Michael Vick Indited [Archive] - Crime Library Message Boards

grasshopper

07-24-2007, 04:19 PM

http://news.aol.com/sports/story/_a/vick-case-sheds-light-on-dogfighting/20070719101509990001

Vick Case Sheds Light on Dogfighting
By Tom Weir,USA Today
Posted: 2007-07-19 18:34:39
Filed Under: Crime News, Nation, Sports News
(July 19) - No matter how Michael Vick's indictment on charges of operating a dogfighting ring is resolved in court, allegations against the NFL star have forced mainstream America to confront the grisly image of canine death matches.

Photo Gallery: Canine Death Matches
Joe Fudge, Daily Press, AP Investigators say they seized 55 pit bulls, including this one, from NFL quarterback Michael Vick's property this week. His case sheds light on the estimated thousands of canine death matches that take place each year in America.
< Previous 1 of 5 Next >
Law enforcement and animal-protection advocates who have participated in raids on the type of enterprises that the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three other men are accused of running say the reality of the dogfighting underworld is even worse than most people can imagine.

They say seized dogs inevitably are euthanized, the plywood walls of the typical fighting ring are splattered with blood, and cruelty shrouds every aspect of the dog's life.

"When you go to where these fights have happened, you'll find a couple of dog corpses or a pit full of blood," says Mack Dickinson, a Louisiana state trooper who heads that state's dogfighting investigations. "We'll open up their kennels, where they'll put dogs after they've fought, and they'll have blood all over the walls."

Diane Jessup, a former Washington state animal control officer, says, "With dogs that don't win, it's not uncommon for them to be electrocuted, shot, hung or burned." But what troubles her even more is "the way the dogs are maintained, kept out in the mud on a short chain, a lifetime of that. To me, that's crueler than the fighting."

Kathryn Destreza, who as director of humane law enforcement for the Louisiana SPCA has been on about 30 raids in the last three years, says the animals' owners "will file the dog's canine teeth into a sharp point, or they'll put ground-up glass in their fur" before a fight.

At some raids where spectators have fled into the woods as police invaded, Destreza says, abandoned toddler-sized chairs and nearby milk and cookies suggest some people consider dogfighting family entertainment.

More often, law enforcement officials say, the sweeps net drugs, weapons and gambling money.

Of the 65 dogfighting arrests he's made in the last five years, Sgt. David Hunt of the Franklin County (Ohio) Sheriff's Office says, "There's only been one where we didn't find drugs."

Hunt testified before Congress last year at a hearing that led to legislation making dogfighting a federal felony. That, Hunt says, has increased the efforts of federal law enforcement.

Practice Growing in Cities

Vick's indictment was handed up Tuesday in Richmond, Va., in federal district court. He faces charges of transporting fighting dogs across state lines and engaging in dogfighting. Conviction could mean a six-year prison term and a $350,000 fine.

imanewsjunkie

07-26-2007, 11:09 AM

I will never understand how anyone can think dog fighting is okay in any light. It breaks my heart that there are groups of people out there who find this normal and entertaining. Having so little respect for an animals life, IMO, shows a scary side to that individual that is not healthy.

Hey Paula

07-26-2007, 11:43 AM

samanthajane13

07-27-2007, 01:42 AM

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/vick_header4.jpg

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals-PETA-is not a bunch of vegetarian whack-jobs throwing red paint on people wearing fur coats. They do wonders for suffering animals world-wide. They work to change the laws governing animal abusers, and do whatever they can to stop animal cruelty in it's many forms.

You can help put an end to dog-fighting and send a LOUD AND CLEAR MESSAGE to Michael Vick and others like him who place no value on animal lives.

It's a proven fact that the vast majority of people who engage in animal torture and killing will eventually move on to HUMAN VICTIMS.

If you want people like Michael Vick and his animal murdering partners stopped, PETA needs your help.

Please check the links below-the first one is a video, and the others are for petitions you can sign to send the message that this behavior won't be condoned by ANYONE!!!

PLEASE don't let these innocent animal lives be wasted.

Let these poor deceased animals have a voice.

I've been a PETA supporter for MANY years.

Thanks for your time and attention-
Donna (samanthajane13)

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=lamon_dogfight

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/afalcons_vick_2

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/afalcons_vick_nike

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/petition_dog_fighting

samanthajane13

07-27-2007, 02:38 AM

There are several good articles relating to Michael Vick on this one page-

http://blog.peta.org/

TobyTiger

07-27-2007, 09:37 PM

NIKE SUSPENDS ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH VICK (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19999259/)

Updated: 35 minutes ago
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - Nike suspended its lucrative contract with Michael Vick on Friday, while Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey.

In another dose of bad news for the indicted quarterback, a top trading card company announced it was pulling Vick’s likeness from any new packs.

Facing protests from animal-rights groups, Nike announced it was suspending Vick’s endorsement deal without pay, as well as halting sales of Vick-related shoes and other products at its retail stores.

“Nike is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick, and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent,” Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said in a statement.

Reebok, the official uniform supplier of the NFL, said it would stop selling Vick’s replica jersey at retail stores and through its Web site.

more at the link

beachgirl40

07-28-2007, 12:11 AM

This just makes me sick!! As I look down at my kitties Angel & Patches at my feet, CorkyKitty is stretched out in the recliner. They are so sweet, loving & innocent. How on Earth could someone take an innocent life in the name of entertainment? Have we as a society fallen to these depths of depravity? To even watch a dog fight must take a truly sick person and to think evidence of children attending one of these fights was found is almost beyond belief.

If Mr. Vick and his cohorts are found guilty, throw the book at them. :cuss: He should receive no consideration due to his celebrity.

JMO

samanthajane13

07-28-2007, 12:16 AM

AWESOME!!!!!!

They should smear him with raw meat and lock him in a room with a pack of feral dogs...

CaroleNichols

07-28-2007, 02:20 PM

I'm so glad this is being brought out in the open. I hope Vick & Co. get just what they deserve. I keep seeing a picture of that poor dog in my head.

grasshopper

07-28-2007, 04:53 PM

I'm so glad this is being brought out in the open. I hope Vick & Co. get just what they deserve. I keep seeing a picture of that poor dog in my head.

Oh, it's coming this Vick!
I live here in Atlanta and let me tell you after it was revealed this has been an on going case since 2001;all h*** broke loose.He was served with a ro from going near training camp and mgmt. looking at fine print.

So Michael

Who loves you every place you go?

grasshopper

07-30-2007, 12:21 PM

There are several good articles relating to Michael Vick on this one page-

http://blog.peta.org/

7/30
One of Michael Vicks co defentant agrees to testify for light sentence for lower D.O.C. sentence!

samanthajane13

07-30-2007, 12:58 PM

grasshopper

07-30-2007, 05:05 PM

"So Michael

Who loves you every place you go?"

Certainly NOT animals, animal lovers or the activists!!!

Poooooor Michael-

No love for the BIG STAR for about 60% of the population-OR MORE!!!

Let me tune up my tiny violin for the pity-party.

Wow,here in Atlanta Fox 5 stays on Michael Vick and pople being are saying not guillty and when the F.B.I.'s under covers who have video and tapes dating back to 2001; bye bye Mikie meet the cell door!

Jadedblueeyes

07-30-2007, 08:26 PM

Today's local news stated the manager of Falcon's had ordered Michael to not come near the training camp until~~~~~~he stated in an interview last week end stating ''People love me where ever I go, what can I say''
myfoxatlanta.com for updates

Anyone with an ounce of decency would know that what Vick has done is indefensible, inhumane and perverse. To pleasure in the torture of any creature as a blood sport for financial gain is beyond depraved. There are simply no words to describe it.

Now having said that I saw this. Sometimes I have to admit I have been ashamed of my State and the things that have been whispered about for decades yet a blind eye is continually turned.

Many good folks in Georgia hear the whispers of it and try not to believe it could dare be true but deep down we just have a creepy feeling it is but we don't know where. They are like the boogeyman...you feel they are there but you dont know where or who they are. They are Wolves in sheep's clothing, all the better to disquise what they do in isolation locked away in their sadistic blood letting world. Imo we would all be shocked who goes to these blood torturing rings to watch a poor defenseless animal fight for its life and to its brutal death. Don't ever think they are unwashed or uneducated or that you may even know them. I think we would be shocked at who they are. I think they can come in old pickup trucks or big fancy SUVs and wearing a Rolex.

Imo I think they come in all colors, shapes and professions. They remind me of the KKK that we knew for so long that was out there somewhere in the dark of night up to their own hate and wicked misdeeds.

Now Michael Vick was a hero to me. I love the Falcons. Michael should be banned from playing any sports where he is to be a role model for our children. He had such talent but evil and the greed for more money lurked in his heart. Imo if one is capable of doing this to an animal what in the world would they do to a human being?

I don't want this to be about catching the BIG fish so a picture can go on some LEs wall. I want this to be a major starting point for all LE cleaning up ALL the ones who do this. The feds should be hitting them left and right...not just MV who made mega money and gets the media spotlight. It is time to stop it all dead in its tracks. If I was with the FBI I would be having raids left and right. They have to show these people it means NO ONE can do this to any other animal ever!

God bless the dogs! :rose:

imoo

samanthajane13

07-30-2007, 11:23 PM

Kurt Miller: No gimmicks needed
Vick stands out in a different way
Originally published July 29, 2007

Well, Marcus is no longer the abomination of the Vick family. And that's not easy to do. Marcus was the one that allegedly had sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl while he was enrolled at Virginia Tech. He also was charged with pulling a gun out at McDonald's and stomped on Louisville’s Elvis Dumerville’s leg during the Gator Bowl on national television. Marcus has a history of speeding, using pot and involving himself with underage girls.

Personally, I didn’t think anyone would usurp Marcus’ role as the unquestioned dumbest athlete of this century (he had the surname; he was guaranteed money and a chance wherever he went). But once I got to thinking about it, what man would let his little brother be better than him at something?

Sure, Michael had the water bottle incident at the airport, the ‘Ron Mexico’ debacle and there was that time he gave the finger to his home crowd following a game, but that doesn’t even register him a point on the “Darryl Strawberry” scoring system.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Michael Vick has been indicted by the federal government (but not by the state of Virginia) for the offense of running and allowing dog fighting on some property he owns. He supposedly runs the fights in association with Bad Newz Kennels.

I could speculate (which I am) why Virginia didn’t indict Vick and my bet has to be on the money he pours into the community. He established The Vick Foundation, which runs the Michael Vick Golf Classic and generates close to $80,000 for charity. He worked with the United Way to donate money and create scholarships to help families affected by the Virginia Tech massacre. He has donated countless amounts of money to his alma mater (which may explain why Marcus lasted so long there).

And while I’m ranting, Emmitt Smith, I’m going to tell you this in the most respectful way I can: Shut your mouth.

In case you haven’t seen it, and I strongly urge you to check it out, Smith has commented on the Vick fiasco. In Smith’s eyes, the Feds are targeting Vick because he’s a big name, not because dog fighting was run out of a house he owned. Smith also thinks that Vick is nothing more than bait to the Feds. I strongly disagree here. Vick would be the coup de grace for the government. Finding him guilty would be like finding Al Capone, Pablo Escobar and Che Guevara all in the same car when it got pulled over for a busted taillight. Vick would be a bigger bust than "Waterworld."

Smith, I respect what you’ve done for the NFL, but unless you weren’t standing next to Vick, holding the leash, you have no room to talk. I can only imagine what your next plan of action is. Maybe you can call up Gary Sheffield and you two can play the race card.

There are so many things that are wrong in this twisted saga that I don’t know where to begin.

There’s the fact that Michael Vick, a multi-millionaire, was living a paradoxical life. This wasn’t some country kid bringing his backwoods philosophies with him; this was something he picked up along the same time he began to make a name for himself on the gridiron. While he had his fans believing that he was among the best of the next generation of NFL quarterbacks; in reality, he was just another so-called star that got money and didn’t know what to do with it.

Let me give you something to think about: In the last few instances where an athlete has been involved in a major wrongdoing, the team usually issues a statement saying something along the lines of “we support generic athlete number one until evidence proves that they did, in fact, do something wrong.” The Ravens did it with Ray Lewis when he was involved in the murder investigation, the Lakers stood behind Kobe Bryant when he was charged with rape, and the Giants are doing it now with Barry Bonds and the steroid accusations. Now that I think of it, the WWE did it with Chris Benoit as well.

They do it to cover themselves, publicity wise and personnel wise. If said athlete is found guilty of wrongdoings (i.e. Benoit), then the company will throw that person under the proverbial bus and distance themselves as much as possible. But if the athlete is cleared, then he’s welcome back to the team with arms wide open. Owners are smart people, they realize that what they do isn’t a sport, it’s a business. Nobody’s going to pay to see the Derek Fisher-led Lakers, but the Staples Center will be sold out for Kobe Bryant.

But this isn't the case for the Falcons, though. Atlanta’s not taking a wait-and-see philosophy on this one. They have to distance themselves from this as quickly as possible because regardless of what the outcome of the trial is, Vick will never shake this image. It will haunt him for a long time. And if you don’t believe me, let me ask you this: Do you see O.J. Simpson as a great football player, or as a man that was put on trial for killing his ex-wife and her friend? What image pops up: a football or a white Bronco? A uniform or Bruno Magli shoe? Him at USC with the Heisman or the late Johnnie Cochran with a glove?

But what disturbs me the most, what makes me despise Michael Vick with a passion, isn’t that he had the dog fights. It’s the way he allegedly may have helped dispose of the losing dogs after the fights.

Dog fighting, as it stands alone, is awful. There’s no way around it. I can’t think of any logical reason to try to condone it. I’ve put time and effort into thinking why this isn’t a bad thing but there's no way I can argue for it.

The methods of which “Ookie” (Michael Vick’s nickname) and his friends supposedly got rid of the dogs are disturbing. Reports say that methods including hanging, electrocution, drowning and beating were used to rid the world of these “losers.”

To me, this speaks volumes. To me, this says that the actual fights were secondary to these people. All they really wanted to see was suffering. They could have gone the “humane” way and used an injection or a rifle shot to end the lives of these dogs. But they didn’t choose that. The methods they used were long and drawn out. I don’t know for certain, but it’s probably a fair bet to say that it takes more effort to drown, hang, shock, or beat a pit bull than any other way.
Here’s more to nibble on: An athlete can beat their wife, be involved in a murder trial, smoke crack, take steroids, not pay child support, gamble away millions, and wave guns at people, yet they will still garner fan support. But beat a defenseless dog? No can do, Vick. You’ve always wanted to stand out in your field, and with the congestion of ‘Pacman’ Jones, Tank Johnson and Chris Henry, you once again have learned to do that.

rachelslaw

07-31-2007, 06:36 PM

"So Michael

Who loves you every place you go?"

Certainly NOT animals, animal lovers or the activists!!!

Poooooor Michael-

No love for the BIG STAR for about 60% of the population-OR MORE!!!

Let me tune up my tiny violin for the pity-party.

You're right.

I never heard of him until now.

And now that I've heard of him, I don't like him. I think he's done.

;)

IMO

Carmela

07-31-2007, 06:40 PM

rachelslaw

07-31-2007, 07:03 PM

I'm going to get some flack here, but here goes:

How different is dog fighting from bull fighting?

Both are completely unnecessary. Both are cruel. The difference is that Bull fighting is legal, so long as you are in Spain.

Shouldn't we heap just as much scorn on Spanish bull fighters as we do Michael Vick?

BTW, does anybody have Vick's mug shot?

*Carmela ducks as listeners begin to throw barbed comments her way*

I agree *ducks for cover..lol*

I suppose the reason that THIS has so many people enraged is that it is happening here. I don't like bull fights either, but we don't hear that much about them, nor is there much we can do about them. However, when cruelty happens in our own back yard, we can get involved and do something about it.

(Haven't seen the mug shot yet.)

:patriot:

IMO

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 07:38 PM

I agree 100%.

And I don't duck...I come out swinging for the animals who can't!!!

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 07:41 PM

ATLANTA (AP) — Rawlings Sports Goods Company said Tuesday that it was ending its relationship with Michael Vick (http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=NFL&id=2107) because of the federal dogfighting conspiracy allegations against the Atlanta Falcons quarterback.
"Rawlings recognizes that Mr. Vick has not been convicted of the charges stemming from his recent indictment," the St. Louis company said. "However, we have determined that ending our relationship with Mr. Vick at this time is necessary."
The action by Rawlings, which used Vick's image in point-of-sale promotions in stores, is the latest commercial setback for the NFL star.
Last week, Nike suspended a lucrative contract with Vick and Reebok stopped sales of his No. 7 jersey. Upper Deck removed all Vick autographed memorabilia from its online store and said it was removing Vick trading cards from NFL sets to be released in October.
"Rawlings is disappointed about the charges brought against Mr. Vick for his alleged participation in a dogfighting operation," the company said in a statement. "Dogfighting is illegal and entirely unacceptable to Rawlings."

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 07:44 PM

Michael Vick may ultimately be charged with racketeering.
The prosecutor says he intends to seek a new indictment against Vick next month. It is not uncommon, especially in complicated, high-stakes cases, for the government to present a series of charges to the grand jury before it settles on a theory of the case.
In the OxyContin case against Doctor Cecil Knox, for example, the prosecution went back to the grand jury six times before it was satisfied with the allegations. None of those charges stuck. The superseding indictment sometimes simply adds factual information. It can also add criminal counts and include additional co-defendants.
Tony Taylor, Vick's co-defendant who pled guilty yesterday, might help the government make a case for racketeering against Vick. The "Summary of Facts" Taylor signed says: "Taylor agrees that Bad Newz Kennels qualifies as a 'business enterprise' that engaged in a continuous course of conduct and series of transactions in furtherance of...dog fighting...."
Experts on criminal trial procedure, both prosecution and defense, agree: that language suggests that the feds plan to bring racketeering charges.

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 07:49 PM

Vick Apologizes on Radio Show

Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007 - 12:37 PM

UNDATED (AP) - Michael Vick is apologizing to his family, his team's owner, and the city of Atlanta, for the controversy surrounding his indictment on federal dogfighting charges.
Vick told an Atlanta radio station (V-103) that he's put a number of people through "a lot," and that he's thankful for the support he's gotten in this "crisis situation."
The Atlanta chapter of the NAACP is urging the public to withhold judgement of Vick until he has his day in court.
The chapter says it doesn't condone bad behavior, but that Vick should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
Meanwhile, former Dallas Cowboys player Michael Irvin says he also doesn't condone what Vick is accused of, but that he empathizes with him.
Irvin went through his own high-profile drug case in 1996, and says the worst thing that can happen to Vick right now is to keep him from playing football.
Vick has been ordered to stay away from the Falcons training camp.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sorry, Michael-

It's too little, too late, especially for all the animals who have suffered at your hands.

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 08:08 PM

July 31, 2007

*The Atlanta chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is fed up with the perceived public vilification of NFL quarterback Michael Vick before he’s even had his day in court on federal dogfighting charges.

R.L. White, president of NAACP’s Atlanta chapter, says Vick has been unfairly criticized by animal rights groups, talk radio and the news media, and prematurely punished by his team and corporate sponsors.

"If Mr. Vick is guilty, he should pay for his crime, but to treat him as he is being treated now is also a crime," White said at a news conference. "Be restrained in your premature judgment until the legal process is completed."
As previously reported, the NFL told Vick not to report to the Atlanta Falcons training camp. Also, Nike and Reebok have suspended sales of their Vick-related products.
In an interview aired Monday, Vick told Porsche Foxx on Atlanta radio station WVEE-FM: "I know I've put the city through a lot. My owner, Arthur Blank, who I love sincerely, I've put him through a lot. And you know it's hurt me to put him through these situations to have to deal with that because he shouldn't have to."
Vick gave thanks to his supporters and added: "It's a crisis situation for me, but I'm gonna get through it."
Also, White plans to ask Vick if he needs any further assistance from the NAACP’s Atlanta chapter.
"We're not condoning bad behavior, but Michael Vick is innocent until proven guilty," said Georgia NAACP President Edward Dubose.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes-he IS innocent until proven guilty, however I think if it were almost anyone but a black man-especially a football player, the NAACP would be helping to build the gallows in anticipation of the hangng. And they'd be running their mouths about how evil non-black society is...

I'm surprised Al Sharpton isn't speaking out in Michael's defense...or maybe I just missed it???

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 08:16 PM

July 30, 2007

As the Michael Vick scandal continues to dominate news coverage, it is clear some people have already decided whether he is guilty or not.
"I think he's guilty," says Donna Kirtley. That is exactly what the NAACP is afraid of. The group held a news conference (http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=6859643) in Atlanta asking people to cool their jets.

"In some minds, Mr. Vick has already been convicted because he has been tried through the court of public opinion," says R.L. White, Atlanta NAACP President. Someone who agrees with that statement is a well-known defense attorney from our area.

"The comments I've heard, 'he should know better who he associates with.' 'He should pick his associates better.' I think we should give Michael the benefit of the doubt by law. He ought to be entitled to that in reality," says Tony Anderson.

Anderson, along with the NAACP, points out there was a rush to judge in the Duke Lacrosse case. But people we talked to say it is only human nature to rush to judge. However, everyone we talked to said if Vick is found guilty, he should be punished.

http://wdbj.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif

grasshopper

07-31-2007, 09:05 PM

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 09:15 PM

http://www.bustedtees.com/shirt/badnewzkennels/male

http://www.bustedtees.com/bt/artwork/text_description.jpg
This shirt is anti-Michael Vick, not anti-dog.

10% of this shirt's sale price will be donated to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

I'm still looking for Michael Vick's mugshots...when I find them, I'll post them here.

Use them for a slip-cover for your dartboard!!!

beachgirl40

07-31-2007, 09:24 PM

I'm going to get some flack here, but here goes:

How different is dog fighting from bull fighting?

Both are completely unnecessary. Both are cruel. The difference is that Bull fighting is legal, so long as you are in Spain.

Shouldn't we heap just as much scorn on Spanish bull fighters as we do Michael Vick?

BTW, does anybody have Vick's mug shot?

*Carmela ducks as listeners begin to throw barbed comments her way*

Hi Carmela,

IMHO, maybe the reason we are not quite as outraged over bull-fighting is there is a man in the ring with the bull. Rather than 2 bulls fighting each other, with a man in the ring at least the bull stands a chance of surviving.

Of course, I am not condoning forcing ANY animal into ANY type of combat or test. The whole idea disgusts me.

beachgirl40

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 09:27 PM

Note to Al Sharpton and Russell Simmons – Slow ya Damn Roll
by Dr. Boyce Watkins (http://www.boycewatkins.com/)
OK, I need to quit. I’m going to say some things that will get me into trouble, but as my mother used to say “Boyce, your mouth will either make you great or get you killed, I’m curious to see which one!” I have thought and spoken extensively on the Michael Vick dog fighting situation. I have debated the issue with professors, journalists and brothers at the barbershop. Most of us agree that dog fighting is not acceptable, and that Vick might go down faster than Vanilla Ice with ankle weights.

But I almost jumped out of my “drawz” when I read the latest moves by The Rev. Al Sharpton and Russell Simmons. Together, they have joined with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the Humane Society to write letters to Vick’s corporate sponsors condemning his actions. “Wow,” I thought to myself. “They’re really trying to get a brother fired.”

I like Al Sharpton, and I’ve been on shows with him in the past, but I can’t help but wonder if that perm on his head was strapped down too tight. Teaming up with PETA to go after Michael Vick’s sponsors? What the hell are you thinking? Russell Simmons is usually as apolitical as a piece of chicken, and when it comes to being controversial, he is usually as chicken as a piece of chicken. I am not sure why a hip hop mogul like Simmons would get involved with a case involving an athlete accused of dog fighting. And a pastor like Al Sharpton teaming up with PETA makes as much sense as a hamster having sex with a phone book. Their actions wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that they’re all black, would it?

The peculiar partnership between Al Sharpton, Russell Simmons and PETA also makes no sense because many PETA members HATE Michael Vick.
Understandable, but they are jumping the gun. Whatever happened to something called “innocent until proven guilty”? Two black leaders teaming up with PETA to go after Vick’s corporate sponsors borders on serious, intense, pathological haterology. That’s like me getting together with my brother’s worst enemy to tell a woman down the street that my brother is cheating on her. If Vick is already getting publicly lynched for allegedly committing a crime, should we go out and buy extra rope? Sadly enough, these events can make the rest of the world think that someone may have been bought. Not to say that anyone is being underhanded, but this looks as suspicious as R. Kelly in an elementary school.

Had Vick been white, this pact between PETA, Sharpton and Simmons never would have happened. Were Sharpton or Simmons white, they would never have been asked to participate in the condemnation. Why IN THE WORLD people would be allowed to pit blackness against blackness in such a humiliating way is absolutely beyond me.

I am not a fan of what Michael Vick might have done. Cruelty to animals is inexcusable, so if found guilty, he should be seriously punished. But to go after him so early in the process is borderline asinine on the part of all parties. Al and Russell, I love you both and I am sure that when I see you, you will glare at me like Mike Tyson at a bucket full of earlobes. But in this case, I must be the one to tell you: You’re both dead and horrifically wrong.

<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at

samanthajane13

07-31-2007, 09:40 PM

By Dan Wetzel (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/expertsarchive;_ylt=AkK1tNlj0AKV3_r8zcU9WEzxxLsF?a uthor=Dan+Wetzel), Yahoo! Sports
July 26, 2007

RICHMOND, Va. – The crowded, chaotic sidewalk on Main Street, across from the federal courthouse, was an unlikely location for a lesson on the virtues of the fifth amendment.

But standing behind a throng that wanted a pound of Michael Vick (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5448/;_ylt=AuAx425igAyNLOnKYroo8MDxxLsF)'s flesh – people that had just screamed for the Atlanta Falcons (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/atl/;_ylt=AjzVAG6JoD7js.CO2YkKFQjxxLsF) quarterback to "burn in hell" and held signs advocating his murder, torture and neutering – was Thomas Smith in work boots and a white t-shirt.

High above his head he held a simple sign with just a single word: "Constitution."

"These folks have convicted a man who hasn't even had a chance to defend himself," said Smith. "They just forget everything about America."
But here was America in full force, full vision, mixing it up while Vick pled not guilty to federal charges pertaining to an alleged dog-fighting ring on property he owned in rural Surry County. And front and center, impossible to ignore, was race.

Like Smith, almost all of the people supporting Vick or holding signs pleading for "due process" and "innocence until proven guilty" were African American.

On the other side was an emotional, angry, passionate anti-Vick group that was overwhelmingly white.

Certainly not every animal rights supporter was screaming for Vick to die. Many were just there to support the cause of caring for animals, ending the barbaric practice of dog fighting and using the massive media presence to benefit good.

But a significant number were focused on Vick. When he emerged from a black SUV and made a slow walk up a ramp and into the courthouse, they pushed toward police barriers and let loose.

"Burn in hell you (expletive) (expletive)," repeatedly screamed one woman.
"Die like those dogs," shouted another.

Not long after Vick got inside the courthouse – and in a scene that was repeated when he left less than two hours later – the two sides clashed in shouted voices and dueling signs.

White people screaming for justice; black people asking if they still remember everything justice entails.

