Michael Vick

[jjakq27]

I heard on ESPN that the prosecutor has more charges to present against Vick. They said this is an offer to the ones that squealed on Vick to cut a deal now to avoid more jail time.

BTW, Vick pleaded not guilty today in court. His trial will begin in November.

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/ATL/10270093

[HoosierCat]

I'll say it now:

Vick's done. He will never play a down of NFL ball again, even if he beats every charge.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Is it just me, or does Michael Vick bear more than a passing resemblance to comedian Chris Rock?

[jjakq27]

Upper Deck Football Cards are pulling Vick's cards and memorabilia from their 2007 football cards.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070729/ap_on_...fgTJcn2xDAN97QF

[BengalszoneBilly]

One of Vicks buddies cut a deal with prosecuters, and testified that Vick financed the whole shebang at "Bad Newz Kennelz." A far cry from his initial statement where he basically said that although it was his property, he had no idea what went on there! You may be right Hoosier, you can stick a fork in Vick because he's DONE!

[The PatternMaster]

One of Vicks buddies cut a deal with prosecuters, and testified that Vick financed the whole shebang at "Bad Newz Kennelz." A far cry from his initial statement where he basically said that although it was his property, he had no idea what went on there! You may be right Hoosier, you can stick a fork in Vick because he's DONE!

But this is the same guy who has been fueding with Vick since 2003, everybody they have testifying against him is guilty of the same crime and have something to gain by testifying against Vick.

How credible of a witness can they be if they are guilty of the same crime as the accused is alledgely guilty of?

[BengalszoneBilly]

How credible of a witness can they be if they are guilty of the same crime as the accused is alledgely guilty of?

It happens in court rooms every day.

[jjakq27]

One of Vicks buddies cut a deal with prosecuters, and testified that Vick financed the whole shebang at "Bad Newz Kennelz." A far cry from his initial statement where he basically said that although it was his property, he had no idea what went on there! You may be right Hoosier, you can stick a fork in Vick because he's DONE!

But this is the same guy who has been fueding with Vick since 2003, everybody they have testifying against him is guilty of the same crime and have something to gain by testifying against Vick.

How credible of a witness can they be if they are guilty of the same crime as the accused is alledgely guilty of?

The art of cutting a deal.....

[BlainThePain]

I've been trolling other forums with supposed inside info on the case and they say they have recorded phone conversations of Vick talking about disposing of dead dogs and talking about losing a lot of money on dog fights. The source also talked about other NFL players being involved.

[BengalszoneBilly]

The source also talked about other NFL players being involved.

Hmmm...let me see if I can guess who may be one of these "other" NFL players may be. Okay, this crime is committed by people with prior encounters with law inforcement. It takes place in the southeastern United States. (Surry County, Va.) The University of Georgia is located in in this region of the country. Thurman attended this University, and still maintains a residence in this area. It's Odell, right?

[BlainThePain]

The source also talked about other NFL players being involved.

Hmmm...let me see if I can guess who may be one of these "other" NFL players may be. Okay, this crime is committed by people with prior encounters with law inforcement. It takes place in the southeastern United States. (Surry County, Va.) The University of Georgia is located in in this region of the country. Thurman attended this University, and still maintains a residence in this area. It's Odell, right?

They didn't say any names. I'm not even saying the info is true because I have no idea how reliable the source is. Just passing along the information.

[BengalszoneBilly]

The source also talked about other NFL players being involved.

Hmmm...let me see if I can guess who may be one of these "other" NFL players may be. Okay, this crime is committed by people with prior encounters with law inforcement. It takes place in the southeastern United States. (Surry County, Va.) The University of Georgia is located in in this region of the country. Thurman attended this University, and still maintains a residence in this area. It's Odell, right?

They didn't say any names. I'm not even saying the info is true because I have no idea how reliable the source is. Just passing along the information.

I know Blaine, I'm being very highly facetious and just rolling with the whole "Dumbass Odell" wave that's washing over Bengaldom right now.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Get 'em while they're hot! Vick doggie chew toys!

[The PatternMaster]

Interesting article from Yahoo Sports about the Vick case...

