Links: The Duality of Michael Vick
Guilty or innocent, Michael Vick has already been convicted in the court of public opinion. But here’s why I’m withholding judgment.
I own a dog, a frisky 12-pound furball named Starbury. I got her four years ago from the Center for Animal Care and Control, a shelter in New York City where they euthanize unwanted animals. I feed her twice a day, walk her every day and take her to the dog park every weekend.
I’ve sat anxiously in the waiting room at the vet’s office when Starbury mysteriously came up with a limp. I’ve wordlessly plucked her feces off my hardwood floors more times than I can recall. I knew for certain that I loved her one day when she vomited on me and I cared more about her immediate health than I did about being vomited on.
I donate to the humane society, I chat with other dog owners at the dog park, I’ve even voluntarily dog-sat for a couple of friends who were traveling.
My point is, I am a dog lover.
My problem is, I am a Michael Vick fan. Right now, those two things seem to be mutually exclusive.
One night a few weeks ago, my wife asked me if I would sign a petition. It was just hours after federal charges against Mike Vick had been made public, a horrible litany of allegations including dogs being hanged and electrocuted.
The petition Wifey wanted me to sign was somewhere on the vast hinterlands of the internet, a virtual appeal to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking him to immediately and permanently eject Michael Vick from the National Football League.
“But Vick hasn’t been convicted of anything,” I said. As Jay-Z once noted, I thought this was America, people? Aren’t we all innocent until proven guilty?
While I wholeheartedly believe in that ethos, I will admit that on that night, my defense of Michael Vick was coming from a much more selfish place: If Michael Vick is banned from playing football again, who’s going to start at quarterback for my Atlanta Falcons this season? Joey Harrington? Talk about dogs…
Vick has always had the Falcons and Falcons fans by the throat. As Vick went, so went the Falcons. And Vick seemed to understand that, accepting the trappings of fame perhaps before his won/loss record was worthy of such acclaim. But then, that was all part of Michael Vick. He was Superman in cleats, with the ability to do things the rest of us couldn’t begin to imagine. I will never forget the afternoon of December 1, 2002, as I stood in the kitchen of my mother-in-law’s house in Atlanta and watched Vick scamper 46 yards through the Vikings defense to lead the Falcons to an overtime win. The entire time, just like former Falcons radio guy Jeff Hullinger was doing, I was screaming “Go Mike Vick!” There have probably been more exciting plays in NFL history, but for Falcons fans, it’s hard to think of anything more thrilling than that run.
It’s also hard to think of anything more un-thrilling than the thought of Michael Vick electrocuting a dog. What I keep trying to remind myself as this case has dragged along is thus far Vick has maintained his innocence. I don’t know if he is innocent or not, and it pains me knowing there’s a chance we may never really know the truth. Maybe Vick is lying, maybe the guys charged alongside him are lying. Heck, maybe the government is lying.
Because someone is definitely lying.
On my way home from work the other night I stopped at my local deli. This deli is owned by a Korean family and staffed mainly by a few Mexican guys who always want to talk soccer with me. This night, one of the Korean men, knowing I’m from Atlanta and support all the Atlanta sports teams, asked me, “Hey, isn’t your quarterback in trouble?” I confirmed that he was. “What did he do?”
I explained the charges against Vick, stressing that they were still just allegations.
“Wait a minute,” the man said, “it’s illegal to have dogs fight?”
It is, I told him.
“But don’t people fight chickens against each other?”
This was a valid point. But while cockfighting is also illegal, it is somehow not as despicable as dog fighting — Roy Jones Jr. has long talked about his love for his battling roosters, and “Seinfeld” even did a whole episode about a cockfighting circuit.
Yet dog fighting somehow feels worse. I think it’s because we think of a dog and we think of a pet, an animal we’d love to cuddle up on the couch with or head to the park and play fetch with. As details of the Vick case have trickled out, dog fighting seems to have zoomed up the list to become one of the world’s newest seven deadly sins. As West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd recently said, “I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God’s creatures in such cruel and brutal contempt.'’
I wonder if Senator Byrd eats beef or chicken?
Obviously, the food we eat — and yes, I am a world class carnivore — isn’t made to fight each other before we tuck into it, but is it any worse to electrocute a dog than it is to shoot a bolt into a cow’s head? Nobody cares that Brett Favre, the NFL’s golden child, spends his off-season in the wilderness hunting unsuspecting animals?
The public backlash against Vick hasn’t been too shocking, considering how heinous the allegations are. But the volume and ferocity of the response against Vick has been surprising to me. I think it’s not so much that he was supposedly involved in dog fighting, but it’s the egregious cruelty involved in the alleged deaths of Vick’s dogs — the hanging, the electrocution. Perhaps if Vick had procured a license, bought a gun, hid in a tree and then sneaked up and fired a bullet into the brain of an animal that has not historically been domesticated, the public outcry would be different. Or maybe if Vick put a metal hook through the face of Nemo, people wouldn’t be so worked up.
We can argue the morality of hunting versus dog fighting, but right now legality is the only thing that matters. At least where Michael Vick is concerned. The law says you cannot “conspire to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities” or “sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.” The government says that Michael Vick did those things.
I hope he didn’t.
It’s not like I thought Michael Vick was perfect. He’s been involved in so many tempests through the years — Ron Mexico, anyone? — that even Vick supporters completely blinded by his shine must have known that Vick is no choir boy. Which was part of Vick’s allure, at least to me. Not every sports fan wants their heroes squeaky clean and clearly defined. Some of us like the guys with the warts and bruises, maybe because we like to believe they’ve had more demons to defeat on the way to greatness.
But I thought Vick was better than these allegations. He might not have been the most accurate QB in the league, and maybe he couldn’t read defenses as well as some other quarterbacks, but damn if he wasn’t fun to watch. For all his glaring deficiencies, Vick had the one thing every fan watches sports for: Potential. With the thunder in his left arm and the lightning in his legs, you were never quite sure exactly what The Michael Vick Experience held next. It might be a flip over a defender for a touchdown or a shake-and-bake in the open field that causes two defenders to collide. Maybe he’ll get frustrated and flip off the home fans or get busted carrying a bottle with a secret compartment through an airport. The negatives may have constantly weighed against the positives, but Vick still had all that potential, and nobody wanted to miss it if or when he finally managed to piece it all together. He appeared to be on a long and winding road, maybe to greatness, maybe to wasted potential.
I have three Michael Vick jerseys in my closet — two Falcons joints and one Virginia Tech throwback. A few years ago, I used to collect jerseys and wear them almost exclusively. These days I’m more into button-ups and sweaters and such, though I still occasionally break out a jersey on the weekends, and even then it’s usually a soccer jersey.
