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August 21, 2007
Vick deserves lifetime ban
First, I watched Michael Vick solemnly tell Atlanta Falcons officials and NFL officials and the entire world that he had nothing to do with dog fighting, despite the fact that all those live dogs, dead dogs and dog-fighting equipment were found on his property.
Then I watched his friends, one after another, accept plea-bargain deals from the government, pointing out as they did so that oh yeah, Mike was involved — that he was neck-deep in it and the force behind it. Finally, Vick accepted a deal himself.
And all that solemn innocence evaporated. Prison time is coming.
Vick "accepted full responsibility for the mistakes that he made," his lawyer said.
Let’s see; so allegedly killing dogs when they don’t bite and claw other dogs to death for you is a "mistake" in this brave new spin-the-story world, huh?
Not in mine.
Instead, it tells me what kind of person you really are.
And it should be a lesson to the thousands out there who believe that just because someone is a great athlete, he’s a great guy as well.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell insists that he wants to clean up the league. He could make a good start on that by suspending Michael Vick for life.
STAN OLSON
Posted by Observer Sports on August 21, 2007 at 04:09 PM | Permalink
Comments
I agree. BAN HIM FOR LIFE.
Posted by: Dano | Aug 21, 2007 4:39:07 PM
I'm with you, ban him!
Posted by: Denise | Aug 21, 2007 4:46:32 PM
A life time ban is pretty steep. And while I think he had something to do with it, I'd bet it was a small part and that he has been made to look like the king pin. Just b/c he's taking a plea doesn't mean he is the big Kahoona. It just means 1 yr is better than 10.
Posted by: jay | Aug 21, 2007 5:00:37 PM
Ban Vick, but also start banning the guys who beat their wives.
Posted by: matt | Aug 21, 2007 5:01:27 PM
I agree with Matt.
Posted by: jenn | Aug 21, 2007 5:20:52 PM
so should ray lewis have been banned for life for lying about knowing who killed 2 guys in atl.? was he even suspended?
Posted by: dh | Aug 21, 2007 5:26:51 PM
Ray Lewis probably should have been given a much harsher punishment and probably would have had Goodell been the commish.
Posted by: matt | Aug 21, 2007 5:33:51 PM
Life ban is too steep to me. I dont like Vick anyone with a brain can see he was a jerk even before the Dog fighting case but he will spend time in jail and he will pay his dept to America. He should be let back in but on a short leash(pardon the pun) and if he even gives a bad look when he's back then he is gone forever!
Posted by: Dame | Aug 21, 2007 5:38:46 PM
Yeah, yeah, yeah - dogs are cute and precious, blah, blah, blah. PETA, PETA, PETA - puppy dogs, rainbows and unicorns…
Michael Vick didn’t kill a human; they were f@cking dogs - case closed. There have been countless examples of athletes responsible for deaths - Ray Lewis barely avoided murder charges - let alone drunk driving or worse (let’s not even discuss child support).
Now, it has been a long time since junior high but when last I checked, not only were dogs domesticated animals (that fall much lower on the food chain than humans) but we have killed domesticated animals for much lesser crimes. The ASPCA kills tens of thousands of domesticated animals on a weekly basis. Also, when in the hell did PETA become a lobby group in charge of upholding federal policy?
Don’t get me wrong - Pamela Anderson has great tits, but she needs to shut the f@ck up and just sit there and look pretty. Doesn’t she still have hepatitis or AIDS or something she caught from Kid Rock? Go get therapy bitch, and leave Michael Vick alone.
I agree that killing animals for random reasons is cruel; but fine him. Community Service. Any other mundane nonsense that we normally throw at bullsh!t crimes is the categorical reprimand this deserves.
He was making $100M. Can you imagine the good he would have been able to do in the furthering of animals’ rights with his fame and money? Am I on crazy pills or am I the only one who sees this as another step in the wussification of the public perception of justice? Michael Vick should be free - fine him, spank him, cane him, WHATEVER - but jail? WTF! Anyone who thinks this is enough to completely ruin a man’s life, is bat shit insane and should be spayed and neutered because they shouldn’t taint the gene pool.
