NFL ban Vick over dog fight case

[TallCoolOne]

NFL ban Vick over dog fight case

Vick has admitted helping to bankroll a dog-fighting ring
Michael Vick has been suspended indefinitely without pay by the NFL after pleading guilty to involvement in a dog fighting operation.
The Atlanta Falcons star, one of US sport's biggest names, was heavily criticised by NFL chief Roger Goodell.

The commissioner described Vick's conduct as "not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible".

Vick faces a maximum $250,000 fine and five years in jail, although his plea is likely to mean a shorter term.

Goodell said: "Your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract.

We hope that Michael will use this time... to take positive steps to improve his personal life

Falcons owner Arthur Blank backs Vick's suspension

"They expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player."

Falcons owner Arthur Blank issued a statement saying: "Michael's admissions describe actions that are incomprehensible and unacceptable for a member of the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons.

"We respect and support the Commissioner's decision to place him on an indefinite suspension.

"As with other actions he has taken this year, the Commissioner is making a strong statement that conduct which tarnishes the good reputation of the NFL will not be tolerated.

"We hope that Michael will use this time, not only to further address his legal matters, but to take positive steps to improve his personal life."

Vick has admitted bankrolling a dog-fighting ring and helping to kill up to eight dogs after they lost fights.

The quarterback signed a 10-year, $130m (£65m) contract with the Falcons in 2004, and also earns millions more in endorsements.

But he was banned from training camp by Atlanta earlier this summer as the dog fighting case came to light, and now faces an uncertain future in the game.


source: BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | American Football | NFL ban Vick over dog fight case (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/american_football/6963249.stm)




Thoughts? Reactions? Here's a thought I have: I hope Vick gets molested in prison by some hard ass inmates.

[shaan04]

I think he will get 1 to 2 years in jail then he will be back play for ATL. This is a very nasty thing that Vick did i don't know what is wrong with the guy. You have every thing then u mess it up by doing such a dumb thing.

[TallCoolOne]

I think he will get 1 to 2 years in jail then he will be back play for ATL. This is a very nasty thing that Vick did i don't know what is wrong with the guy. You have every thing then u mess it up by doing such a dumb thing.

His contract had him set for life, and his endorsements had him set for multiple lives, lol. He thought he could get away with anything, but if he had won a Super Bowl like he was supposed to, tyhey wouldn't have found out about his dog fighting ring. You may think I'm joking, but you don't see anyone finding out about Tom Brady's prostituion ring. LOL, wait, that last part was a joke.

[stinkyattic]

What an ass.
I have my own ideas (which are both unorthodox and unconstitutional) about how he should be punished but I am glad to see the NFL doing the right thing here.

[shaan04]

LOL Tom Brady's prostitution ring


But if you think about it Vick would have a hard time coming back to the NFL. That lady who had a talk show on CNN o yea Nancey Grace i think her name is she was just going off on Vick on how he should be banned and the people who were calling in were supporting her idea.

[xcrispi]

Damn glad to hear it .
Crispi :jointsmile:

[Weedhound]

I'd love to say its about the dogs but my hubby insists its about the betting.....is he right?

[Blitzed]

I'd love to say its about the dogs but my hubby insists its about the betting.....is he right?

Im pretty sure he is right, in fact I hope he is. Because other wise they are sick and fucked up in the head if they really get enjoyment out of watching dogs kill each other..:mad:

[Weedhound]

Actually Blitzed I was talking about the NFL ban....not Vick personally (but there has to be some sadist in there somewhere) My hubby said they banned him because of the betting allegations (against the NFL rules) vs dogfighting (illegal) Does that make sense the way I wrote it? I'm kind of....:stoned:

[jamstigator]

He'll go to jail for the dogs, but he'll be banned from the NFL for life, most likely, for the gambling.

I see it their way; dogs killing each other doesn't directly affect the integrity of the sport, but gambling easily could. Like, somebody gets into debt with their bookie, then bookie says, 'We'll call it even if you flub a couple of passes (or whatever), and if you don't, we'll rat you out to the NFL for gambling and you'll be looking for a new job'. THAT would destroy the fairness of games and make it pointless to watch them. So, they must come down hard on any gambling.

It's mind-boggling what this will ultimately have cost him. Most of his big contract, all of any future contracts he might have gotten, vast amounts of endorsement dollars, probably part of his signing bonus. All told, I'd guess those six dogs he killed will have cost him a quarter of a billion dollars, or more than $40 million *per dog*. Hell, even OJ wasn't liable for that much money for killing *two people*.

People love their dogs!

[king of the world]

damn i hope he does not get banned for life. i dont like what he did but i like watching him play.

[Psycho4Bud]

Actually Blitzed I was talking about the NFL ban....not Vick personally (but there has to be some sadist in there somewhere) My hubby said they banned him because of the betting allegations (against the NFL rules) vs dogfighting (illegal) Does that make sense the way I wrote it? I'm kind of....:stoned:

Betting is part of it but the NFL is starting to crack down on these jocks that think that they are above the law. Stiffer suspensions, etc....... Drunk driving, possession of a firearm, are just a few that have bought some of these boys a vacation.