Morning Rush

By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports

August 13, 2007

Editor's note: New NFL columnist Michael Silver makes his debut with a preview of "Morning Rush," which will appear every Monday during the season.

The franchise quarterback had just suffered the most crushing defeat of his career and he needed to get away from it all. So the peeved passer headed to the backwoods of Mississippi, where he cleared his head by killing a defenseless animal.

Sorry, PETA, but the gun-toting quarterback in question was not Michael Vick. In fact, it was Peyton Manning, whose aim with a hunting rifle apparently is as true as it is with the ol' pigskin.

In January 2003, a couple days after the Indianapolis Colts' 41-0 playoff annihilation by the New York Jets, Manning went to a 12,000-acre spread in central Mississippi owned by a family friend and got his mind right. As he told me later that year, "You're out there hunting for deer and ducks, just you and your gun. It's peaceful and totally quiet, no cell phones or anything like that. It's a good detox, the type of thing that gets your batteries re-charged."

In other words: Bad news, Bambi.

This is not meant to be a shot at Manning, one of the sports world's good guys and, in fairness, one of the many NFL players who enjoys such recreational pursuits. There are plenty of reasons his behavior should not be compared to the alleged doings of the Train Wreck That Is Michael Vick, beginning with the fact that it was legal.

Some would also argue that it is more humane to put a bullet through an unsuspecting deer than to end the life of a canine in any of the hideous ways that the exiled Atlanta Falcons quarterback and his co-defendants are accused – though I'm not necessarily sure the eight-point buck with the 18-inch spread that Manning had mounted on the wall of his Indy home would see it that way.

The larger point is that, as much as we're tempted to react to the federal indictment of Vick as though it contained the most heinous accusations against a football player since O.J. Simpson's, there's a whole lot of hypocrisy here.

For one thing, animals are put to death on a continuous basis, as I was just telling one of my fellow pet-lovers at a neighborhood barbecue while wiping away the hamburger grease that had dripped onto my suede Pumas.

It also must be noted – and I am not defending the sick behavior of anyone who a jury decides has committed an offense such as electrocuting a pit bull – that there are NFL players who've been charged with having committed deplorable crimes against actual human beings. Some of them have even been convicted, yet most of us manage to let it go when they do good things for the home team or emerge as value picks in the fantasy draft.

During my recent training camp travels, I stood in the St. Louis Rams' practice bubble watching 10th-year defensive end Leonard Little hone his impressive pass-rushing skills. The workout, which had been moved inside because of concerns about the hellacious heat, was closed to the public, but I didn't see any picketers outside.

To jog your memory, Little was the player who in 1998 drove home after celebrating his birthday, ran a red light in downtown St. Louis and caused a collision that killed another motorist, 47-year-old Susan Gutweiler. A breath test measured his blood-alcohol level at 0.19 percent, nearly twice the legal limit, and he eventually pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and spent 90 days in jail. When he returned to the Rams after an eight-game NFL suspension, Mothers Against Drunk Driving protested outside a Rams game, but few people outside of St. Louis seemed to notice, and Little went on to become one of the league's premier pass rushers.

It's a horrible story, but it might have contained at least a slightly redemptive touch had Little assuaged his guilt by urging others never to make the same mistake. He could have become a vocal and visible spokesman for consuming alcohol responsibly. He could have used his platform as a star athlete to try to save the lives of future drunk-driving victims.

Instead, Little drank and drove again. In 2004, Little was arrested for driving while intoxicated after being pulled over in Ladue, Mo., for speeding at 3:44 a.m. The arresting officer's affidavit stated that Little had "bloodshot, watery eyes and emitted an odor of alcohol;" that he had "attempted and failed three sobriety tests;" and that the player had "admitted to drinking alcoholic beverages."

Little, charged with a felony for driving while intoxicated as a persistent offender, was later acquitted after his lawyer convinced a jury that the arresting officer hadn't followed proper procedures in conducting the field-sobriety tests. Though another officer testified that he had administered a breath-alcohol test at the scene which showed that Little's blood-alcohol content was nearly double the legal limit of .08 percent, the test was inadmissible under Missouri law because of the unreliability of portable equipment. (After arriving at the police station, Little had refused to take a second breath-alcohol test.)

