least a 95% chance he is convicted. 2. The federal law he was charged under falls under the RICO statute. That this is under federal law and not state law further increases the likelihood of jail time.. Whereas the state case would be whether he broke the dog fighting statute, under Federal Law, the issue is gambling on an illegal activity. Suddenly, the same act which would just be dog-fighting under state law, becomes racketeering, gambling, mail fraud, income tax invasion, criminal acts across state lines, involvement in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization, and a host of other federal crimes that all up the ante. Because he is being charged with conspiracy as well and being charged under racketeering statutes, he can be criminally liable for anything that was done by his co-conspirators or this organization run out of his property. 3. Do not rule out the possibility of further indictments against him. _____ This guy is hosed. Whether he plays football again is the least of his concerns. He is facing a near certainty of jail fines and enormous fines.

posted by dios at 10:28 AM on July 18, 2007

To further what dios said.

posted by justgary at 11:05 AM on July 18, 2007

Can we all just get along! This has nothing to do with black athletes or white athelets, Dahmer or Manson. Vick made a dumb ass decision period. Guilty or not; this will effect the income and image of the Falcons and the NFL. It's all about the MONEY people. How the hell do you own property and not have a clue whats happening on it ? If that is the case, he should serve time just for being that ignorant. If you call yourself a professional then be that on all levels. BACK TO THE MONEY. If innocent; does anyone really believe that Falcon fans and players are going to rally around a QB that just does'nt seem to have what it takes to get them to the next level? (Not) How many animal activist are Falcon fans? How many tickets will sell just to see Vick play now? Watch those number 7 jerseys start to pile up. How many parents are going to actually run out and get litte jimmy (or susie) a Vick jersey now? BOTTOM LINE you f... with the image of the league, you f... with the image of my team, that f.... with the money; so f... you Michael Vick.

posted by fourthreeforty at 11:15 AM on July 18, 2007

Federal prosecutors don't proceed with indictments until they know they will get a conviction. The conviction rate is above 95% of those who are indicted. The 95% is true, but that's primarily because most cases never make it to trial. Defendants plea bargain rather than risk going to jail for a lengthy sentence in a federal prison in which there is no parole (and you'll serve roughly 85% of your sentance) So my best guess is still that he pleas and gets a huge fine and probation.

posted by bdaddy at 12:32 PM on July 18, 2007

It never fucking fails with this place, Black man indicted= must mention OJ, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Pro wrestling is soap opera. Yea and the craziest mustache threads that pop up here every year are all about sports too. Then there are the Maurice Clarett threads that were 60 posts long because he jacked someone for a cell phone. Keep in mind he wasn't involved with any sport at the time and yet he found his way into several threads here at Spofi. Benoit was an athlete on juice. Just as many kids knew Chris Benoit as they do Mike Vick. His business is referred to as "sports entertainment". My point is that (as a black man) take great offense when a "High Profile" black person hurts me, my family, my black community and the whole image of the the black race by his actions, and for that he should be given the MAXIMUM sentence IF convicted for the Crime of dogfighting. He as a "HIGH PROFILE" person (if convicted) has hurt more than just a "bunch of dogs". He has hurt an entire race Get off the pipe "brother". All I want to know is, will every one show up in the 'Mike Vick found innocent' thread like they did in the "I told you the white boys from Duke were innocent thread". Will any of you support him suing the media for their part is this bullshit? I feel I must ask: do you condone, and/or participate in, dogfighting? Do you condone the circus? Zoos? Any sport involving animals? If you do, you condone animal cruelty on 1 level or another. You ever had a leg of Lamb? Take a guess at how they kill the baby sheep. Killing an animal for food is different? Yea eating it is much less cruel then burying it. Stop acting like these guys would just walk out to the kennel, randomly select a dog and set it on fire. At least none of the dogs were tied up and dragged to death because they were black. Or shot by police because they wouldn't 'do what they are told'. The accepted racism here is a fucking insult. Take a look back at the Duke thread when they were 1st indicted and see how many people were calling for them to be mauled by animals. And for all you newly found 'activists', take a look at this "sports"event that happens every year and then find the corresponding 'Spofi outrage thread'. from the article; Besides the obvious cruelty, dogs also pay a terrible price behind the scenes. Not every puppy born is a fast runner, and those who do not make the grade are usually killed—by bludgeoning or drowning—for not possessing monumental stamina and speed. Guess how many Black folk compete in that event. Half of you don't even like Pitbulls. They are even banned in some neighborhoods. But when an animal suffers (at the hands of rich Black thug gang members), the reaction seems to be more vocal and outraged. fixed. Evidence? Search threads and comments for 'Spofi members against the Iditarod". White athlete on steroids kills retarded son....no story here. Black athlete "might" be involved in dogfighting...get the rope and torches, we're on our way to a 100 poster. If he is found innocent there won't even be a thread unless it's a thread full of 'I can't believe they let that coon go'.