That a case involving dog fighting can break so quickly along racial lines is a testament to how it bubbles below just about everything in this country. We all wish it wasn't so, including both sides here. No one wanted this. Almost no one even wanted to acknowledge it. But it was there, plain as day in black and white.

"I wouldn't say it's a racial thing," said David Williams, an African American, in a hopeful tone. "It's not racial. But for these animal rights people to take one person and crucify him isn't fair."

The thing is, the "animal rights people" here were an estimated 90 percent white. The pro-Vick/due process crowd was probably 95 percent black.
Obviously, both animal rights advocates and due process proponents come in all colors. And certainly a circus show like this, revved up by a massive media presence, isn't representative of America.

But, then again, I also know what I saw and what I heard.

"They are not going to give the man a chance?" Williams said. "You're innocent until proven guilty. He hasn't even had a trial yet."

There should be two undeniable, 100 percent agreed upon truths concerning this case: First, dog fighting is a barbaric felony and whoever participated in it on Vick's property should get hammered by the justice system.

Second, Vick deserves the right to defend against the charges. The indictment cites four "cooperating witnesses," but presuming each is a dog fighter himself, potentially facing prosecution unless they rolled on Vick, who and how reliable are they?

That said, the U.S. Attorney's office is known for its detail and diligence – this isn't some hack county prosecutor like the Duke lacrosse case. They rarely lose, so the challenge for Vick is serious and significant. But he has the right to fight.

"This is going to be a hard-fought trial," agreed Billy Martin, Vick's attorney.

It may not be any less intense than the scene out on Main Street, where two sides, clearly divided and easily identifiable, both anchored in righteous beliefs and moral causes went at it.

Two black women held a sign declaring: "I support Mike Vick due process."

That caused vocal jeering from the protesters, which in turn caused the women to taunt them back by waving the sign at them. Later two men had to be separated by security as their debate descended toward physical confrontation, all as a crowd surrounded shouting in all directions.
And on and on it went on this hot Southern sidewalk.

Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist.

samanthajane13

08-01-2007, 09:25 AM

I've been looking ALL OVER for Michael Vick's mugshots, and they aren't anywhere I can find.

You'd think that since this isn't his first brush with the law, his mug would be out there somewhere.

samanthajane13

08-01-2007, 10:15 AM

Cool site-3 t-shirts to chose from!!!!

http://www.neutersickvick.com/

grasshopper

08-01-2007, 04:01 PM

Cool site-3 t-shirts to chose from!!!!

http://www.neutersickvick.com/

insert running feet>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>this is to good not to pass around<wink>

samanthajane13

08-01-2007, 04:42 PM

I'd personally like to commend and thank Reverend Al Sharpton and Ron Simmons for working with PETA on this case.

We are ALL our brothers' and sisters' keepers-regardless of color-and regarless of whether that "brother" or "sister" is covered with skin, scales, fur or feathers.

We were given dominion over the animals of the world by our Creator-not to abuse, exploit or drive them to extinction, but rather to protect and care for them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"The one absolute unselfish friend that a man can have
in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him,
the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous,
is his dog.

A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty,
in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold
ground where the wintery winds blow, and the snow
drives fiercely, if only he may be near his
master's side.

He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer,
he will lick the sores and wounds that come in
encounters with the roughness of the world.
He gaurds the sleep of his pauper master
as if he were a prince.

When all other friends desert, he remains.
When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces,
he is as constant in his love as the sun in its
journey through the heavens.

If misfortune drives
the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless
and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher
privilege than that of accompanying him to guard
against danger, to fight against his enemies.

And when the last scene of all comes, and death
takes the master in its embrace, and his body is
laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all
other friends pursue their way, there by the
gravesite will the noble dog be found, his head
between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert
watchfulness, faithful and true, even in death."

From a speech given by
Former Senator George Graham Vest
of Missouri.
Delivered in 1870 when he was
acting as a lawyer in a suit
against a man who had killed the
dog of his client.
He won the case.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth.

It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors.

Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge, there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place.
There is always food and water, and warm Spring weather.
Those old and frail animals are young again.
Those who have been maimed are made whole again.

They play all day with each other.

Some of them here are different.

They were beaten, starved, tortured, and unloved. Or they were strays-lost and alone-left to fend for themselves.

They watch wistfully as their friends leave one by one, to cross the bridge with their special person.

For them there is no one, no special one. Their time on earth did not give them one.

But one day, as they run and play, they notice someone standing by the road to the bridge.

This person wistfully watches the reunions of friends, for in their life, they had no pet.

As they stand there alone, one of the unloved pets comes up to them, curious as to why this one is alone.

And as the they get nearer to each other, a miracle occurs, for these are the ones who were meant to be together.

Their special person, their beloved pet, although on Earth they never met.
With the meeting of two souls, the pain and the sorrow disappear, and two friends are together.

Then they cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.

Anonymous

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will
deal likewise with their fellow men..."
St. Francis of Assisi

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For all the innocent animals who suffer pain and death at the hands of man-

A Prayer For Animals

Hear our humble prayer, Oh God, for our friends the animals,
especially for ones who are suffering;
for any that are lost or deserted or frightened or hungry.
We entreat for them all thy mercy and pity.
For those who deal with them,
we ask a heart of compassion, gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals
and to show thy blessings to the merciful.

Albert Schweitzer

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
:rose: RIP sweet, beautiful ones-nobody can ever hurt you again:rose:

samanthajane13

08-02-2007, 01:42 AM

It never ceases to amaze me that they sell so many strange things on Ebay. Here's a SMALL sample of the Michael Vick memorabilia relating to the dog-fighting case.

Where's all that love now, huh, Michael???

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/048e_1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/81b2_1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/2b8e_1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/8d2b_1_b.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/898d_1_b.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/8696_1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/60619624_tp.jpg

More to come later...LOL!!!

samanthajane13

08-02-2007, 02:10 AM

More fun stuff from Ebay-

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/a117_1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/c79d_12.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/d0e0_12.jpg
Yes-this IS what it looks like-and it speaks volumes on how some people feel about Vick-LOL!!!
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/RonMexico_gallery.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/shirt1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/Vickshirtimage.jpg

samanthajane13

08-02-2007, 03:22 AM

Here are a couple more...

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/60916183_tp1.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/61128531_tp1.jpg

grasshopper

08-02-2007, 03:50 PM

We want to thank the Humane Society of the United States for their package, and tireless work to put thugs out of business who get off in some twisted way by turning gentle animals into killing machines. — Art Harris

VIDEO
warning may be grapic to some

http://www.artharris.com/2007/07/19/exclusive-michael-vick-humane-society-video-pitbull-rescued-from-falcon-qbs-killi ng-fields-wanted-a-dog-whisperer-so-he-can-testify/

samanthajane13

08-03-2007, 12:38 AM

Chew On This Michael Vick, St. Paul Saints to Give Out 1500 Chew Toys at August 21 Game
08/01/07 - American Association (AA) (http://www.oursportscentral.com/sports/?l_id=128) St. Paul Saints (http://www.oursportscentral.com/sports/?t_id=549)

ST. PAUL, MN (August 1, 2007) - Every dog must have its day, and in the case of Atlanta Falcons (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3517864#) quarterback Michael Vick (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3517864#), the dogs' day has come.

The St. Paul Saints Baseball (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3517864#) Club and the newly merged Humane Society have partnered to present a Michael Vick chew toy giveaway during the Saints August 21 game.

Vick, who is being indicted on dogfighting charges, will be featured on the toy shaped like the Falcons quarterback (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3517864#), clad with a black and red jersey with the number seven on his chest. The first 1,500 fans who enter the ballpark (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3517864#) will receive the chew toy.

The idea was presented to the Saints via e-mail by a fan living in Texas who wished to remain anonymous.

"This goes to show that often times the best ideas come directly from our fans," said Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Derek Sharrer. "This idea really gave us something to chew on."

The newly merged Humane Society is a statewide education, advocacy, and rescue organization dedicated to protecting the lives and interests of Minnesota's animals. It consists of five shelters in St. Paul, Coon Rapids, Golden Valley, Buffalo and Woodbury. They have the only humane investigation department in the state. They use two full-time and one part-time officer who cover the entire state in response to requests for services on issues of abuse, neglect hoarding, puppy mills and dogfighting.

The newly merged Humane Society's Humane Investigations department works to interpret and enforce federal and state welfare laws. It also responds to a large variety of complaints involving animal cruelty and/or neglect. The majority of reports involve lack of food, water and shelter. The officers receive 3,000 requests for service every year.

"The Saint Paul Saints have found a unique way of highlighting a very grim issue," said Janelle Dixon, CEO of the newly merged Humane Society. "Our investigation department handles these and other shocking cases every day, responding to more than 3,000 requests for service a year on behalf of companion animals. When you support our local independent non-profit organization, you are fighting animal abuse throughout the state. "

A portion of the proceeds from the August 21 game versus (fittingly) the Lincoln Saltdogs (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3517864#), will be donated to their unit.

:beer:

samanthajane13

08-04-2007, 12:09 AM

By DIONNE WALKER,
Associated Press Writer
Fri Aug 3, 4:24 PM ET

RICHMOND, Va. - The difference between those sporting Michael Vick jerseys and those urging his swift conviction on dogfighting charges is glaring: Vick's supporters are mostly black; his critics are mostly white.

The racial divide emerged early in the case against the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, apparent at rallies filled with cheering — and overwhelmingly black — Vick supporters and at anti-Vick protests that are noticeably white.
Vick's opponents say the evidence against him is overwhelming. For many black supporters, that judgment evokes uncomfortable questions about race and guilt in America.
"White folks 'been grindin' on an ax ... and that ax ain't got sharp enough for them," said Earnest Hardy Sr., who called the case a witch hunt targeting a successful black man.
Hardy's Surry County home borders Vick's property, where an April raid turned up evidence of dogfighting. Federal authorities indicted Vick on dogfighting charges, and he faces jail time and fines. He has pleaded not guilty.
In the rural county split 50-50 between whites and blacks, the case quickly took a racial bent. At the county courthouse, angry letters urged that whites "take back their town." Critics accuse the commonwealth's attorney, Gerald Poindexter, of stalling an investigation to protect one of his own.
"The only thing I'm doing is protecting my personal integrity and protecting the integrity of the office," said Poindexter, who is black. "I'm not going to be pushed into bringing charges that won't stand."
Hardy spotted Surry's racial divisions long ago — in the farmland developers are sweeping up and selling at prices working-class folks can't afford, and in the new neighbors who don't look like him.
Hardy suspects that Vick — famous, rich and black — is just the fall guy behind bigger issues.
"A hundred-million-dollar black man?" he huffed. "They can't stand it."
His view is reflected from the Newport News region where Vick was raised to Atlanta, where a rally supporting the former Virginia Tech standout drew several hundred fans, but barely 50 whites, said Gerald Rose, with Atlanta-based New Order National Human Rights Organization.
Rose said the outcry stems from what he said is Vick's premature conviction in the media — not support for dogfighting. But he said the case also awakens anger over a perceived smear campaign targeting famous black men from Kobe Bryant to Michael Jackson.
He argues black men who stumble draw excessive scrutiny and especially harsh public judgment.
"It's been too many cases involving African-Americans (where) they got through the court of law, they've been found not guilty, but damage has been done," Rose said.
Vick and two co-defendants are scheduled to stand trial Nov. 26. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference plans to recognize Vick at its annual convention, which began Friday in Atlanta.
"We're in support of Michael as a human being," SCLC president Charles Steele said. "Right now, he's feeling discarded, ostracized by people who are rushing to judgment. It's our responsibility to save him."
Tempers flared at Vick's July 26 arraignment in Richmond, where outside the courthouse blacks and whites debated everything from animal rights to slavery.

"It's racial profiling," said Bill Brown, a Richmond store owner who held a sign urging Vick's fair treatment. "We're always trying to brush everything up under the rug when it comes to racial things."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, leader of the most vocal Vick protests, says the issue isn't racial.
"We're reacting very strongly to this case because Michael Vick is someone who's a hero ... If this were Peyton Manning or Brett Favre, we'd be out there," spokesman Dan Shannon said.
Both NFL quarterbacks are white.
Vick's case is a "crack in the dam" of American racial tension, explained Jeff Menzise, assistant director of the Race Relations Institute at Fisk University in Tennessee.
Whites, he said, may have underlying anger at blacks they feel constantly play the race card. Blacks, meanwhile, may feel whites rush to judge black suspects, but are more lenient to white ones, Menzise said. A case like Vick's offers a vent for those frustrations.
"When you dam up a river, any crack in that dam and every drop of water is going to try and get out," he said.
Menzise said blacks may despise dogfighting but support Vick as a figure of black success in a society in which there are relatively few.
At his Richmond clothing store, Brown said he'll continue stocking Vick merchandise, though others have pulled it from shelves. He likened black support for Vick's cause to the support for O.J. Simpson's acquittal.
"Black people didn't care about O.J.," he said. "But we felt like we finally won."
___ Norfolk correspondent Sonja Barisic contributed to this report.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sound like bull-sh1t to me...

It isn't about race or money or any of that CRAP!!!

It's about someone thinking they're ABOVE THE LAW, and it's about doing the WRONG THING!!!

He's an ***** and he tortures INNOCENT ANIMALS!!

Who's going to be his first HUMAN vick-tim???? I'm speculating that it's only a matter of time...

Do we have any volunteers from the many people who think this is racially motivated???

I didn't think so....

Barnacle

08-07-2007, 09:32 AM

I believe people who abuse, maim and kill animals, are also capable of abusing, maiming and killing human beings. They are sociopaths/psychopaths with killer instincts.

I hope everyone involved is held accountable and severely punished. I had a very difficult time reading about what takes place in these dog fights. What kind of sick minds do the spectators have? How can anyone derive pleasure and enjoyment from witnessing such horror?

IMO

I have trouble with it too. It must be a certain kind of person to find pleasure in viewing such horrific things.

Devotion

08-07-2007, 09:33 PM

I believe people who abuse, maim and kill animals, are also capable of abusing, maiming and killing human beings. They are sociopaths/psychopaths with killer instincts.

I hope everyone involved is held accountable and severely punished. I had a very difficult time reading about what takes place in these dog fights. What kind of sick minds do the spectators have? How can anyone derive pleasure and enjoyment from witnessing such horror?

IMO\
:rose: I agree.....seems they enjoy seeing an animal tormented and tortured inflicting severe pain with no way of escaping it.....

How sick is that?.......IMO...1 yr. for every animal fought..w/ no parole..jmo

samanthajane13

08-07-2007, 11:12 PM

"How sick is that?.......IMO...1 yr. for every animal fought..w/ no parole..jmo"

And 5 years for every animal that died or was killed as a result of his cruelty.

Until there are REAL repercusions to killing animals, it won't end.

Mishell1383

08-08-2007, 09:18 PM

I'm going to get some flack here, but here goes:

How different is dog fighting from bull fighting?

Both are completely unnecessary. Both are cruel. The difference is that Bull fighting is legal, so long as you are in Spain.

Shouldn't we heap just as much scorn on Spanish bull fighters as we do Michael Vick?

BTW, does anybody have Vick's mug shot?

*Carmela ducks as listeners begin to throw barbed comments her way*
I totally agree, I don't agree with any type of harming animals for a good time. Where do I sign up to hang the bull fighters along with Michael Vick!?

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 12:26 AM

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Vick won't be recognized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at its convention this week after all.
"There is no award, there is no honor for Mike Vick," SCLC spokesman David Stokes said Tuesday.
Last week, SCLC president Charles Steele told the Associated Press the group was discussing how the embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback would be acknowledged at the five-day event.
The SCLC had reached out to Vick through his mother to invite him to the convention. The group was told he cannot travel outside of Virginia, where he has pleaded not guilty to charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation.
Steele had said his group was "in support of Michael as a human being. ... Right now, he's feeling discarded, ostracized by people who are rushing to judgment. It's our responsibility to save him."
Stokes was not aware of any mention of "recognition" for the player and said Vick would not be part of the convention.
"The president said in last week's press conference that the SCLC supports him because everyone is innocent until proven guilty," he said.
An attempt to leave a message on Steele's cellphone was unsuccessful because his voicemail box was full.
State Rep. Tyrone Brooks of Atlanta, once an aide to Martin Luther King Jr. in the SCLC, said he told Steele last week that the Vick case was a distraction.
"I just don't think it should be discussed at the convention or as part of the black agenda," Brooks said when reached on his cellphone Tuesday. "I'm not trying to make it an issue. I just don't think it ought to be out there."
Instead, Brooks said, the SCLC should concentrate on such issues as violence and the incarceration of young black people across the country.
"To talk about a superstar athlete who's got millions and millions in the bank, with the resources available to put together a defense team ... we're mixing up our priorities to the extent that it causes confusion," he said.
Also last week, Atlanta and Georgia leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People asked the public and corporate sponsors to withhold judgment on the case until Vick can be tried in court.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hey-Mikey-

Where's all that love now????

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 12:32 AM

From NBC12 News

The man who sparked the Michael Vick dogfighting investigation made a court appearance in Newport News.

Davon Boddie, Vick’s cousin, faces marijuana-possession charges. It was those charges that led authorities to search Vick’s Surry County home, where Boddie lives.

That’s when they found evidence of an alleged dogfighting ring. Vick’s cousin was released on bond.

Authorities arrested him outside of the courtroom on an outstanding warrant.

(c) 2007. WWBT, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Story Created: Aug 8, 2007 at 8:49 AM EDT
Story Updated: Aug 8, 2007 at 8:49 AM EDT

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 12:43 AM

By Michael Wilbon (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/michael+wilbon/)
Wednesday, August 8, 2007; Page E07

Even on days when there are no screaming headlines about Michael Vick (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Michael+Vick?tid=informline) in mainstream media, even when there are no video clips or sound bites from lawyers on the courtroom steps following a hearing, the battle over Michael Vick continues.
In Atlanta (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Atlanta+Falcons?tid=informline) particularly, most any conversation will meander to Vick, the city's biggest cultural star -- ever. And depending on who's doing the talking, Vick can be the devil incarnate or the persecuted victim of a racially motivated attack that has ignored the basic tenet of due process. Anybody paying attention to the divide over this issue, much of it racial, has to understand we're looking at one very divisive story that will play out for months. Already, it has swept up passions everywhere, from the nation's most powerful animal rights advocates to its most visible civil rights groups.
The biggest headline on the home page of PETA (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/PETA?tid=informline)'s Web site urges the NFL to suspend Vick without pay, and in a subheadline proclaims "Victory: Nike Suspends Vick Contract."
Meantime, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Southern+Christian+Leadership+Conference?tid=infor mline) planned to honor Vick as part of its 50th anniversary celebration -- until several longtime members, a Georgia (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Georgia?tid=informline) state representative among them, helped put the brakes on such an event.
And all across Atlanta, probably the nation's second-most popular destination for African Americans (after Washington, D.C.), the debate is as passionate as it is inescapable. Even those who are tired of Vick's repeated bad judgment (including flashing a middle finger to fans after a game last year) are circling Vick protectively, at least publicly. Atlanta is painted by some as the capital of the New South but there are still two Atlantas, one white and one black. More than 40 years removed from Jim Crow segregation, they still see the Vick story as differently as they viewed sitting on the back of a bus 70 years ago.
The Atlanta NAACP president, R.L. White, cut to the heart of the matter for a great many black folks in an ESPN.com piece when he said, "For a lot of African Americans, who have in the past either been accused themselves or seen people they admired not be given due process, they are skeptical about proceedings against well-known African Americans."
It's in this context that the SCLC, whose most prominent member was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Martin+Luther+King+Jr.?tid=informline), sought to honor a man indicted on felony charges of running a dogfighting ring. More heinous than that, the federal government is seeking to prove that Vick is connected with dogs being slammed to their deaths or electrocuted.
PETA, short on African Americans, to say the least, began calling immediately for the NFL to suspend Vick, if not boot him out of the league altogether. The notion that Vick has only been accused, but not convicted, seems to be mere nitpicking to PETA.
And black folks, even ones that see Vick as a fool on some level, began to ask what happened to due process. Last Friday, the SCLC's president, Charles Steele, said the organization would find some way to honor Vick, which was every bit as foolish as presuming Vick guilty, as PETA and others have done. Fortunately, Georgia state representative Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) counseled against it. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/The+Atlanta+Journal-Constitution?tid=informline), "I said, 'Stay on point. The convention is bigger than a particular man. There are a lot of young people who need our help. Michael Vick is not one of them. . . . What has he ever done except throw a football, run a football? I don't think he has done anything to deserve any special recognition."
Presumption of innocence until proven guilty is one thing, but the SCLC has no more idea than PETA what Vick has or hasn't done.
The NAACP (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/NAACP?tid=informline)'s White told Newsweek (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Newsweek+Inc.?tid=informline) his office received so many calls the organization simply had to take a stand, and added: "We're not taking a position on whether or not he did it, nor are we condoning dogfighting. We're merely saying that people shouldn't rush to judge Michael Vick. . . . When Ray Lewis (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Ray+Lewis?tid=informline) was accused of murder [in 2000] he was still afforded the right to work. When Kobe Bryant (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Kobe+Bryant?tid=informline) was accused of rape [in 2004] he was still afforded the right to work." But White also admitted he had no idea "that our position was going to be so controversial."
Of course, everything to do with Vick's case will be controversial. Eagles (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Philadelphia+Eagles?tid=informline) quarterback Donovan McNabb (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Donovan+McNabb?tid=informline), who has been friends with Vick since McNabb hosted Vick on a recruiting visit to Syracuse (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Syracuse?tid=informline), made a rather bland comment to The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/The+Washington+Post+Company?tid=informline) last week, saying essentially he wanted to see Vick come out of this with his career intact.
But after being ripped for supporting Vick, McNabb felt the need to cite due process and added in a statement, "I've had a couple of dogs in the past and now we're going to have some bulldog puppies running around the house."
Brooks saved the SCLC from absurd and embarrassing overreaction to the equally offensive position staked out by those who have Vick already guilty.
Then again, reasoned and measured comments simply aren't going to rule the day in regard to this mess. We're going to be subjected to more rhetoric, more posturing, more proselytizing and more pandering than we'll see in the 2008 presidential election.
Not even a 95 percent conviction rate in federal prosecutions means Vick will be found guilty in this case, though every bit of reasoned analysis points out he's facing a serious battle and as a result a very uncertain future.
In the meantime, the conversation outside the courtroom has already been framed, and the picture inside is quite ugly.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seems to me that finding all the dead, dying and injured dogs might kind of point a finger...or am I wrong here???

Maybe the big bad PETA people PLANTED THEM on his property??? along with the rape-frames and all the equipment used to torture the dogs???

Okay, Mikey...I believe you.

NOT!!!

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 12:56 AM

Vick doggie chew toys-

http://www.vickdogchewtoy.com/

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 01:03 AM

Why is Vick a villain?

by Brian Egeston
be@brianwrites.com (be@brianwrites.com)
http://www.championnewspaper.com/images/vick_dog.jpg
Who cares if Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was involved in pit-bull fighting? It’s not rhetorical. I really want to know who cares if Vick organized dog fighting pay-per-view or ultimate insane dog wrestling. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m no pet lover. Nor do I hate them. I should also admit that I’m not a Vick fan. I respect his ability as an athlete, enjoy watching him play, but I wouldn’t run out to buy his jersey if it were on sale.

The hullabaloo, however, has become at bit much–a protest in Little Five Points, banned from training camp, water cooler talk from here to California and now speculations that Vick will never be a Falcon again. Who cares? I mean really, who actually cares?

Does the guy who buys season tickets, tailgates at the Dome and screams until his larynx is about to burst care? Does the person playing couch potato on Sunday afternoons while watching the game care? Does the kid on the playground playing quarterback and calling out Vick’s name as he throws the bomb to the lightpost care? Do any football fans who are more concerned about Superbowls than dog bowls care?

I read an opinion piece that talked about Vick being excommunicated from the Falcons because of his alleged doggie misdeeds. It made me wonder about the history of bad boys in sports and how their behavior affected their team’s reputation and overall bottom line as a result of bad publicity.
Here are a few cases:
Ricky Williams, talented running back for the Miami Dolphins, liked to hit the bong, smoke ganja, get toked, partake of the herbs–an illegal activity. When Williams was banned by the league for a year, I remember the Dolphins giving him a second chance and maybe he spent a little time in the substance abuse program. I don’t remember him being publicly flogged. But most of all, I don’t remember his public relations blunders affecting the businesses’ bottom line. Ricky stayed with the Dolphins until he decided to quit and…hit the bong again I guess.

Jason Kidd, one of the ambassadors of basketball and all-star point guard, was arrested for popping his wife in the mouth when she smarted off to him. I’m thinking a Dolomite backhand whack. Smacking your wife is illegal in most states I think. Kidd later appeared before the media, said it was embarrassing and that’s all he had to say. Ticket sales didn’t drop in Phoenix after that and the public relations snafu didn’t hurt his team’s ability to make the salary cap. Kidd wasn’t cut from the team.

DeShawn Stevenson, a young talented shooting guard for the Utah Jazz, joined the NBA out of high school. The young and rich kid was accused and arrested for statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl. The Jazz kept right on playing, continued to fill seats, making lots of money and Stevenson continued to play for the Jazz.

The Minnesota Vikings–lots of them, two boats full of them in fact–got all liquored up and took a group of women out on the water where they proceeded to produce an episode of the new hit series Lust Boat. The performance was only one night. Some of the players were convicted of crimes, but none were suspended. It was a public relations nightmare. The Vikings kept on playing, kept selling tickets and no players were banned from the locker room.
What’s the lesson here?
Dog fighting: Naughty, naughty Mr. Vick. You’ve been a bad boy and we’re going to put you in Superstar time out. You’re costing the company money and making the Falcons and NFL look bad.

Beating and raping women: Well, guys. Nobody really got hurt, did they? And you players have such high stress jobs, a little recreational violence at home, in hotels and boats never bothered anybody. So, just try not to do it again and you can keep your jobs.

I’m just wondering if Brett Farve and Peyton Manning had been involved in dog fighting, would there have been this hoopla. And the difference between those two and Vick is clear. Vick hasn’t won a Super Bowl.

Sports fans have historically and routinely turned a blind eye to the off-field demons exorcised by their athletic heroes. I’m not sure why Vick is getting beat up over his non-sanctioned heavyweight dog destruction matches. Do people love dogs more than women… and bongs?

So who cares? No, really who cares? And why?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Decent, law-abiding, human-loving, animal-loving, christians care.

Because if WE don't, nobody will.

And if NOBODY cares, who will give a flying fig when these morons start killing humans??