These people were bringing to bring down the sport with their off the field adventures.....when you are fortunate enough to get a multi-million dollar contract it's a slap in the fact to the league and owners to act like an ass off the field. I'm personally glad their cleaning it up a bit.:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

[thcbongman]

I'm glad Vick accepted the plea deal and will be punished by prison.

However, I don't think the NFL should ban him. Let him be punished by the court of law. Let him serve his time, and let him move on. If he rehabilitates, let him on with his career. If he does his cruel actions again, let him be punished by the law again.

The NFL has forgived murders, and criminals of all time. No matter vicks crimes, he did not hurt the NFL directly, only in terms of image. He did not place bets on NFL games (until proven otherwise.) He did not profit illegally using the NFL. He did not use performance-enchancing drugs to cheat. He did nothing to illegally alter the outcome of games. This is what constitutes life-time bans from leagues. Not criminal convictions outside of the spot. I believe this a form of double jeopardy.

If the Atlanta Falcons wanted to cut him, or off the team for conduct that's detrimental to their rules of conduct, then they can chose to. If another team wanted to pick him up, they can chose to. But I believe the NFL is overstepping their boundaries, and suspending him indefinitely as a mere public ploy.

Personally I think hunting, are poaching are equally as demented as dog fighting. You are killing for personal pleasure or gain. But yet, I hear no uproar about it.

The only reason people care is because this guy has a ton of money and plays in the NFL. No one would care otherwise. America is a very unforgiving culture, and this only continues to perpetuate it. People just put someone to the stake with a sense of vengeance, and not for true justice. They want to see him burn. I only want him to be punished within the scope. The NFL banning goes beyond that.

[Rabbit Lion]

I have my own ideas (which are both unorthodox and unconstitutional) about how he should be punished...

you and me both.

[TheDefiler]

thcbongman...I totally agree with what u said. The NFL should only care about things that affect the organization and stay out of peoples personal lives. If someone makes a mistake off the field then it is their responsibility to pay for that crime after being convicted and sentenced in a court of law. It's bad enough being fined and imprisoned but then u lost your livelihood as well? Kinda crappy if u ask me but then again its just the NFL flexing their muscle i guess.

[king of the world]

i think the nfl banned him because of all the publicity. if the media wasn't all up their asses they would have probably gave him a small punishment. but everyone was critizing vick and the nfl, so they had to pull out the big gunz.

[ganjzilla]

i mean does this guy have no class at all?...what a joker...ur gonna make 130 million over the next 10 years not including ur endorsements, clothing and shoe sales...but u throw it away over freaking dog fighting...thats gotta be the dumbest thing ive ever heard...20 grand a fight for something illegal or 13 million a year to throw a damn ball...this dude deserves to go to the psych ward after he gets let outta jail

[KevinFinnerty]

I've got a lot I want to get off my chest on this topic, so bear with me.

It's REALLY sad, and frustrating, and amusing, to see just how many people are practically calling for Michael Vick to be lynched for this whole dogfighting thing. How can you sit there and rationally argue that Vick deserves to be banned from the NFL for life after he serves his (potential) jail sentence and pays his proverbial debt to society? Who is the commissioner to say, "Alright Mike, you're out of jail, but I don't think our nation's legislation is strict enough regarding this matter, so I'm still not going to let you play." I mean, there are millions of people in this country, and ostensibly many players in the NFL, who enjoy going out with high-powered firearms and blowing the brains out of innocent animals who are just chilling in their natural habitats, animals that would have otherwise lived normal lives. You're going to sit there and tell me that this activity is significantly less horrible, if at all, than dogfighting? I'm not saying dogfighting isn't disgusting, or that that there shouldn't be laws against it. What I am saying, however, is that it certainly shouldn't be the sole cause of the premature ending to a man's career.

People love to point to the the cruelty and "inhumanity" (a term I've heard used a lot when discussing the animal abuse which seems a bit oxymoronic, considering animals aren't humans) with which Vick treated those dogs as the reason why this is such a horrible act. However, how can you use the concept of inhumanity in reference to the treatment of animals when we, as humans, kill animals everyday for things like food, clothing, hunting, etc.? Even more to the point, how can you use the concept of inhumanity in reference to the treatment of dogs when organizations like the ASPCA kill THOUSANDS of dogs a year simply for population control? It's just so hypocritical to, on the one hand, treat animals completely like property to be destroyed when a person sees fit, and on the other hand send someone to jail and ruin his career for the way he chooses to treat said property. Until the powers that be, as well as the public, show the same indignation toward all forms of abusing and killing animals (like hunting) as they do towards Michael Vick, all this outrage towards Vick is nothing more than hollow sanctimony.