posted by Bishop at 12:38 PM on July 18, 2007

Fuck, if I knew there was going to be a flameout, I would have brought marshmallows and skewers.

posted by jerseygirl at 12:51 PM on July 18, 2007

All I want to know is, will every one show up in the 'Mike Vick found innocent' thread like they did in the "I told you the white boys from Duke were innocent thread". Will any of you support him suing the media for their part is this bullshit? What leads you to believe he is innocent? White athlete on steroids kills retarded son....no story here. That story basically played itself out...He killed himself, so no presumption of innocent or guilt, no debate to be had on the subject. Stop acting like these guys would just walk out to the kennel, randomly select a dog and set it on fire. At least none of the dogs were tied up and dragged to death because they were black. Actually eight of the dogs were killed for not being "ring worthy", not being good fighting dogs, not because they were injured. Those dogs were hanged, drowned and shot. Good try Bishop. Keep trying to dance around the issue here. Race has nothing to do with the outrage toward Vick, at least it doesn't from me. What has been said, done or acted upon that makes you feel so strongly that Vick is innocent? Will you join the outrage WHEN he is convicted or will you try to find more excuses?

posted by urall cloolis at 12:57 PM on July 18, 2007

If he is found innocent there won't even be a thread unless it's a thread full of 'I can't believe they let that coon go'. The regulars here would never accept a comment calling a black athlete a "coon" and I'm tired of reading that kind of smear from you. There's a minimum level of good intent you have to assume in people in order to have a civil conversation with them. You have never shown it here on SportsFilter, and I'm tired of letting it slide. Go fight your race war somewhere else.

posted by rcade at 12:59 PM on July 18, 2007

I explained the situation to my younger brother who has less of an interest in football than I do. He has no idea who Michael Vick let alone what color he is. His response: This Vick guy is a sick fuck. White athlete on steroids kills retarded son....no story here. As a recovering Pro Wrestling fan I wanted to post this thread but I didn't. I figured more time would be spent on a)arguing weather or not Pro Wrestling is a sport or b)the role steroids played in all of this. There is a story there but wrestling is not widely accepted as a sport so it was left out. To suggest that this story was any less tragic because Benoit was white is an insult to the memory of his wife and son. I would have brought marshmallows and skewers. I'll bring the chocolate and grahm crackers and we can make smores and cuddle over the warmth of l_l_b's recently flamed good name.

posted by HATER 187 at 01:09 PM on July 18, 2007

I can't help but think the San Diego Chargers are breathing a collective sigh of relief, thinking back to the 2001 NFL draft, when they traded the number one pick to Atlanta, who took Vick, and "settled" for the number five pick, some guy named Tomlinson. If I have that right, I don't think it's a reach possibly ranking that the best move in recent football history.

posted by dyams at 01:36 PM on July 18, 2007

In a previous life I was involved in a number of "high profile" cases. There was not a single one of these that did not invoke an oh shit when we learned its nature or the name of the person involved. It always meant ten times the normal amount of work, not because the person was getting a break, but because of the level of scrutiny from all directions. If it wasn't completely ironclad we wouldn't move forward. A federal indictment of this scope indicates that they are very confident of a conviction. Until he is convicted, I can't agree with the NFL suspending him. I would expect that if the Falcons ownership has one brain cell amongst them, that they make the backup QB the starter even before training camps start. Guilty or not guilty, this would be a huge distraction for not only Vick but the entire team.

posted by irunfromclones at 02:30 PM on July 18, 2007

I think everyone is missing the fact that this took place back in 2002....doesn't say much for our society....This isn't a black or white issue......it's a stupidity issue....Vick falls into the category of the rich athlete that has nothing better to do with his time and money, hanging around the wrong people.

posted by stefex at 11:31 PM on July 18, 2007

I think everyone is missing the fact that this took place back in 2002 According to the indictment the dogfighting operation involving Vick began in early 2001 and continued through April, 2007. Would it still be ongoing if not for the investigation? Probably.

posted by urall cloolis at 12:39 AM on July 19, 2007