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 01:10 AM

Dog-fighting scourge goes beyond Michael Vick

By Steve Dale - Tribune News Service

Only days before Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick was accused of hosting dog fights on his property, an Illinois record of 37 fighting dogs were seized from the home of Kevin Taylor in South Holland.
According to the Cook County's Sheriff's Department, the raid on Taylor's home represented the fourth largest seizure of fighting dogs ever in the U.S. Dog-fighting paraphernalia and methamphetamines were also seized. Some animals were in peak fighting condition, while others were seriously injured. Taylor was charged with one felony count of dog fighting, as well 37 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
Because Vick is a celebrity, the horrors of dog fighting are finally receiving national coverage. Sadly, though, dog fighting is a national epidemic. Public officials have responded by ignoring it or blaming the dogs by banning pit bulls (or any dog resembling a pit bull). This gives the appearance that something is being done. However, the strategy of banning breeds hasn't worked, as dog fighting continues to escalate.
The spectacle of dog fighting is so gruesome that if I provided the gory details, newspapers will edit them out. Pit bulls are victims of the worst human sadism.
Certainly, many dog attacks involve pit bulls or dogs that resemble pit bulls. For one thing, there are lots of pit bulls out there, some owned by gang-bangers but a growing number purchased by people who think it's simply "macho" to have one. Some in this group actually prefer a threatening dog.
While pit bulls have become symbols of toughness, this wasn't always the case. Their closest American Kennel Club-registered relatives are Staffordshire terriers. The Staffordshire bull terrier is such a dependable family dog that it was once nicknamed "The Nanny Dog." Lovable Petey in the old "Our Gang" ("Little Rascals") TV series was a more common portrayal of the pit bull.
Even though many pit bull-type dogs are bred to be aggressive toward other dogs, many are not if well socialized. In fact, pit bulls are the dog fighters' choice because of their strength, tenacity and loyalty to their owners. Dog fighters don't want their dogs turning on them. Those who do are either shot, tortured (such as being burnt alive), or simply let loose to terrorize the community. Many owners of such dogs chain them, and the males are never neutered. Tethering and leaving male dogs intact increases the likelihood of any dog (regardless of breed) attacking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
I maintain that pit bulls are victims. Not only are they physically harmed in organized fights, but their image has also been so tarnished that people believe they're born bad.
Dogs aren't the only victims. Children are often invited to watch and even participate in dog-fighting activities. Dog fighting is sold as a "sport," no different than watching a football game. Of course, it's very different. Gangbangers actually realize that watching the horrific events of a dog fight desensitizes kids to violence. Polls have confirmed that an astounding number of kids, particularly from the inner city, have witnessed dog fights. We also know that the same kids who act violently toward animals are more likely to act similarly toward people as adults.
There are countless neighborhoods in America where the only dogs children are exposed to are either those who fight, or big, sometimes dangerous dogs, used as bizarre macho accessories. I can't imagine a generation of children growing up without a wet dog kiss.
One way to start to making a change might be to follow the suggestion of the American Humane Association (where I serve on the board) and encourage the National Football League and its star players to start a campaign against dog fighting. Rap artists (who sometimes portray dog-fighting images on their CD jackets) could do the same.
An editor of mine said it best: "I can't even conceive, for the life me, of how anyone could possibly, even for a moment, enjoy watching dogs fight to the death. And if dog fighting is increasing in popularity, then could it be a symptom that something fundamental is going very wrong?"
Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can't answer all of them individually, he will answer those of general interest in his column.

Write to Steve at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. Send e-mail to petworld@aol.com (petworld@aol.com). Include your name, city and state.

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 01:17 AM

Aug 9, 2007 4:08 AM (20 hrs ago)
by Frank Deford (http://www.examiner.com/Topic-By_Frank_Deford.html), The Examiner

ATLANTA (Map (http://www.examiner.com/map.cfm?latlong=33.7486 -84.3884&dateline=ATLANTA), News (http://www.examiner.com/Dateline-ATLANTA.html?cid=dateline)) - There has been some muted protest that Michael Vick has been suspended too precipitously by the National Football League and unfairly stripped of his rich endorsements, before the indictments against him for dog-fighting and dog-killing could be settled in court.
However, given the heinous charges against Vick, it is difficult to imagine any public company — yours, for example? — blithely keeping such an employee till the government had gotten round to working things out with him.
The presumption of innocence may be one of the most hallowed tenets of our justice system, but let’s face it. In an informed society — most especially where details are well publicized — citizens of good will will arrive at their own conclusions. Sometimes, of course, these assumptions will run wild. In sport, we have no further to look than the notorious Duke lacrosse case. But, then, as the presumption of innocence is a final safeguard, the presumption of shame is a precipitate reality that public figures must take into account when they choose to misbehave.
And Vick’s infamy has at least put the spotlight on the loathsome business of dog-fighting. Who knew? Who knew that the Humane Society estimates that there are as many as 40,000 Americans who fight dogs? And there are, too, other animal torture amusements in this country that, lacking a celebrity to spotlight them, actually remain legal in many states.
For example, are you familiar with something called “canned hunting?” This is fun for that greatest of oxymorons -- sportsmen. These are hunters who go to what are called, yes, “shooting preserves.” There, animals are conveniently penned in for paying customers with a “no-kill, no-pay” guarantee, so they can be sure shot at close range. Fish in a barrel.
Many of the technically wild animals are actually semi-tame, used to humans who feed them. They see a truck approaching, they think it’s the feed wagon, they come closer, and the paying sportsman blasts away.
Only about half our states have any restrictions against canned hunting. There are about a thousand shooting preserves in the U.S., five hundred alone in the great state of Texas.
Or, if you’re a sportsman too busy to actually leave your comfortable home to kill a defenseless animal, Internet hunting is just for you. It’s easy. You go on-line and are connected to a shooting preserve that may be hundreds of miles away, where you see your prey before you. You zero in on the target on your computer screen and touch a button that activates a gun that blows away the unsuspecting, docile animal. The trophy head will be shipped to you, you brave, big-game hunter, for display on your wall.
Sixteen states have no strictures against Internet hunting. One of them is the great state of Georgia, where so many citizens have been upset that the accused dog-slaughterer Vick plays for their Atlanta Falcons.
I’m personally repulsed by Michael Vick, but the sad fact is that, in the animal-cruelty business, he shares company with a lot of other distinguished American sportsmen.
Frank Deford’s column also appears as commentary Wednesdays on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. He can be reached at flamegarden@aol.com (flamegarden@aol.com).

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 01:26 AM

By LARRY O'DELL Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. Jul 30, 2007 (AP)

One of Michael Vick's co-defendants pleaded guilty Monday to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges and agreed to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of the Atlanta Falcons star and two other men.
Tony Taylor, 34, who will be sentenced Dec. 14, said he was not promised any specific sentence in return for his cooperation.
Taylor faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but federal sentencing guidelines likely will call for less. The guideline range will be determined by the court's probation office, and U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson can depart from that range if he finds aggravating or mitigating circumstances.
"You're pleading guilty and taking your chances, right?" Hudson asked Taylor.
He responded, "Yes."
Taylor had the same answer when Hudson asked: "You have agreed to cooperate fully with the United States, is that right?"
Taylor, of Hampton, entered his plea to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities, and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.
Vick and two other co-defendants pleaded not guilty last week to the same charges.
The written plea agreement requires Taylor to "testify truthfully and completely at any grand juries, trials or other proceedings." It says any truthful information provided by Taylor cannot form the basis of a stiffer sentence or additional charges.
Prosecutors already have said a superseding indictment will be issued next month, which could mean more charges against Vick and the remaining co-defendants.
Taylor and his attorney, Stephen A. Hudgins of Newport News, refused to answer reporters' questions as they left the federal courthouse after the 15-minute hearing.
Prosecutors claimed in a July 17 indictment that Taylor found the Surry County property that Vick purchased and used as the site of "Bad Newz Kennels," a dogfighting enterprise.
"The `Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling moneys were almost exclusively funded by Vick," a statement of facts supporting the plea agreement and signed by Taylor says.
The statement also lists several dogfights that Taylor claims Vick attended in Virginia and other states. The principals in the dogfighting ring split any winnings, and Taylor who spent most of his time raising and training the pit bulls used his share for living expenses, according to the statement.
Taylor also confirmed the indictment's claim that he helped purchase pit bulls and killed at least two dogs that fared poorly in test fights.
According to the 18-page indictment, the dogfighting ring executed underperforming dogs by drowning, hanging and other brutal means. It alleges that the fights offered purses as high as $26,000.
Taylor left the enterprise after a falling out with co-defendant Quanis L. Phillips and others in September 2004, according to the statement of facts.
The grisly details outlined in the indictment have fueled protests and public outrage against Vick. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has banned Vick from the Falcons' training camp while the league investigates.
Vick and Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, are scheduled for trial Nov. 26. They remain free without bond.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 01:34 AM

Poll: Vick tops list of worst current sports scandals

Triangle Business Journal - 11:59 AM EDT Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Fans know it's been an ugly few weeks for sports news. And the ugliest development, according to Triangle Business Journal's online readers, is the Michael Vick dogfighting case.
From Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, TBJ readers were asked, "Which is the worst sports scandal currently in the news?"
Of the 637 people who responded, 292 (46 percent) picked the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's run-in with the law on dogfighting charges.
Another 216 (34 percent) chose NBA referee Tim Donaghy's alleged involvement in point-shaving.
Eighty-eight voters (14 percent) picked alleged steroids user Barry Bonds' chase for the all-time home run record in baseball, while 41 people (6 percent) selected the widespread doping at this year's Tour de France.
What follows are some lightly edited, anonymously made comments by our readers:
"The systematic torture of helpless creatures is by far the worst sports-related scandal since O.J. Simpson. Doping and point-shaving are a form of cheating, but the routine torture of a helpless beast is cruel and inhuman. As long as there are contests there will be cheaters, but electrocuting a dog that failed to win a dog fight deserves a swift and severe punishment."
"Vick's situation is undoubtedly the worst. He inflicted his stupidity on innocent animals. The others inflicted theirs on their fans and themselves. The fans can ask why - the animals can't."
"Tim Donaghy's point-shaving has affected such a wide breadth of games that we will always wonder if all those games we remember would have been the same with an honest referee."
"Depends on your perspective. Michael Vick's alleged crime is the most disturbing in the context of decent society, but the NBA and cycling scandals tear at the integrity of the sports. I picked the NBA scandal, but this is a hell of a list. It's not a good time in the sports world."
"It's appalling that Bonds has been able to continue his home run quest after years of bulking up on steroids. Note that in the 3 other incidents, the leagues and authorities are involved. Bonds? Nothing. Bud Selig will be remembered as the worst commissioner in baseball history."
"Vick's ties to dogfighting, obviously, are deplorable, but I'm not sure I'd characterize that scenario as a 'sports scandal.' Donaghy's mob ties and gambling habits are also pretty disgusting, and any shred of legitimacy that the Tour de France had under Lance Armstrong's reign is long gone. But as a sports fan - and specifically a baseball fan - the most laughable, three-ring circus right now is Barry Bonds' arrogant, self-serving march toward a record with literally no regard for his own illegitimacy. Even worse, as the media and public hammer Bonds, we all seem to forget that steroid use has largely been accepted in MLB as a way of life. It's not just Bonds."
"The worst part is that we put these sports stars on such high pedestals and are disappointed when they are merely human like the rest of us."

samanthajane13

08-10-2007, 01:47 AM

County's handling of Vick attracting hate mail

By Sonja Barisic - Associated Press

SURRY, Va. --

Gail Clayton was talking to yet another reporter about the Michael Vick dogfighting case when a co-worker handed her a letter that had just arrived at the Surry County courthouse.
"Blacks - no matter how much money and education will always be of a jungle race!" read the handwritten, unsigned letter, postmarked Richmond and addressed to courthouse "Managers."
"Why don't the White Race in Surry take back their town from the ones that can't act civilized and obey the White laws as we do?"
The letter was the latest bit of unwelcome attention for this rural county of 7,000 people, thrust into the spotlight when federal authorities accused the Atlanta Falcons quarterback of sponsoring dogfighting at a local property he owns.
The letter shocked the county Circuit Court clerk, who said it "crossed the line" with its racism.
"I feel the letter had to be from someone who had knowledge of me being a black clerk in this office," Clayton said. "Whoever this (writer) is, I'm not planning on going anywhere."
She said she has received about a dozen e-mails and calls about the Vick case, mostly from strangers accusing county authorities of acting too slowly in its own dogfighting investigation.
Surry County Sheriff Harold Brown said the county investigation remains open.
"I can't reveal everything that's happening in the case," Brown said. "People don't understand that. Because it's not going the way they want it to go, as fast as they want it to move, then they say 'You're dragging your feet.' "
Brown said he has received one or two calls about the case and more than 30 e-mails, from as far as Australia. About half the e-mails have been negative, he said. And he couldn't recall another case in his 28 years on the force, including 16 years as sheriff, that has attracted such attention.
Both he and prosecutor Gerald Poindexter are black, as is Vick.
The local case began in late April, when a drug raid at Vick's property turned up evidence of dogfighting. With a second search warrant, county authorities confiscated 66 dogs and equipment typically associated with a dogfighting operation.
In May, county authorities secured a third search warrant for the property after an informant said up to 30 dogs were buried there. But the search warrant never was executed because Poindexter didn't like the way it was worded.
On the day the county search warrant expired unexecuted, federal authorities moved in. They searched the property twice and indicted Vick on July 17.
Vick and two other men have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and face a Nov. 2 trial; a fourth defendant pleaded guilty Monday to dogfighting conspiracy charges as part of a plea agreement.
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," one correspondent wrote in an e-mail on May 30 to Clayton, Brown and Poindexter. "Doing nothing about an obvious crime because it's linked to a hometown hero is disgusting. You people are just as bad as every person involved in this case by choosing to do nothing about it, and I hope you all burn in hell for this!"
Poindexter did not return messages left for him in person at his office and by telephone.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sounds like it's getting UGLY down there...

I'mSun

08-10-2007, 02:45 PM

Thanks for all the updates, samanthajane. You are right, it is not a pretty situation down there right now. Michael Vick had it all, and was looked up to by so many. Now we see the other side of him, and it is beyond disgusting.

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 12:46 AM

Published: Aug. 13, 2007 at 2:46 PM
Michael Vick suspension may be announced
ATLANTA, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly plans to suspend Atlanta Falcons (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Sports/2007/08/13/michael_vick_suspension_may_be_announced_/6515/#) QB Michael Vick for the 2007 season because of pending dog fighting charges.

"That's the direction it's going and has been from the time this started," a source told Yahoo Sports.

Goodell told Vick in July he should not come to training camp in the aftermath of his alleged involvement in dog fighting on his property in Virginia, Yahoo Sports reported Monday.

The quarterback is scheduled to go to trial in November.

It is still unclear whether Vick will be allowed to return for the 2007 season if he is acquitted, but Tennessee (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Sports/2007/08/13/michael_vick_suspension_may_be_announced_/6515/#) Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, who was also suspended for the season, could be allowed to return early if he clears his record.

"The plan was to make sure it was announced before the season. Given what everybody has seen from what (league) security found and what the feds are telling us, there's really no choice," a second source told Yahoo Sports about the choice to suspend Vick.

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 12:51 AM

NFL says its investigation of Michael Vick is continuing

George Henry | The Associated Press August 13, 2007 FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The NFL has yet to complete its investigation of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who has been charged with operating a dogfighting ring on his Virginia property.

Eric Holder, a former deputy attorney general retained by the league, still is gathering facts on Vick's alleged involvement in dogfighting, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday.

"The commissioner has not made any decision," Aiello said.

Commissioner Roger Goodell last month barred Vick from reporting to training camp ,and he also can use the NFL's personal conduct policy to suspend him for the 2007 season. A jury trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 26.

Falcons Coach Bobby Petrino said he has not spoken with his players about Vick's troubles since camp opened.

"I'm not ready to respond to anything regarding Michael because I know nothing new," Petrino said.

Falcons running back Warrick Dunn, Vick's teammate since 2002, said he recently spoke with the 27-year-old quarterback to offer his support. Dunn added, however, that the players have no choice but to move ahead and prepare for the Sept. 9 season opener at Minnesota.

"I don't think anybody on this team right now is hoping that Mike comes back," Dunn said. "If he comes back, that's great, but I just think right now we're at a point where the guys that are here are trying to get better and move on down the road. Mike is going to be missed and has been missed, but at the same time, you have to go on."

Federal investigators filed an indictment July 17 against Vick; Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va.; Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton. The indictment stated that a grisly dogfighting operation called "Bad Newz Kennels" was run on property that Vick owned in Surry, Va.

All four pleaded not guilty July 26, but Taylor became a government witness four days later after changing his plea.

Vick was the NFL's No. 1 overall draft choice in 2001. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, he last year became the first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. In December 2004, Vick signed a 10-year, $130 million contract, then the NFL's richest.

Public outrage over the alleged crimes has caused Vick to lose endorsements or have contracts suspended with Nike, Reebok, Upper Deck and Rawlings, among others.

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 12:56 AM

Dogs bite back at Michael Vick's likeness

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 13 Three Jacksonville, Fla., football fans have created a chew toy for dogs that bears a resemblance to alleged dogfighting ringleader Michael Vick.

The toys -- Vick's Dog Chew Toy -- bear the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback's No. 7 jersey and the Web site that sells the item promises they are tough enough for pit bulls, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Monday.

Darren Usher said he and two other football -- and dog -- loving friends came up with the idea for a Vick-inspired chew toy when news broke about Vick's arrest on animal cruelty and dogfighting charges in July.

"It just took everybody's breath," Usher said. "Then we thought, what can we do to raise the awareness and keep it in everybody's mind and not have it swept under the carpet?

"We are regular guys who don't like to see bad things happen to animals."

The Web site sold 1,000 of the toys within an hour of going live Aug. 1 and 150,000 were sold in the first week.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And now the dogs have THEIR day!!

LOL!!!!

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 01:03 AM

Vick's co-defendants set to enter plea agreements

By Gary Mihoces (http://www.usatoday.com/community/tags/reporter.aspx?id=220), USA TODAY
Two more of Michael Vick (http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=NFL&id=2107)'s co-defendants have hearings set for later this week on plea agreements with prosecutors. That would leave the Atlanta Falcons quarterback as the lone defendant awaiting a Nov. 26 trial in Richmond, Va., on a federal indictment stemming from alleged operation of a dogfighting ring.
The scheduling of the latest plea agreement hearings appeared Monday on the website of the United States District Court in Richmond.
Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach is to appear Thursday before Judge Henry E. Hudson. The hearing for Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, is scheduled for Friday.
Collins R. Spencer III, a spokesman for Vick's defense team, told the Associated Press that Vick's lawyers were surprised by the latest plea hearings.
"They didn't see it coming," Spencer said. "The only other comment that they want to make is that this won't affect the way they proceed with the case. We're moving forward with taking the case to trial on Nov. 26."
At an initial arraignment July 26 in Richmond, Vick and his three co-defendants all entered not guilty pleas.
Four days later, Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va., changed his plea to guilty on a one-count indictment that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Taylor said in open court that he had received no promises on sentencing, but the court-filed agreement said prosecutors reserved the right to seek "any departure from the applicable sentencing guidelines" should they decide "a departure or reduction of sentence is appropriate." Taylor also agreed in writing to "full, complete and truthful cooperation" with prosecutors.
After this week's hearings, Vick could have all three co-defendants in position to testify again him.
"This begins to look like the government is assembling its case, and it's going to make it tougher for (Vick) to defend when they're testifying for the government and have the incentives to cooperate so that they get lighter penalties," says Carl Tobias, University of Richmond law professor.
At the initial arraignment, the U.S. attorney's office said it reserved the right to file a "superseding indictment" in the case by the end of this month. Such an indictment could entail an attempt by prosecutors to bolster the current indictment or to add additional counts with additional potential penalties.
After the first change of plea by Taylor, Tobias said the potential for a superseding indictment could have influenced his decision. He says the same applies to Peace and Phillips.
"That may have pressured these other two to go ahead and plead because I think the government is saying it's going to be worse for you after we do this (file the superseding indictment)," says Tobias.
Vick has been told by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to stay away from the Falcons, pending the league's own investigation of the case.
The NFL has denied a Sunday report by Yahoo.com that Goodell "likely" would announce a season-long suspension of Vick this week or next.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now even your "friends" have turned against you, Mikey!

Sux 2 be you...

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 01:14 AM

Celebrity Seen as Factor Regarding Vick, Poll Finds
By MARJORIE CONNELLY (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/marjorie_connelly/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
Published: August 14, 2007

Americans say Michael Vick (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/v/michael_vick/index.html?inline=nyt-per)’s high profile has led to preferential treatment from the authorities, and few say his profession is a disadvantage, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Thirty-six percent of those familiar with the dogfighting allegations against Vick, the Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback, said he was being treated better than an average person. Only 9 percent said Vick was being treated worse than an average person. The plurality, 44 percent, said Vick was being handled the same as anyone else.
“If all those dogs had been found buried in the yard of an average person, that person would have already been in jail,” Jackie Syron, 36, from Mesa, Ariz., said in a follow-up interview after the poll was completed. “It’s a heinous crime, but he’ll probably just get fines and probation.”
But Ethel Turner, 54, of Mount Pleasant, Tex., said Vick was being treated unfairly because of his celebrity. “There’s a movement against famous people these days,” she said. “They are being treated a little bit worse than the regular person.”
The nationwide telephone poll was conducted among 1,214 adults from Aug. 8 to 12.
Last month, Vick was indicted in Virginia on federal felony charges that he sponsored dogfighting, frequently gambled on dogfighting and authorized acts of cruelty against animals on property he owned.
Two of the three men indicted with Vick are expected to plead guilty in the case later this week. The other man indicted in the case pleaded guilty last month.
George Lynch, 84, of Center Ossipee, N.H., said he did not expect the case against Vick to fade away. “Dogfighting is not only illegal, but one of the worst forms of entertainment in the world,” he said. “These dogs are dangerous, and anyone making money off them, in addition to inhumane treatment of animals, is pretty low.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/people_for_the_ethical_treatment_of_animals/index.html?inline=nyt-org) has organized protests at the Falcons’ headquarters in Flowery Branch, Ga., and at the N.F.L. offices in New York. “Vick is being treated unfairly because of the dog people,” said Henry Tate, 58, of Battle Creek, Mich. “PETA finally found someone they could picket and protest.”
The opinions of the football fans surveyed were similar to those of all respondents. But the poll found differences in the views of black and white respondents. Thirty-two percent of blacks said Vick was being treated worse than the average person, while only 6 percent of whites said he was being treated worse.
“People are rushing to judgment because he is an athlete,” said Gale Nattiel, 49, of Rushton, La. “I know a lot of athletes are black, but I don’t think it’s because of his race. It’s because he’s an athlete. If he were a regular Joe, nobody would care.”
Vick has remained on the Falcons’ payroll, but N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell barred him from training camp while the league completed a review of his case. Goodell is expected to announce any further discipline before the Falcons’ first regular-season game, Sept. 9 at Minnesota.
In the meantime, Vick’s sponsorship deals have fallen apart. Nike suspended its contract and Rawlings canceled its deal. Reebok pulled his jerseys off the market, Donruss removed his trading card from its sets, and Upper Deck removed his autographed memorabilia from its online store and removed him from its card sets as well.
Over all, the Americans surveyed approved of the N.F.L.’s disciplinary measures. Fifty-four percent of those polled said professional football players were being treated appropriately when they were suspended by the N.F.L. for misconduct off the field, 32 percent said the league was being too easy on them and only 4 percent said it was too tough.
Goodell suspended Tennessee Titans (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/tennesseetitans/index.html?inline=nyt-org) cornerback Pacman Jones for the season and Cincinnati Bengals (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/profootball/nationalfootballleague/cincinnatibengals/index.html?inline=nyt-org) receiver Chris Henry for the first eight games for repeated off-the-field conduct problems.
For purposes of analysis, blacks were oversampled in this poll, for a total of 169, who were then weighted back to their proper proportion in the poll, according to the most recent census. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for all adults, and plus or minus 8 percentage points for blacks.

Poll Results
Do you think the authorities are treating Michael Vick better than the average person because he is a professional athlete, worse than the average person, or about the same as the average person?
BetterWorseSameNo AnswerTotal36%9%44%10%------------Men379495Women35103916------------Whites3964511Blacks2632366------------Very interested in pro football 388496Somewhat interested 3411469Not at all interested3893715------------Live in Northeast36 7479Live in Midwest38104211Live in South3614427Live in West 3444417

In general, when professional football players are suspended for misconduct off the field, do you think the N.F.L. is being too tough on them, too easy on them, or are they being treated appropriately?
Marina Stefan contributed reporting.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gee-like Paris Hilton getting preferential treatment...

Who'd of thunk...

If it were you or me, we'd be tarred and feathered right on TV, and thrown into the local jail, only to be beaten by the animal-loving convicts.

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 01:26 AM

Time for Vick to finally come clean

With government closing in, Falcons QB needs to tell us what he did

OPINION
By Bob Cook
MSNBC contributor

(Representative sent by court of public opinion stands behind car, pulls out bullhorn, presses button to turn it on.)KRRRSSSSHHH-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTT!!!!!!!!!!
“Ahem, um, can somebody show me how to stop that static? And that feedback? This button? Great, got it.
“Yeah, OK. Attention, Michael Vick. We know you’re in there, and we have you surrounded. Time for you to come out, and come clean. Walk out now, and we won’t have to kill your career.
“There is no other way out. Your corporate sponsors have dropped you.
PETA is building a permanent encampment outside your door, and outside the Atlanta Falcons headquarters. You know ‘T’ already copped a plea.
And now, so have ‘P-Funk’ and ‘Q.’ By the way, I am making finger quotes when I use your dogfighting buddies’ nicknames.
“Excuse me, alleged dogfighting buddies. Well, not for long, if I read those plea deals correctly. And they are going to drag you down with them. Especially if you don’t come clean about ‘Bad Newz Kennels.’ I’m making finger quotes on that one, too. It’s not easy to do, what with this bullhorn in my hand.
“The NFL doesn’t want you. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ran from you like uranium after it said it would honor you. I guess if there’s any upside, at least this dogfighting rap is making everyone forget about Ron Mexico and that water bottle with the secret compartment. You can make your own finger quotes on Ron Mexico, Michael.
“You were a great story, Michael. Kid from a rough, rough place, public housing project, Newport News, from the real Bad Newz neighborhood.
Becomes a quarterbacking phenom at Virginia Tech. No. 1 pick. Big bucks.
Actually gets Atlanta caring about one of its pro sports teams. Looks like he’ll revolutionize the game. Big heart, and wallet, for charity.
Remember those days? Beating Green Bay in Lambeau during the playoffs, when no one else could?
“Those days are over, Michael. You can’t run around this like the Rams’ defensive front seven. If you have any hope of playing in the NFL again, even for the Cincinnati Bengals, you should come out and be honest about what you’ve been up to. Don’t throw your life away. I know you’re not capable of doing that, because I’ve seen you throw. Sorry, cheap shot.
“Listen, Michael. Your only hope is to tell us everything you did with the dogfighting. You need to tell us whether you were just the money man, as your alleged friend ‘T’ said, or whether you were doing the worst of everything federal prosecutors said you did. Or, if you didn’t do any of it, you better have more than your lawyer telling us why you’re clean and pure.
“You better do it soon, because the NFL is ready to crush you even if prosecutors can’t. Shoot, I know you probably think no one can find 12 people who have never heard of you, never heard of your case, and don’t feel much either way about dogs. But the NFL doesn’t need reasonable doubt. I don’t care if Roger Goodell denies he’s suspending you for the year – something’s coming, and you know it. The NFL wanted you to be its star of stars, but now it wants to forget you ever existed.
“Heck, even your teammates are starting to grow used to life without you. You know the final insult? Fantasy football guides are advising people not to draft you, even as some sort of late-round flier. They’re advising people to draft Chris Henry before they think about drafting you. Ouch.
“The only thing that can save you, Michael, is to come out and tell us what you did. And to apologize. I don’t care if all you did was buy land, and then watch a bunch of flunkies screw it up. You better apologize for letting the likes of Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanas Phillips anywhere in your zip code. By the way, which one of them named you ‘Ookie?’ Those clowns even stuck you with a dumb nickname, on top of everything else. I bet they made finger quotes around it behind your back.
“Things look really bad for you right now, Michael. But we all love a heartfelt apology. Not something like, ‘mistakes were made,’ or ‘I’m sorry to anyone who was offended,’ and especially not ‘I’m sorry I can’t choke the life out of those Bad Newz snitches.’ Something like, ‘Look, I’ve really done it. I shouldn’t have gotten involved in anything remotely like this. It’s cruel, it’s inhumane, and let’s face it, I’m making more than enough money that I don’t need to be making stupid side investments like fighting dogs. Sheesh, I would be on firmer moral and financial ground starting a subprime home loan hedge fund. I ask that you forgive me, and I promise you that I will never do anything remotely like this again.’
“Or if you’re innocent, just come out and give us a reason why we shouldn’t believe any of this stuff. Really, Michael, we want to believe you. We know, innocent until proven guilty. We might have been ready to cut you a break for all the flack you’ve gotten. That is, until we saw all of your buddies turn against you. And the ESPN (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20255876/page/2/#) report about how your lawyers were surprised by those plea deals, and how they would like to chat with you to see what you would like to do now. I don’t have to tell you that doesn’t look good. But I will anyway.
“I can’t hold off this crowd much longer, Michael. Your sponsors, your fans, your career — it’s all about to come crashing in on you if you don’t step up and let us know what’s up.
“Can I promise you nothing will happen to you? No, sorry, I can’t. But I can promise you that the longer you’re holed up in there, the worse things will get.
“Let us know, Michael. And soon.
“So I tell you what. I’m gonna take my finger off of this bullhorn, turn this sucker off, and wait for your response.”
KRRRSSSSHHH-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTT!!!!!!!!! (Click.)