Last Saturday morning I slept late, then got up and got ready to take Starbury out to the dog park a few blocks from my apartment. We go there every weekend, and Starbury gets to sprint around unleashed while I sit in the shade and read the papers and sip on the largest, most caffeinated drink Starbucks makes. This is our ritual. It’s not much, but it’s something I look forward to every week.
Starbury knew what was up and was pumped, and as soon as I snapped her collar on, she started hopping around, scratching my legs, standing at the door and yelping. I was trying to hurry up and get dressed, and since it was a Saturday I reached for the jersey pile and found one of my Mike Vick jerseys on top of the stack. I was still half-asleep, so I grabbed the jersey and started to put it on…and then I thought better of it. Would it be wrong to wear a Vick jersey in public? Technically, no. Morally, most likely. At times I enjoy being a contrarian, but the thought of being savagely beaten by a furious mob of upper Manhattan residents might not be so much fun.
I wore a Ronaldinho jersey instead.
ESPN.com recently published a huge story attempting to explain why “so many black Atlantans see the Michael Vick case a racial conspiracy.” It is an interesting conceit, if a bit short-sighted; I’m sure there are plenty of black and white people, and not only in Atlanta, who feel race is playing a part in this case. For instance, I think race has something to do with the way all of this has played out. Do I think there’s a racial conspiracy? No. But if, say, Favre or Peyton had been accused of something similar, would there have been the same rush to judgment as there was with Vick?
We simply don’t know. This is such a strange case with so many bizarre circumstances. It involves race (because everything in the South involves race), it involves morality, it involves legality, but most of all, it involves duality. Because we are being asked to simultaneously comprehend a series of divergent conditions:
The laws of our country prompt us to assume innocence until someone is proven guilty.
The government has announced that they feel Michael Vick is guilty.
Michael Vick says he is not guilty.
As a dog lover, I completely agree that any person who willfully harms or kills a pet should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
As a human being, if it turns out Michael Vick is guilty, I hope he is punished to the fullest extent of the law.
As a Falcons fan, I hope Michael Vick is innocent.
Perhaps I just don’t have the emotional maturity to deal with all of this, or maybe I’m just wishy-washy. But many people seem to have already made up their minds. To them, not only is Michael Vick guilty, but he is the most vile, horrific person on earth. There is no changing their mind.
To me, this isn’t such a black and white issue, and I mean that literally and figuratively.
I’m trying my best to keep an open mind until more facts come out. If the facts ever come out.
I said earlier that Vick appeared to be on a long and winding road, maybe to greatness, maybe to wasted potential. Either way, the next stop on Vick’s road is a federal courthouse in Virginia; that’s the one thing we know for sure.
You may have noticed that throughout this piece, I referred to Mike Vick’s tenure with the Falcons in the past tense. I’m not rushing to judge him or trying to act as a jury here, but I’m pretty sure no matter how this shakes out, Vick’s time in Atlanta is finished. He may be innocent of making dogs fight each other, but he’s definitely, overwhelmingly guilty of bad judgment, and I get the feeling that Falcons management is just ready to move on.
It’s not that easy for me. For the last six years, Vick has probably been my favorite athlete in pro sports. I don’t cover football and I rarely write about it, so it gave me a chance to just be a fan, to throw any trace of objectivity out the window and be a fan. The Falcons didn’t have much, but they had Mike Vick, and that was usually enough to at least give us a chance.
It’s hard for me to just ignore those last six years; they really happened, after all, and I really had all those feelings and emotional highs and lows thanks to Michael Vick.
He doesn’t know it, but Michael Vick did a lot for me the last six years.
I feel the least I can do is try to give him the benefit of the doubt.
For now, at least.
110 Responses to “Links: The Duality of Michael Vick”
Aug.7 at 12:23 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Lang, you could’ve saved all of us (and yourself) a lot of time by just writing “‘Because I’m a Falcons fan.”
Aug.7 at 12:36 pm
white hot eboy says:
Co-sign with Mr. Jones.
Aug.7 at 12:46 pm
Myles Brown says:
Nice Lang. I dont have any pets currently, so I cant really identify with that perspective. That may be why Im not as outraged as others. Im not condoning the mistreatment of animals, but it is starting to seem like we care more about them than actual people. This sh*t right here is hilarious. As West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd recently said, “I am confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God’s creatures in such cruel and brutal contempt.’’ THE MAN IS A FORMER KLANSMAN.
Aug.7 at 12:51 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I hear you, Myles. Thanks.
Aug.7 at 12:52 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I think the operative word there is “former,” Myles. I’m sure he totally feels bad about that.
I also like the “hottest places in hell” concept — you know, like eternity in a pit of regular molten lava is gonna suck, but crank that lava pit up about 10 more degree and you’ll really be sorry.
Aug.7 at 12:53 pm
Cheryl says:
I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, because I think it likely that he may have simply bankrolled the operation for his family members. But with a sick dog currently (with the likelyhood that she’ll have to be put down in the next several days) I really can’t stomach the kind of cruelty to the dogs that have been reported. The one thing that I completely understand is how the media sensationalizes these types of incidences when young, rich, black athletes are involved, and therefore, have tried to refrain from forming an opinion about Mike the person, eventhough I’ve made some jokes about the case here. It really isn’t a laughing matter and I feel the conflict in your post Lang.
Aug.7 at 12:53 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Oh, and Ryan, JoePa called — he needs his diaper changed.
Aug.7 at 12:56 pm
white hot eboy says:
You guys are SO off on this it’s almost funny. What NORMAL (are all white people clansman in your eyes, Max-Miles) people condone the abuse of people, never mind animals. And Lang, if the charges do come down on #7, will you write another piece on how you are conflicted with either rocking the #7 throwback for all the great memories or a t-shirt from the federal pen he plays ball for.
Aug.7 at 12:58 pm
Cheryl says:
Lang, rock the jersey if you want to. Just not at a dog park, please.
Aug.7 at 1:00 pm
Myles Brown says:
Huh? The only people who are Klansmen in my eyes are people who’ve actually acknowledged their participation in the group. Look it up. And I have my suspicions about Ryan….
Aug.7 at 1:08 pm
white hot eboy says:
Myles-Max, who gives a shi* about what Robert Byrd has to say. Why USE a former clansmans quote to trivialize the ILLEGAL act that took place. He’s a fu**ing moron from the jump so that’s a really poor example of an as*hole giving their worthless opinion. It’s not hate towards you either Myles-Max, it’s just turning into a sympathy fest for #7 because he is a rich, black athlete (sorry Cheryl)and as the Leader’s headline story showed yesterday, any story can be spun by a good group of publicists.