In other words, Little triumphed in court thanks to the legal equivalent of the Tuck Rule – only with a far more subdued reaction by the offended party (in this case, anyone with a brain and/or a conscience) than that displayed by Raider Nation.

I always thought that MADD, which tried to draw attention to the case, was a robust, publicity-savvy advocacy group. But, apparently, PETA is the big leagues, and MADD is rookie ball. Then again, everyone, from the anti-war movement to the salty pseudo-scientists trying to convince us that global warming is a hoax, is a lightweight compared to PETA.

I'm not mad at MADD; I'm simply pointing out that Little – and, for that matter, plenty of other NFL players whose behavior has been unconscionable – is allowed to ply his trade without getting shouted down by the masses.

Meanwhile Vick, a man with no prior criminal record who has not yet been tried or convicted, is the NFL's version of TB on a plane. Falcons owner Arthur Blank was ready to suspend his franchise quarterback before commissioner Roger Goodell intervened and banished Vick from training camp, with no resistance from the NFL Players Association, which is supposed to represent Vick's interests. Now Goodell is preparing to shelve Vick for the entire 2007 season. The fallen star may never play another NFL down.

The biggest reason this is happening so quickly, prematurely and intensely is because of us. We're the angry mob shouting for justice, albeit via Internet chat rooms and sports-talk radio; ultimately, we're the ones empowering Goodell to act, with PETA doing the bulk of the legwork.

The allegations against Vick and the resulting outcry are tarnishing the brand, and Goodell, the owners who employ him and the companies which supply the league's ad revenues are highly aware of the stakes. Meanwhile, in terms of public reproach, other players are getting away with … well, crimes like involuntary manslaughter.

This is not meant to be flippant or to suggest a value judgment in any way, but it could be argued that right now, an NFL player would be less stressed about going on trial for domestic abuse than he would for dogfighting.

I can't predict whether another NFL player will follow Vick into court, but I can tell you that he's not the only one caught up in the animal-fighting culture. One of the league's best role models, New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister, concedes that the problem is more widespread than some outsiders may believe. "If you look at the big picture, cockfighting just got banned in Louisiana," he said last Thursday. "That helps put all of this in perspective."

When I asked McAllister, a native of tiny Lena, Miss., if he'd ever been invited to a dogfight, he laughed and said, "Come on, I'm from the country."

Now think about this: There is a player on an NFL roster with an image of two dogs fighting tattooed on his lower back. If PETA figures out who he is, this could add new meaning to the term "bad ink."

For what it's worth, the player in question is from the South, but his name is not Michael Vick.

If that disappoints you, take heart: It's not Peyton Manning, either.

The author makes some vaild points, as far as comparing hunting to dog fighting I think he's stretching it, but I'm sure PETA would have a problem with both and there have been examples of players doing harm to HUMAN BEINGS and still being able to play. Hell, Joey Porter admittedly assualted another NFL player this offseason and he wasn't banned for a single game.

Needless to say there is some hypocrisy in this situation to say the least.

[The PatternMaster]

Vick's is copping a plea, should have did it 2 months ago, but whatever! He's going to the big house folks, my how the mighty have fallen.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/f...age_tab_newstab

Vick attorneys negotiating plea

Falcons QB would serve prison time if agreement reached

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER, BILL RANKIN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/14/07

Michael Vick's attorneys are engaged in plea negotiations with federal prosecutors and the Falcons quarterback could reach an agreement before new dogfighting charges are handed down next week, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

The negotiations follow news that two more of Vick's three co-defendants are scheduled to enter guilty pleas later this week as part of a deal with prosecutors.

If prosecutors accept a plea agreement from Michael Vick, the Falcons QB will likely serve some prison time, according to federal sentencing guidelines.

Collins Spencer, a spokesman for Vick's lawyers, declined to comment Tuesday on any possible negotiations.

He added that Vick did not meet with his attorneys last night but said they will have a conference call with Vick this morning and may have an announcement this afternoon. Spencer did not indicate what the announcement would be.