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 01:42 AM

Sunday, August 12, 2007 - Page updated at 02:03 AM
Leonard Pitts Jr. / Syndicated columnist
The last word on Michael Vick

You wanted to read my Michael Vick column? Sorry, that's not going to happen.
Let me be clear: If Vick sponsored dogfights and brutally killed canines that did not perform, as he is alleged to have done, he's a despicable man. It wouldn't break my heart to see him caged up with a rabid dog while wearing raw sirloin strapped to his tender parts.
Problem is, that's pretty much all I have to say on the subject and there's no way to get 615 words — about the length of a column — out of that. Actually, I hadn't planned to comment at all on the NFL star's indictment last month. That's not to say it's not an important story or that the allegations aren't sickening. Still, it's not, so far, a topic to which I think I could bring any particular insight.
So I'm not here to talk about Vick but, rather, about why certain of my readers so dearly "want" me to talk about him. I get these e-mails, you see. Anybody who's been a black columnist longer than 15 minutes knows the kind I'm talking about. They arrive as reliably as the tides anytime some black gets in trouble. Inevitably, some Caucasian gentlemen will dare you to lay into this individual the way you "always" do white guys.
I'm not talking about the polite requests ("What's your take on this?"), but about the sneering demands. The "reasoning" seems to be that black malefactors get a pass from black pundits who'll tear a white guy a creative new orifice when he misbehaves. So the black pundit must prove himself to the white guy by tearing some black embarrassment to humanity a hole exactly equal in size and shape. That reasoning is long on smugness, long on entitlement, long on everything except, you know, fact.
Frankly, I doubt Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Whitney Houston, Tim Hardaway, Isaiah Washington, New Orleans DA Eddie Jordan, Ray Nagin, the NAACP, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, Ludacris, the family of Martin Luther King Jr. and other black folk who have been ripped and ridiculed in this space would agree that I give black folks a free ride. But again, we're not talking about facts here. For that matter, we're not talking about me, or even about journalism.
No, what we're talking about is that some white people — emphasize: "some" — seem to feel they have a perfect right to demand, overtly and repeatedly, that a black professional prove himself to them. We're talking about the realization, as a black professional, that for them, you will forever be on probation, your mastery of your profession, your right to be there, constantly subject to demands for verification.
We're talking about the black lawyer second-guessed by the client who never spent a day in law school. About the black money manager whose clients won't accept her advice until it is seconded by her white partner. About the black cardiologist whose diagnoses are rejected by patients unwilling to accept them from a doctor of her gender and race.
And yes, I know some people would argue that this is only to be expected, that the very existence of affirmative action entitles white people to question the competence of black ones. That's a cop-out.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: If affirmative action is defined as giving preferential treatment on the basis of gender or race, then no one in this country has received more than white men.
Still, though the rationalization is lame, it serves a purpose: It deflects us from thinking too hard how it must feel to learn that, even after years of education and apprenticeship, after the hard slog of working your way up and waiting your turn, some people will still find it prob-lematic to accept you as a professional. Will still raise a whoop and regard you with an expectant stare.
They think I should prove myself to them by trashing Michael Vick? No.
I could not prove half as much in honoring that request as they prove in making it.
Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.'s column appears Sunday on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is: lpitts@herald.com (lpitts@herald.com)
2007, The Miami Herald

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 01:49 AM

NFL denies Vick close to season-long suspension

By Skip Wood (http://www.usatoday.com/community/tags/reporter.aspx?id=579), USA TODAY
An NFL spokesman flatly denied late Sunday night a report that Commissioner Roger Goodell was close to announcing that Michael Vick would be suspended for the 2007 season for his alleged involvement in dogfighting.
A story posted Sunday on Yahoo.com quoted two persons within the NFL with knowledge of the situation as saying that it's been headed in that direction (Vick being suspended for the season) from the beginning, and "the plan was to make sure it was announced before the season. Given what everybody has seen from what (league) security found and what the feds are telling us, there's really no choice."
The story said an announcement is likely this week or next.
"No decision has been made," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, adding that the league is still awaiting the results of its independent review and is not likely to take action, if any, until its undetermined conclusion.
Goodell told USA TODAY last week he expected the report back in a week or two and expected to make a decision shortly thereafter.
In July, Goodell told Vick, the Atlanta Falcons' star quarterback, not to report to training camp in the wake of a federal indictment against him in the dogfighting case. Vick faces a trial on the charges, including gambling on dogfights, in November.

samanthajane13

08-14-2007, 02:59 PM

Michael Vick on his own now
By ASSOCIATED PRESS - August 13, 2007

The two remaining co-defendants in Michael Vick’s federal dogfighting case on Monday scheduled hearings to enter plea agreements.

Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, is set to appear in federal court in Richmond on Thursday and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, on Friday.

Last month, another original co-defendant, Tony Taylor, pleaded guilty to his role in a dogfighting conspiracy he says was financed almost entirely by the Atlanta Falcons quarterback.

Testifying against Vick

Taylor, 34, of Hampton, agreed to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of Vick, Peace and Phillips, who are accused of running an interstate dogfighting enterprise known as “Bad Newz Kennels” on Vick’s property in rural Surry County.

Attorneys for Peace and Phillips did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

Surprise

Collins R. Spencer III, a spokesman for Vick’s defense team, said the lawyers were surprised by the plea deals. He said although they assumed the two agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, it would not affect the way Vick’s lawyers proceed.

“We’re moving forward with taking the case to trial on Nov. 26,” he said.

Vick has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Vick, 27, attended several dogfights in Virginia and other states with his partners, according to the statement.

Prosecutors claim the fights offered purses as high as $26,000.

The gruesome details outlined in the July 17 indictment have fueled public protests against Vick and prompted the suspension of some of his lucrative endorsement deals. Also, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons’ training camp.

Falcons general manager Rich McKay declined comment when asked about Vick’s future with the team.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday the league had yet to complete its investigation of Vick and that Goodell had not made a decision on whether to use the NFL’s personal conduct policy to suspend him for the 2007 season.

One2Snoop

08-15-2007, 06:42 PM

Just to add another bizarre twist to this saga.....

South Carolina Inmate Hits Michael Vick With '$63,000,000,000 Billion Dollar' Lawsuit Alleging Al Qaeda Ties

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Embattled NFL quarterback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a "$63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned.

Jonathan Lee Riches filed the handwritten complaint over "theft and abuse of my animals" on July 23 in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va.

Click here to read the filing against Vick.(pdf)

http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/riches_jonathan_file.pdf

Riches alleges that Vick stole two white mixed pit bull dogs from his home in Holiday, Fla., and used them for dogfighting operations in Richmond, Va. The complaint goes on to allege that Vick sold the dogs on eBay and “used the proceeds to purchase missiles from the Iran government.”

The complaint also alleges that Vick would need those missiles because he pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda in February of this year.

snip

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293268,00.html

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 12:07 AM

Michael Vick seeks plea deal allowing NFL return
Wed Aug 15, 8:20 AM ET

ATLANTA, United States (AFP) - Michael Vick's lawyers were trying to negotiate a plea deal with federal prosecutors that might limit jail time and let him to return to American football after his release, newspapers reported.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Virginian-Pilot both reported that Vick attorneys were discussing pleas in the wake of news that two other men who face charges in a dogfighting scheme were ready to make plea deals.

Deals for Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips would give prosecutors three potential witnesses to detail Vick's role in the operation, which included accusations the Atlanta Falcons quarterback brutally killed several dogs.

Each newspaper cited unnamed sources in detailing the charges against Vick, who was told by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell to stay away from his teams training camp.

Peace and Phillips have hearings scheduled later this week in US District Court at Richmond, Virginia. Another co-defendant, Troy Taylor, already signed a document saying the charges against Vick and the others are true.

Vick, who faces up to five years in prison and 250,000 dollars in fines, could face a superseding indictment with more charges against him, and harsher potential punishments, if he elects to fight the case rather than make a deal.

A source told the Virginia newspaper the added charge would come under US racketeering laws and carry a potential 20 years in prison.
A trial date for Vick, Phillips and Peace was set for November 26, three quarters of the way into the NFL season. Taylor will be sentenced December 14.

NFL commissioner Goodell has his own investigation into the dogfight scandal and his willingness, or lack thereof, to allow Vick into the NFL after a guilty plea could be a major factor in Vick's choice to deal or fight.

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 12:10 AM

Report: Michael Vick considering a plea
ATLANTA, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick could negotiate a plea with prosecutors on federal dog-fighting charges by week's end, a report said.

Vick's attorneys will try to negotiate a plea before he faces additional charges, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday.

A spokesman for Vick Wednesday told CNN Vick had not made up his mind yet on a plea.

“Nothing has been decided yet,” said the spokesman, Collin Spencer III.

Two co-defendants are scheduled to enter guilty pleas in the case. A fourth has entered a guilty plea, and agreed to turn state's evidence.

Guilty plea hearings are set for Monday for Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.

"I would seriously talk to him about entering a plea to get home detention or a probationary sentence (if possible)," William Frick, a former prosecutor, told The New York Daily News.

Frick worked in the South Carolina Attorney General's office in 2004, which prosecuted a man who is serving a 40-year sentence prison sentence for dog-fighting.

The four co-defendants in Virginia are charged with using Vick's house in Smithfield to conduct dog-fighting activities. They were indicted on charges of travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 12:15 AM

Michael Vick co-defendants to enter pleas Friday

Last Updated: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 | 11:57 AM ET

CBC Sports (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/credit.html)

The two remaining co-defendants in the Michael Vick dogfighting case will enter their pleas in consecutive hearings Friday morning.

The hearing for Purnell Peace had originally been slated for Thursday morning before U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond, Va., but the case has been rescheduled for Friday morning, 15 minutes after the hearing for the other co-defendant, Quanis Phillips.

Last month, another original co-defendant, Tony Taylor, pleaded guilty to his role in a dogfighting ring he says was financed almost entirely by Vick, a star quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons.

Taylor agreed to fully co-operate with the government in its prosecution of Vick, who is accused of running an interstate dogfighting enterprise known as Bad Newz Kennels on his property in rural Virginia.

Prosecutors said at Taylor's plea hearing that they expected a superseding indictment against Vick this month. The threat of additional charges and testimony by the three co-defendants in the alleged dogfighting operation increases the pressure on Vick to also negotiate a plea agreement, according to legal experts.

Vick, 27, has pleaded not guilty to competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 26.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 US.

The NFL is conducting its own investigation into the charges, and Vick has been barred by commissioner Roger Goodell from reporting to Falcons training camp, which opened last month in Flowery Branch, Ga. If he sees fit, Goodell could use the NFL's personal conduct policy to suspend Vick for the 2007 season.

Vick, Peace, Phillips and Taylor were indicted July 17 by a federal grand jury on charges of competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

Taylor said he was not promised any specific sentence in return for his co-operation with the government. He will be sentenced Dec. 14.

Vick is a three-time Pro Bowler who set an NFL record for quarterbacks by rushing for 1,039 yards last season.

Vick signed a 10-year, $130-million US contract extension with Atlanta on Dec. 23, 2004.

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 12:26 AM

Have we seen the last of Michael Vick?
By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Sports Columnist
Aug 15, 2007 - 09:31:31 CDT

Right about now, Michael Vick would probably gladly trade a year or two of football for a chance to rid himself of dogfighting charges. He was never going to play this season anyway, not if Roger Goodell, Arthur Blank and thousands of animal-rights activists have anything to say about it.

The question now becomes whether Vick will ever play in the NFL again, and even the bravest Las Vegas bookie wouldn’t offer odds on that happening.

Hard to imagine Blank or any other NFL owner hiring a quarterback who is now the poster child for animal abusers everywhere. It’s even harder to imagine how the hometown fans would feel about an alleged puppy killer leading their offense.

Not that it much matters anymore. Because Vick has a lot more to worry about than whether he’ll ever play for money on a Sunday again.

Finding a way to stay out of prison is now his No. 1 concern.

News that two more of his co-defendants will enter plea bargains is the worst news yet for the man who allegedly not only financed “Bad Newz Kennels” but was actively involved in disposing of dogs who weren’t fortunate enough to be major championship material.

It wasn’t even a month ago that Vick was one of four people indicted on charges they ran a dog fighting ring. Now he stands alone.

His lawyers still talk bravely about a Nov. 26 trial, but that may be purely wishful thinking.

The New York Times quoted a source Tuesday as saying Vick’s attorneys have been given a few more days to decide whether he should enter a guilty plea. They’re playing hardball because if Vick doesn’t agree, he could face even more charges in a superseding indictment the government says it plans to bring in the case later this month.

That indictment likely would include even more gory details, though it’s hard to imagine much worse than the stomach-turning tales of blood and death in the initial charges.

Vick got rich by making tacklers miss him. But, even with expensive attorneys at his side, it’s hard to see how he’s going to escape the government’s grasp.

He’s basically left with two choices, neither of them very appetizing: Plead guilty and hope for less than the five years; go to trial, listen to his former buddies tell all, and risk even more prison time.

He might have been willing to take his chances at trial against the testimony of one of his co-defendants. But now all three can be expected to occupy the witness stand if Vick goes ahead with a trial.

And to think that only a few months ago all Vick had to worry about was a funny-smelling water bottle at the airport and a few one-fingered salutes to fans.

There’s little doubt the feds are making an example out of Vick to send a message that they have little tolerance for something so gruesome. He’s not the first athlete to face charges associated with dog fighting — the NBA’s Qyntel Woods pleaded guilty in January 2005 to animal abuse, and former NFL players LeShon Johnson and Todd McNair were also charged in separate cases. But he is certainly the highest profile player.

Vick was once the face of the Atlanta Falcons, a brilliant if sometimes erratic quarterback who was rewarded with a $130 million contract a few years back. Now he’s the face of another so-called sport, where dogs are groomed to fight to the death and the ones who don’t perform are put to death.

His endorsements are nearly gone, and his career is almost certainly over. Millions of people who have never met him hate him, and now even his posse is deserting him.

He’s cornered in a pit of his own making, with no escape in sight.

Like some of the dogs found on his estate, he doesn’t have much fight left.

————

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlbergap.org

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 12:36 AM

Imagine what Vick is dealing with

By MARK BRADLEY - Cox News Service

HOW MUST IT BE, being Michael Vick? From prince of this bustling city to pariah of an entire country; from idol of millions to cheap joke on the “Tonight Show;” from having too many friends to having no friends at all — how must that feel? How must it feel to arise each morning believing the walls have moved ever closer in the dark of night?

Twenty days ago you stood in a federal courtroom as one of four defendants. Today you stand apart. The other three have, or will, plead guilty. The other three have turned on you, the old pal they called Ookie. The other three are scrambling to save themselves. At this late date, who saves Michael Vick?

Not Arthur Blank. That cord has been all but cut. So completely have you fallen from the rich man’s graces that he has been moved to apologize, nearly four years after the fact, for the hardly heinous act of pushing you in a wheelchair. How must that feel, knowing Blank once deemed you worth $130 million of his money and all of his conspicuous affection but having no reason to believe he ever wants to see you again?

How must it feel, knowing you came as close to Having It All as anyone from your background - heck, as anyone from any background, the Rockefellers included - ever can? How must it feel, having gone from seeing your replica jersey adorn the backs of folks from all walks of life to being reduced to the indignity of your likeness peddled as a $7.99 doggie chew toy?

How must it feel, having spent your formative years dreaming of bigger and better, having risen from the rough neighborhoods of Newport News — Bad Newz, as it’s known, the same name you gave your ill-fated “kennel” — only to find that those old ties were a snare? How must it feel, knowing the speed that enabled you to run away from everybody cannot shake the feds?

The feds, you learn with every passing day, aren’t the Carolina Panthers. They aren’t the Miami-Dade cops. They don’t want your autograph. They want to throw you in jail. The feel-good story of rising from the streets of Bad Newz to owning a mansion in Sugarloaf is surely yielding to the stark reality that you could be prison-bound. How do you sleep at night? In whom (besides your many lawyers) do you confide?

Warrick Dunn told reporters Monday he’d spoken with you recently. He also said, “I don’t think anybody on this team, right now, is hoping that Mike comes back.” Perhaps that sounded harsher than Dunn, a genuinely nice man, meant, but the sentiment was coldly instructive. Once you were the face and future of this franchise. Now you’re yesterday’s man. The Falcons don’t want you and act as if they don’t need you. How has it come to that?

Your legal options have apparently been reduced to two lousy choices: Either plead guilty or get hit with more charges, these surely bolstered by testimony from your former buddies. It’s still possible you could be acquitted at trial, but do you dare take that chance? Guilty at trial could mean five years in jail. A guilty plea might mean a year. How must that seem, the grim notion of a lesser sentence as best-case scenario?

And what of football? If you plead guilty, when might you be cleared to play again? What team would want you and your baggage if/when you are? You spoke often of wanting to be a great quarterback, a Super Bowl quarterback, but now, at age 27, you’re damaged goods. You haven’t been brought low by debilitating injury — you’re long past the broken leg of 2003 — or an act of God. You’ve undone yourself. You put yourself in places you didn’t need to be.

And now you’re alone. You don’t really have a team or teammates anymore, and you mightn’t have a job for long. How must it feel, to have been given so much and to have thrown it all away? How must it be, being Michael Vick?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GAWD!!

I LOVE IT!!!

Poor Michael...it must s**k to be you...HAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAA

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 01:00 AM

Vick Sued For $63B For Stolen Dogs

South Carolina prison inmate Jonathan Lee Riches filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va. alleging that Michael Vick stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy “missiles from Iran.”

Riches alleges that Vick stole 2 pit bulls from his home in Holiday, Florida and used them for dogfighting in Richmond, Virginia. The handwritten complaint also claims that Vick would need those missiles because he pledged allegiance to the terrorist group Al Qaeda in February.

Riches, who is serving time for wire fraud at Williamsburg Federal Correctional facility in South Carolina, wants $63 billion delivered to the front gates of the prison.

Riches also wrote in the complaint, “Michael Vick has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes.”

(USA Today)

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LOL-I thought it was all BS...this idiot is as much a loser as Vick!!!

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 01:28 PM

Prosecutors want a year in prison for Michael Vick
Thu Aug 16, 2:01 AM ET

NORFOLK, United States (AFP) - Federal prosecutors have offered embattled American football star Michael Vick a plea deal that would recommend he serve at least one year in prison, the Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources familiar with talks in the dogfighting conspiracy case, said Vick has until Friday morning to accept the deal or face additional racketeering charges from a federal grand jury in US District Court.

Vick's attorneys have spent the week negotiating with prosecutors, who struck a deal with one co-defendant and reportedly will reveal deals with two others in court Friday at Richmond.

One of the conditions of Vick's deal would be that he has to make a full admission to his every act and role in the dogfight ring.
Any guilty plea or conviction is likely to result in a lengthy National Football League suspension for Vick as well. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had banned Vick from training camp, which began the day he was arraigned.

Vick, who faces up to five years in prison and a 250,000-dollar fine if convicted, is accused of playing a major role in a pit bull dogfight gambling ring across state lines and executing dogs that fared poorly.

samanthajane13

08-16-2007, 01:42 PM

Vick can add copyright issues to list of problems

Thursday, August 16, 2007

As if things aren't bad enough for pro-football player Michael Vick, being accused of involvement with illegal dog fighting, now he's being sued.
Jonathan Lee Riches says Vick stole his pit bulls.

But that's not all.

Riches, who puts a "copyright" symbol behind his whole name, is doing time for fraud in the Federal Correctional Institution Williamsburg, in Salters, S.C.

This lawsuit was handwritten. I read it and thought the guy was crazy.

Then I realized or hoped he might just be a comedian.

The federal lawsuit demands damages of "63,000,000,000.00 Billion dollars."

Riches says in the suit that Vick stole his pit bulls, used them in dog fights, then sold them on eBay and used the proceeds to buy missiles from Iran; that the football player has sworn allegiance to al Qaida; that he stole Riches' identity and used it, not only to sell Jonathan Lee Riches T-shirts and coffee mugs, but to open accounts at pet stores to buy dog food; and, perhaps most frighteningly, "Michael Vick subjected me to microwave testing."

Man! Microwave testing is a seriously bad thing to be doing.

I knew I needed to research this, so I turned to Google.

Riches' lawsuit was filed at the beginning of this month and already, some enterprising entrepreneur has started making "Jonathan Lee Riches vs Michael Vick, $63,000,000,000.00 billion dollars worth of crazy!" T-shirts and selling them via cafepress.com!

There are even discussions about whether Riches is demanding 63 billion dollars or 63 billion billion bucks, because of the unusual way he wrote the amount.

Since suing Vick, he has reportedly filed another suit to get an unnamed federal magistrate removed from the case because of conflict of interest.

Riches is no stranger to litigation.

He has filed suits against the Israeli Mossad, the CIA and Larry King and against a list of defendants that runs from George W. Bush to Tony Danza. I did exhaustive research, but for the life of me, I can't figure what those suits were about.

He has also sued Cindy Sheehan and Nancy Pelosi in one suit and Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron's bat in another. It's my understanding that none of these suits has made it to court.

Riches appears to have developed quite a cult following, at least on the Internet. When I Googled him, there were 913,000 hits on him.

According to his lawsuit, Riches wants his cash delivered by UPS to the front gate of the prison. Guess he figures it will be pretty safe inside the Big House.

He also "prays this court will issue" a restraining order to keep Vick from stealing "anymore of my animals (dogs)" and so Vick can "no longer sell my copyrighted materials," namely those Jonathan Lee Riches T-shirts.

Oh, and Jonathan Lee Riches wants one final thing.

"Michael Vick has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes."

You shouldn't have to sue someone for dashing your hopes. It should be a criminal offense.
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Mishell1383

08-17-2007, 09:07 AM

LMAO!!! This guy has to be suffering from some sort of paranoia disorder or something! Thanks for this post Samantha I needed that laugh!!! LOL

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 11:10 AM

Yup- the poor dude sounds like he's a few fries short of a Happy Meal...I hope he gets everything Vick has!!!

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 11:24 AM

In defense of Michael Vick

Posted: August 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Hounding Vick
While ranting about NFL quarterback Michael Vick for his alleged dog fighting activities, CNN talker Nancy Grace added another charge to her brilliant "legal" brief: Vick's been rapin' on the *****es. By that she meant inseminating *****es that "refused" to breed. The exact crazy quote (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/30/ng.01.html) has Grace say the following to her equally indignant guest: "You left out the rape stand, where female dogs that don't want to breed are raped, essentially."

In Graceland, canines must consent before being bred, or is it "having sex." Nancy didn't indicate whether she was as passionate about the "violations" visited upon thoroughbred racehorses and artificially inseminated cows. The frightening thing is that judging by the frenzy over Vick's alleged infractions against our furry friends, I suspect all too many Americans agree with nutty Nancy.

Dog fighting, which has been outlawed in all 50 states, is certainly uncivilized and cruel (although not everything that is immoral ought to be illegal). But even more uncivilized than Vick's alleged dog fighting violations has been the zeal among media pack animals to convict him. Vick is not a thief, a murderer or a rapist. Neither has he defrauded anyone. He is a gifted athlete – and an obviously aggressive young man, who may have channeled his abundant aggression into a blood sport, as men have done throughout time.
The English relished dog fighting for centuries. Fox hunting is still a much cherished way of life in rural England, and, some argue, beneficial to conservation "and a method of pest control." The same animal-rights activists who've successfully lobbied to have dog fighters declared felons are gunning for hunters. These activists consider hunting a blood sport, too. To them, the toreo – the Spanish bullfighter – is worse than a terrorist.

Animal-rights activists share a humanity-hating agenda with environmentalists. The first would like ultimately to see the State proceed against anyone who slaughters, markets, experiments on, or even eats and wears animals; the latter wish to subordinate man to nature through codified law.
Human beings ought to care for and be kind to animals, but a civilized society is one that never threatens a man's liberty because of the callousness with which he has treated the livestock he owns. Members of a society in which peace and liberty are valued above all would have settled for boycotting Vick's games and merchandize. They might have urged the NFL to discipline, even fire, him. But they would not have called for his incarceration.

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I think this guy should be in an adjoining cell with Vick, just so they can hug each other and whine about how wrong the world is and how much they hate the big bad animal lovers of the world. They can start their own anti-PETA anti-environmental group in prison, too.

And if he has a pet, it should be given to a shelter to be relocated to a humane family.

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 11:37 AM

http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/p/ap_small.gif (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03;_ylt=AjPkCWR8zTirY3PzSKmqEagN97QF/*http://www.ap.org)
2 Vick co-defendants enter guilty pleas
By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 43 minutes ago

RICHMOND, Va. - Two of Michael Vick's alleged cohorts in a dogfighting enterprise entered guilty pleas Friday, leaving the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on his own to cut a deal or face trial on federal charges.

With his NFL career in jeopardy and a superseding indictment adding more charges in the works, Vick and his lawyers have been talking with federal prosecutors about a possible plea agreement.
But there was no indication Friday at U.S. District Court that Vick would enter a plea before the new charges are filed, perhaps as early as next week.

Sentencing for the two was scheduled for Nov. 30. Vick has been barred from training camp by the NFL and is scheduled to stand trial Nov. 26.
Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta entered plea agreements and joined another defendant who previously changed his plea to guilty and agreed to cooperate in the government's case against Vick.