Aug.7 at 1:11 pm
white hot eboy says:
And with #7’s money, he will come out smelling like roses in due time because of fan’s love (or respect) for their heroes. Plus my law backround takes over when this type of sh*t comes to the front so…..apologies to anyone who takes offense.
Aug.7 at 1:12 pm
JZ says:
This whole situation is disgusting. It sickens me that there are “people” out there who find entertainment in torturing animals. I can’t imagine Vick was completely in the dark about all of this– which makes him guilty to me.
Aug.7 at 1:12 pm
Rasheedionics says:
Guilty or not, they’re just making an example of Vick, saying that young black men can’t deal with having a lot of money. I don’t think anyone on this message board would condone what Vick allegedly done, including myself. However, if it was some regular Joe who done this, we would never hear about this case. That’s a double standard in this celebrity obsessed society that we’re living in.
Aug.7 at 1:14 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
White Hot, I used the quote from Byrd not because he’s a former Klansman (I didn’t even know that) and not to trivialize an illegal act that ALLEGEDLY took place (I thought you had a law background?), but because I found it was representative of the groundswell of public hatred toward Vick.
Aug.7 at 1:14 pm
Cheryl says:
No offense taken white hot. If he’s guilty, I’ll use only your nickname for him, what was it now?
Aug.7 at 1:16 pm
Ryan Jones says:
That took way too long, Lang, and was way too easy. Maybe your unitelligible Georgia radio guy who’s too feeble to make road trips anymore can help Joe with his Depends. I’d bet next month’s paycheck that my 81-year-old coach is recovering faster from his shattered leg than you did from your last elbow infection…
Myles, it wasn’t until I moved to PA in ‘91 that I learned how much of this state belongs way, way below the Mason-Dixon line. I am happily ensconsed (is that a word?) in a small, liberal college town that must have one of the highest interracial marriage rates in the country (that’s anecdotal, but I’m telling you), but I’m well aware that if I go 10 miles in pretty much any direction, it’s Deliverance country.
Aug.7 at 1:16 pm
Jon Wiener says:
sick piece. and yea, rock the jersey
Aug.7 at 1:16 pm
Cheryl says:
Ah yes, Sc*mbagf*ck, that’s the one.
Aug.7 at 1:17 pm
Trey Jones says:
Robert Byrd really is a former Klansman. Look it up.
Aug.7 at 1:19 pm
Trey Jones says:
The main point here is that Vick, whether he is innocent or guilty, is being publicly lynched and almost nobody is concerned with that. Are we in Russia or something?
Aug.7 at 1:26 pm
Myles Brown says:
Byrd is a US Senator. CNN, Fox, and the state of West Virginia give a sh*t about what he has to say. The fact that he could attain such high office with his KKK affliation is distrubing, but the idea that he’s given the levity to put Vick on blast without any mention of his own history of questionable behavior is ridiculous at best. And yes, apparently an illegal act did take place, but we do not know if Michael Vick simply funded a criminal operation or if he was the actual ringleader. A trial will bring answers, which is why Lang and several others have asked that the man be allowed his due process. And Ryan, I went to military school in PA, and yeah, its rough out there. I learned quickly and started spending my weekends in NY/NJ…
Aug.7 at 1:26 pm
Kevin Wilson says:
I find it funny that people excoriate Lang for being honest and trying to uphold the American tenet of “innocent until proven guilty.” I work at a newspaper and just covered a death penalty trial, and I got killed by readers because I went into the trial with the premise the defendant hadn’t been proven guilty. I can understand not completely trusting Michael Vick based on “Ron Mexico” and other transgressions, but since has the government done anything to earn 100 percent trust?
Aug.7 at 1:29 pm
white hot eboy says:
Lang, It’s only because Federal cases are 99% rock-solid and especially in a high-profile case like #7’s (Cheryl, notice I don’t mention his name in any of my posts and no my nickname for him wouldn’t fly here as I respect Lang to the fullest regardless of our slight disagrement on this issue)these charges would have NEVER become public if there wasn’t absolute certainty of the “alleged” incidents. A leak is one thing but full-on accusations are really, really hard to glance over as just a witchhunt or some govermental grudge. And Lang, my comment about the Byrd comment was meant for Mr. Brown not you. I knew from the reading that you didn’t know of Byrd’s bulls*it past.
Aug.7 at 1:31 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Kevin, I’m not giving Lang a hard time because he’s giving Vick the benefit of the doubt; I’m giving Lang a hard time because if Vick was the Giants QB, he would’ve been killing him from Day 1. He essentially acknowledges as much, but it’s still fun for me to call him out. The day Lang and I don’t take cheap shots at each other will be a sad day indeed.
Aug.7 at 1:32 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Also, Barry Bonds is a cheater — that’s for your peoples at TSF, Myles. I’m pretty sure they think I’m a Klansman, too.
Aug.7 at 1:33 pm
white hot eboy says:
Yeah, and he only had water in his water bottle at the airport, right? And Myles-Max, CNN & FOX report what THEY want us to hear, not neccesarily what SHOULD be reported, so believe me, their news shouldn’t be bible to anyone with an open mind. And I know everyone here can do that because we all take sh*t for it if we don’t.
Aug.7 at 1:33 pm
Cheryl says:
Indeed.
Aug.7 at 1:36 pm
white hot eboy says:
And I respect all the SLAM guys as journalists more than the big corporate entities people so blame me if I’m loyal to the cause. Not just on sports either as Lang’s current piece shows, good writing and logical thoughts are well respected no matter where they are printed and no matter who disagrees with them.
Aug.7 at 1:36 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I don’t think I would, though, Ryan — well, maybe if Vick played for the Giants. But for the most part I’ve always identified with embattled, underdog-types. Looking at the photos hanging around my desk — Stephen Jackson, AI, JR Rider, Deion, Rasheed, Spree — I think that’s evident. I also have a picture of Mike Piazza hanging here, but that’s because it’s the cover of the Post and next to his picture it says in big type: I’M NOT GAY
Aug.7 at 1:40 pm
Gilbert0 says:
Lang, I usually love your writing, but that was easily the most obvious column you could have come up with. I think any slamonline reader could have written that for you. As far as I am concerned, he is innocent until it is proved otherwise but it is hard to believe the government has fabricated everything in a conspiracy against an NFL player. If it is true, not only should Vick go to Jail, he is guilty of being one of the stupidest men in the world. He has the world in his hands and may have thrown it all away.
Aug.7 at 1:41 pm
Ryan Jones says:
You have always been attracted to the knuckleheads, true enough. In fairness, they seem to like you, too.