Another thing: the people trying to rationalize a lifetime ban for Michael Vick by bringing up gambling are way off base. There is a huge and fundamental difference between gambling on your sport and just gambling period. Vick putting some money on his dogs to win fights in no way compromised the competitive integrity of the NFL. Also, it's ridiculous to say that betting on his dogs could have led to him developing a debt with a bookie and indirectly led to him shaving points or something. By all accounts Vick was wagering like $20,000 or $30,000 tops on these dogfights, a laughably small amount compared to the size of his salary. In fact, it only takes a bit of common sense and a little knowledge of how sports betting works to understand that there's next to zero chance of an athlete in the big three sports (NFL, NBA, MLB) shaving points considering how much money they make, how much risk it involves, and how much a bookie would have to pay the athlete to make it worthwhile for him, considering that there is a relatively low limit to how much you can wager on any given game; it's simply not feasible, although college sports are a different story altogether. The bottom line is that, even though I don't have an exact copy of the NFL's policy regarding gambling in front of me, I know it would be against the spirit of the policy to punish a guy when he never did anything to actually affect the competition in the NFL in any way. As a side note, if you still think Michael Vick's gambling makes him deserving of a lifetime ban, what would you say about the portion of the NFL's players (sizable, according to many, many reports) who wager huge amounts playing Texas Holdem and other card games? I can assure you that there's a lot more money being put on card games among football players, and other pro athletes, than $20,000-$30,000.

...and now I'm off my soapbox. Thank you for your time :D

[TallCoolOne]

I've got a lot I want to get off my chest on this topic, so bear with me.

It's REALLY sad, and frustrating, and amusing, to see just how many people are practically calling for Michael Vick to be lynched for this whole dogfighting thing. How can you sit there and rationally argue that Vick deserves to be banned from the NFL for life after he serves his (potential) jail sentence and pays his proverbial debt to society? Who is the commissioner to say, "Alright Mike, you're out of jail, but I don't think our nation's legislation is strict enough regarding this matter, so I'm still not going to let you play." I mean, there are millions of people in this country, and ostensibly many players in the NFL, who enjoy going out with high-powered firearms and blowing the brains out of innocent animals who are just chilling in their natural habitats, animals that would have otherwise lived normal lives. You're going to sit there and tell me that this activity is significantly less horrible, if at all, than dogfighting? I'm not saying dogfighting isn't disgusting, or that that there shouldn't be laws against it. What I am saying, however, is that it certainly shouldn't be the sole cause of the premature ending to a man's career.

People love to point to the the cruelty and "inhumanity" (a term I've heard used a lot when discussing the animal abuse which seems a bit oxymoronic, considering animals aren't humans) with which Vick treated those dogs as the reason why this is such a horrible act. However, how can you use the concept of inhumanity in reference to the treatment of animals when we, as humans, kill animals everyday for things like food, clothing, hunting, etc.? Even more to the point, how can you use the concept of inhumanity in reference to the treatment of dogs when organizations like the ASPCA kill THOUSANDS of dogs a year simply for population control? It's just so hypocritical to, on the one hand, treat animals completely like property to be destroyed when a person sees fit, and on the other hand send someone to jail and ruin his career for the way he chooses to treat said property. Until the powers that be, as well as the public, show the same indignation toward all forms of abusing and killing animals (like hunting) as they do towards Michael Vick, all this outrage towards Vick is nothing more than hollow sanctimony.

Another thing: the people trying to rationalize a lifetime ban for Michael Vick by bringing up gambling are way off base. There is a huge and fundamental difference between gambling on your sport and just gambling period. Vick putting some money on his dogs to win fights in no way compromised the competitive integrity of the NFL. Also, it's ridiculous to say that betting on his dogs could have led to him developing a debt with a bookie and indirectly led to him shaving points or something. By all accounts Vick was wagering like $20,000 or $30,000 tops on these dogfights, a laughably small amount compared to the size of his salary. In fact, it only takes a bit of common sense and a little knowledge of how sports betting works to understand that there's next to zero chance of an athlete in the big three sports (NFL, NBA, MLB) shaving points considering how much money they make, how much risk it involves, and how much a bookie would have to pay the athlete to make it worthwhile for him, considering that there is a relatively low limit to how much you can wager on any given game; it's simply not feasible, although college sports are a different story altogether. The bottom line is that, even though I don't have an exact copy of the NFL's policy regarding gambling in front of me, I know it would be against the spirit of the policy to punish a guy when he never did anything to actually affect the competition in the NFL in any way. As a side note, if you still think Michael Vick's gambling makes him deserving of a lifetime ban, what would you say about the portion of the NFL's players (sizable, according to many, many reports) who wager huge amounts playing Texas Holdem and other card games? I can assure you that there's a lot more money being put on card games among football players, and other pro athletes, than $20,000-$30,000.

...and now I'm off my soapbox. Thank you for your time :D


Ever heard of Pete Rose?