Peace and Phillips were charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Tony Taylor of Hampton pleaded guilty last month and will be sentenced Dec. 14.

The offenses are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines likely would call for less.

"Did you conspire with these folks to sponsor a dogfighting venture?" U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson asked Peace.

He replied, "Yes, sir."

While Peace was freed, Phillips violated the terms of his release by failing a drug test and was taken into custody of U.S. marshals.

Any outcome that ties Vick to betting on the dogfights could trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy.

The 27-year-old quarterback was linked to betting by a statement signed by Taylor, who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, and the July 17 indictment.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell withheld further action while the NFL conducts its own investigation. Goodell said Thursday the league hasn't been monitoring Vick's plea negotiations.

The four defendants all initially pleaded not guilty, and Vick issued a statement saying he looked forward to clearing his name.

A statement of facts signed by Taylor as part of his plea agreement placed Vick at the scene of several dogfights and linked him to betting. Taylor said Vick financed virtually all the "Bad Newz Kennels" operation on Vick's property in Surry County.

The case began with a search in April that turned up dozens of pit bulls and an assortment of dogfighting paraphernalia at the property a few miles northwest of Vick's hometown of Newport News. According to the indictment, dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other means.

At Friday's plea hearings, about 30 animal rights activists gathered outside the courtroom in downtown Richmond.

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YAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

2 down, Vick to GO!!!!

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 11:45 AM

Dealing with 'Bad Newz'

Commish fighting media war
By LARRY LAGE

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) - Roger Goodell wants to talk football. Michael Vick keeps getting in the way.

The NFL commissioner, making a tour of training camps, raved about Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli and his players after visiting them Thursday. He spoke to them mostly about their responsibilities as players.
As soon as Goodell started taking questions during a news conference, however, he was asked about Vick. And the questions kept coming.

There has been an unrelenting drumbeat of news concerning Vick, who is charged with running a dogfighting ring on his Virginia property. Goodell insists this is not eclipsing enthusiasm about the game itself.
"I don't think it's overshadowing the season," he said. "I think our fans are excited about football, but I understand the interest in the story."

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Vick is facing increased pressure to strike a deal with prosecutors in his federal dogfighting conspiracy case. He conferred with his lawyers for hours Wednesday.

"We're going to do what we always said we were going to do, which is rely on the facts," Goodell said. "If there is some type of a plea agreement, then we will obviously take the time to understand what that plea is and we'll see how it fits into our personal conduct (policy)."

Goodell barred Vick from taking part in training camp while the league investigates. The commissioner said the league is monitoring talks between Vick's lawyers and prosecutors. He wants the legal process to run its course before he rules on Vick's future in the league.

Under NFL policy, a player can be banned for life for illegal gambling or associating with gamblers, and Vick might face that penalty.

"(The gambling) is certainly an issue," Goodell said after meeting with the Cleveland Browns at their year-round training facility. "Law enforcement may be concerned about certain things about this. We may be concerned about other aspects of this. That's why we want to evaluate what the government has. We don't know all of the facts on that. Michael's team may not know all the facts at this point in time."

The quarterback was linked to betting by a statement signed by former co-defendant Tony Taylor, who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, and the July 17 indictment.

Two other co-defendants - Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips - are to enter plea agreements Friday. Prosecutors have said they will seek a superseding indictment later this month that could mean additional charges against Vick.

Vick has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to US$250,000.

According to the statement signed by Taylor as part of his plea agreement, Vick financed virtually all of the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting enterprise on Vick's property.

A search of his property in April turned up dozens of pit bulls, some of them injured, as well as equipment commonly used in dogfighting. The indictment said dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other brutal means.
The grisly details have fuelled public protests against Vick and have cost him some lucrative endorsement deals.

Vick's charges have also hurt the NFL's image in an off-season also marked by suspensions of Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson and Chris Henry for off-field conduct. Goodell contends just four players out of about 2,000 in the league are generating most of the scrutiny.

"I've said to Pacman and any player, 'You have to earn your way back into the National Football League and you have to do it through your conduct,"' Goodell said. "It's not about what you tell the commissioner, or what you tell anyone. It's your conduct and your activities. I was disappointed with some of the activities that Pacman got involved this spring, after we had met and had a lot of discussions.
"Michael knows exactly how I feel."

Goodell's visit was well received by the Browns. Several of the players asked questions following the commissioner's 15-minute talk that touched upon subjects ranging from concussions to conduct.

"It was a treat. It broke camp up for 15 or 20 minutes," wide receiver Joe Jurevicius said. "Obviously, he's a man with a lot of power and he'll be the face of the NFL for a while. He's going to do a lot of great things and he came to say that he's not doing this to hurt anybody. He's doing this to help us."

During the Browns' two-hour practice during a humid afternoon, Goodell and former Cleveland quarterback Bernie Kosar mingled with fans, who had their own questions and comments.

Goodell has sensed nothing but positive feedback and support during his tour of the camps.
"I'm proud of our players. I'm proud of what they do in the communities and on the field," he said. "I think more has to be discussed on that. We have always talked about the game - having the focus stay on football. We're here now and it's football time."

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 11:49 AM

Michael Vick Vick still doesn't have a deal
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick and his attorneys hope to strike a deal on a plea agreement before he's scheduled to go to trial November 26th, according to a lawyer familiar with the case.

The Atlanta Falcons' star quarterback pleaded not guilty to dogfighting conspiracy charges last month. But since then, one of his co-defendants has changed his plea to guilty and agreed to testify against Vick, and two other co-defendants entered guilty pleas today in Richmond, Virginia in a dog-fighting case.

That leaves Vick -- the Atlanta Falcons quarterback -- with a decision to make. He can make his own deal, or face a trial on the federal charges.

Vick and his lawyers have been talking with federal prosescutors about a possible plea agreement. But there's no indication today at federal court in Richmond that Vick will enter a plea before new charges are filed -- perhaps as early as next week.

The charges have put Vick's NFL career in jeopardy.

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 12:03 PM

Vick 'executed' dogs, co-defendants say

RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Two co-defendants of Michael Vick say the NFL star helped execute dogs that didn't fight well, according to federal court documents.

The court papers, filed as Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges Friday, said all three men "executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions" in April of this year.
Vick's co-defendants also stipulated that the money behind the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation came "almost exclusively" from the Atlanta Falcons star.

Federal prosecutors had given Vick until 9 a.m. ET Friday to accept a plea deal that would require him to spend at least one year in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, reports say, but there was no immediate word on what he decided.

Vick's acceptance of the recommendation, described by The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia, must receive court approval.

If the 27-year-old Vick rejects the deal, he will face an additional charge under the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the newspaper.

According to the source, who requested anonymity, conviction under that charge would be punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The new charge would be considered by a grand jury that convenes Monday.

Federal judges rely largely on congressional guidelines for sentencing.

Separately, the National Football League was trying to determine Vick's professional fate. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from playing with the Falcons until the investigation is finished. The league could suspend him for up to a year.

Vick, of Newport News, Virginia, signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with the team in 2004. He was a standout at Virginia Tech and was the first player chosen in the 2001 NFL draft.

A federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, charged Vick and three co-defendants in mid-July with organizing fights between pit bulls on property Vick bought in 2001, and transporting and delivering dogs across state lines. Both are conspiracy counts.

Prosecutors said the maximum punishment for conviction on both counts is six years in prison and fines of up to $350,000.

Another defendant admitted guilt and took a plea earlier.

Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District in Virginia on Friday.

Sentencing was set for November 30, CNN affiliate WSB-TV reported.

Phillips was taken directly to jail after appearing in court Friday, according to WSB, because he tested positive for drug use while out on bail.

Vick, once one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, pleaded not guilty July 26. He was released without bond, but U.S.

Magistrate Dennis Dohnal ordered him to surrender his passport and dog-breeding license; not travel outside the district of his primary residence without approval; and not buy or sell any dogs.

The third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, accepted a plea deal July 30, the same day all four men pleaded not guilty to the allegations. He agreed to cooperate fully with prosecutors. Taylor will be sentenced December 14 and could receive up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

According to the indictment filed with the court July 17, Taylor said he and the other three men decided to start a dogfighting venture in early 2001, and Vick paid for the property in Smithfield, Virginia, used for the operations.

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 04:05 PM

No free pass for Michael Vick — not even locally

By David Squires
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
Published: Aug. 17, 2007 11:05 a.m. MDT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick continues to get some of his most solid, staunch and creative support in the southeast Newport News community where he grew up.

But with the news that he's considering a plea bargain to federal dogfighting charges, Vick is not getting a free pass.

A quick pulse-check in and around the Ridley Circle apartment complex where Vick threw his first football brought some interesting observations from the citizens in one of the city's toughest neighborhoods.

For every person who has felt a need to justify Vick's action, there is another who feels there is no justification at all.

For every notion that Vick should be excused because dogfighting is part of his culture, there is the notion that this excuse is complete baloney.
In a neighborhood where a march against violence was held Wednesday decrying the 22 homicides in Newport News this year compared with 19 in all of 2006 there seems very little tolerance for lawlessness.

Not surprisingly, there are people such as Linwood DeBrew, executive director of the Moton Community House on Jefferson Avenue, near 21st Street, who does not have it in his heart to speak out against Michael Vick.

"I'm going to support him until he dies," said DeBrew, who has headed the multipurpose center for 30 years and remembers when Vick came in for childhood activities.

"I don't find as much fault in the situation as it has been made out to be," DeBrew said. Flashing handouts downloaded from the Internet and spewing numbers, DeBrew further stated, "My research tells me that over 4 million dogs and cats are killed each year" by PETA and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (usually because of disease and overcrowding).

DeBrew further stated that dogfighting has been in the southeast community "ever since I was a young man, and I consider it a small thing, based on our culture."

And if that excuse doesn't wash, Vick might "have been looking at this thing from an international view," DeBrew said. "In Korea, they slaughter dogs like Smithfield (famous for its hams) slaughters hogs. And according to them, the best-tasting ones are beaten with baseball bats (alive and dead) to tenderize the meat."

Perhaps most outlandish, DeBrew presented a three-page essay, from a writer who theorized that because pit bulls are elusive and football is a dogfight, Vick used the study of dogfighting to become the NFL's top rushing quarterback.

Robert Cofield, 40, who lives in the Walker Village apartments one block from the Moton center, is a Vick supporter with a different viewpoint.
To Cofield, who remembers Vick as a "good kid, who never ran the streets," dogfighting is not an acceptable part of the local culture.

"I never been around that (dogfighting)," he said. "I can't say what's acceptable to them, but it's not acceptable to me. I value life whether it's a dog or cat or chicken.

"If he does plead guilty to something like that, I misjudged his character."
At the Ridley Circle apartments where Vick once lived with his family, Joby King, 31, said: "Everybody makes mistakes. If he is guilty, he is still a good person. He did good for himself.

"It'll be disappointing."

But King also rejects the cultural bypass theory that dogfighting was OK because Vick grew up around it.

"Where'd that excuse come from?" she asked. "Everybody got their own mind. Despite how things are when you are younger, when you are older, you know right from wrong."

Another resident, Deon Jones, an 11th-grader at Warwick, where Vick attended high school, called Vick "my favorite player, you know."

"I don't think he's innocent, but I don't think he's that guilty either," Jones said. "I don't think he killed no dogs. I think some people he knows killed some dogs, though."

Jones had agreement from his two friends, Demetrius Hunter, also a Warwick junior, and Jordan Harrison, a Heritage sophomore. All three said they would be disappointed if Vick pleads guilty to the dogfighting charges.

For Jones, such a plea would mean that Vick has failed as a role model.

"That's cruelty to animals. That's not good," Jones said. "He's supposed to be setting an example for other kids. That's not a good example to set."
Interestingly, these varied opinions on Vick were similar to comments made Saturday during a forum of the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Las Vegas.

David Aldridge, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, suggested that Vick had the warning signs to clear his camp of individuals not good for him, but ignored the warnings.

"So at some point, it's on him," Aldridge said. "Allen Iverson has made as many mistakes as anybody, but Allen Iverson does not do the same stupid stuff he used to do. He has had to cut some people off."
Jemele Hill, a writer for ESPN The Magazine, was more blunt, on Vick and dogfighting allegations, stating: "I'm sorry, I don't give a pass for stupidity."

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 04:11 PM

Legal analyst: Michael Vick's options are clear

By Gary Mihoces (http://www.usatoday.com/community/tags/reporter.aspx?id=220), USA TODAY

The decision facing Michael Vick (http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=NFL&id=2107) is grave, but a veteran criminal defense attorney in Richmond, Va., says the options facing the Atlanta Falcons quarterback are clear cut.

"If he's innocent, he should go to trial, no-brainer," says Steven Benjamin, past president of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "If he isn't innocent, it's also a no-brainer that he has to reach some kind of an agreement (a deal with prosecutors)."

Vick's final two co-defendants have plea agreement hearings set for Friday in a federal case stemming from alleged operation of a dogfighting ring.
Another defendant already has entered a guilty plea to an indictment that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Should Vick opt for a deal, Benjamin says a guilty plea would benefit him during sentencing by the judge — as opposed to a potential conviction at trial.

"Absolutely, that's a recognized dynamic in federal criminal sentencing," Benjamin says.

"It is called 'acceptance of responsibility,' and under the federal sentencing guidelines, acceptance of responsibility lowers your sentencing score. It's the sentencing score that determines your sentencing range under the guidelines."

Vick's defense team has declined to comment on a potential plea bargain, but Benjamin says his "gut feeling" is Vick will follow the same path as his co-defendants. "If I were scripting this for him, and again assuming that he's guilty, I'd have the man sign a plea agreement as charged," Benjamin says.

"Then do whatever he can with the NFL (in terms of league disciplinary action), set a re-arraignment for Friday morning to coincide with these other two and then hold a press conference at least (Thursday) so you can get your spin out there before you go in and plead guilty, especially having begun with a denial of any guilt and an assertion of intent to prove innocence."

Benjamin says some plea deals can include an agreement with prosecutors on a specific sentence but must be approved by the judge. Benjamin says such deals are rarely made in federal court in Richmond.

Scheduled for plea agreement hearings Friday are Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta. Peace's hearing originally was set for Thursday. The trial is scheduled for Nov. 26. The indictment carries a maximum of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Prosecutors reserved the right to file a superseding indictment later this month that could have stiffer possible penalties.

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 04:16 PM

More bad newz for Michael Vick
Posted: Friday, Aug 17, 2007 - 12:23:03 pm CDT
By JORDAN REAGAN
Sports Editor

As much as I would hate to further wear out the old “sinking ship” analogy, things are looking worse and worse for Michael Vick as this morning, even more rats have hit the ground running with plea bargains.

Two of Vick's co-conspirators plead guilty in the dogfighting case this morning, following suit of Tony Taylor's guilty plea last month, consequently leaving Vick to be the last man standing in his own defense.

As of this morning, Vick has yet to enter a plea as he awaits charges of organized crime to be filed against him next week.

Apparently this alleged organized crime of his is lacking as far as organization goes, or his entourage wouldn't be jumping ship so soon.

One really can't expect much adherence from an illegal enterprise that so cleverly calls themselves “Bad Newz Kennels,” though, can they?

If Vick's newly guilty co-defendents can keep their incriminating stories together, he will almost surely be put away.

This of course might make the impending death of his NFL career the least of his worries.

And as far as the public is concerned, Michael Vick is one guilty dog.

One dog toy manufacturer has even gone as far as producing a Michael Vick chew toy, the proceeds of which will go to an animal shelter.

With an appreciation for satiric irony and $11 to spare, dog lovers all over the country can purchase a chew toy in the likeness of today's most infamous alleged dogfighting entrepreneur.

The public seems eager to let their dogs have at him, as the toys are on backorder through mid-September.

Assuming Vick will face a jury come time for a trial, (I don't really know much about how legal proceedings such as these work) I doubt that 12 jurors could be picked out that won't already have their minds made up, or at least have a strong opinion of the high-profile case.

The new evidence and testimonies that will arise from Vick's guilty co-conspirators won't help much, either.

It's obvious what he should do, should he reach a decision by next week when his new charges will be filed against him -- take the best deal he can get.

But if Michael Vick were good at making decisions, he would be facing a new season with the Falcons instead of (more than likely) time behind bars to begin with.

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 04:23 PM

An interesting little poll...

examiNation DC: What do you think about the plea deals being offered in the Michael Vick case?

http://www.examiner.com/a-886126~What_do_you_think_about_the_plea_deals_bein g_offered_in_the_Michael_Vick_case_.html?cid=Exami Nation-tpc-pr

When I took it an hour or so ago, only 20% replied "Yes"-the punishment would fit the crime.

Personally, I chose option #3...but that's just the way I am.

JMeyer

08-17-2007, 08:00 PM

What a piece of trash that guy is. Here’s a little something I put together regarding Vick. Click below.

Vick (www.jmeyermedia.com/mfow8.cfm)

Peace and beers,
JMeyer

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 09:42 PM

Dude!!!

I SOOOOO LOVE YOU!!!

My male beagle loves you too!!! He sends slurps!!!

That page is so VERY wrong, and yet so very right!!!!

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 10:04 PM

Co-defendant links Vick to killing of at least 8 dogs
td.yspwidearticlebody { font-size: 13.5px; }By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
August 17, 2007

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- It's up to Michael Vick (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5448/;_ylt=Aoe2Cu.ZlAcNpNc4G2BPezEdsLYF) now.
His last two co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday and implicated Vick in bankrolling gambling on dogfights. One of them said the Atlanta Falcons (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/atl/;_ylt=Ap9zPnJmVHi9rm147nu6uVEdsLYF) quarterback helped drown or hang dogs that didn't do well.

With his NFL career in jeopardy and a superseding indictment adding more charges in the works, that left Vick with a hard choice: Cutting his own deal to hold jail time under a year or go to trial and sit through detailed descriptions of the ghastly operation known as "Bad Newz Kennels."

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Vick's attorneys were negotiating with prosecutors as of late afternoon, trying to hammer out a plea deal.
"It seems to be a pretty clear indication there will be some sort of plea entered," Blank said before the Falcons preseason game at Buffalo.

"When? I'm not positive."

Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach entered plea agreements and agreed to testify against Vick. A third member of the dogfighting ring, Tony Taylor, struck a similar deal last month.

One of Vick's attorneys, Lawrence Woodward, attended the plea hearings but declined to answer questions about the progress of the negotiations as he left the courthouse.

"Did you conspire with these folks to sponsor a dogfighting venture?" U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson asked Peace.

"Yes, sir," he replied.

As part of his plea agreement, Phillips signed a statement that said Vick joined in executing at least eight dogs that didn't do well in test fights by various methods, including hanging and drowning.

"Phillips agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips, and Vick," the statement said.

Phillips and Peace also backed up Taylor's assertion that Vick was involved in gambling.

"The `Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling monies were almost exclusively funded by Vick," according to statements by the two men.
Those allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Blank accused Vick of lying to the owner and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when they first questioned the quarterback about the allegations.

"It's just very sad," Blank said. "It's sad that those allegations exist and now they are confirmed by others. It's sad that Michael has put himself into that kind of situation. It's his responsibility for putting himself into that situation."

Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the latest pleas.

Blank said he was stunned by the charges made against Vick by his co-defendants.

"It's distressing after six years spending time with somebody, you think you know them and then there's another side that is shocking to all of us," the owner said. "Those statements of facts don't match up with what the league was told, even our organization, and certainly not was said to the commissioner. So we'll have to see what comes out in this plea and deal with the facts as soon as we have them."

Peace and Phillips pleaded guilty to the same charge facing Vick: conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Sentencing was set for Nov. 30.

The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The men will get credit for accepting responsibility and cooperating with the government but would be penalized for animal brutality.

Peace remains free until sentencing, but Hudson found that Phillips violated the terms of his release by failing a drug test and ordered him jailed.

About 30 animal-rights activists protested quietly outside the courthouse. Afterward, as police officers cleared the scene, protesters continued waving large pictures of a mutilated dog.

"This is one dogfighting ring that's been annihilated," said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States.

The four defendants all initially pleaded not guilty, and Vick issued a statement saying he looked forward to clearing his name.
The case began in April with a search of Vick's property in Surry County, a few miles from Vick's hometown of Newport News. Investigators seized dozens of pit bulls, some of them injured, and equipment typically used in dogfighting operations.

The four men were indicted July 17.

As if he didn't have enough troubles, Vick was cited for not wearing a seat belt when a car he owned was pulled over Thursday by Virginia state troopers.

The officer stopped the car because the tint on the windows was too dark, state police Sgt. D.S. Carr said. The Vick-owned vehicle was being driven by someone else when pulled over in Isle of Wight County.

The driver was cited for the tint and Vick was slapped with a $25 fine for not wearing his seat belt. There are no court costs, and Vick doesn't have to go to court.

"He can prepay it if he wants to," Carr said.
Associated Press writers Dionne Walker and Dena Potter in Richmond and AP Sports Writer John Wawrow and freelance writer Bob Matuszak in Orchard Park, N.Y., contributed to this report.

samanthajane13

08-17-2007, 10:16 PM

Va. Atty. Gen. will prosecute Michael Vick
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Virginia Attorney General Gerald Poindexter Friday said the state will prosecute Atlanta Falcons (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Sports/2007/08/17/va_atty_gen_will_prosecute_michael_vick/6145/#)’ quarterback Michael Vick on dog-fighting charges.

Vick has pleaded innocent and has a trial date of Nov. 20. However, Vick’s attorneys were quoted this week saying their client was considering a plea.

Prosecutors allege dogs on property Vick owned in Virginia were trained for use in fights. Sometimes, if a losing dog survived a fight, it was killed -- either by drowning, shooting, hanging or other methods, investigators said.

Poindexter Friday told The Atlanta (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Sports/2007/08/17/va_atty_gen_will_prosecute_michael_vick/6145/#) Journal-Constitution he will probably submit his case against Vick and others to a grand jury scheduled to convene Sept. 25.

"The execution of these animals -- and the manner in which they were executed -- is startlingly offensive and demanding of prosecution," he said.

Two men indicted with Vick pleaded guilty Friday in Virginia to federal conspiracy charges related to dog-fighting.

Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips said they would help authorities in their investigation into an alleged dog-fighting ring prosecutors said was based on Vick’s property. Peace and Phillips pleaded guilty to conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture.

Both could be sentenced to five years in prison and fined $250,000. They are to be sentenced before the end of the year.

Another co-defendant, Tony Taylor, pleaded guilty July 30.

lorettalockhorn

08-18-2007, 02:31 AM

An excellent editoral/essay and some statistics

:http://hsus.org/acf/news/pet_abuse_disconnect.html

Pet Abuse Disconnect

August 14, 2007

©iStockphoto
Children and animals share a vulnerability to abuse.
By Tim White, The Fayetteville Observer

Editor's note: This piece originally appeared on August 5 in The Fayetteville Observer and is reprinted here with permission.

"Why," the caller wanted to know, "are you giving so much space to Michael Vick and those dogs when there are children being killed?" Child abuse, she said, is so much more important than dog fighting—those are only animals, and humans are being abused and killed. Isn't that more important?

I've heard variations on that question from callers, e-mailers and letter-to-the-editor writers.

We've got a big disconnect. If we don't fix it, things could get worse for those abused kids.

The NFL star's arrest on dog-fighting charges put a spotlight on a violent, disgusting subculture that is rife with horrifically abusive treatment of animals. Animal lovers are appalled and angered by the revelations.

But others would prefer the spotlight on the equally horrific problem of child abuse—a problem that gets headlines here in the Observer with alarming regularity.

I wish more people in both camps would get that they're fighting the same problem. Animal abuse and child abuse—violence against humans of all ages—are tightly linked.

Consider:

Nearly three-quarters of pet-owning battered women entering shelters report threats or actual violence toward their animals too.
The FBI sees animal cruelty as a predictor of violence and considers animal abuse when profiling serial killers.
More than 80 percent of families in treatment for child abuse were also involved in animal abuse.
A survey of the country's 50 largest shelters for battered women found 85 percent of women and 63 percent of children entering the shelters reported pet abuse in the family.
One study found that 70 percent of animal abusers have also committed at least one other criminal offense; 40 percent had committed violent crimes against people.
That same study tracked animal abusers for two decades and found those who abused animals in their youth were five times more likely to commit violent crimes.
And study after study shows that children in abusive homes tend to become pet abusers. And so the cycle begins in the next generation.
I could go on. The studies and statistics are plentiful and scary. The link between animal abuse and human abuse is established beyond doubt. Those people who treat animals with violence are just as likely to treat their fellow man, woman and child the same way.

Many members of Congress get it. They see the link. That's one reason why they voted overwhelmingly last spring for the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007. The measure had 303 House co-sponsors. It passed the House by a 368-39 vote. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

It's puzzling and worrisome that one of our local lawmakers, Rep. Robin Hayes, was one of the 39 negative votes. Apparently, he still doesn't get it.

But the majority saw to it that when Michael Vick and his friends come to trial, they will face tougher federal penalties.

Maybe we, as a nation, are beginning to get the logic behind Gandhi's wisdom: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

©2007 The Fayetteville (NC) Observer. Reprinted with permission.

Janiee

08-19-2007, 03:58 AM

samanthajane13

08-20-2007, 06:38 PM

Vick to plead guilty to dogfighting charges
Prosecutors recommend that Falcons QB spend 12-18 months in prison

Updated: 31 minutes ago

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RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20350573/#) agreed Monday to plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, a deal that leaves the Atlanta Falcons quarterback facing up to 18 months in prison and puts his NFL career in jeopardy.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend Vick be sentenced to between a year and 18 months in prison, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not yet been made final.

That would be a higher penalty than is usually recommended for first-time convicts, and reflects an attempt by the government to show that animal abusers will receive more than a slap on the wrist for their crimes, the official said.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson will have the final say on how much time Vick will ultimately spend in jail.

Vick’s plea hearing is Aug. 27.

Defense attorney Billy Martin said Vick reached an agreement with federal prosecutors after consulting with his family during the weekend.

“Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made,” Martin said in a statement. “Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter.”

The NFL noted in a statement that Vick’s admission wasn’t in line with what he told commissioner Roger Goodell (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20350573/#) shortly after he was initially charged.

“We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons,” the NFL said.

The league, which barred Vick from training camp, said it has asked the Falcons to withhold further action while the NFL’s own investigation wraps up.

The Falcons said they were “certainly troubled” by news of the plea but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell’s request.

In a telephone interview with the AP, Martin said Vick is paying a high price for allowing old friends to influence his behavior, but he emphasized that his client takes full responsibility.

“There were some judgment issues in terms of people he was associating with,” Martin said. “He realized this is very serious, and he decided to plead so he can begin the healing process.”

lorettalockhorn

08-20-2007, 06:44 PM

Was just reading this account of the plea:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=amD4YI1Fic80&refer=home

tourist#1

08-20-2007, 09:51 PM

I hope they throw the book at him.

Michelle fom Ma

08-20-2007, 10:40 PM

Just wondering of those opposed and affected by actions of VICK, if they have a prior documented track record of defending harm to other animals like cattle and pigs, chickens, ect.

samanthajane13

08-20-2007, 11:23 PM

I refuse to buy Kentucky Fried Chicken\Taco Bell and any Iams\Proctor Gambleproducts because of their cruel practices towards animals.