Aug.7 at 1:42 pm
white hot eboy says:
Gilbert0, your last three sentences say it all.
Aug.7 at 1:43 pm
Myles Brown says:
E boy, I only drew attention to Byrd’s past because as Lang said it was representative of the public outcry. Plus it went to my point that some people treat animals better than their own kind. And Ryan, no comment.
Aug.7 at 1:45 pm
white hot eboy says:
And honestly, for all Falcons, NFL, sports fans and humans in general, I HOPE the feds have it wrong about him. It would be hard to phathom how one person who has so much, can be so lacking in morals and common sense. IF it’s true.
Aug.7 at 1:50 pm
white hot eboy says:
Cool Myles-Max (can you tell I prefer the later) let’s just agree that we both think Byrd is a fuc*in’ piece of sh*t who shouldn’t have a voice to put out his moronic comments. And Ryan, I have an aunt that lives in Phoenixville, and I know EXACTLY what you mean.
Aug.7 at 1:51 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Thanks, Gilbert.
Aug.7 at 1:52 pm
Big L says:
Sorry to put salt on the wound Lang, but every day I thank my lucky stars that Atlanta and San Diego made that trade. Thank you John Butler (RIP).
Aug.7 at 1:52 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Are “no comments” even allowed on this website? If you do that again, Myles, I think Lang has to ban you.
Aug.7 at 1:53 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Also, eboy: “It would be hard to phathom how one person who has so much, can be so lacking in morals.” Dude, have you checked out the administrative branch of the federal government lately?
Aug.7 at 1:58 pm
white hot eboy says:
Yeah, but Ryan, we all know those people are horrible, but we at least have hope for the athletes we cheer for. Although Lang’s knuckleheads usually give us cannon fodder.
Aug.7 at 1:59 pm
Patty says:
Vick vs. The Klan? Are you kidding me? Then again, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black (Alabama) was reportedly a member…But that was 50 yrs ago.
Aug.7 at 1:59 pm
Jon says:
LANG, go to www.profootballtalk.com ; it has an incredible amount of info on the Vick case, and it looks like he is pretty guilty
Aug.7 at 2:01 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Not that this is a news flash, but how sad that we have more faith in our athletes than our “elected” leaders? No wonder more people vote for American Idol than they do for president…
Aug.7 at 2:02 pm
white hot eboy says:
Sanjaya in ‘08!
Aug.7 at 2:06 pm
cliff says:
one of the more even sided articles about this i have read so far(and i am very bored at work so i have read alot) lol. but i’d have to disagree a bit about the racial issue slightly. i think if peyton or farve got indicted for the same charges u would see them in the same situation. remember peta and humane societies dont discriminate on color just what how people use and treat animals. and since pacman got a 1 year suspension for his little altercation it seems fair in my eyes. also think about one thing too, vick shouldnt be worried about playin football right now but to prove his innocence, i think him playing football would just indicate to many people that he does not take these charges seriously.
Aug.7 at 2:08 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
I love dogs so this whole issue is crazy as hell to me but yeah the media is snowballing him but then again thats what we do. Its the power of truth and perception. The ability to make my reality, your reality. Thats what draws us writer types to this thing in the first place. Many people take advantage and just frame things the way they want it to be framed. ….Also Lang, just wear the jersey.
Aug.7 at 2:11 pm
Ryan Jones says:
BREAKING NEWS: Donovan McNabb was just arrested for fondling show ponies. Where do you stand, Khalid?
Aug.7 at 2:11 pm
white hot eboy says:
Lang, doesn’t listen to these guys (and girls). We need the Links. If you run into the wrong PETA group with the jersey on, you might get paint on you writing hand that might not come off.
Aug.7 at 2:12 pm
Rasheedionics says:
I don’t mean to be off the subject but Kobe and Vanessa are getting divorced. Raise your hand if you didn’t see this one coming… http://www.lvrj.com/news/8961832.html
Aug.7 at 2:15 pm
white hot eboy says:
There’s a report coming out of Miami that Shaquille O’Neal ate 9 lbs of stone crabs at local legendary restaurant Joe’s Stone Crab. No comments were forthcoming from Mr. O’Neal as he was awaiting for a second order to arrive.
Aug.7 at 2:20 pm
white hot eboy says:
*for=dumbass
Aug.7 at 2:24 pm
Patricia says:
I think if vick is guilty for doing the things, people said he is doing, than the people killing animals as a hobbie like deer hunting and other hobbies like that should be punish too. White people hate to see black people being successful and with a lot of money that they try do anything to take that away. Racism still going on in this world. It have to stop. Nothing happen to chenney for shoting his friend?
Aug.7 at 2:47 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I didn’t really care about Michael Vick before all this, and I don’t care much now. If he’s guilty, I hope he does some time. If not, I hope he can get on with his life without this following him around forever like a, um, lovesick puppy (yeah, right). I think the most basic truth to take out of ALL this stuff, whether it be Vick, Bonds or whoever, is that great athletes are JUST THAT. They’re not necessarily role models. (Thanks Chuck, shoulda listened to ya the first time.)
Aug.7 at 2:56 pm
Kevin Wilson says:
Now I wish Sprewell was accused of this, so Lang could make the obligatory, “Latrell said he doesn’t even know a pit bull” comment.
Aug.7 at 2:59 pm
jazzman says:
Good commentary. Bottom line for me is you don’t want PETA in your grill. Those cats are more ruthless than the dogfighters.
Aug.7 at 3:09 pm
bay area says:
Most major sports coverage has turned into entertainment weekly. Just look at the worldwide follower’s NOW series (or better yet, please don’t). As one of the top 10 most popular football players in the NFL, you have to know that if you do anything, ANYTHING, illegal, it will be everywhere in no time. Doesn’t matter if Mike is black, white, whatever. If you’re big time, you are going to be all over the papers. Shouldn’t we be worried that there was about 0.001% the amount of outrage when Leonard Little killed someone while driving drunk?
Aug.7 at 3:24 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I don’t even know a Leonard Little. (I don’t, really.) There was also no reaction when Qyntel Woods had some dog issues of his own, but that’s because people knew he was Qyntel Woods (or, in most cases, didn’t know) and realized he’d be out of the League in no time.
Aug.7 at 3:36 pm
irishmick says:
Go Joey…Go Harrington… Vick is now history around Atlanta; too bad, but that is life for this kinda cr**….!!
Aug.7 at 4:25 pm
Young Chris #3 says:
Some are though, Russ. Some athletes/celebrities realize that they are going to be looked up to and make an honest attempt at being role models (and I’m not just talking about giving to charity or helping fun school renovations). It’s just that, for every Shaq or Nomar, there are others who really screw up. But in reality, that’s life. There are people out here making much less who do what they can to better society, and there are those who can’t stay outta trouble (even if it’s not always a reflection on their character). Man, I learned at a young age that “people make mistakes” (Zoobily Zoo - old school - look it up!)
