Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Maybe there is still a way to Blame Marcus?

Yep, doubtful. First, a few quick authors notes.

1.I have loved watching Michael Vick play football. If you saw him play his junior year in college where he almost carried Virginia Tech to the National Championship or his rookie year in Atlanta where he thumped the Green Bay Packers close to by himself, then you know that he can do magic on the football field. So it strikes a bit closer to home.

2.I don't like Pit Bulls. Never have. They scare the crap out of me and this is even including the fact that Sarge has a pit bull as a pet. He makes me nervous and edgy as well. So, while I am an animal lover, the fact that its not golden retriever fighting might temper my outrage just a little bit.

3.That old adage is true. Presented correctly, a ham sandwich can be indicted for murder. I have been on grand juries before and with the right wording and inflection and peek at evidence, anyone could be indicted or not indicted, depending on what the district attorney wants. So, there does need to be some patience in the Michael Vick case until a trial occurs.

All that being said, this is still disgusting, just because he even allowed himself to be involved in this at the lowest of levels. His excuse always was that he does not know what is going on at the Virginia home. Even if this is true, you can not tell me that you don't know whats going on with your money at one time or another. I pay attention to how much is spent on food at the supermarket, if you can tell me that you don't know what is happening with hundreds of thousands of your dollars, then you are a fool.

If it is found that he had more involvement then just allowing things to happen on his property that he had no idea about, that he actually was involved in dog fighting and the punishment of the animals, including electrocution and drowning of the losers in fights, then he does deserve to have whatever punishment is presented to him. Its disgusting because these animals have such a bad reputation, that probably is probably cause for issue #2 above. They are loyal to a fault and want to do the best they can for the humans around them. So while making them dog fighting naturals they are also naturals to be dead because of there psychological makeup.

The NFL continues to be all over the police blotter, with the Pac Man, Tank Johnson and half of the Cincinnati Bengals being in the news for the wrong reason. This is biggest name though and will certainly be a cloud over the NFL until it is resolved and could be a hurricane if Vick is convicted.

Will I continue to drink Gatorade and wear my Nike made clothing, even though Vick is used in endorsements? Yes of course. Will I root for Vick if he is not convicted or suspended if his team can knock someone competing with the Eagles for the last playoff spot out of the playoffs? Yes of course. Do I feel bad about buying my nephew a Michael Vick jersey when he was one, which thankfully he has outgrown. Absolutely!

On a side note, this is good news for the most famous Oregon Duck football Alumni, Joey Harrington, who just signed to be Michael Vick's backup in Atlanta. He should now get the chance to show what he can really do for a team that may actually be good, as opposed to his time in Detroit and Miami.

25 comments:

Valtool said...

Joey MAY have that opportunity UNTIL the Falcons sign free agent Duante Culpepper so that Joey can be Duante's towel boy again. :)

Unknown said...

I just saw this headline and haven't had a chance to read all the details yet. But it sickens me to heard about this type of treatment of animals, no matter what type of dog they are.

Very sad.

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

LOL...wowo...everywhere I go today I am beaten to the punch. I immediately thought of Dante to the Falcons when I saw this last evening.

Excellent post Sparky. I agree, he is innocent until proven guilty, but there seems to be way too many factors circulating here.

Also, I used to own a Retriever/Pit mix and he is one of the most caring dogs. Even 100% Pits can be good pets, if they are not abused and trained to be monsters.

Valtool said...

I went to college with Duante (UCF) and actually know the guy, so I have been a fan of whatever NFL team he plays for. I even have the multiple jerseys to prove it! :)

The bottom line, I believe, is that both Michael and Marcus Vick are punks. They don't know how to behave in civilzed society, and the monry and fame they are receiving is not helping either of them.

Mike Vick may not be proven guilty in the dog-fighting ordeal, but he and his brother have such a track record that is you said Mike was suspected of donating rabid kittens to an orphanage for kids and animals day, a lot of people would not be surprised. :)

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

While I can't expect all NFL players to be as classy as the Steelers' Aaron Smith (our daughters went to preschool together and he's just a delight), I still can't condone this sort of thing. Dog fighting's not just illegal, it's immoral, too. Not to mention sick and gross.

Vick has a responsibility to know what his money is going for, and how his property is being used. "I didn't know about it" is pretty darn wussy there, football star. Get your head out of the sand and be a man.

Schmoop said...

You know who provides the best coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals? A police scanner.

Matt-Man: Pained Bengal Fan.

Cheers!!

Cinnamon Girl said...

While I am seriously bummed about the charges and allegations against Michael, Sparky is right. Inncocent until proven guilty people. And stop holding his brother against him. My dad's sisters is a drugged out crack head. Doesn't make him one.

So Joey -Show Me The Money- Harrington is going to Hotlanta, eh? Please Lord, let him deliver.

Valtool said...

And the liberal demographic comes back out. So how long until the Michael Vick indictment is linked to Dick Cheney?

Marcus Vick has performed criminal acts. Michael Vick has acted in a very suspciious manner that has raised the attention of law enforcement in multiple states.

Sparky Duck said...

Michael, what that hell does this all have to do with being a liberal, sheesh.

Marcus is a bum, stupid in fact because he lived off his brothers fame without half his skills. His biggest mistake was going to Va Tech in the first place.

Michael Vick has done some dumb things. The whole Ron Mexico thing comes to mind first. But at least he has also done some nice things with his fame, like donating back to Va Tech, giving to the Warrick Dunn foundation, which is one of the greatest charities out there, etc etc etc.