Unfortunately, I have several very severe food allergies, so I'm not able to go vegetarian or vegan, or I'd totally go without meat.

samanthajane13

08-21-2007, 08:22 PM

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 17 minutes ago

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick's legal troubles from dogfighting could get even worse. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback faces possible prosecution in state court, where punishment might far exceed the maximum five years in prison that could await him in his federal case.

Local prosecutor Gerald Poindexter has said he likely will pursue charges against Vick, who has plummeted from favorite son to a symbol of animal abuse in the four months since authorities raided his Surry County property. Poindexter says the case could go before a county grand jury Sept. 25.

Poindexter did not return messages left by The Associated Press at his office and on his cell phone Tuesday.

Among the state laws Vick could be charged with violating are those against dogfighting and animal cruelty. Both are felonies punishable by up to five years in prison.

"The real question is how much overlap there would be between anything the local prosecutor would charge and what the federal prosecutors charged," said Linda Malone, a criminal procedure expert and Marshall-Wythe Foundation professor of law at the College of William and Mary. "There are some limitations on duplication."

Vick said through a lawyer Monday that he will plead guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Malone said the state dogfighting charges probably would not be considered duplicative.

"The essence of the conspiracy charge is the agreement" between Vick and his coconspirators, Malone said.

Three Vick associates have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and said Vick provided virtually all the gambling and operating funds for the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting enterprise. Two of them also said Vick participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs, raising the possibility of the animal cruelty charges.

Convictions on eight animal cruelty counts could result in up to 40 years in prison if five-year terms for each count was imposed to run consecutively, but that's seldom done. Each dogfighting count could run the sentence even higher.

Vick also was facing the possibility of additional federal charges from a new grand jury meeting this week in Richmond, but his deal with prosecutors means that's now highly unlikely.

The 27-year-old player will enter his plea agreement Monday. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the terms are not final, told The Associated Press that prosecutors will recommend a sentence of one year to 18 months. However, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson is not bound by that recommendation or by federal sentencing guidelines that will call for less than the five-year maximum.

James D. "Butch" Williams Jr., one of Vick's five defense attorneys, said his client is fully aware he could be facing a long stretch in prison.

"Michael's been fully apprised of all angles, all aspects," Williams said.
It's still unclear whether all this will end the career of one of the NFL's most dazzling players.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could rule by the end of the week, but will probably wait until Vick actually enters his plea. The league is waiting for a report by its own observers, a group headed by Eric Holder a former deputy U.S. attorney general.

"The commissioner has not decided on a specific timetable on Michael Vick's status," league spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday.

Vick has been barred from training camp by the NFL, and Goodell has asked the Falcons not to take any action until the league rules.

Goodell can suspend Vick under the NFL's personal conduct policy. While the league hasn't said whether a potential suspension would be concurrent with Vick's prison sentence, it probably would take effect once he is released from custody.

That means Vick likely would miss both the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The Falcons in 2004 signed Vick to a 10-year, $130 million contract — at the time, one of the largest in NFL history. The bonus and guaranteed money he received in his contract totaled $44 million, and the team might try to reclaim part of that.
Vick has also lost lucrative contracts with sponsors. Rawlings, Nike, Reebok and Upper Deck are among the companies that have either ended contracts with him or stopped sales of his merchandise.

samanthajane13

08-21-2007, 08:44 PM

Dogs seized in N.Ireland crackdown
57 minutes ago

BELFAST, Northern Ireland - Animal rights officials seized more than a dozen dogs bred for combat Tuesday in the latest crackdown on illegal dogfighting in Northern Ireland.

The dogs, mostly pit bull breeds, were taken from a kennel in rural County Armagh southwest of Belfast, said the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Police were looking for the kennel's owners, but no arrests had been made.

The seizure brought to more than 200 the number of fighting dogs discovered this year at illegal kennels in the British territory of 1.7 million people.

"It's a mind-blowing number of dogs in such a small country," said Stephen Philpott, a spokesman for the organization. "The animals live a life of constant misery."

In the United States, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has agreed to plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, a deal that leaves him facing up to 18 months in prison and puts his NFL career in jeopardy

samanthajane13

08-22-2007, 04:10 PM

I was discussing the whole Vick case with my 18 year old, and we've come up with a few ideas for community service for Vick AFTER he's dne his time.

1-Have him make public service commercials for PETA, ASPCA, and the Humane Society to be broadcast on any network, but ESPECIALLY ESPN, BET, VH1, MTV, SPIKE, and any other sports and music channels. Reach out to the groups who glorify and perpetuate this deplorable sport.

2-Pair him up with Reserve Police Officer Shaquille O'Neal for a while down in Miami-just to be around a positive Black male role model.

3-Have him do a mandatory community service externship on Animal Cops on the Animal Planet channel with Officer Anne Marie Lucas.

4-Pair him up with ex-Atlanta Falcon, ex-WWE wrestler Bill Goldberg-"Goldberg is an animal welfare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare) advocate and an ASPCA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASPCA) spokesperson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokesperson), and has addressed the United States Congress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress) in order to raise awareness of illegal animal fighting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_sport)."

Let's see what a fellow Falcon can do to change his attitude. I'm sure Bill can give him a run for his money...Hee hee.

He should have to do ALL of these before the NFL even considers taking him back...and if he doesn't he goes back to prison for MORE TIME.

samanthajane13

08-22-2007, 04:16 PM

Friday February 19, 1999
Jewish pro-wrestling star goes to the mat for animals
DANIEL KURTZMAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

WASHINGTON -- The nation's capital has its share of menacing lobbyists -- power players whose mere presence is enough to command the respect, even the fear, of the establishment.

But in the annals of strong-arm politicking, no one cuts as intimidating a figure as a man by the name of Bill Goldberg, who made his debut on Capitol Hill (http://amazon.com/gp/product/0738516155?ie=UTF8&tag=j04b-20&link_code=em1&camp=212341&creative=384065&creativeASIN=0738516155&adid=efa85570-5420-41bc-8bc0-b6e8183adf08) this month.

Known simply as Goldberg to his fans, the World Championship Wrestling star packs a persuasive argument for just about anything into his 6-foot-4, 285-pound frame.

Making the rounds with lobbyists for the Humane Society of the United States (http://amazon.com/gp/product/1882728882?ie=UTF8&tag=j04b-20&link_code=em1&camp=212341&creative=384065&creativeASIN=1882728882&adid=4ec31dc4-1dc7-47f0-a380-96f200a537cc), he came to defend animal rights and specifically to push for an end to cockfighting and other forms of animal blood sport.

Lawmakers would be well advised to pay heed: This is Goldberg (http://amazon.com/gp/product/0609607804?ie=UTF8&tag=j04b-20&link_code=em1&camp=212341&creative=384065&creativeASIN=0609607804&adid=89af830d-6bbf-4eb1-acd8-539c509ba747), the head-shaven, tattooed flag-bearer of professional wrestling, and by all accounts, the most burly, fearsome Jew in professional sports today.

He catapulted to the top of the wrestling world last summer by defeating "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (http://amazon.com/gp/product/0743457706?ie=UTF8&tag=j04b-20&link_code=em1&camp=212341&creative=384065&creativeASIN=0743457706&adid=f2ee1791-1f56-403d-95f6-971fbab5cf45) for WCW's heavyweight championship title.

Although he recently lost his championship title, the 31-year-old Goldberg is still the rage among millions of Americans with an appreciation for violent theater -- and one of the biggest reasons why WCW's "Monday Nitro" has become one of the most widely watched television shows in the country.

His fame has spawned a complete line of products, including what is believed to be the world's first Jewish action figure.

The phenomenon was on display on Capitol Hill in early February as an overflow throng packed into a Senate briefing room to catch a glimpse of the absurdly large man stuffed into a black pinstripe suit. Congressional staffers, interns, pages, local fans and a wide-eyed contingent of visiting high school students formed a ring around the wrestling star.

Despite being out of his element, Goldberg pulled off his first foray into politics with aplomb. His message was simple.

"When I step into the ring, that's my choice. But these animals, they have no choice. It's sick," he said, throwing his weight behind a bill that would make it a felony to transport fighting roosters across state lines.

He worked the crowd with grace and patience, signing every last autograph, posing for every last photo, ruffling the hair of every last young fan.

A senator even approached him, saying: "I don't know who you are, but I was told I had to get a picture with you."

Goldberg is not, however, exactly what you would call a normal Jew. And that's part of his appeal to Jewish fans. Not only has he bucked Jewish stereotypes -- he has turned the notion of Jew as victim on its head.

"I wanted to give the Jewish public someone to hold onto," Goldberg said, "someone as a positive role model that didn't go out and cuss, didn't go out and cheat, someone to look up to."

As one devoted Jewish follower of pro-wrestling, 27-year-old Lou Kipilman of Corte Madera put it: "He's a proud Jew, a righteous kicker of goyim tuchas and a shooting star who's beloved by every stripe of wrestling fan."

As for his future, the natural question arises following his political debut: Is Goldberg looking to become the next Jesse Ventura (http://amazon.com/gp/product/0451200861?ie=UTF8&tag=j04b-20&link_code=em1&camp=212341&creative=384065&creativeASIN=0451200861&adid=fcebce84-ef60-4b4b-a4cb-b38817f7b387)?

Ventura, a former pro-wrestler, is Minnesota's new governor.

"Nah," Goldberg demurred. "I'm here for a specific purpose. That and that only. I'm not here to do anything else than lend my time and heart to this cause."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GO BILL!!!

Kick dog-fighter *****!!!

samanthajane13

08-23-2007, 01:52 AM

Pit bulls at Vick's house face deadline
By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 58 minutes ago

RICHMOND, Va. - More than 50 pit bulls seized from Michael Vick's property face a Thursday deadline to be claimed. If no one comes forward, they could be euthanized.

Federal prosecutors filed court documents last month to condemn 53 pit bulls seized in April as part of the investigation into dogfighting on the Vick's property. No one has claimed any of the dogs, which are being held at several unspecified shelters in eastern Virginia, the U.S. Attorney's office said Wednesday.

The civil complaint filed by federal prosecutors does not name the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and is separate from the criminal case against him. But it does state the pit bulls were part of the dogfighting operation known as "Bad Newz Kennels," which Vick and three cohorts are accused of operating.

Also included in the document are detailed allegations about the nature of the animals' training regimen and the dogfights occurring at Vick's property at 1915 Moonlight Road in Surry County.

The government filed three public civil forfeiture notices in a Richmond newspaper to publicize the dogs' confiscation, and the deadline for claims is 30 days after the appearance of the final notice, filed July 24.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment Wednesday on the seized dogs. Typically, when confiscated property goes unclaimed, the government asks the court to have the items declared forfeited. In this case, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson will make the final decision on the dogs' fate.

"There's no dispute over who owns the dogs," said Daphna Nachminovitch, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Obviously this is not going to be a process where someone steps forward and says, 'This is my dog, can I have her back, please?' "

Though Hudson, who also is handling Vick's criminal case, will determine what becomes of the pit bulls, Nachminovitch said that it's likely that they will be euthanized because they're not adoptable as pets.

"These dogs are a ticking time bomb," she said. "Rehabilitating fighting dogs is not in the cards. It's widely accepted that euthanasia is the most humane thing for them."

Vick, 27, said through a lawyer this week that he will plead guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. He is scheduled to enter his plea agreement Monday and could face up to five years in prison.

Three Vick associates have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. They said Vick provided virtually all the gambling and operating funds for the Bad Newz Kennels enterprise. Two of them also said Vick participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.

The locations of the shelters holding the dogs haven't been disclosed out of concern that the animals could be stolen, Nachminovitch said.

"They are a hot commodity in the world of dogfighting," she said.

grasshopper

08-23-2007, 07:00 PM

What a piece of trash that guy is. Here’s a little something I put together regarding Vick. Click below.

Vick (www.jmeyermedia.com/mfow8.cfm)

Peace and beers,
JMeyer

Well just go to hell me, your right on about Vick! I have to listen to local news and he gets to dang much air time for this.

I'm glad he plead guilty and hope justice will not be swayed and he get all and I mean ALL of the 2 yrs. SERVED!

Our dog and other animals thank you for your site.
imo and all that:beer:

Dixiechic

08-23-2007, 08:37 PM

I hope he ends up on the streets the rest of his life and never plays football again. What a disgusting jerk!:flamemad:

samanthajane13

08-23-2007, 11:10 PM

Vick's plea faces 'tough but fair' judge
By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 1 minute ago

RICHMOND, Va. - The judge who will determine how much time Michael Vick spends in prison has shown little mercy over the years for high-profile defendants. Nobody knows this better than defense lawyer Robert H. Smallenberg.

In 2004, he represented a city official who stole more than $1 million from Richmond taxpayers. He was well aware U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson had earned a reputation for handing down stiff sentences.

"Tough but fair" is the description most often heard from lawyers who appear before Hudson, who owns a bichon frise dog and declined to be interviewed.

"He's a good trial judge, but on sentencing he tends to be in the middle or upper range of the sentencing guidelines," said attorney Murray Janus. "A lot of judges start at the low end. Not Judge Hudson."

Still, Smallenberg was caught off-guard by how hard Hudson came down on his client. The judge sentenced Robert Evans to 10 years in prison — double what was called for under federal sentencing guidelines — declaring "the abuse of trust here is absolutely immeasurable."

"I wasn't surprised he went above the guidelines, but I was surprised he went that far," Smallenberg said Thursday.

Based on his personal experience, Smallenberg said he won't be surprised if Hudson takes a similarly tough position in the case of NFL star Vick, who is scheduled to plead guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge Monday.

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because terms of the plea agreement are not final, has told The Associated Press prosecutors will recommend a sentence of one year to 18 months.

However, the maximum sentence is five years, and Hudson is not bound by any recommendation or by the federal sentencing guidelines.

Vick's lawyers will try for the shortest possible sentence.

"Unless they have some mitigating circumstances in their favor, they're going to have some problems," Smallenberg said.

Even so, Hudson likely will prove to be a tough sell.

Rob Wagner, who leads the federal public defender's office in Richmond, said defense attorneys in Hudson's courtroom face a rough road when arguing mitigating factors should result in a sentence below the guideline range.

"You know when you get Judge Hudson he's going to take a tough line in sentencing," he said.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, is aware of the challenge.

"We know we will be appearing before a judge who is considered a very fair judge but also a judge who is very firm," he said.

"We're hoping at the right time to show the other sides of Michael Vick to Judge Hudson. The media and the indictment show one very small side of Mr. Vick, which is not his best side. We're hoping to show the whole person as this case evolves."

Since his indictment in July, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback has become a public symbol of animal abuse. His already-tarnished image suffered even more when two co-defendants said Vick participated in killing at least eight underperforming pit bulls.

Those men and a third co-defendant have pleaded guilty and were prepared to testify against Vick had the case gone to trial.

Although the Vick case is the most sensational one to come before Hudson since President Bush appointed him to the federal bench in 2002, he's handled cases involving locally prominent people.

In 2005, he sentenced former state lawmaker Fenton Bland to four years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, rejecting a defense plea for a reduced sentence so Bland could better care for his two young children.

"Was I surprised? No," said Janus, who represented Bland. "Was I disappointed? Yes."

Janus also represented H. Louis Salomonsky, a prominent Richmond real estate developer who pleaded guilty to trying to bribe a city councilwoman. Hudson sentenced Salomonsky to two years. Even though prosecutors and Janus asked for a reduction to one year, Hudson only would cut the term to 18 months.

Attorney Brian Grossman said he has represented many clients, mostly in drug cases, in Hudson's court and has never persuaded the judge to sentence below the guidelines.

Defense attorneys point out that although Hudson is tough at sentencing, he doesn't coddle prosecutors either. Hudson was appointed by President Reagan as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — a position he held from 1986-1991.

"He will hold the government to its burden," Grossman said. "It's only when you get to sentencing that the defense is behind the eight-ball."

Hudson ascended to the bench through the law enforcement ranks, starting as a deputy sheriff in Arlington County in 1969. He also has served as a local prosecutor, as director of the U.S. Marshals Service and as a circuit court judge in Fairfax County.
"He is a law-and-order kind of guy," Wagner said.

grasshopper

08-24-2007, 03:49 PM

I hope he ends up on the streets the rest of his life and never plays football again. What a disgusting jerk!:flamemad:

Someone at my husbands work gave him a copy of a drawing with vick on the hot seat and images of the dogs on the movie, ''All Dogs Go To Heaven''.

I hope the judge makes him do every day of time he gets and not a day less.
:beer:

gojo

08-24-2007, 09:29 PM

lorettalockhorn

08-24-2007, 10:04 PM

I've heard it all before: "This guy Vick is a rich athlete-- and he's black! Let's make an example out of him!"

What did Michael Vick do? Well, he broke the law. So do many people every day. 70 in a 65. Jaywalking. Cock fighting. Dog fighting. We do break laws. But we're not rich athletes.

Destroy the guy's whole life because he broke the law? Naw, that's not it. What else did he do?

Well, he did what horse breeders do. He improved the breed of dogs used for fighting. Horse breeders send the rejects to the glue factory. Vick simply killed the rejects. That's how the breed is improved. He didn't want the rejects breeding and birthing more rejects.

Vick's problem is PC. The animal huggers of the world have decreed how we must treat animals. They have 'rights' now. They are 'people' now. Woe be anyone who tries to fight PC. This is what Vick has learned.

Leave the guy alone.

Gojo

Vick is a guy whose God given talents weren't enough for him. Should he be made an example of in light of the fact that he's in the public purview?

Sure, why not? He enjoys the perks of being a celeb; starting with a perverse salary. People in the limelight who think that they are above the law should be used to set an example for any degenerates who think that they can elevate bloodlust to acceptable levels.

People need to fully understand the connection between animal cruelty and the facility to abuse humans without compunction.

samanthajane13

08-24-2007, 11:01 PM

Vick Has Been Suspended From The NFL-Indefinitly-And Without Pay!!!!!!

Yahooooooooooooooo!!!!

samanthajane13

08-24-2007, 11:11 PM

NFL Suspends Michael Vick Indefinitely

Commissioner Makes Announcement After Star QB Says He Will Plead Guilty To Conspiracy In Dogfighting Operation

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 24, 2007

(CBS/AP) The NFL indefinitely suspended Michael Vick without pay Friday just hours after he acknowledged in court papers that he did, indeed, bankroll gambling on dogfighting and helped kill some dogs not worthy of the pit.

Vick, however, insisted he placed no bets of his own nor took any winnings.

In disciplining Vick, commissioner Roger Goodell said Vick's admitted conduct was "not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible" and regardless whether he personally placed bets, "your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player."

A "summary of facts" signed by Vick was filed along with his written plea agreement on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge. He will appear before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson to formally plead guilty Monday and then await sentencing at a later date.

The court documents and a statement by Vick's legal team seek to portray him as less involved in the dogfighting ring than three co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the Atlanta Falcons quarterback.

"While Mr. Vick is not personally charged with or responsible for committing all of the acts alleged in the indictment, as with any conspiracy charge, he is taking full responsibility for his actions and the actions of the others involved," the defense team said in a written statement after the plea agreement was filed.

"Mr. Vick apologizes for his poor judgment in associating himself with those involved in dog fighting and realizes he should never have been involved in this conduct," the statement said.

Vick signed the plea agreement late Thursday.

"Most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies were provided by Vick," a summary of facts in the case said, echoing language in plea agreements by three co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty.

The statement said that when the kennel's dogs won, the gambling proceeds were generally shared by Vick's three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips.

"Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels," the summary said.

According to the statement, Vick also was involved with the others in killing six to eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions last April. The dogs were executed by drowning or hanging.

"Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts" of Vick and two of the co-defendants, Phillips and Peace, the statement said.

In the plea agreement, the government committed to recommending a sentence on the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range of a year to 18 months. However, the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, and the judge is not bound by any recommendation or by the sentencing guidelines.

Hudson has a reputation for imposing stiff sentences, according to lawyers who have appeared in his court. The judge will set a sentencing date at Monday's hearing.

"Our position has been that we are going to try to help Judge Hudson understand all the facts and Michael's role," Vick's defense attorney, Billy Martin, said in telephone interview. "Michael's role was different than others associated with this incident."

Martin said Vick will "speak to the public and explain his actions." Though he declined to say when and where, the "Tom Joyner Morning Show," a syndicated program based in Dallas, said it will have a live interview with Vick on Tuesday.

It is not uncommon in plea agreements for the defendant to plead guilty to only one charge and to negotiate with prosecutors over the specific facts to which he'll be admitting, CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen said. In this case, prosecutors may not care that he's not admitting to gambling so long as he gets a significant prison sentence.

The U.S. Attorney's office, which has declined to comment on the case, said it would issue a statement after the hearing.

Continued...

samanthajane13

08-24-2007, 11:17 PM

NFL Suspends Michael Vick Indefinitely-Part 2

The case began in April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided a Surry County property owned by Vick and found dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

A federal indictment issued in July charged Vick, Peace, Phillips and Taylor with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent.

Taylor was the first to change his plea to guilty, saying Vick financed the dogfighting ring's gambling and operations. Peace and Phillips soon followed, alleging that Vick joined them in killing dogs that did not measure up in test fights.

The sickening details outlined in the indictment and other court papers prompted a public backlash against Vick, who had been one of the NFL's most popular players.

Vick was barred from the Falcons' training camp, but neither the NFL nor the team had taken further action.

Meanwhile, Vick's father said he asked his son to give up dogfighting, or to at least put property used in the venture in the names of others to avoid being implicated, according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In The Journal-Constitution report posted on the newspaper's Web site Thursday night, Michael Boddie, who is estranged from Vick and the quarterback's mother, also said some time around 2001 his son staged dogfights in the garage of the family home in Newport News, Va.

Boddie told the newspaper Vick kept fighting dogs in the family's backyard, including dogs that were "bit up, chewed up, exhausted." Boddie claimed to have nursed the dogs back to health.

The indictment against Vick does not mention the parents' former home in Newport News.

In the report, Boddie dismissed the idea that Vick's longtime friends were the main instigators of the dogfighting operation.

"I wish people would stop sugarcoating it," Boddie told The Journal-Constitution. "This is Mike's thing. And he knows it ... likes it, and he has the capital to have a set up like that."

More than 50 pit bulls seized from Vick's property faced a Thursday deadline to be claimed or be euthanized (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/23/sportsline/main3198613.shtml).

Federal prosecutors filed court documents last month to condemn 53 pit bulls seized in April as part of the investigation into dogfighting on the Vick's property. No one has claimed any of the dogs, which are being held at several unspecified shelters in eastern Virginia, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

The report said Boddie and the quarterback have had a volatile relationship for years and that his son has refused to speak with him directly for the last 2½ months.

Boddie, 45, lives in an apartment his son has paid the rent on for the last three years. Vick, who has a $130 million contract with the Falcons, also gives him a couple of hundred dollars every week or two, the father told the newspaper.

In the report, Boddie also said he asked Vick for $1 million, spread out over 12 years, Vick declined, the father said. Recently, Boddie asked Vick, through an assistant, for $700,000 to live on.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 12:08 AM

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/082407_vick.pdf

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 12:46 AM

Sheriff raids DMX' home, seizes dogs
Fri Aug 24, 7:48 PM ET

PHOENIX - Sheriff's deputies raided the home of rapper DMX on Friday, seizing several pit bulls and finding the remains of three other dogs but making no arrests.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office received a tip more than a week ago about dogs being kept in inhumane conditions at the Phoenix-area home, said Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Detectives visited the home and then called one of the rapper's lawyers and told him that the conditions for the animals at the property needed to be improved or deputies would take action, Arpaio said. The dogs were not being fed or given water.

Authorities returned to the home Friday.

The 36-year-old musician and actor, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was not at home during the raid.

Simmons' lawyer, Murray Richman, said Simmons hasn't been in Arizona for at least two months and was "extremely disturbed" to hear the animals weren't being cared for properly.

"We had a caretaker that wasn't taking care, that's what happened," Richman said. "He loves dogs — he loves these animals. Those dogs are practically his family."

Richman said he hadn't been notified of problems at the property until he learned of the raid Friday. Sheriff's officials said they had contacted another lawyer who works for DMX.

Arpaio said the deputies who served a search warrant at the home Friday seized 12 pit bulls tied up on the property and took them to an old jail that has been converted into an animal shelter.

Deputies found the buried dogs when they dug up the back yard. One had apparently been burned and the cause of death on the others was unknown because the bodies were decomposing.

Deputies also found a variety of firearms, Arpaio said. Authorities sought additional warrants so they could check the guns to determine if they were legal.

DMX's albums include "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" and "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood" and "Year of the Dog ... Again."

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 01:14 AM

Michael Vick's Grandfather Speaks Out
Aug 24, 2007 6:35 pm US/Eastern
Kai Jackson Reporting

(WJZ) BALTIMORE There's a Baltimore connection to Atlanta Falcons quarterback and confessed dog fight organizer Michael Vick. Vick's grandfather, James Boodie, lives in the Cherry Hill section of South Baltimore.

"I am disappointed, hurt and angry. He had a $137 million contract and threw it away for dog fighting. Where's his head?" he told Kai Jackson.

Boodie spoke with Vick's mother, who is in Virginia.

"Her biggest worry is that Michael's going to have to do jail time. I don't know if he'll do 10 minutes, 10 days or 10 years, but he is in for a life-changing experience," Boodie said.

On Monday, the Falcons' 27-year-old star quarterback will enter a guilty plea to one count of federal conspiracy in connection with organized dog fighting and gambling.

"I'll be on pins and needles, hoping the judge's wife made him a good breakfast that morning," Boodie said.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 02:02 AM

11 dogs taken from Michael Vick's Surry County home now live in their own numbered cage, in quarantine at the Hanover County Animal Shelter.

"We've got very friendly dogs that will come to you," says Chief Kevin Kilgore who gave CBS 6 the first look.

He asked reporter Laureen Martinez not to pet any of the dogs since they're behavior is still being evaluated. One male, number 29, is perhaps the most aggressive. "This is his territory, we're not going to get any closer, he doesn't want anything to do with people," says Kilgore.

Most of the pit bulls, which are all an American breed, don't want anything to do with each other either. "If one sees another next to them, they start trying to fight each other through the cage. We have to be very careful when we're feeding them that they don't see each other."

That's part of the reason Kilgore doubts the dogs will ever be adoptable or placed in a home with someone other than an experienced handler.

Over the past 2 weeks the dogs have made progress health wise. They're all well fed, they're getting veterinary care and have also been vaccinated.

At least one other pit bull is in the Hopewell shelter. Joy Jackson hoped to adopt one, but was turned away. She worries someone will want it for the wrong reasons.

"They want it just because it's a pit bull, because it's a Michael Vick dog, which isn't a really good reason to own a dog in the first place," she says.
Kilgore says the fate of these dogs will be determined September 30th by the USDA. Until then, no one will be allowed to take them. The shelter is caring for the animals through a mutual aid agreement.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 02:32 AM

ATLANTA (AP) -- Michael Vick's father says he asked his son to give up dogfighting, or to at least put property used in the venture in the names of others to avoid being implicated.

That's what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper is reporting.

Vick's father is Michael Boddie, who is estranged from Vick and the quarterback's mother. He also said that some time around 2001 his son staged dogfights in the garage of the family home in Newport News and kept fighting dogs in the family's backyard.