Aug.7 at 4:35 pm
Missy says:
I was at a cabin this weekend with some pals and my dog Karl, a black lab - boxer mix. We passed the time Saturday afternoon throwing the football around. You should know that Karl is ready and able to play fetch 24-7. He even falls asleep with the Frisbee in his mouth to show he is ready for action. Obviously, he was a complete pain in the a$$ constantly trying to jump and catch the football mid-air on every single throw and “fetching” the ball anytime somebody dropped a pass making us spend the next 5 minutes chasing him down. I was wiping the slobber off the ball after about 10 minutes of this nonsense when I finally noticed it was a Vick football with his autograph, jersey number, team colors, etc… I couldn’t help but laugh watching Karl attack the ball the rest of the afternoon. It’s funny enough to think about a dog wanting to eat a Michael Vick ball, but being a MN Viking fan, I also felt my heart cringe a bit. Karl definitely showed some elusive OT Vick moves when he was keeping the ball away from us…
Aug.7 at 4:37 pm
white hot eboy says:
Missy, cute story. Good for Karl.
Aug.7 at 4:38 pm
Big L says:
OK Lang, I got the perfect solution for you: http://www.vickdogchewtoy.com/
Aug.7 at 4:39 pm
p funk says:
I dont condone illegal behavior in the slightest degree. My only question is, why do we, as American’s feel like we have the right to play judge and jury about a person’s innocense, when we do not know all the facts. I am fine with making a judgement when you have sat in the courtroom and have heard the facts, or know personally of the facts. But that is not the case for anyone right now, so why are we judging anyone? I am not a Michael Vick or falcons fan, so i have no prior bias..Im simply stating an opinion
Aug.7 at 4:43 pm
matt the jazz fan says:
AND I QUOTE A PREVIOUS POST:
one thing that I completely understand is how the media sensationalizes these types of incidences when young, rich, black athletes are involved POSSIBLY BUT TO ANSWER LANG’S QUESTION: COVERAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTICAL IF IT HAD BEEN PEYTON. OR ANOTHER RICH YOUNG white ATHLETE. I-DEN-TI-CAL I TELL YOU.
Aug.7 at 4:56 pm
BETCATS says:
matt that is wrong. Down south everything is a race issue. Look at the duke lacrouse case. I thought they were guilty, were i live everybody thought so, i live in south east raliegh (the ‘black’ or ‘poor’ side of town) and if i were to compare it with my boss (who was screamming innocent about it and turned out to be right) we had two different views, not really knowing any facts just judging by the media’s coverage and race.
Aug.7 at 4:57 pm
BETCATS says:
and yes my boss is white.
Aug.7 at 5:15 pm
dblizzy! says:
Matt you can’t honestly believe that…
Aug.7 at 5:49 pm
kyle says:
Since this story broke weeks ago, I have been searching for someone to “speak to me” about this case. And you did it Lang. Great piece.
I am a season ticket holder for the Atlanta Falcons and a fan of Mike Vick as you are. I am also a dog owner. I think that if Vick is found guilty, he should be punished to the full extent of the laws. I will admit that I’m going to withhold judgement until I’ve heard all of the facts. So far, I’ve only heard one side of the story. I still want to hear Vick’s side of the story. When the smoke clears, hopefully, we’ll find the truth. I am certain that all parties (Vick, the gov’t, and the informants) are lying so it’ll take some time before you can believe anybody.
As a Falcons fan, I think he’s played his last game in red and black. And that’s a shame. There is a fear that he’ll go somewhere else and become the guy that we wanted him to be here in Atlanta (see Brett Favre aka Buckhead Brett).For that, I have to blame Vick. He’s made some bad choices during his stint here. Now, he has made Arthur Blank make a BUSINESS decision. It’s like EPMD’s 1st album…”Strictly Business.”
Vick can never say that Atlanta didn’t give him a chance. While he may have had the worst offensive line in the League, he had an opportunity to become a great player. While he had the WORST WRs in the League, he had the opportunity to become a great player. He’ll play again and you and I will still watch. But we won’t feel the same about him as we did when he beat the Vikes in OT…or when he handed Farve his 1st loss in the playoffs at Lambeau…or when he led us to the NFC championship game…or the “Superman Dive” vs Carolina.
Vick will leave us wondering “what if”and as a fan…that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Aug.7 at 6:13 pm
Tariq says:
Alright, peeps, my official Premiership Preview is posted. Check it out on Penny Dreadful, the acclaimed Pulitzer-Prize-winning, Latin-Grammy-nominated, scantily-clad, nutritious blog. Part of a complete breakfast.
Aug.7 at 6:37 pm
BETCATS says:
Tariq as long as you keep writtin that ^^ i guess i will write this ; i wrote the first comment on your blog.
Aug.7 at 6:41 pm
Co Co says:
Lang, that fan he flipped off was a Saints fan who had been cussin at him and etc. Mike clearly isn’t the smartest person you’ll ever meet, but even he wouldn’t flip off his own fans.
Aug.7 at 6:46 pm
Tariq says:
Yes, BETcats, I noticed. Thanks for stopping by. Even if it was evidently accidental.
Aug.7 at 7:53 pm
BETCATS says:
well i stopped by agian just for the hell of it. Your postin up a lot over their.
Aug.7 at 8:48 pm
Cordeazy says:
nice man. My conflict is similar, but probably even more selfish. i have two dogs that I luvs. and I’ve followed Ron Mexico since HS, and even though i hate the Falcons, I love Mike Vick. I sometimes hope they never get any decent recievers so i can see him scan the field, only to see no one open, and take off for one of the most entertaining 15-25 yards runs you will ever see The problem is I read the indictment, and its fairly powerful. Even if he’s cleared i don’t think I will ever really believe he was ever really innocent, and as hard as i have tried to reserve judgement i haven’t been able to.. yet i still want him to get off.like a very poor man’s OJ, except even better because O wasn’t playing anymore……I’m a bad person. I need to see him run again
Aug.7 at 8:56 pm
Tariq says:
Ha ha Ryan. Like you said, I didn’t have a choice. Truth be told, though, finishing sixth with such a limited budget ain’t too shabby.
Aug.7 at 9:45 pm
Dennis Tabella says:
Blacks have to stop making excuses for other Blacks. Our race did it for OJ and others; it make us look like fools. Vick is trash and needs to be dumped and put in prison where OJ belongs.