On Monday Spencer said the legal team was "very surprised" by the pleas from Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips and said they would not affect plans to move forward toward a Nov. 26 trial.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, could not be reached for comment.

If the announcement is that Vick has reached a plea agreement, the embattled star quarterback is expected to be sentenced to some time in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.

Vick's motivation to enter a guilty plea is likely fueled by the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement last month that it will seek a new "superceding" indictment against Vick by the end of August. With the cooperation of Vick's three co-defendants, there will likely be new, and more specific, allegations against Vick. The federal grand jury in Richmond is expected to hand up that indictment sometime early next week.

If Vick can reach an agreement by the end of this week, he would not have to answer to any additional charges.

This week, Vick learned that in the criminal justice system, friendship only goes so far.

On Monday, guilty plea hearings were scheduled for two of his co-defendants and long-time associates. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, has a plea hearing scheduled for Thursday in U.S. District Court in Richmond at 9 a.m., while Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, has a plea hearing set for Friday at the same time. The hearings showed up Monday on U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson's docket.

The third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton pleaded guilty July 30 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their case against Vick. Just days earlier, Taylor had joined Vick and the others in pleading not guilty.

Attorneys for both Peace and Phillips declined to comment Monday.

"There's no telling until the actual pleas, but this doesn't sound like good news for Michael Vick," said Kent Alexander, once the U.S. attorney in Atlanta and now Emory University's general counsel. "Usually, if people plead guilty early in a case they may be cooperating with the government. That's what it sounds like here."

A federal grand jury indicted the men last month on a single count of conspiracy to cross state lines to engage in illegal gambling; to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture; and to buy, transport and receive dogs for animal fighting.

They face up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but defendants often receive more lenient punishment when they accept responsibility and enter guilty pleas.

A 13-page statement of facts Taylor signed with prosecutors last month says Vick, Peace and Phillips set up a business called "Bad Newz Kennels" in rural Surry County, Va., to raise and train pit bulls for dogfights.

It also says the men gambled on the fights in Virginia and several other states and that Vick almost exclusively funded the dogfighting operation and gambling monies.

At various times, Taylor, Peace and Phillips executed dogs they didn't think would fight well by shooting them, the statement says. The indictment issued earlier in July said Vick also executed dogs.

The plea deals for Taylor, Peace and Phillips emerged after federal prosecutors announced at their arraignment hearing last month that they would be seeking a superseding indictment, meaning they could name additional charges and defendants in the case. That indictment is expected to be announced before the end of this month.

Vick's jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 26, deep into the Falcons' schedule. The Falcons will have played 11 of their 16 regular-season games by then. Vick will remain free until the trial, but his availability to appear on field is unclear. The NFL barred Vick, with pay, from being with the team pending the outcome of its own investigation.

A call to Vick's agent, Joel Segal, was not returned Monday. The Falcons declined to comment on the latest developments in Vick's case.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to make a decision on Vick's future in a few weeks. Goodell said he is waiting for a report from investigator Eric Holder before rendering a verdict, according to a league spokesman. No timetable has been set for Goodell's decision, NFL vice president of public relations Greg Aiello said.

Tailback Warrick Dunn, who spoke to Vick recently, said Falcons players are already of the mindset that they'll have to play without him.

"Mike is going to be missed, and he has been missed, but at the same time, you have to go on," he said.

Should Holder's report lead Goodell to determine Vick violated the NFL's player conduct policy, he could issue a suspension. Holder's report also could show that Vick did not violate the policy and that no league-ordered suspension or other discipline is warranted.

A high-ranking NFL team official said Goodell likely would meet with Vick or his legal representation before levying any suspension. Such a meeting has yet to take place.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and president and general manager Rich McKay have said they had enough information to lead them to draw up papers to suspend Vick for four games — the maximum a team can suspend a player for disciplinary reasons. The league could suspend Vick for a year.

Blank and McKay also said there were discussions about cutting Vick.

Coach Bobby Petrino said Monday he had not been told of any developments from the NFL regarding a decision on Vick.

"I'm not aware of any recent updates on this situation," Petrino said.

"We've been proceeding as if — we have to — he's not going to be here, and we're doing the best we can at that."

I see a sequel to the Longest Yard in the future.