Is this heinous, yes? Does it look really really really bad, absolutely. Does it compare to the things that his brother has done, um nope, not yet.

of course, I think marijuana should be legalized, so what do I know

Unknown said...

I shared my thoughts on the Michael Vick matter on my blog as well.

Personally, I think that he is going to end up being released by the Falcons ... just like Tank Johnson was released by the Bears.

Just my thought...

peace, Villager

Jason h said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Valtool said...

The liberal connection was inspired by Starlight's innocent until proven guilty comment.

No offense to the host here, but, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, smells like a duck, tried to avoid being caught with suspicious material in the Miami airport like a duck, sometimes you just have to accept that it is indeed a duck.

I'm no Falcons fan, but I think they would be better off without this constant distraction.

Off topic - what's the story behind the nickname "Pac-man"

Sparky Duck said...

Villager-I am afraid that if the Falcons released him in the near future they would take a huge huge hit on the salary cap that it would cripple them for a few years. Signing bonus is the key.

Michael-So, my #3 in the post didnt raise the ire of your liberal radar?? When i said the same thing just phrased differently?
Marijuana=I don't really freaking care, caught or not caught.

PacMan by the way, according to Wiki, got the nickname from his grandmother because of the way that he would drink and drink and drink milk when he was a toddler.

Wylie Kinson said...

For once I'm speechless. I just heard about the dog-fighting thing and can't believe it's still going on and that some people view it as entertainment. Someone's fallen off the evolution train, my friends!

Valtool said...

The marijuana thing, along with all other controlled substances has me more in line with Neil Boortz (but my mentioning his name before here brought out derogatory comments about him).

Neil believes that theefforts should not be spent catching users and putting them in jail, but puttin ght eusers in rehab. Also, that the controlled substances should be legalized with controlled sale, as in at the drug store. This way you have a source and a price and it eliminates the street-level dealer and the violence/crime associated with them.

MissMargo said...

The Vick situation disgusts me. What sort of people hang dogs? Seriously, you've got to be a seriously fucked-up, insecure peice of shit person to do such a thing to an animal.

What? Are they trying to scare the other dogs into becoming better fighters with these methods? Or are they placing side bets on how long it takes a pit bull to asphixiate.

Fuck these dispicable people. Way to bring shame upon your team, your family and your town Mr. Vick.

The Gal Herself said...

While you cannot possibly get me to say anything nice about Vick, I would like to speak out for pit bulls. You're right, Sparky. They are a loyal and honorable breed. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter and it broke the hearts of all who worked there to adhere to the policy of putting all pit bulls down. The reason: a needle is more humane than the treatment they get as failed fighters or alpha watchdogs. So the issue wasn't the poor dogs, but the creepazoids who want to use and abuse them. It's tragic.

Anonymous said...

All of this disgusts me to the core. I hope this sicko gets lock up for good, screw his football talent.

The saddest thing of all is that if he were not famous, it would never have been exposed as such a big deal. God only knows how many more dog fight rings are out there!

I breaks my heart.

Valtool said...

Here in Atlanta...

AM 750 is WSB Radio (www.wsbradio.com) has a daily listener's poll. Today's question is should Michael Vick be fired, wait to see if he's convicted, or not be fired. As of 615pm...

82% - fire hom now
17% - wait
1% - no

This is not scientific, and it is not exclusive to Atlanta, but can be assumed to be primarily Atlantans voting.

Anthony said...

I'm no expert, but I think I heard one (expert) saying today that the Falcons could release or suspend Vick and get salary cap relief, but they have to do it soon.

And, no offense to the fine tradition of Oregon Duck football, but Harrington is done, and the Falcons will rue the day that they let Schaub go. He's a better QB than Vick (and was) and it's obvious now that Arthur Blank's loyalty to a dirtball was not rewarded.
He was better at running The Home Depot than a football team, and I suppose that the Peter Principle is hard at work in Atlanta.

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

How did we go from a punk with too much money to the legalization of pot? And how is innocent until proven guilty a "liberal" concept?

First off, yes it should be legalized (I have always thought you should be able to grow a small amount on your own for personal use).

Innocent until proven guilty a liberal concept????????????? What is the conservative concept; everyone is guilty, unless they agree with us philosophically?

Sheesh

Anthony said...

The Federal grand jury's indictment account was an 18-page document that included detailed accusations that Vick helped establish a dog fighting venture in rural Surry County in 2001; gambled heavily on fights, including some in other states; and participated in the execution of dogs that did not perform well.

So, riddle me this: How is it that Pacman Jones is out of work for throwing money at strippers, while Vick is still gainfully employed?

Shouldn't the punishment fit the (alledged) crime?

Sparky Duck said...

Anthony: It is seriously about the contract. Vick is the 2nd highest paid player or QB in the NFL, im not sure which and while NFL contracts are not guaranteed, the signing bonus is. Yes the NFL will give them some relief, but only if Vick is suspended or convicted.
PacMan was arrested multiple times and one of his antics lead to a bouncer being shot and paralyzed. And while he is suspended probably for the rest of the year, he is still an employee of the Titans, so if he stays out of trouble, he will be returning punts next year.

Cinnamon Girl said...

OMFG...I get crap for upholding the BASIC tenant of jury law?! Well slap my liberal ass and call me silly.

Rebecca said...

I guess I just don't care enough about football... or pitbulls.