Aug.7 at 9:51 pm
esh-kosh-kah says:
This is a quote from Byrd: Byrd, when he was 28 years old, wrote to segregationist Senator Theodore Bilbo, of Mississippi, vowing never to serve in such a military: Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds. And lok at how he characterized Vick and his guys as creatures. Dude is f@cked up.
Aug.7 at 10:19 pm
Dervin says:
The reason why people are so upset about them, isn’t because they are pets. Birds, Goldfish, ferrets are pets and there wouldn’t be that much concern about them. It’s because a dog is the most loyal creature in God’s Universe. Much more loyal than a child or a sibling or a cousin. A dog will travel hundreds of miles to find you, A dog will give its own life to protect your family and your property, A dog will sit by your grave for months, A dog will always forgive you. This is what makes dogs unique from all other animals. People who abuse dogs violate that loyalty. They violate the trust the dog places in his owner. This is what makes Civilized people so upset with Dog Fighting. Michael Vick and his supporters will complain as people start abandoning him if even a part of these allegations are true. Do you know who would still be with him, even if all these allegations are proven true? His dogs, they’ll wag their tails and bark out for joy the next time he sees them. And this is why God is going to send Vick straight to hell.
Aug.7 at 10:31 pm
Rob Paxon says:
BETCats, what you said does illustrate the point that race (in the South or frankly otherwise) does play a role, no matter how small or unconscious–and to a varying degree in each individual, in things such as presumption of guilt. It also illustrates that this isn’t a witch hunt or over-sensationalized because of race along with being famous (which is the point you were attempting to defend as it is the point the person you were responding to was objecting to). It is a big story nationally because he is one of the most famous people in America, and the issues at hand strike a chord with many Americans. If white people tend to presume he’s guilty at a higher rate than black people do, and to a point that’s got to be the case, then that’s where the issue of race comes into play. As you said yourself, reversing race, a higher percentage of black folks surely presumed guilt in the lacrosse cases. If this were Favre rather than Vick, whites would be a bit less likely to assume guilt and blacks would be a bit more likely to do so than in the Vick case. But it’d be just as big of a story. At any rate, he could be black Jesus, white Jesus, or Jesus reincarnated into a loaf of bread… I find it hard to not presume at least a limited amount guilt in this case. I find it hard to believe he wasn’t aware of what was going on, making him culpable. He’d be culpable to a point even if he weren’t as it is his responsibility to know what’s going on. It’s just common sense to assume that. There’s nothing wrong with that assumption unless it is used to crucify him or prejudice a jury. That said this story isn’t very interesting or important to me at all, and I wish it’d fade away until some facts came out in a court room.
Aug.8 at 12:12 am
The Duality of Michael Vick « No EZ Buckets says:
[…] August 8, 2007 The Michael Vick dogfighting case is a hot topic as of late. Lang Whitaker, over at Slam Online wrote an interesting piece concerning the case. Whitaker is a Falcons fan and Vick fan since the beginning and also a dog lover at the same time. He writes about how he juggles his love for his dog and the allegations against Vick. It’s quite an interesting read, but he brings up some great points. First, we say that Vick is innocent until proven guilty, but clearly the public has made their mind up about how they feel about Vick. This can be evidenced by the protests and public outcry. […]
Aug.8 at 6:58 am
Mike V. #7 says:
alright i’m sorry already.. yeesh
Aug.8 at 7:08 am
Boing Dynasty says:
I vote for a Pay-per-view, Man vs Beast fight between Mike Vick and Ving Ryhmes’s dog. The winner gets to play QB for the Falcons.
Aug.8 at 11:13 am
Edu Mendonça says:
The fact is - even good people do silly mistakes sometimes. All of us. I don’t know a thing about Vick’s personal life, but he can surely be a good person, even if the allegations happen to be true. Or not. That’s how people are. The important thing here is, IF he has done that, he should be punished like every other person, despite being a rich NFL player that should be doing better with his time than this - IF he wastes time doing dog fights. I understand how hard is to discover something like that about an idol. Thanks God my one is Zico. ps: Barça’s or Brasil’s jersey, Lang?
Aug.8 at 11:30 am
Tariq says:
Edu, I bet it’s Barca.
Aug.8 at 11:36 am
DJ Trackstar says:
It involves race (because everything in the South involves race), better: (because everything in America involves race)
Aug.8 at 12:34 pm
Khari G says:
I never had a pet, but I grew up around dog fighters. It was sadly an extension of the same drug society/culture that brought hustlers together to bet on things that they could control. I didn’t take part because I didn’t have the money and had no part in the dogs…not because I thought it was disgusting. I think the descriptions of the deaths of the dogs is sad, but that is not the whole truth. Any dog that loses (and some that win) is in no shape to be cared for by anyone but an agency and even they often put them to death. Governments use terms like “financed” and people think that it means something that it doesn’t. If I am poor marijuana smoker who buys a $20 dollar bag a week, I am a user. If I am a rich marijuana smoker and I get a pound for every 2 months, and get caught, I am a distributor. Either way He should know better, but it is hard to escape the trappings we had in our youth. PS I grew up in DC not a rural area and I know about dog fights.
Aug.8 at 12:50 pm
DP says:
I JUST SAW THIS ON THE NEWS A MINUTE AGO! THIS IS BREAKING NEWS! SLYVESTOR CROOM HAS JUST BEEN FIRED AS THE HEAD COACH OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL TEAM. THEY HAVE JUST HIRED MICHEAL VICK! I AM SERIOUS! HOPEFULLY VICK CAN FINALLY TEACH THEM DOGS HOW TO FIGHT. PLAY WIT IT.
Aug.8 at 1:20 pm
Nick Sing says:
The FBI has a 91% percent rate of conviction and they had been targeting Vick for some time. Also, I personally have read the indictment and that is a very detailed, thought out piece of writing. While I too love to watch Vick elictrify the football field It’s almost a no-brainer as to his guilt. While I hope the truth becomes apparent (similar to Kobe whom I am also a huge fan, and Duke Lacrosse) I also don’t see why Vick deserves any sympathy. Even if he is innocent the guy is a moron for associating with such filth. Boyhood friends or not the man needs to grow up.
Aug.8 at 2:15 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Thanks for posting this, Lang.
Aug.8 at 3:17 pm
BETCATS says:
Rob, i am glad somebody reads my post. But if this were Brent Farve i really think most people wouldnt care, he is over the hill in my books.
Aug.8 at 3:57 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Is Ving Rhymes related to Busta?
Aug.8 at 5:14 pm
dblizzy! says:
Yeah Ving is his 3rd cousin, get your Leaders of the New School knowledge up.