Michael Vick’s contribution to the game of football is enormously more valuable than the lives of 10,000 dogs and 72 kittens.
I have spoken.
http://coedmagazine.com/sports/1986
Posted by: west point john | Aug 21, 2007 5:56:32 PM
Hey West Point John....If facing charges on animal cruelty were all of Vicks problems he would have gone to court. He was going to face federal RACKETEERING charges among many other more serious offenses. Yes killing dogs in the manner he did was unacceptable but that is not what he was going to do the most time in jail for. So your wussification argument is meaningless. Next time think before you speak
Posted by: panthersrule | Aug 21, 2007 6:13:47 PM
Ban him for life and make him stand in a prison cell up to him neck in dog poo, what a loser.
Posted by: Roger | Aug 21, 2007 6:14:09 PM
Vick has lied to everyone; owner, coaches, players, NFL commissioner, and fans. BAN HIM! This type of lifestyle has NO PLACE in the NFL.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 21, 2007 6:15:33 PM
Did you eat paint chips as a child? He admitted his gilt accept it and move on. a 1 year prison term will wipe out 2 years of football then a 1 year suspension. You will never see him play again. AND RIGHTFULLY SO !!!
Posted by: J Maines | Aug 21, 2007 6:16:28 PM
What Vick did was horrible and he deserves prison time, but after he is done with that time he has paid his debt to society, and if a team is willing to sign him he should be able to if he wants. Should we then start to ban any criminal from their job after they have paid their debt to society??
Posted by: Billy | Aug 21, 2007 8:21:26 PM
I get it now. Ray Lewis, Leonard Little, and every other idiot that did something despicable didn't get banned so Vick shouldn't either. Makes perfect sense. By that rationale, OJ didn't go to prison for murdering two people so I guess it's ok for anyone else to commit murder too. Thanks for clearing that up west point john.
Posted by: swiznami | Aug 21, 2007 8:27:08 PM
This Vick topic is killing me. All he did was fight dogs. Anyone from the south knows that fighting dogs is almost a way of life in the south. I cant stand when people say MAKE A DOG FIGHT AGAINST ITS WILL...A dog doesnt fight if he doesnt want to. The only reason Vick was going to face Racketeering charges is because they called the operation of Bad Newz Kennelz "organized crime". If any of you had a dog that could win you 23,000 dollars cash money, you would fight it as well. HANDS DOWN!! Dont crucify Vick for doing what millions and millions of southerners have been doin for years. Whats the difference between the UFC and dog fighting? Why does this case deserve FEDERAL attention?
Posted by: Chan | Aug 21, 2007 8:44:04 PM
This blog has reached an all-time low. I really hope some of these fools are joking. MVick is a thug and has been since he entered the league. The NFL, the Falcons, Nike and every sport media outlet has kept that secret from some of these idiots that have stepped up and graced us with their enlightened opinions. He made a lot of people millions of dollars, that little dirty bird secret had to be kept from fans of the NFL, to keep that $$$ coming in.
Its wrong what he did, he deserves jail time, bye bye birdy. And in my perfect world he would be subjected to the same treatment as the dogs he brutally punished.
This arguement about MMA is the most ridiculous I've heard. Is there a point where the dog can say "Hey, I don't want to do this, can I leave now".
Little note to those that "don't get it", thats what the problem is, you "don't get it"...You should quit and start over.
Posted by: Red | Aug 21, 2007 9:05:06 PM
Chan-
Your argument is ludicrous. Not making dogs fight if they don't want to? He killed dogs that didn't want to fight! Do they kill fighters in UFC who don't want to fight?
Racketeering is organized crime...which is exactly what he did. He organized and funded a criminal enterprise. Whether you're fighting dogs, pimping hoes, selling drugs, or whatever, if your organize it and fund it, you are guilty of racketeering.