[duus]

I see a sequel to the Longest Yard in the future.

Great point. Vick and fellow friends will be taking on the prison guards this fall. I can see Vick rolling out ... only to throw a touch pass to Henry for the go-ahead touchdown late in the game. Then as the guards are driving for a late score of their own, Odell flies in from the QBs blindside, laying a blow to the guard that brings great cheers from the crowd. What a victory for our NFL friends!

[BengalszoneBilly]

I see a sequel to the Longest Yard in the future.

Once Vick goes to prison and meets his cellmate "Bubba," I see a sequel to the part Ned Beatty played in "Deliverance."

[BengalszoneBilly]

Things just keep getting worse for Vick. It's gone from his claim of him not knowing what occured on his property, to him actually working hands on in the execution of underperforming dogs! From Yahoo Sports.

People who do this to animals are plainly sub-human!

[HoosierCat]

Things just keep getting worse for Vick. It's gone from his claim of him not knowing what occured on his property, to him actually working hands on in the execution of underperforming dogs! From Yahoo Sports.

The scuttlebutt today is that Vick's lawyers & the Feds are hashing out a plea deal for Ookie that would result in a 12-18 month jail sentence. Allegedly his lawyers are urging him to take it.

[BengalszoneBilly]

The scuttlebutt today is that Vick's lawyers & the Feds are hashing out a plea deal for Ookie that would result in a 12-18 month jail sentence. Allegedly his lawyers are urging him to take it.

His a**h*** is doing the opposite!

[The PatternMaster]

I think the hestitance on Vick's part is that the judge decides his sentence if he takes a deal, not the prosecution. They can only recommend to the judge what the sentence could be and appearantly the judge for his case is a hard ass who likes to give out time like it's tootise rolls on Oct. 31st. So Vick could possible take the plea deal and still get the max sentence which is 5 years.

However if he doesn't take the deal they come with a superceding indictment then he could face even more time, so it's like he damn if does or if doesn't.

I would say take the deal and make a large cash payment into a offshore account in the name of the presidng judge in hopes that he goes by the recommendation of the prosection and gives him 12-18 months.

[HoosierCat]

I think the hestitance on Vick's part is that the judge decides his sentence if he takes a deal, not the prosecution.

Could be. Also, even if he cuts a deal and does get a light sentence from the Feds, the state of Virginia could bring charges as well. Animal cruelty carries a 5 year sentence in VA and Vick could get hit with as many as 8 counts (= a potential 40 years). I'm no lawyer but I have to think a guilty plea with the Feds would have to make it pretty easy for VA to nail him and possibly add a heaping helping of years to his time.

I could very easily see Vick deciding to go with an all-or-nothing strategy. If he can beat the Federal charges, the state will probably back off (the local prosecutor has not acted particularly anxious to charge him or even run a competent investigation) and Goodell will probably let him back in after a year or two. If he can't beat the rap...well, even with a plea deal he's screwed. A year in the can, at least, with more charges from VA coming, and who knows how long a suspension from Goodell.

[BengalszoneBilly]

If he can beat the Federal charges, the state will probably back off (the local prosecutor has not acted particularly anxious to charge him or even run a competent investigation) and Goodell will probably let him back in after a year or two.

Beat the charges? No way Jose'! It looks to me the Feds have an airtight case on him as it is!

[jjakq27]

I think in federal cases, most of the investigative work is already done, so I think they definitely got the goods on Vick.

Peter King was on at halftime of the Ravens-Giants game and he and Bob Costas were speculating about the length of Vick's absence from the NFL. They wrote off the rest of this year, all of next year due to the jail time he will likely serve and possibly an additional year tacked on by the NFL after that. So it looks like 2010 would be the earliest he would return under that scenario.

They also said Vick's lawyers have been asking the NFL to tell them what the punishments would be depending on what Vick plea bargains for and Goodell and Co. will not tell them. The other twists include possible organized crime connections and the involvement of other high profile NFL players and they noted that Vick is such a stand up guy that he will not rat on anyone. What a guy.

The s**t just keeps getting deeper.........

[HoosierCat]

Vick to plead guilty...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2983121

Buh-bye.