Aug.8 at 7:16 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
I believe it’s Lee Ann actually, Ryan.
Aug.9 at 1:03 am
Lang Whitaker says:
Thanks, Kyle.
Aug.9 at 9:01 am
greener says:
its all matter of perspective on how you view Dogs.. i feel like they just want to make an example out of vick
Aug.9 at 12:24 pm
tike says:
VICKS STILL THE MAN!!
Aug.9 at 3:35 pm
diogo says:
White people don’t commit crimes. They make “judgment errors”.
Aug.9 at 11:01 pm
XKLUSIVE says:
MAN VICK IS ONE OF THE BEST QBS OF THIS TIME HE CHANGED THE GAME WITH THE WAY HE PLAYS UR INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN AMERICA BUT I GUESS WHEN UR IN THE SPOTLIGHT ITS HARD TA DO! ALL I HAVE TA SAY TA CATS OUT THERE IS THIS U LOVE HIM WHEN HE PLAYS THE GAME BUT U JUDGE HIM WHEN HE MIGHT & I STRESS MIGHT HAVE MESSED UP STP BEIN FAREWEATHER FANS LOVE HIMOR HAT HIM IMA ROCK MY VICK JERSEY TILL THE END VICK KEEP YA HEAD UP & WILL THE REAL VICK FANS STAND UP WIT ME PLEASE! XKLUSIVE BABY CHITOWN STAND UP
Aug.10 at 7:08 am
weezy leezy says:
anyone see ving rhames in the adam sandler movie, “I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry” ???? yooooo, maaadd funny!!!
Aug.10 at 7:13 am
weezy leezy says:
dogfighting aint cool when u see dogs in pain and sh*t, but down south its a pretty popular “sport”. vick shoulda stuck wit the sport of football though. way more legal.
Aug.10 at 12:14 pm
bigmike407 says:
I feel bad for Vick. I feel bad for dude because he’s a black man under a federal indictment for a crime. So naturally, as a black man in America, I sympathize. But that is where my sympathy ends. God put animals here on earth as another companion for man, and to do some of the horrors described in that indictment seems like it may be an express ticket to the bottom of hell. I know this thing has to play out in the courts, and lawyers and judges must sort these things out, but I think the law just may make an example of Vick for this here. They probably see Vick as some kid running wild with a grip of money who wants to ‘keep it real in the hood’ and they don’t want that mentality to prevail. And speaking from personal experience, the FBI isn’t coming unless their information is totally straight. That’s why I worry about how this will turn out for him.
Aug.10 at 9:20 pm
Robert Paul Reyes says:
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but if a criminal breaks into my home, I’m not going to wait for a jury’s verdict, I will immediately blow him away. Michael Vick may be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but the evidence is overwhelming he’s a sadist who enjoys killing dogs and we don’t have to wait for a jury’s verdict to exercise our constitutional right to freedom of expression. It gladdens my heart to see Americans from all walks of life condemn Vick’s barbaric actions. We are sick and tired of the criminal element that thrives in the NFL and the NBA, and Vick’s alleged killing of innocent dogs is the last straw. Even fellow athletes have spoken out against the alleged subhuman crimes of Michael Vick. According to AOL Sports NASCAR driver Ryan Newman says that “Vick should be neutered.” “Newman and his wife Krissie, who raise funds for animal welfare through The Ryan Newman Foundation and serve as volunteer board members for The Humane Society of Catawba County, hope that the Michael Vick case will bring more attention to dog fighting. They’ll call some attention to it themselves by sporting the t-shirts they had made last week that say: “7 to life” on the front and “Neuter Vick” on the back, which Krissie says Ryan will wear through the end of the season.” Quote from AOL Sports NASCAR is looking better and better every day, when’s the last time you heard about a NASCAR driver accused of a serious crime? I haven’t attended an NFL game in decades, and if Vick is not severely punished by the NFL, I will stop watching the games on TV as well. Hopefully we have turned a corner and we will no longer allow sports stars to get away with murder. Michael Vick, we are sick and tired of your obscene gestures and your alleged crimes; you aren’t going to receive a “get out of jail free card.” Animal lovers and all those sick of thuggish behavior by athletes will hound you until you are banned from the NFL.
Aug.13 at 3:43 pm
Rick H. says:
They said accusing Michael Jackson of molesting young boys was racist too. I still believe he does it. I believe Vick did it. I also believe anyone who only sees things through a prism of color is just as racist as those he accuses of racism. It isn’t always about race every time a black celebrity is caught doing something wrong, sometimes they are just guilty. If you want to truly fight a rcially motiated problem, come to Atlanta where I live and protest the treatment of Genarlow Williams (not a celebrity black man, but could have been)
Aug.17 at 1:30 pm
J says:
This case is quite disturbing in the fact that it is not really about Dog Fighting at all. Vick will go down because if you read this (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0730071vick1.html) it pretty much paints the picture that Vick was just the financier of the organization. He did have so knowledge of what was going on but wasn’t killing the actual dogs. The reason Vick is even worried about it is because with the conspiracy plea (with conspiracy to commit interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities). This means that he can be charged with the crimes of his co-defendants even though he did not actually do them, and since the co-defendants plead guilty he is pretty much screwed. The feds do not want to take this to trial at all. They want to get their conviction and let the public opinion stand. The thing is Vick could still go to trial if not for the threat of the additional charges that he will be hit with if he does not plea which will be: Charges under the RICO act which was intended to stop the mob in gambling and bootlegging scams not dog fighting. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Newz_Kennels_dog_fighting_investigation) These charges would bring his penalty to 20 years in prison. But wait isn’t this about dogs… why are the feds trying to get him on gambling? We Americans love gambling, we’ve got Vegas, Atlantic City, Horse racing (the Kentucky Derby is one of the most heavily bet on sporting “events” besides the Superbowl), slot machines in most states, Multi-state lotteries. Why would the government care that he was gambling if he wasn’t doing it BIG TIME to the tune of millions? Also according to Tate’s statement Vick didn’t even profit form their endeavor. He gave them (co-defendants) money to do the gambling and training and the co-defendants did everything else. Its also funny that from the wording of the indictment and the wording of Tate’s statement that it would be a lot easier to prove that he would be guilty under RICO. So yes Vick will plea to dog fighting and animal cruelty (even though he didn’t do it, his co-defendants did), but not because he believes he is wrong but because he does not want anything to do with RICO and his co-defendants sold him out by pleading guilty. Of and if you like a good conspiracy read his other two defendants statements and how similar they are (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0817071vick1.html). Notice how they are much more damning and vicious to Vick. The Feds are forcing his hand because again they don’t want to see this go to trial. Plus these are well written for three men that are high school dropouts. Anyone want to believe that the feds typed this up and just made them sign it? You watch law and order don’t you, that thing happens all the time. How often can two