And your argument that EVERYONE would fight their dog for money is stupid. Maybe you would, but that doesn't mean that everyone else is as deranged as you are.
I also highly doubt that "millions and millions of southerners" have been fighting dogs for years. And even if they did, that doesn't make it right and doesn't make it legal.
To the point of the article- I think a lifetime ban is suitable for someone who pleads guilty to everything that he should be pleading guilty to - gambling, cruelty to animals, etc.
Posted by: Chris | Aug 21, 2007 9:05:57 PM
I think he absolutley should be banned for life.He made the decision to participate in this horrible horrible crime.He lied about participating in this horrible,horrible crime.So now,he needs to see what happens when you do such a violent, deranged act.The dogs weren't given a choice in this sickness. All of the "human beings"? that participate in dog fighting should be put in the ring themselves.
Posted by: Jan Holsinger | Aug 21, 2007 9:28:47 PM
Michael Vick is a monster, and the panther's schedule just got a little easier. So there is always good with the bad.
Posted by: James | Aug 21, 2007 9:33:31 PM
John and Chan, you 2 are the reason animals eat their young. Chan have you ever even been to the south? Probably not, and if you live here LEAVE. Millions of southerners? Give me a break. The reason the dog fights is because it was trained to you moron.Your ignorance is amazing. John, all I have to say is you need professional help buddy. Vick is a thug, always has been always will be. Both of you need to remember this saying, Its better to be quiet and appear foolish than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Losers.
Posted by: Stu | Aug 21, 2007 10:06:12 PM
Michael Vick is a thug!! But that isn't the only reason to ban him for life.
What he did to dogs was unconscienable. He deserves all that the law will throw at him and more.
He deserves a lifetime ban because his selfishness has damaged alot of people. He had it made and was too stupid to leave a good thing alone; he had a team of players counting on him to make the team better and improve their lives; he had an organization that spent millions of dollars building a team around him and it's all wasted now; he had a league that gave him the opportunity that all of us would give our left arm for; and he has hundreds of thousands of fans who admire him.
None of that meant anything to him. he destroyed all that he had for a thrill! Do you really believe he deserves another chance to screw the football world again?
I have been an avid footbal fan for more than 45 years. If Vick plays another down in the NFL, I will never watch another play! Many of you will consider that a meaningless gesture that has no impact on you. For me, principle is EVERYTHING!
Posted by: panthrzone | Aug 21, 2007 11:18:10 PM
I despise what Vick has done, but if he's ever going to right the ship, i.e. donate a lot of money to charities for abused and neglected animals, then he's going to need NFL money to do it.
This is the only reason I hope to see him on the field again--as I hope he is able to do something GOOD with the money.
Posted by: Ryan J. Parker | Aug 21, 2007 11:40:44 PM
I believe everyone deserves a second chance but not a third in this case. Also Vick shouldn't get a 2nd chance until the 2009 season. Provided he has done a wealth of good will towards mostly humans and all animals. Donates over 50% of his check that year and never ducks the media who will make him suffer some more after jail anyway. THEN he can start to recover and be a role model to the good instead of disappearing which will show youths that you must repay society instead of showing youth how to do dirty and keep from getting caught. REPAY your debts and get recognition the right way.
Posted by: =Catman= | Aug 22, 2007 4:43:05 AM
to chan: no, dog fighting is not a way of life in the south. only for useless people who deserve what vick deserves. stfu and live a good life. dont propagate the dirty south mentality. dont understand what i am saying? get an education.
to all those supporting vicks thug lifestyle:
ban for life? yes. for gambling and all that.
prison and fines? yes. for the torturing those animals and financing an illegal operation (across state lines).
these operations were carried out on his land and by him and his friends. he had the big dollars to do such a thing. yes that makes him the supposed "kingpin". how can you argue such obvious facts? what are you some kind of defense lawyer who always agrees with the one paying you?
Posted by: wtf | Aug 22, 2007 5:16:46 AM
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