Michael Vick

[tommyt654]

Well ****, Let,s let it all hang out. During the early 70,s I too was convicted of a felony(gasp the horror say it isn,t so ) I was attending a party at 2 adjoining hotel rooms for a friend who had returned from his 2nd tour in Nam. And during the couse of the party I hooked up with a young lady in the adjoining bedroom. Well someone complained about too much noise and the police were summoned and our friend who had been serving our country in Nam had a 1/2 joint in his pocket. All 23 people were charged with felony possesion of (THE HORROR OF IT ALL) MARIJUANA. I served my probation and it was adjudicated and exponged from my record (so they say). None the less it was plastered all over the Tampa Tribune papers the next day and I shamed my family and was that dope smoking boy down the street. **** I was just tryin to get laid. My friend worked a deal with the courts to return to duty rather than have a criminal record and was killed in action when he returned back to Nam. Well lets see, 3 sitting Presidents have admitted trying the evil weed yet they were still elected to an office of the highest authority. My point being Felon or not He has served his time and paid his debt to society. I feel he served a much harsher sentence than some of his counterparts (previously mentioned) and should be given a chance to prove himself ! I think we can all agree to that

[drillman88]

Mike,
As a consumer you have the right to boycott any organization or business that has policies or practices that you don't agree with, as David has said. I think the league and teams understand that there will be a price paid for having him in the league and this is a big part of the risk they are taking by letting him play.
If the league had a history of little tolerance there would be little said if they banned Vick, but the NFL has a history of tolerance. There are too many players with weapons charges, implications in murders and other crimes that they basically patted someone on the wrist and sent them back to work.
I really have no interest in seeing him play in the NFL, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to play.

[JR]

Let's not confuse Vick's two problems.

1. What is the punishment for the crime?
2. What should his sanction be from the NFL?

The punishment for the crime has been established. He's been convicted and served his time. He is free to re-join society, albeit with certain limitations to his rights imposed on felons.

Sports leagues have guidelines for suspensions and fines in these circumstances. Where those guidelines are not specific to the crime (whodathunk a high-dollar athlete would organize dog figthing - sheesh!) the commisioner is given latitude to determine what, if any, sanctions should be applied beyond the legal ones. Labor agreements reached through collective bargaining place limits on the commisioner's latitude. He probably can't be banned for life.

Personally, I think ya gotta let him back in. Whatever suspension period you could place on him has probably already passed while he was up river. You can load his contract up with restrictions, but they'd probably be redundant or superfluous to the what would happen if he broke the law - he'd violate his parole and be sent back to the joint.

Ok, he's a scum bag. Hate him. He's been as contrite (if unconvincingly) as anyone could be. He served his time quietly. Let him get on with being hated and trying to get on with his life.

JR

[billwmeyer]

No lifetime ban is happening

People keep talking about a lifetime ban. IT IS NOT HAPPENING! The Commissioner ruled a MAXIMUM 6 game suspension. There are people who want a lifetime ban, but it is not happening. He will play in game 7 of the season if he is signed by a team, and is good enough and healthy enough to play.

Do I want him to play? NO! Will I quit watching my Chiefs play if he joins them. NO!

There are many felons playing in the NFL today. Too many. Vick will be one more.

The main fact is his case has been already ruled upon by the Commissioner and no lifetime ban is going to happen. At last report there are 5 teams interested in him.

Bill

[mudder]

Hey Crockett,

How much is Vick paying you to do his Public Relations

Bruce

And I wonder if one of those dogs were yours would you be so complacent about this poor excuse of a person, although I doubt he even deserves to be placed in the same species as the rest of us.

Bruce,

I think this personal attack is uncalled for.


Please don't let emotion overtake logic.

[Bruce Cohen]

Mudder,

I sorry that you mistook my comments as a personal attack, in no way shape or form was it meant that way.

Bruce

[MilDoc]

David,

Onec again I really disagree with you.

Letting that ____ play is akin to allowing Pol Pot or Slobodan Miloševi to resume a well paid life.

Shame on him, and I bet you don't own a dog.

