Federal prosecutors may have sacked Michael Vick’s commercial endorsements, but he’ll probably still be allowed to pursue his career as the all-star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons…for now.
Yesterday they announced a voluminous indictment against him for funding and participating in a dogfighting operation, which carries a penalty of up to six years in prison. And the odds on acquittal are slim to none – given the number of defendants who have been convicted for this crime with far less incriminating evidence against them than prosecutors claim to have against Vick.
Meanwhile, I was genuinely shocked last April when investigators disclosed that their high-profile raid on Vick’s property in Virginia, where they rescued 54 pit bulls, was only one of thousands they execute each year. Although my shock had less to do with the revelation that there’s illegal dogfighting going on all over America.
Instead, I was more shocked by the fact that Vick was such a big player. After all, this was rather like finding out that Michael Jordan is a big-time fox hunter – a bloodsport I consider no less repugnant. But, based on reports, it seems that dogfighting is replacing “ghetto craps” as the favorite game for gamblers in the Hip-Hop community….
The indictment alleges that Vick not only used his property to cage these dogs, but also used cruel methods to breed and train them into money-making fighting machines:
Vick executed approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in ‘testing’ sessions by various methods, including hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog’s body to the ground.
(So, don’t let the lil pup above fool ya. Indeed, I imagine Vick would have been an even more rabid breeder if he could have bottled the genetic defect that caused this freak of nature to develop muscles twice the size of normal dogs of its breed….)
We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him. [NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy]
Nevertheless, the NFL has invoked the presumption of “innocent until proven guilty” to protect its members more than any other professional organization. In fact, given that the league has coddled everyone from murder suspects to wife beaters, I have no doubt that Vick will be entreated to take the field until federal authorities take him off in handcuffs.
Truth be told, however, Vick’s off-the-field antics have overshadowed his game from the day he was drafted; not least of which was putting himself in a position where a woman could file a credible suit against him for passing herpes.
Frankly, it is incomprehensible to me, and I truly regret, that the adrenaline rush from playing football (and making millions no less) was not enough for Michael Vick. But maybe he can finally exorcise his animalistic fetish by betting on and participating in dawg-fights in the federal pen.
That said, I wish a small amount of this public outcry against Vick for abusing dogs would be heaped upon other professional athletes for routinely abusing women….
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Anonymous says
What a shame and disgrace that the NFL decided to let Michael stay active until he most likely will be found guilty of these disgusting charges.
Michael is such a BIG LOSER.