And ESPN.com quotes an ESPN source saying Vick won't admit to killing dogs or gambling on dogfights when he enters a guilty plea in Richmond federal court on Monday.

The source told ESPN that Vick's defense team met with federal attorneys yesterday afternoon to determine the "summary of facts" to which Vick will plead. But the source says Vick maintains he never killed dogs and never gambled on a dog fight. The source said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback will plead guilty to the charge of interstate commerce for the purpose of dogfighting.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Michael Vick's father speaks out
by Mark Maske
The Washington Post

It all started, Michael Vick's estranged father said, when the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback was a child growing up in a rough area of Newport News, Va., and would join other neighborhood kids in setting loose a dog every so often to watch it chase a cat around a nearby lumberyard.

Vick's "fascination with animals'' eventually would lead him to be an active participant in a dogfighting operation, Michael Boddie said in an interview Thursday in which he traced his son's involvement in the illegal activity to Vick's college days at Virginia Tech.

Boddie said he was dismissed by his son when he tried to convince Vick that being involved in dogfighting was potentially harmful to his career.

"He said, ‘Yeah, I know. But I've got it. I've got it well in hand,'" Boddie said.

As Vick prepares to plead guilty Monday to a federal dogfighting charge, family members have remained silent about the circumstances that led to his indictment. Boddie said his relationship with Vick is so strained that the quarterback no longer speaks to him.

Some aspects of Boddie's account could not be verified. One assertion -- that Vick held dogfights in the family's Newport News home in 2000 and 2001 -- was disputed by a former neighbor who remains a family friend.

Boddie acknowledged he asked his son for $700,000 recently but was turned down. Vick's NFL contract is worth $130 million.

Vick was not available to comment and his Washington-based attorney, William Martin, did not respond to messages seeking a response. The Washington Post, seeking to verify Boddie's account, provided Martin's office with Boddie's version of events.

A spokesperson for Vick's defense team replied with a statement attributed to another of Vick's lawyers, Daniel Meachum, that said: "It is a disgrace that Mr. Boddie, who chose for nearly 22 years not to be part of Mike's life, would at this time seek to capitalize on his son's current situation.'' The statement did not address the specifics of Boddie's account.

Boddie, who lives in the Newport News area but said he was in Atlanta yesterday, said Vick is "a good-hearted person'' who couldn't bring himself to get rid of a circle of friends dependent on him for money. Boddie said two of those friends, co-defendants Tony Taylor and Purnell Peace, introduced Vick to dogfighting.

But Boddie added of Vick: "Nobody dragged him. My son has a fascination with animals anyway. He's a natural dog lover. In our neighborhood in the projects, little boys would get dogs to chase cats in the lumberyard.

"The big thing with little boys, (they'd) get a dog and sic ‘em on the cats. That's what they'd do for fun ... Yeah, (Vick) did that as a kid. Every little boy in the projects did that. It's a fascination thing. That's just part of his culture growing up.

"When he got into the dogfighting thing, that's the whole gladiator thing. It's like watching ‘National Geographic' on TV. It's like watching two men fight. It's the sport. It's the sport of it, to him.''

Boddie said his son had a pit bull named Champagne in college that was not a fighting dog. He said he suspects Vick became involved in dogfighting in 1999 or 2000, before he became the top overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft.

"I think he must have started getting into it when he was in college,'' Boddie said. "I'm not sure, but that's what I think.''

Boddie said he never attended a dogfight with his son but he did raise pit bull puppies for Vick, care for injured dogs and prepare the garage at the family's one-time home in Newport News on three occasions in 2000 and 2001 to host fights.

"I sat there and watched them test dogs against each other'' to see which dogs were suited for fighting, Boddie said. "I raised a couple puppy litters for him, and I've brought back to health dogs that were injured in fights for him. I have nursed those dogs back to health ... I cleaned out the garage three times so they could have fights right there.''

Boddie's account of dogfights taking place at the family's Newport News home was disputed Thursday by a former neighbor.

"That never happened,'' said Luis Suyas, who described himself as a friend of Vick and one of Vick's two sisters. "It never happened, man. His mom wouldn't allow it ... His mom was very strict. She wouldn't approve of nothing like that, not in her house, not in her yard.''

Suyas said there are "a lot of reasons'' that Boddie would offer such an account.

"Sometimes people be around for the wrong reasons and then if things don't go right, they become a knife in your back,'' Suyas said in a telephone interview.

Boddie said that Vick no longer speaks to him.

Through an assistant, Boddie said, he asked his son about two weeks ago to buy him a $270,000 house, a car and a truck, and give him $150,000 to start a business. That request was refused, Boddie said, adding that he was told by Vick's mother, Brenda Vick, that Martin, Vick's attorney, believed he was attempting to extort money from the family.

Boddie defended the request for money. "That's not asking for much from my son,'' he said.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 11:31 AM

Vick suspended indefinitely without pay
By DAVE GOLDBERG and LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writers
Sat Aug 25, 7:22 AM ET

For all the big words and life lessons Roger Goodell included in his booming reaction to Michael Vick's admission of involvement in dogfighting, the NFL commissioner's message seemingly could have been whittled to two words: Nice try.

Goodell suspended the Atlanta Falcons quarterback indefinitely without pay Friday, just hours after Vick filed a plea agreement that portrayed him as less involved than three co-defendants and guilty mainly of poor judgment for associating with them.

In a letter to Vick, Goodell admonished him for "reprehensible" acts and for associating with people engaged in gambling in violation of NFL rules. He also rebuked him for seemingly trying to paint himself as something other than the ringleader.

"You are now justifiably facing consequences for the decisions you made and the conduct in which you engaged. Your career, freedom and public standing are now in the most serious jeopardy," Goodell wrote. "I hope that you will be able to learn from this difficult experience and emerge from it better prepared to act responsibly and to make the kinds of choices that are expected of a conscientious and law abiding citizen."

Vick acknowledged bankrolling gambling on the dogfights, but denied placing bets himself or taking any of the winnings. He admitted that dogs not worthy of the pit were killed "as a result of the collective efforts" of himself and two co-defendants.

Goodell decided not to wait until Monday, when U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson in Richmond, Va., formally receives the plea and schedules a sentencing likely to land Vick in prison for one to five years.

The commissioner said Vick's admitted conduct was "not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible." Even if he didn't personally place bets, Goodell said, "your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player."

Goodell freed the Falcons to "assert any claims or remedies" to recover $22 million of Vick's signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004.

The commissioner didn't speak to Vick but based his decision on the court filings. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Goodell might meet with Vick in the future, and Goodell said he would review the suspension after all the legal proceedings.

"You have engaged in conduct detrimental to the welfare of the NFL and have violated the league's personal conduct policy," Goodell told Vick in a letter after meeting in New York with Falcons president and general manager Rich McKay.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank supported Goodell's decision.

"We hope that Michael will use this time, not only to further address his legal matters, but to take positive steps to improve his personal life," Blank said.

Nike, meanwhile, terminated its contract with Vick.

Earlier Friday, a "summary of facts" signed by Vick and his lawyers was filed along with his written plea agreement on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge.

"While Mr. Vick is not personally charged with or responsible for committing all of the acts alleged in the indictment, as with any conspiracy charge, he is taking full responsibility for his actions and the actions of the others involved," the defense team said in a written statement after the plea agreement was filed.

"Mr. Vick apologizes for his poor judgment in associating himself with those involved in dog fighting and realizes he should never have been involved in this conduct," the statement said.

Vick and his lawyers said his involvement was limited when it came to the enterprise known as the Bad Newz Kennels.

"Our position has been that we are going to try to help Judge Hudson understand all the facts and Michael's role," Vick's defense attorney, Billy Martin, said in telephone interview. "Michael's role was different than others associated with this incident."

In court papers, Vick said he provided most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies, echoing language in plea agreements by the three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips.

When the dogs won, the statement said, gambling proceeds were generally shared by Taylor, Peace and Phillips.

"Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels," the court document said.

According to the statement, Vick also was involved with the others in killing six to eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions in April. The dogs were executed by drowning or hanging.

"Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts" of Vick, Phillips and Peace, the statement said.

In the plea agreement, the government committed to recommending a sentence on the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range of a year to 18 months. However, the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, and the judge is not bound by any recommendation or by the guidelines.

Hudson has a reputation for imposing stiff sentences, according to lawyers who have appeared in his court. The judge will set a sentencing date at Monday's hearing.

Martin said Vick will "speak to the public and explain his actions." Though he declined to say when and where, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, a syndicated program based in Dallas, said it will have a live interview with Vick on Tuesday.

The case began in April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided a Surry County property owned by Vick and found dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

A federal indictment issued in July charged Vick, Peace, Phillips and Taylor with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent. The three co-defendants later pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Vick.

Taylor was the first to change his plea, saying Vick financed the dogfighting ring's gambling and operations. Peace and Phillips soon followed, alleging that Vick joined them in killing dogs that did not measure up in test fights.

The sickening details outlined in the indictment and other court papers prompted a public backlash against Vick, who had been one of the NFL's most popular players.

Animal-rights groups mobilized against Vick — even protesting at NFL headquarters in New York — and sponsors dropped him.

"It is fitting that the NFL has suspended him," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "He's now a role model for something terrible, and it's not appropriate that he suit up in an NFL uniform."

Associated Press Writers Matthew Barakat in McLean, Va., and Hank Kurz Jr. and Michael Felberbaum in Richmond contributed to this report.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 01:53 PM

You should see the up-roar this whole this is causing on the Internet Movie DataBase's Michael Vick board.

OMG-THE HATE OVER THERE!!! They hate EVERYONE who disagrees with them.

Check it out-

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1830305/board/threads/

If you want to reply to any of the threads, you have to be a member, but it's FREE, and takes about 2 minutes.

Maybe some of us can add a voice of morality and sanity to the place. I've been trying for the past few days, but they see me as a hippie and they hate me because I endorse PETA-which is fine with me.

But now they're attacking our system of justice...and it just ain't right.

It may not be perfect, but it's the only one we have, and it FAR better them most countries have.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 02:58 PM

Vick's future still up in air

Even with plea agreement, Judge plays key role

Posted: Friday August 24, 2007 3:43PM; Updated: Friday August 24, 2007 5:03PM

Earlier today, Michael Vick's attorneys filed a plea agreement confirming that their client will plead guilty to one count of "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture." Less technically, Vick has admitted to conducting business outside the state of Virginia, namely in the form of buying dogs from out-of-state owners, for the purpose of sponsoring dog fights in Virginia.

Vick also signed a statement of facts in which he admitted that "collective efforts" by him and two others caused the death of dogs. In other words, while Vick acknowledges his role as a member of a group whose actions led to the death of dogs, he has not admitted to individually harming or killing those dogs, or to directly gambling on dog fighting.

The plea agreement presents both short- and long-term implications for Vick. His immediate concern is how long he will be sentenced to prison. The charge to which he has pleaded is punishable by up to five years. As part of the plea deal, however, federal prosecutors will recommend to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson a significantly shorter sentence. Keep in mind, however, Judge Hudson, who enjoys a reputation as tough sentencer, can ignore the prosecutors' recommendation and impose a harsher, or lighter, sentence.

Vick's admission of guilt, lack of criminal record and contention it was group, rather than individual, responsibility should weigh in his favor. Persons found guilty of animal cruelty, however, can stir the emotions of anyone, including a well-respected and thoughtful judge. Along those lines, while everyone wants to know how long Vick will serve, there are still significant gaps of information (e.g. the precise recommendation by prosecutors; whether Judge Hudson agrees with the recommendation) that prevent a sensible guess.

The plea is drafted much like a contract between parties seeking to enter into a contractual relationship, with each side prioritizing their objectives and assessing which goals they are most and least willing to obtain and relinquish in order to reach a deal. For Vick, I believe his attorneys most wanted their client to avoid admitting to gambling, in part because an admission of gambling might lead to a longer suspension from the NFL and also, possibly, to prevent the creation of more serious grounds for the Commonwealth of Virginia to bring state charges against Vick.

It's harder to speculate the feds' motivations, but one strong possibility is their evidence on Vick's involvement in gambling was considerably weaker than their evidence on his involvement in sponsoring dog fights. Another possibility is that they had concerns about going to trial, and namely about proving Vick's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt -- always a high threshold -- when Vick would have at his disposal a top legal team and considerable resources to develop ways to cast doubt on the charges.

Much like two business actors who come to believe they are better off contracting, both sides in a criminal litigation can come to a belief that they are better off with a plea deal.

Until Judge Hudson actually sentences him in a court hearing, Vick will not know for sure if he will serve several months or several years in prison. He will also not know if the Commonwealth of Virginia will bring charges against him under state law.

After Judge Hudson's sentencing, Vick will await his prison assignment.

Judge Hudson will have considerable influence in that assignment, although the U.S. Bureau of Prisons will ultimately decide where Vick spends the next part of his life. While all prisons are undoubtedly terrible places to spend any time, some, and particularly maximum security ones, are especially harsh. Given Vick's crime, probable sentence, and lack of criminal record, however, he seems poised for a relatively favorable assignment.

When Vick is behind bars, he will likely spend some time thinking about his future as an NFL player. Assuming he remains in good condition and is released by age 29 or 30, he should be able to resume his football career.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, however, will likely impose a significant sentence. But that penalty could have been significantly longer, if not permanent, had Vick admitted to active involvement in gambling.

While Vick will want the suspension to run concurrently with his prison sentence, it is doubtful Goodell would agree to such an arrangement. After all, suspending an imprisoned player from the NFL seems meaningless.

Vick's suspension will likely begin after his release from prison.

If that proves true, it will be interesting to see if Vick tries to play professional football while suspended from the NFL. In what might be called the "Ricky Williams Rule," the Canadian Football League recently ruled that its teams cannot employ suspended NFL players, meaning Vick won't be playing up north. But there may be a very different professional football landscape by 2008. If Mark Cuban's new United Football League takes off as planned, Vick could have a home. It would certainly make for good theater. Then again, playing for what may be viewed as the NFL's rival league would probably not place a suspended Vick in commissioner Goodell's best of graces.

Vick's plea agreement will also influence his ability to obtain future endorsement deals. While he will always wear something of a scarlet letter for his involvement in animal abuse, only time will tell whether it is the first thing that we notice about him. If Vick appears apologetic and contrite, serves his time without incident and returns to pro football with success, people's memories might adjust. After all, as outraged as some people are right now, the strength of those emotions will wane over time.

Still, any company with which Vick enters into an endorsement contract will demand flexible language on the morals clause, meaning that the company could terminate the deal with ease.

Michael McCann (http://www.law.mc.edu/faculty/profile_mccann.htm) is a law professor at Mississippi College School of Law. He specializes in sports law.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 03:09 PM

ASPCA Applauds Strong and Swift NFL Response to Michael Vick's Guilty Plea

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today applauded NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's strong and decisive action in suspending Michael Vick without pay, effective immediately, from the League.

New York (Vocus (http://www.vocus.com/)/PRWEB (http://www.prweb.com/) ) August 25, 2007 -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today applauded NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's strong and decisive action in suspending (http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6980536&nav=menu192_4) Michael Vick without pay, effective immediately, from the League. Vick will be appearing in a federal court in Richmond, Va., on Monday to file his plea agreement in the federal dog fighting case against him.

Said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres, "Right from the outset, we knew the Commissioner was taking this case extremely seriously--and respected the fact that he was proceeding appropriately by commissioning an independent investigation into the case."

In a strongly worded letter to Vick, the Commissioner today called his admitted conduct "not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible."

"The Commissioner's extremely strong and swift response today to Michael Vick's guilty plea is no less than what we expected, and reinforces how seriously he takes not just the integrity of the League, but his expectations of how animals should be treated in a humane society. The ASPCA is proud to be associated with the National Football League as its animal welfare partner, and we will continue to raise public awareness on the humane treatment of animals together."

For more information on the ASPCA, or to learn more about staying alert to animal cruelty, please visit www.aspca.org/cruelty (http://www.aspca.org/cruelty).

About the ASPCA®:

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has one million supporters. A 501 [c [3 not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet.

For more information, please visit www.aspca.org (http://www.aspca.org/).

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 03:32 PM

Michael Vick, A True Virginian
By Michael Barone
Aug 22, 2007

(US News) I don't follow professional football, so I don't know much more about Michael Vick than what I have read in the stories about his plea of guilty to federal charges of dogfighting. It's astonishing and saddening that a man would risk his $130 million football contract to engage in such behavior, which seems barbaric to almost all of us. Where did he even get the idea of doing this?

I got an answer, or rather clues to an answer, while rereading David Hackett Fischer's superb Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America.

In his chapter on how the original settlers of Virginia brought with them folkways from their home territory in Wessex (southwestern England), Fischer notes another striking characteristic of Virginians--their obsession with gambling. Virginians were observed to be constantly making wagers with one another on almost any imaginable outcome. The more uncertain the result, the more likely they were to gamble. They made bets not only on horses, cards, cockfighting, and backgammon but also on crops, prices, women, and the weather. "They are all professional gamesters," a French traveler observed of Virginia's gentry."... Colonel Byrd is never happy but when he has the box and dice in his hand."

And not just the gentry, as Fischer explains in a subchapter entitled "Virginia Sport Ways: The Great Chain of Slaughter."

Virginia's favorite amusements were blood sports. There was an entire hierarchy of these gory entertainments. Virtually every male in Virginia could be ranked according to the size of the animals that he was allowed to kill for his pleasure. At the top was the noblest of blood sports--the hunting of the stag. This was the sport of kings and noblemen in the 17th century. It was staged in Virginia with the same elaborate pomp and ritual that had occurred in Europe.

Lesser gentry chased the fox--quarry that the high nobility despised as low and vulgar until the sport came to be elaborately rationalized by the Meynell family in the 18th century. English fox hunting was not easily introduced to the New World. Then, as now, Vulpes americanus made a more elusive quarry than its Old World cousin. At great trouble and expense, the gentry of Virginia imported the red fox from England for their sport in the 18th century.

Before that date, fox hunting was an impromptu affair on both sides of the water. It was commonly done with the gun in the 17th century and sometimes culminated in scenes of high savagery. "When they hunted last in Laxton wood," one English gentleman wrote, "Mr. K. shot a fox before the hounds after they had run him sharply for some time, which they tore to pieces and it has given them very good blood."

"Very good blood" was also the object of another entertainment that was followed by the yeomanry and parish clergy on both sides of the water. This was the sport of coursing--an afternoon's diversion in which hares, rabbits, and small vermin were hunted on foot with the aid of specially trained dogs. Such was the enthusiasm for this pedestrian slaughter that it was not uncommon to have several courses in a single day.

Husbandmen and laborers amused themselves in a more humble manner, by murdering birds of various sizes in social rituals of high complexity. One favorite blood sport of farmers in Virginia was called gander pulling [details omitted].

Apprentices enjoyed still another sort of blood sport called cockshailing, which they played at Shrovetide. A cock or chicken was tethered to a stake, and crowds of youths tried to torture and kill it by throwing dangerous objects.

At other points in his account of Virginia and the other Chesapeake colony, Maryland, Fischer recounts with some fondness colonial folkways passed down to the time of his childhood in Maryland. In the above passage, he makes no effort to conceal his distaste (which I share) for the brutality of these "favorite amusements." He does not mention dofighting, but it seems plausible that it also was a colonial amusement, and presumably a sport of the lower orders, ranked perhaps above the cockshailing of apprentices but below the fox hunting of gentry. If that's right, Michael Vick, who grew up in Newport News, Va., was following in the footsteps of distant ancestors.

Which doesn't excuse his conduct, of course, but helps explain it. Fox hunting, though declared illegal by the Parliament in England, is still practiced in Virginia by people who might reasonably be labeled as gentry. It is a gory business, I suppose, but the fox is, after all, a predator itself, and dogs will kill other animals for food or sport. In any case, we seem to consider fox hunting acceptable but have an almost universal feeling that dogfighting is not. Michael Vick, it seems, may have been born in the wrong century.

By Michael Barone
Copyright © 2006 U.S.News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 04:20 PM

Ten pressing questions surrounding Vick's case

By Gary Mihoces (http://www.usatoday.com/community/tags/reporter.aspx?id=220), USA TODAY

RICHMOND, Va. — Court confirmation that Michael Vick (http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=NFL&id=2107) will enter a guilty plea in a federal dogfighting case slipped out almost quietly Monday, in contrast to the packed courtroom, media blitz and throng of picketers likely next week when the fallen star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons arrives in court to make his plea.

"I can tell you … Mr. Vick will be making a plea of guilty next Monday morning at 10:30," federal judge Henry Hudson said.

In contrast to the crowd of hundreds when Vick and three others entered initial not-guilty pleas on July 26, there were nine picketers Monday from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

As Vick awaits his day in court, here are 10 questions that surround a case that began with a drug raid on property formerly owned by Vick in Smithfield, Va.:

Why did he plead guilty?

Vick's three co-defendants already had entered guilty pleas and agreed to testify for the prosecution. The July 17 indictment also mentioned but did not name four more "cooperating witness." Also, federal prosecutors had announced their intention to go back before the grand jury to seek a superseding, potentially stiffer indictment.

"I think (the prime motivation for the plea) was the threat of the superseding indictment that was hanging over his head," said Carl Tobias, University of Richmond law professor. "I think he was concerned the crimes would be more serious and there would be potentially stiffer penalties."

What sentence will he get?

The indictment, alleging conspiracy travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful acts and to sponsor dogfighting, carries maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. While sentencing will be decided by the judge, the agreements made by two of Vick's co-defendants indicate he could get 12-18 months in prison.

In the sentencing recommendations agreed to by attorneys in the case of Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, the recommendations were for 12-18 months.

Would an NFL suspension of Vick run concurrently with his potential prison term?

The NFL is conducting its own investigation. Commissioner Roger Goodell has declined to speculate on such scenarios.

UPDATE: The NFL suspended Vick indefinitely (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/falcons/2007-08-24-vick-friday_N.htm) on Aug. 24.

"I certainly would reserve the right to do that (impose a suspension after a prison term)," Goodell said. But he added that's "hypothetical" until the government penalty is determined.

Given he is about to plead guilty to an indictment alleging dogfighting — and gambling — is Vick's NFL career over?

He turned 27 in June. Even if he spends a year in prison and sits out a one-year NFL suspension on top of that, he would still be under 30 after that. Even if the Falcons choose to cut him, another NFL team could sign him.

Could Vick and his co-defendants improve their chances at sentencing by providing prosecutors with information about other dogfighting rings?

That's uncertain, but it is a possibility. John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, urges them to do that.

"There are 40,000 other people fighting dogs in this country in an organized manner, maybe 100,000 that are fighting dogs in an informal manner," Goodwin said. "The big picture is far broader than the four defendants in this case."

Has the Vick case damaged the NFL's image?

"People have to understand the NFL is not involved with dogfighting," Goodell said. "We are very strongly opposed to it and any of our players or coaches or anyone else being involved with it.

"It's unfortunate that one of our quarterbacks, a star player, has been charged with being involved with it."

Is Vick finished as a high-profile product endorser?

Last month, Nike suspended its endorsement deal with Vick. Reebok, official supplier of NFL uniforms, halted sales of Vick jerseys.

"Corporations do everything they can to shun controversy, and quite frankly, they will go running and never come back to Vick," said Ronn Torossian, president and CEO of 5W Public Relations. "The best advice Michael Vick can get from a PR firm is to run and work out while in jail, because the only money he'll be making is on the football field, not off it."

Can Vick ever find public forgiveness?

Robert Tuchman, founder of TSE Sports & Entertainment in New York, says the first step would be to hold a televised news conference.

"He should go out and admit his guilt — whether he means it or not. Americans will give people a second chance. As long as he admits he was wrong and asks forgiveness," Tuchman said.

After his initial arraignment in July, Vick did not speak publicly in Richmond. Instead, he relied on a prepared statement read by an attorney. Tuchman said statements read by lawyers won't cut it.

"Don't insult the intelligence of everyone in this country who's been following the case. He needs to do it, not his lawyer. And it has to seem sincere," he said.

Is dogfighting a Vick problem, or could there be more NFL players involved?

Goodell said the league's security department has worked "aggressively" with law enforcement "to ensure that we don't have other players involved in it."

He added, "We have not found any evidence of that, and we are making it very clear to all our players. … No involvement in this kind of world is important to us and everybody involved with the league."

What will happen to the dogs that were involved in the Bad Newz Kennels operation?

While not commenting directly on the Vick case, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said in a statement that the animals must be "carefully evaluated."

"Concerns about liability, public safety and other risks mean that most animals seized from such operations are not adoptable, meaning they cannot be considered candidates for successful placement, and often have to be euthanized," said Randall Lockwood of the ASPCA.

"Exceptions are and have sometimes been made for puppies or other animals who show no signs of training or use in fighting."

Source:USA TODAY research

Contributing: Michael McCarthy, Jim Corbett

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 04:28 PM

Falcons want $22 million back from Vick

By STEVE WYCHE (swyche@ajc.com)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/25/07

The Falcons will try to recoup $22 million already paid to suspended quarterback Michael Vick, a person with knowledge of the team's plans told The Journal-Constitution on Saturday.

Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Friday after he pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges in Virginia. That cleared the way for the Falcons to pursue money paid to Vick in signing bonus money.

Vick has received roughly $40 million in guaranteed bonuses — and even more in base salary — but teams are only allowed to try to collect money paid in signing bonuses, per the collective bargaining agreement with the players' union.

That rules of the CBA supersede other contract laws that could entitle Atlanta to try and recoup more money.

In order to collect the money, Vick must remain on the Falcons' roster. So the team will not release Vick until the matter is resolved, the person familiar with the situation said. The Falcons are expected to cut ties with Vick, once their most popular player, once the signing bonus matter is finalized.

If Atlanta receives payment from Vick, that money will be applied to the salary cap of the upcoming season. For example, should Atlanta receive all of the $22 million it seeks before the 2008 NFL calendar year, it will be credited toward the 2008 salary cap.

That would provide a huge windfall of cap space for the Falcons to use in pursuing free agent players.

As for this season, the Falcons will not have to pay Vick his $6 million base salary. However, he will count roughly $8.5 million against their salary cap. Though Vick will remain on the roster, he will be placed on a suspended list, which will allow the Falcons to add a player in Vick's place.

This could be the latest financial hit for Vick. On Friday, Nike official severed its ties with the quarterback, saying in a statement, "We consider any cruelty to animals inhumane, abhorrent and unacceptable."

The shoe giant earlier had suspended Vick's endorsement contract.

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samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 05:29 PM

By ASSOCIATED PRESS | August 25, 2007

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick can only hope he will get more leniency from the judge than he did from the NFL.

Roger Goodell's letter informing the Atlanta Falcons quarterback of his suspension reads almost like a goodbye, the NFL commissioner doing nothing to hide his disgust and his disdain.

A similar reaction by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who will be presented with Vick's plea agreement on Monday, could mean years in prison.

In court papers, Vick admitted bankrolling ''Bad Newz Kennels'' and participating in the killing of dogs in the dogfighting operation. But he tried to deflect much of his culpability in the grisly enterprise onto his friends.

