Not looking good for Michael Vick
May 30th, 2007 by Tank
The Feds are now seeking to search Vick’s property for the remains of up to 30 dead pit bulls. That’s much worse than having local authorities investigating alone, since the Feds have essentially unlimited resources and potentially more draconian penalties.
I think the difference was succinctly explained by “Michael Bolton” in Office Space:
If we’re caught, we’re not going to go to white-collar-resort-prison. No, no, no.
We’re gonna go to federal-pound-me-in-the-ass-prison.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are expecting a six-game suspension even before anything is adjudicated. Completely inadequate as a total penalty, but at this juncture, a fine start. Of course, if he is in fact guilty, the suspension will be academic since Vick will be playing in the Federal Penal League.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Somehow the phrase ’six ways from Sunday’ seems to apply to Mr. Vick. (See Southern Redneck-isms copyright 1972 for a full definition)
May 31st, 2007 at 2:55 pm
And the Falcons are really pumped they traded Matt Schaub right before they actually needed him, eh? But it’s okay, they’ve got Joey Harrington and DJ Shockley (or something like that, the Georgia QB).
As for Mike Vick, isn’t it interesting that we thought Marcus was the problem child in the group… at least he reserved his inhumanity for human beings who could theoretically protect themselves (as far as we know, I guess).
May 31st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Curious to see if it ends up being 6 games or not. Pacman was a pretty big name, but Vick is (was?) a bankable superstar of the league.
IMHO, Vick should get at least as long a suspension as Jones. But that’s just me, Mr. Vegas…
May 31st, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Please ’splain. My understanding of Pacman’s situation is that he’s had double-digit run-ins with the law in a very short amount of time, including the shooting (murder?) out in Vegas… which he was at least mildly involved in. Mike Vick had the substance in his water which was reported as marijuana, yet when tested, shown to be nothing - and now this dogfighting thing.
The dogfighting thing is abominable, clearly - but it’s one thing. Everyone rushed to judgment on the Duke Lacrosse kids (and team, and coach) with eyewitness testimony or wrongdoing… which was ultimately proven to be erroneous. Let’s see what is ultimately *proven* in the Mike Vick case, his first run-in with the law (unless my memory is selective), before determining league sanctions.
Chris Henry has had far more issues with the law, and “only” got 8 games… presumably cuz none of his indiscretions involved people getting shot (like Pacman). Again though, the issue is a *lot* of legal issues - not just one or two that have yet to even get to a courtroom.
To wit: How many games did Roger Goodell suspend Tank Johnson?
I think it would be overreactionary and simply wrong for Goodell to do anything to Vick at this point. He’s young, there’s still time to suspend him while he’s a league star if due diligence shows what rumors insist to be the case. I see no link between Mike Vick and Pacman Jones (or Chris Henry).
May 31st, 2007 at 7:21 pm
In a way it doesn’t really matter in terms of the who, what, when, how often……… this is Roger’s world now. It will be interesting to see the different shades of the prism he is viewing this all through.
June 6th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Update: Roger Goodell has indeed suspended Tank Johnson, for eight games - but he can be paroled after six for good behavior.
In Tank’s case (Johnson, not Ryan), apparently the several misdmeanors and felonies he committed where while on probation for other issues… so I stand by my initial assertion that Vick wouldn’t be suspended by Goodell for potential involvement in *one* issue. Now, if he’s tried and found guilty - even of just this one thing - Wyatt Earp… er, Roger Goodell will likely administer some frontier justice… again.