people write essentially the same thing about an event (which isn’t the same as what Tate said but it is similar is some instances) when it’s hard to get people in the same room to describe a singular event in detail and have all the accounts match up? How can this happen when this has supposedly TAKEN PLACE OVER A PERIOD OF 6 YEARS?!?!?!?!?! Interesting how our legal system works in it hunt for “justice”. Doesn’t seem to just to me to force someone into pleaing instead of actually trying them in court, by threatening the use of a law not how it was originally intended but as a weapon to help them tell a judge your guilt when you might not be. Another interesting this about this case is the fact that the indictment is so detailed. How can that be when it was given to the court before any of the defendants talked to prosecutors? It tells dates, names and a whole host of things one could only know by ACTAULLY BEING THEIR WHEN THE ACTS TOOK PALCE!!!!!!! (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0717072vick1.html) If this is the case then why hasn’t someone else been charged because the are definitely accessories? Who could this person be? Well a funny story for Vick, you might want to make sure that your family does not have to sell drugs if you are making that kind of money and are supporting them in another illegal venture. If you don’t know what I am talking about Google the name Davon Boddie or better yet read this article (http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=6428206&nav=menu45_2). Profootballtalk.com has all the details if you want more also. While this is all very interesting to me (the legal process that is) one thing is for sure…. Things don’t look good for Vick. Someone gave him up to the feds and he’s going to go down for something he did or did not do. In truth we will never know because I have a feeling his statement wont be his true feeling like. He will plea (he almost has to now if Boddie is one of the witnesses because he was there the whole time, and his co-defendants have already plead) and will be sentenced. Of all the questions I have about this case these two strike me the most. Would we care as much and have so much viciousness towards this if Vicks people were fighting chickens, bears, ducks, lambs, bulls, cattle foxes, wolves, fish, crabs, sharks or an other animal that we hunt or eat? and Would we want him to go to jail just as much if he shot someone in the face and they apologized for it? Imagine if Vick shot DeAngelo Hall in the face and then Hall held a press conference to apologize to Vick. Would we condemn him to hell as some have done in this post or would just let it blow over and go about our lives? Which is worse funding dog fighting or shooting people in the face?
Aug.17 at 1:45 pm
J says:
Robert Raul Reyes:
No but there is rampant cheating in NASCAR and people are getting suspended left and right so is it that much better? Didn’t a couple drives get docked like 200 points? A drive was also arrested (Aaron Fike ) for possession of heroin. Also there is criminal elements in every sport. Have a rash of baseball players been in trouble. I know one killed a couple people in his home country like last years and got prison time? Didn’t some other baseball player get drunk and kill himself and someone else? There was also a pitcher for the marlins (Scott Olsen) who was drunk and led the cops on like an 8 mile speeding chase. In hockey wasn’t Wayne Gretzky’s wife involved in some betting scandal? Wasn’t a former NHL player arrested for plotting to kill someone (Mike Danton)? The common thing in all this is that no matter the sport people do get in trouble. While Jeff Gordon, Sydney Crosby, or A-Rod are not accused of anything of this magnitude (yet, …. Hey you never know), that does not mean they aren’t doing anything and they other sports are unwatchable because of a few bad apples.
Aug.18 at 1:52 pm
The Truth says:
Michael Vick is the best thing that ever happened to the NFL. He is the Truth! 1st of all last time I checked, animals have no rights. The purpose of a bitbull is to fight. The only rights a pitbull has is the right to fight. Dog fighting is part of the history and culture of the american ghetto. God provided animals to nourish and entertain man. Last time I checked most people don’t care about cows and chickens being run through the sawmill. May God bless Michael Vick and may God continue to bless America!
Aug.21 at 2:04 pm
Sammy says:
How come we can electrocute chickens and not dogs? So hypocritical. From the California Poultry slaughter regualtions:
3 CCR 1245.4 (2003) § 1245.4. Method of Humane Slaughter of Poultry (a) The Department has determined that the following methods are acceptable and practical humane methods for use in the stunning and slaughter of poultry. (1) Carbon dioxide and argon gas-induced anoxia. (2) Electrical stunning. (3) Electrocution to cardiac arrest. (4) Captive bolt (ostrich and rabbit only). (5) Cervical dislocation. (6) Carotid artery severance. (7) Decapitation. (8) Other methods as approved by the Department. (b) Any of the above methods may be used in combination to effect the most humane slaughter of poultry. (c) Each poultry slaughter establishment shall be responsible for the selection of sale equipment and the safe use of such equipment. (d) Establishments selecting the carbon dioxide and argon gas electrical stunning, or electrocution method shall install all equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, or under the supervision of a licensed engineer. Such installations shall comply with all applicable building and safety codes as specified by local and state government.
Aug.22 at 1:35 am
joe says:
IT makes no sense, Ray Lewis Kills someone gets off on a technicality and the man is idolized by sportcasters every where and not much outrage by anyone before during or after the killing.Brett Farve had a drug addiction and all is well(no suspension nothing).Brett Farve says he let Mike Strahan sack him so Mike could get the record, the sports casters praised him as noble.(Like taking a play off like Randy Moss, unforgivable for Moss but Brett can do it, Nobody likes to play more than Brett Farve after all or so the myth goes.)No penalty by the league for glory hound(no pun intended)Farve no not a peep.The NFL also is very inhumane to humans no big deal.They grow rich charging networks and stadium goers much like the dog match folks and reward the injured with next to nothing.The former players suffer much more than the dogs in that they are still living and NFL HOPES PEOPLE FORGET. Mike Vicks flipping the fans was his downfall and his choice of friends sealed his fate.Anyone who is realistic knows that Vick was sold out by the punks he chose to stay with and their testimony has zero credibilty because they just saved their own tails.Law enforcement doesn’t care if Vick did it they want that conviction to have a chilling effect on the peasants and media attention for their career advancement.Vick may have plead quitly just to hope to minimize his punishment due to his homies testimony. If Vick did do this he should be banned for a year and on probation or house arrest. But not banned for life but banned if something similar reoccurs.
Aug.23 at 6:44 pm
carri says:
omfg..i’m english and definately dnt agree with dog fighting!! (nor chicken fighting for that matter) I have a beautiful 4 1/2 yr old staffordshire bull, and i couldn’t imagine ever treating her so badly. Dont get me wrong i have children so i think animals are definately not my no1 priority but it’s disgusting, no offence but this guy didn’t get nearly enough time as he would have over here… (guilty until proven innocent tbh!!!)