Bruce

I agree. If a felony conviction keeps a lawyer from practicing, and a doctor from practicing, etc., why should this person be any different?????

[Gator95]

The NFL commish has to put the penalty on Vick that will be for the good of football, has nothing to do with fairness. Football is like no other occupation- where else are you given a contract out of college by whoever bids on you at their turn and you have no immediate recourse but to go there?

Honestly, I'm revulsed by Vick and his actions. While I've heard the argument about other players with 'more serious' crimes, many are single (and singular) acts of misjudgement and stupidity. Vick was involved in this activity over an extended period of time and with clear awareness of what he was doing. This makes him worse than Stallworth in my mind. Maybe because I'm a dog person.

But that being said- if the commish things bringing Vick back into the sport is good for football, then it's his call. Just hope he never winds up with a team that I support. Being in the ATL I suppose there is little chance of that.

[crokett]

I agree. If a felony conviction keeps a lawyer from practicing, and a doctor from practicing, etc., why should this person be any different?????

Drs and lawyers are held to much higher standards than entertainers, as well they should be. I know you are a Dr. Is a felony conviction an automatic for losing your license? I mean, what if it is for something like DUI?

[gjat]

It's only football. A physical sport. It doesn't matter if people can make millions. A football player is not a doctor, lawyer, politician, teacher, or anything close to importance to society.

I'd welcome Vick to compete for quarterback on my team. He won't be my favorite player, but I wouldn't hang out with many players that I've met at sports events.

[mpc]

I too hope no team signs Vick.
He may have "paid his debt to society" if that's what prison time is supposed to be. I always thought prison was supposed to be a deterent to doing crime in the first place, and possibly rehab. Sitting in a prison, funded by taxpayer dollars, certainly doesn't seem to "pay society" anything in my book. Like others have said, his former lifestyle is ruined... his personal wealth is far lower now - that is his real punishment. Should he be allowed to play football again?

I know a lot of good people that never got a very decent first chance at life, let alone a second chance. Vick had life on a silver platter and threw it away. His choice - and long term choice, not a one-time stupid act. So I have zero sympathy for him or his future; I'd rather folks that never had many opportunities get some positive attention.

If a team does sign him, even at a "low salary" NFL contract, he'll still be making considerably more money than the majority of the population and will be able to recover to a lifestyle well above most of those honest "never got a very decent first chance at life" folks.

mpc

[newood2]

Mudder,

I sorry that you mistook my comments as a personal attack, in no way shape or form was it meant that way.

Bruce

That's a laugh. You can't say things in plain language then when challenged you proposed that others "mistook" your comments. That in itself is an insult to the intelligence of others to blame them for not understanding your comments. You said exactly what you meant and you meant exactly what you said, and I as well as others "mistook" nothing. You have a history of making some strongly negative personal attacks on people of a certain group "not your specie" which always veer off the context of the discussion, and reflects certain personal feelings ("emotional")as another have said.
My thoughts on Michael Vick. It matters not to me if he plays football or not, I do not follow the game that much.
I am an animal lover, and even to see an animal in a cage makes my blood runs cold. What Michael Vick to those dogs was intensively evil. It once again highlight the innate potential in the human specie to commit evil acts. Don't forget the circus animals which are so inhumanely mistreated and caged, yet we take our little ones to see them perform without a conscience thought. BTW, in certain countries dogs are hunted bashed in the head for a meal and their skin for shoes, etc.
Oh! And how can I forget Madoff? Evil personified. I thought I saw him walking a dog once.
God help us all.
Howie

[Russianwolf]

As someone mention the other day, people who do these types of things to animals, often end up doing horrible things to people eventually.



Nearly every sociopath on record start out torturing animals.

[crokett]

Bruce,

I think this personal attack is uncalled for.


Please don't let emotion overtake logic.

Mudder, no worries. This next isn't meant to single out Bruce. When someone I've never personally met is a long way away from me, their opinion of me doesn't matter all that much. You can't please everyone, especially on an issue like this that inspires strong emotions.

[dkerfoot]

My only concern is that he not sign with the Vikings. If he does, the season has ended before it starts (as far as I am concerned).