That didn't deter Goodell, who was quick to hold Vick responsible, suspending him indefinitely and without pay Friday from the job that made him a millionaire and a superstar. The decision, on the brink of season opener, left the Falcons without their headline player.

Goodell he made it forcefully clear Vick wasn't helping himself by trying to pawn off blame on his three co-defendants in the case.

''You are now justifiably facing consequences for the decisions you made and the conduct in which you engaged. Your career, freedom and public standing are now in the most serious jeopardy,'' Goodell wrote.

The portrait of Vick as a person who enjoyed the heinous blood sport has fueled protests by animal-rights activists and destroyed his image, prompting sponsors to dump him.

After initially denying his involvement, the 27-year-old player has said little publicly about the case. Privately, he met with Goodell and Falcons owner Arthur Blank when the investigation was just beginning, and lied to both.
Vick's defense attorney, Billy Martin, said Vick will ''explain his actions'' publicly, but did not say when. The ''Tom Joyner Morning Show,'' a syndicated program based in Dallas, said it will have a live interview with Vick on Tuesday, and he will take questions from callers.

No matter what Vick says or doesn't say, the final word rests with Hudson, a judge whose household includes a Bison Friche, a white powder puff of a dog.

As he emphasized to Vick's co-defendants when they agreed to their plea deals, Hudson is not bound by a prosecutor's recommendations or by sentencing guidelines.

Vick will plead guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture.

Prosecutors will suggest a term of 12 to 18 months, but Hudson could give him five years, or more. The sentencing likely will be set before the end of the year.

His lawyers say they will try to minimize Vick's involvement.

''Our position has been that we are going to try to help Judge Hudson understand all the facts and Michael's role,'' Martin said in telephone interview. ''Michael's role was different than others associated with this incident.''

That role has been widely and loudly debated on sports (http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=147930&t=0#) talk radio, TV and football stadiums around the country.

Even before Vick admitted to his participation in the brutal sport, animal-rights groups protested outside NFL headquarters, Falcons camp and the federal court.

Nike severed its ties with him Friday, Reebok already has stopped selling his jersey and is accepting refunds for it. Upper Deck removed his card from its 2007 collection.

Reaction to the case largely has been divided along racial lines. Most of those defending Vick are black supporters; protesters have been predominantly white.

Black officials in Surry County got hate mail accusing them of dragging their feet on a local investigation to protect one of their own, and even the prosecutor there suggested race and profile were motives when the feds got involved.

The Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, which urged the public not to prematurely judge Vick, came to his defense again this week, saying he should be allowed to pursue his football career after serving his sentence.
In Vick's old neighborhood, he's seen as someone who never forgot his roots.

After deciding to enter the NFL draft, he picked the Boys & Girls Club where he spent much of his youth to make the announcement, remembering how it shaped his life.

A few months ago, mentor James ''Poo'' Johnson called Vick to ask if he could get some equipment for a Boys & Girls Club tournament. Vick sent the stuff along and provided school supplies and air conditioners to needy residents in the city.

His lawyers hope those stories showing Vick's better side will have sway. But it was the sway of those hometown ties that got Vick into this mess.

His supporters portray him as a victim of his own intense loyalty to the guys he hung out with before he became rich and famous. One such friend was Tony Taylor of Hampton, the first of three co-defendants to cop a plea.

Earnest Hardy, who lives next door to Vick's property in rural Surry County, said Taylor once told him Vick had promised: ''If I ever make it, I'm going to look out for you.''

Said Hardy: ''So Tony was working at Marva Maid Dairy over in Newport News and he said when Mike got that big contract with all that money, he came and got him. He said, 'Didn't I tell you I was going to look out for you?' And that's what he did.''

But they didn't look out for Vick.

Co-defendants Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Vick if the case went to trial.

''If you go back and look at the list, the people that reaped the most personal benefit from being close to Mike are really the ones that are sinking him further down now,'' Hardy said.

When authorities found dozens of dogs and equipment commonly used in dogfighting at his property, Vick claimed he'd hardly ever been to the house and that family members had taken advantage of his generosity.

''If I'm not there, I don't know what's going on,'' he said.

Vick's written plea agreement filed with the court Friday erased that notion.

He acknowledged bankrolling the operation, participating in the execution of dogs in April and sponsoring - and sometimes attending - dogfights over the past six years.

The dogs had names such as ''Magic,'' ''Tiny'' and ''Too Short,'' and the enterprise's name, ''Bad Newz Kennels,'' was an homage to the street name of his native Newport News.

In his plea agreement, Vick said that although he provided money for others to bet on the fights, he never placed bets himself or shared in any winnings - a distinction that clearly carried no weight with Goodell. The commissioner also cleared the Falcons to try to get back $22 million in signing bonuses paid as part of a 10-year, $130 million contract.

Atlanta made him the No. 1 draft pick in 2001 after a dazzling three-year stint at Virginia Tech, where he had been a model player - polite, soft-spoken and humble - and led the Hokies to the 2000 national championship game.

By all accounts, it was good being Mike Vick.

He took over as the starter in 2002, leading Atlanta to the playoffs for the first time in four years. In 2004, Atlanta advanced to the NFC championship game, and the Falcons gave Vick the big contract - then the richest awarded in NFL history.

Now, it's all come crashing down.

samanthajane13

08-25-2007, 05:38 PM

Oooops-ran out of space...

Continued from above^^^^^^^^^

Vick's troubles have left those that knew him - or thought they did - flummoxed.

''The Michael Vick I knew here at Tech was a warm, caring guy, a generous guy, gracious and polite and a very friendly person,'' said Bill Roth, who dealt with Vick regularly as Virginia Tech's radio play-by-play announcer.

Still, the first seeds of trouble were planted in an interview that Vick did shortly before he was drafted. He talked proudly of his interest in dogs and said he wanted to open his own kennel.

Then there were a few bumps:

-a middle-finger salute to Falcons fans after a 31-13 drubbing by the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome last November.

-airport security's confiscation of a water bottle with a hidden compartment that allegedly reeked of marijuana, an incident that made Vick the butt of jokes on late-night talk shows in January.

-a 2005 lawsuit, ultimately dismissed, by a woman who claimed Vick sought treatment for a sexually transmitted disease under the alias ''Ron Mexico'' after infecting her.

Embarrassing situations, but Vick escaped them as adroitly as he dodged defenders in becoming the first NFL quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

He met his match in the U.S. Attorney's office in Richmond, and an indictment that described how Bad Newz Kennels dogs were executed after being beaten in fights, or for not showing enough ferocity in test sessions. In one case, it said Vick was consulted before a beaten dog was wet down and electrocuted.

For details like that, Vick's NFL career could be over.

Dan Shannon, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said more than a guilty plea and an apology should be demanded if Vick is allowed to play again.

''It's not outside the realm of possibility if he makes a sincere effort not only to own up to what he's done and apologize, but takes steps to try to prevent this thing from happening in the future,'' he said. ''So far, we haven't seen anything indicating that's the road he wants to take.''

samanthajane13

08-27-2007, 10:57 AM

Michael Vick to enter guilty plea today

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick is expected formally to enter his guilty plea to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge today. Then, it's up to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson to decide whether to accept it.

Capping one of the most rapid and startling falls from stardom in U.S. sports history, Vick will make official the agreement his attorneys worked out with prosecutors.

In his written plea filed in federal court Friday, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings.

If Monday's proceedings follow the pattern of his three co-defendants, Vick's plea hearing will be brief, with the judge setting a sentencing hearing for late fall after a background report is completed.

The plea agreement calls for a sentencing range of 12 to 18 months. But Hudson, who is known for handing down tough sentences, is not bound by any recommendation or federal sentencing guidelines and could sentence Vick to as much as five years in prison.

The NFL suspended him indefinitely and without pay Friday after his plea agreement was filed. Merely associating with gamblers can trigger a lifetime ban under the league's personal conduct policy.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's rural Surry County property and seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

A federal indictment issued in July charged Vick, Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach, Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Tony Taylor of Hampton with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent. Taylor was the first to change his plea to guilty; Phillips and Peace soon followed.

The details outlined in the indictment and other court papers fueled a public backlash against Vick and cost him several lucrative endorsement deals, even before he agreed to plead guilty.

In announcing the suspension, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opened the way for the Falcons to attempt to recover $22 million of Vick's signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004.

Vick's plea Monday will come hours before the Falcons play an exhibition game at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. This will be the first chance for the team to see what effect Vick's case has on attendance at the Georgia Dome. Vick wears the biggest-selling jersey in team history and is given much credit for the team's 51 consecutive sellouts.

After initially denying his involvement, Vick has said little publicly about the case. Privately, he met with Goodell and Falcons owner Arthur Blank when the investigation was just beginning, and almost certainly lied to both.

Vick's defense attorney, Billy Martin, has said Vick will "explain his actions" publicly, but did not say when. The "Tom Joyner Morning Show," a syndicated program based in Dallas, said it will have a live interview with Vick on Tuesday, and he will take questions from callers.

+++++++++++++++++++

I just had to add this nice little present to this page-courtesy of one of the nice people on The Internet Movie Database...

Thank you, strongbad543 (http://www.imdb.com/user/ur4999236/boards/profile/)!!! You ROCK!!!

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/Vicksux.jpg

One2Snoop

08-27-2007, 06:38 PM

Vick is a guy whose God given talents weren't enough for him. Should he be made an example of in light of the fact that he's in the public purview?

Sure, why not? He enjoys the perks of being a celeb; starting with a perverse salary. People in the limelight who think that they are above the law should be used to set an example for any degenerates who think that they can elevate bloodlust to acceptable levels.

People need to fully understand the connection between animal cruelty and the facility to abuse humans without compunction.

Excellent post! I completely agree. :beer:

tourist#1

08-27-2007, 07:24 PM

My very first post!!
Never heard of Michael Vick(before this) Don't care about Michael Vick. To me he is just another mentally ill, sick and twisted animal abuser. I hope he loses his job and spends time in prison.

I have to agree with your very first post!
:beer:
Abuse makes me nuts!
Why?
I will never understand these people.
IMO

samanthajane13

08-28-2007, 11:35 AM

Vick submits guilty plea to judge
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer Tue Aug 28, 6:35 AM ET

Michael Vick stood behind a podium, all alone. His amazing speed and quickness was of no use in this predicament. He couldn't scramble away from trouble with one of those nifty moves. All he could do was apologize. And ask for forgiveness. And start "bettering Michael Vick the person, not the football player."

Looking somber and speaking without notes, Vick said Monday he was taking full responsibility for his actions after pleading guilty to a federal dogfighting charge in Richmond, Va.

He could go to prison for one to five years.

"I offer my deepest apologies to everybody out there in the world who was affected by this whole situation, and if I'm more disappointed with myself than anything it's because of all the young people, young kids that I let down, who look at Michael Vick as a role model," he said.

Vick canceled a Tuesday morning radio appearance on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show". Host Tom Joyner said Vick's advisors suggested that the football player shouldn't talk at this time because someone "might take any part of our interview out of context."

Vick called dogfighting "a terrible thing," said he initially lied to the NFL and his team about it because he was ashamed, and apologized specifically to all those he deceived about a gruesome dogfighting ring: commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, coach Bobby Petrino and his teammates.

"I need to grow up," Vick conceded.

Acceptance of responsibility is one of the factors U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson will consider in handing down Vick's sentence Dec. 10. The federal sentencing guideline range is projected at a year to 18 months, but Hudson can impose up to the five-year maximum.

Vick has already been suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

"So I've got a lot of down time, a lot of time to think about my actions and what I've done," he said.

"I will redeem myself. I have to."

In Atlanta, the Falcons said they would not cut Vick immediately because of salary-cap issues. The team intends to pursue the $22 million in bonus money he already received in a $130 million contract signed in 2004, looking to reduce the financial burden of his massive deal.

"Cutting him today may feel better emotionally for us and many of our fans," Blank said. "But it's not in the long-term best interests of our franchise."

Before the wrenching day was done, the Falcons defeated Cincinnati 24-19 in their first home preseason game, a chance for Atlanta's fans to get a sampling of life without their most dynamic player.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people showed up for the game wearing Vick's No. 7 jersey. His replacement, Joey Harrington, made a good first impression by throwing two touchdown passes.

"It's not something we can sweep under the rug," Harrington said. "Mike is definitely in a bit of trouble, but he's still a member of this team, still a member of this family."

Vick took no questions after his first public statement about the dogfighting ring, and he said little in court. With family members, including his brother and mother, watching from the front row of the packed courtroom, Vick stood flanked by two of his five lawyers and softly answered "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" to Hudson's questions.

The judge, known for his tough sentences, emphasized his broad latitude in handing down Vick's penalty.

"You'll have to live with whatever decision I make," Hudson said.
U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said a first-time offender ordinarily might receive no jail time for the dogfighting conspiracy.

"We thought, however, that the conduct in this conspiracy was heinous, cruel and inhumane," he said.

Blank and Falcons general manager Rich McKay refused to say whether Vick would ever play for the Falcons again, though their reluctance to cut ties with the quarterback is related more to complicated legal issues than any willingness to take him back. They've already sent a "demand letter" to Vick saying they will attempt to recoup his bonus money.

"We realize that this situation has tarnished our franchise," Blank said. "We've heard from fans who are embarrassed to wear the No. 7 jersey now. We cannot undo what's been done. But we can and we will recover from this."

The Falcons will receive a $6 million cap credit for Vick's salary this year because he's been suspended without pay. They are still on the hook for about $22 million in prorated bonus obligations spread over this season and the next two. Any bonus money returned by Vick will be credited to Atlanta's cap number.

Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, both members of the Falcons' board, attended a news conference at Blank's corporate headquarters in Atlanta.

"I've never seen someone who had so much ability and has fallen so far," Aaron said. Asked if he expected Vick to return to the Falcons some day, the former home run king replied, "I hope so."

That sentiment was echoed by many Atlanta fans, who cheered Vick as he led the Falcons to the NFC championship game in January 2005, and became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season last year.

"I don't see any reason why he shouldn't," said lifelong fan Gwen Tucker, who wore Vick's jersey to the preseason game. "He's an electrifying player. He did bring a hell of a lot of excitement to this place. It's not going to be the same."

A few dozen animal-rights protesters turned out in Richmond and Atlanta, holding signs such as "Ban Vick Permanently."

In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings, but merely associating with gambling can result in a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Three Vick co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty said Vick bankrolled the enterprise, and two of them said Vick participated in executing dogs that were not vicious enough in testing.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's rural Surry County property and seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

While waiting to play a most extraordinary preseason game, the Falcons watched Vick's apology on television.

"He was real sincere," running back Warrick Dunn said. "Most important, I think he took everything on his shoulders. He didn't make excuses and said it was his fault."

___ Associated Press Writers Larry O'Dell, Zinie Chen Sampson and Dionne Walker in Richmond, Va., and AP Sports Writer Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.

samanthajane13

08-28-2007, 11:40 AM

Vick's woes could hurt Falcons on and off field
By Matthew Bigg Mon Aug 27, 10:26 PM ET

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The troubles of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty on Monday to dogfighting conspiracy charge, could hurt the team both on and off the field, analysts said.

The National Football League last week suspended Vick indefinitely without pay over the indictment, so the Falcons will play this season without its star performer.

Reserve quarterback Joey Harrington started in a pre-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Atlanta on Monday with some fans yet to be convinced he could perform to Vick's level or galvanize the fans in the same way.

"He (Harrington) is good but he has some shoes to fill," said Wanda Thomas, a Falcons fan at the game, adding: "We are going to give him a chance."

Vick will be sentenced December 10 and faces a maximum of five years in prison. Under terms of the plea deal, prosecutors have requested a 12- to 18-month sentence.

The suspension will not affect 2007-2008 season ticket sales, which were the highest in the team's 45-year history, Falcons owner Arthur Blank told a news conference.

But if the Falcons perform poorly this season in Vick's absence it could affect the team's ticket sales and long-term finances, analysts said.
Some fans said the buzz Vick generated when he joined the Falcons in 2001 drew in many new fans so his absence would hurt.

"The city was not the biggest NFL city in the first place .... (but) there was a huge difference both in fans and tickets when he became a Falcon and now that he's gone it's going to take a hit," said Brett Horowitz, who said he first bought a season ticket in 2001.

"I was here for Michael Vick but I am also here for the Falcons," he said.

'MOVE ON'

The Falcons said they were determined to "move on" from the scandal surrounding Vick.

"I recognize that this situation has tarnished our team and our brand. We have heard from fans who are embarrassed to wear a Number 7 jersey now," said Blank, referring to the jersey with Vick's number on it.

"We can and we will recover from this. We spent the last five years building goodwill and strong, loyal relationships within this community," he said.

Vick's suspension would save the Falcons about $6 million per year out of the amount the team had earmarked to spend on players' salaries, Falcons general manager Rich McKay said.

He said the franchise would also explore ways of recouping bonuses Vick was paid and any money recovered would be put toward next year's salary cap.

Commentators said the bonuses, which could only be recouped if Vick remains on the team's roster, could potentially amount to $22 million.

"We feel very comfortable that we'll have plenty of room going forward to field a competitive team," McKay said. "We don't at all feel we're in a box or a bad situation," he said.
Blank, the co-founder of the Home Depot chain, bought the Falcons in 2002.

I'mSun

08-28-2007, 08:54 PM

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m140/ImSun/mikevickjury.jpg

Buckethead

08-28-2007, 11:58 PM

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m140/ImSun/mikevickjury.jpg

ROFL, so fitting!

They should tape his hands together and toss him into a cage with several of these dogs for a prescribed amount of time/bites to see how he likes it!

He's like so many other lowlife criminals; they always say "I found God" just after they plead guilty and/or just before the sentence is handed down.

lorettalockhorn

08-29-2007, 06:03 PM

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m140/ImSun/mikevickjury.jpg

hehehe

If anyone is interested (I'm a huge fan of HSUS):

https://community.hsus.org//campaign/da_thank_you?qp_source=gaba8a&gclid=CIbrl-TXm44CFRIXZAodmlmvYg

Sturgeon_Moon

08-29-2007, 06:34 PM

I hope they throw the book at him.I agree unless he fully cooperates and names names.

imo

samanthajane13

08-29-2007, 09:00 PM

Chewed up Vick cards sell for $7,400

By BRIAN CHARLTON, Associated Press Writer
45 minutes ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - They were the Michael Vick cards many animal lovers just had to get their paws on.
The eBay auction for 22 Vick football cards, chewed up and slobbered on by two Missouri dogs, ended Wednesday as the winning bidder dished out $7,400 — with the money expected to be donated to the Humane Society.

The success of that auction, with 31 different bidders, created a craze of more than 25 other postings this week offering torn up cards featuring the disgraced NFL superstar.

But so far, the original post from Rochelle Steffen, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., has been the only auction to attract droves of bidders.

Steffen gave Monte, her 6-year-old Weimaraner, and Roxie, her Great Dane puppy, every Vick card she owned to destroy. The cards worth $1 to $10 were crumpled, crimped, chewed, torn and generally in a sorry state. Some even had corners missing.

"When I started this I only expected to get $100 for a local shelter," Steffen told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "But it's received so much attention. It's for such a good cause that jumps every boundary."

Steffen, 31, said she has been overwhelmed with positive responses, including from people who say her auction inspired them to donate money to animal shelters.

The Humane Society of the United States has seen a large spike in donations since Vick was indicted on federal dogfighting charges last month, said Ann Chynoweth, director of the society's Animal Cruelty and Fighting Campaign.

"Americans love football, but they love dogs even more," she said.

The backlash against Vick seemed to grow this week as he apologized after entering a guilty plea to a federal dogfighting charge in Richmond, Va. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.

The gnawed cards were by far the most expensive Vick items on eBay, with well-preserved rookie cards, autographed jerseys and other collectibles selling for far less.

"The thought of these cards selling for $7,000 underscores how much this situation with Michael Vick has really captivated Americans," said Tracy Hackler, associated publisher of Beckett Media, the Dallas-based publisher of several card collecting magazines.

Other ads on eBay offered cards chomped on by a pit bull puppy from Indianapolis named Diesel and a Cadillac, Mich., dog named Freak, among others. Another ad offered a jersey torn up by a yellow lab named Trixie from Harker Heights, Texas.

Another posting offered the services of a Destin, Fla., dog named Peggy Sue, saying she will damage mint-condition Vick cards. The ad said proceeds would go to the Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation. The high bid was $188.27 Wednesday afternoon.

While Vick was once considered by collectors as having some of the most-sought after memorabilia, the value of his autographs, cards and other collectibles have dramatically dipped, Hackler said. Even his 2001 SP Authentic rookie card, once valued at more than $1,000, is now being traded at $285 to $400, he said.

The Atlanta Humane Society says some former Vick fans have sent jerseys, often accompanied by financial contributions. Other branches of the Humane Society have said they will take donated Vick items to resell on eBay.

********************

GO ROXIE!!!

GO MONTE!!!

samanthajane13

08-30-2007, 01:45 PM

Most fans don't want Vick back in NFL
Wed Aug 29, 7:12 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Michael Vick should not be allowed to play in the National Football League again, most professional football fans said in a poll that underscored how far the celebrity quarterback's star has fallen.

In addition, an overwhelming majority of fans want him to serve prison time now that he has pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting charge, according to the Gallup Poll released Wednesday. Few would want to him to play for their favorite team should he return to the sport.

The NFL indefinitely suspended the Atlanta Falcons star after he filed a written plea agreement in court on Friday. In a public apology Monday, he said he now rejected dogfighting and had not been honest about the episode.

The poll was conducted after widespread news reports that he would plead guilty in the case.

According to the survey, 58 percent said he should not be allowed to play in the NFL anymore. Only 22 percent said they would want the team they root for to try to acquire him should he return.

In addition, 35 percent said they believe he should serve a long prison sentence, 51 percent said they favored a short one, and 12 percent said they believe he should not serve any time.

Vick's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10. The federal sentencing guideline range is projected at a year to 18 months, but the judge can impose up to a maximum of five years.

The survey involved telephone interviews with 1,001 adults from Aug. 23 to 26. The overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus four percentage points. The organization did not immediately provide the margin of sampling error for the 520 pro football fans questioned.

samanthajane13

08-31-2007, 12:52 AM

About 8 years ago, when my dog Thor was a pup, he was stolen from his chain in my LOCKED YARD. The punks hopped the fence, grabbed him and took of, in the time it took me to visit the bathroom.

Evidently, either he got away from them, or they didn't like him once they saw him in their vehicle and just tossed him out, because a caring family found him about 3 miles away-running back and forth across the highway, and called the police to rescue him, since it was in the middle of the night, and the SPCA was closed. He spent the night at Central Booking, sharing the officers' lunches. In the meantime, I'd called my local precinct, and they had no knowledge of him being found, but they took my report and said they'd forward it to all precints.

The report and Thor must have crossed in transit.

The next morning, he caught a ride to the SPCA, and when I called, they put him on hold for me to pick him up.

I don't know what they thought he was, or if he would have been used as a fighter or as bait, but the thought of him ending up in a dog-fighting ring makes me physically ill.

They were idiots, because they had no idea of his mixed lineage.

His mother was German Shepherd and Timber Wolf, and his father was PIT BULL. I guarantee that had he been full-grown at the time, he would have given them a run for their money.

Poor Thor was only 6 months old when he was stolen, but he made a TON of friends at Central Booking!!! LOL.

Thor is the larger of the two dogs pictured, with Timmy the Beagle, and my daughter.

You can see the Pit Bull in his jaws and his chest development-

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/Pets/Dogs/TimmyKateyandThor.jpg

samanthajane13

08-31-2007, 11:52 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cdtxqqNuSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBuEBHi3BzU

WOW, Mikey-You're popular again!!!

samanthajane13

08-31-2007, 03:52 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW0dhh_Aj6A&mode=related&search= (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW0dhh_Aj6A&mode=related&search=)

It's very well done, but don't say I didn't warn you...I was crying watching it.

It's NOT bloody or graphic-JUST SAD!

lorettalockhorn

09-01-2007, 01:52 PM

From today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

Editorials

Dog gone
A grim story indeed

LITTLE ROCK — HE WAS a good dog. Yes, he was! Yes, he was! He was friendly and sloppy and stinky and wiggly and wonderful with kids and truly man’s best friend. He was brown, about as long as your newspaper, and he had a funny tail that perched up in back like a whitetailed deer.

And he was a squirrel catcher. No, we don’t mean squirrel “chaser.” We mean catcher. The dog was all mutt, but we could almost be persuaded that he was quarter-monkey. He could climb trees. For a few feet anyway. Or maybe it was just his speed and momentum that carried him up, up, up and gave him only the appearance of climbing.

He also went over fences like a redbird. Any fence. (Maybe he was a quarter crow, too.)

Every few weeks or so, the dog would catch Brer Squirrel. And on those occasions, he’d dutifully deposit the remains on Mrs. Collins’ doorstep. After all, the elderly lady next door was still cooking for two, and almost every night she fed the little brown dog her leftovers from dinner. Why not return the favor? The mutt was many things, but he wasn’t selfish. Orunthankful.

The day he died was particularly hard for the family. Even after his replacement came into the fold, there was always a soft spot for the family’s first dog. And on the occasions when the photo albums came out, the family would still laugh about the dog that caught squirrels and shared with the lady next door.

The next dog ate a bunch of woodducks that happened into the backyard one day. (Noooo!)

We know a dog named Cooper-also called Cooper the Pooper the Eater of Grouper. He thinks he’s a big dog the way he barks through the fence, but that little Shih Tzu would be eaten alive on the streets.

We have a relative who named his dog Janis (after Miss Joplin) because the dog was, shall we say, disoriented when found on the side of the road.

We also have a good friend who named her dog Frankie, because he has blue eyes.

We still remember Kane Webb’s Thurber, as he did in a recent piece in the Perspective section. And Philip Martin can only go so long without writing about his dogs, bless him all to pieces.

We have dogs on the brain these days, as you can tell. We imagine a lot of Americans are thinking about dogs these days, too-dogs long gone and dogs sitting at their feet. And they’re probably all asking themselves the same question: How can a body do it?

How can a person train dogs to kill each other, then bet on the action, and get some sort of entertainment out of it?

Who raised these people? Wolves? Or would that be an insult to wolves?

IT HAD to happen. It was only a matter of time. After Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick agreed to plead guilty to federal charges involving his dog-fighting ring, his defenders used the triedand-true defense: Everybody’s Doing It. (Some people never grow up.)

Get a load of this, from fellow sports star Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks: “I think, you know, we don’t say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It’s just behind closed doors.”

Mr. Marbury, that’s just silly.

Where to begin?

First, if your “sport” has to be heldbehind closed doors, then it’s apparent that not every participant is especially proud of the activity. Contrast that with the pictures people send to the newspaper of their first buck.

There is a line there, Mr. Marbury.

We know lots of deer hunters, but we’ve never heard one of them-not a single one-say they like the act of killing. Of watching the creature breathe its last. Of watching the chest go still. Of watching the eyes glaze over. It’s almost enough to make some of us more genteel types quit altogether, if not for the venison that you can’t buy at the corner grocery.

When dogs die in the fighting ring, does anybody eat them or feed them to their family?

There is a line, Mr. Marbury.

And ethics is a part of hunting. Hunters are taught from a young age to get the best shot for the quickest kill. That doesn’t always happen, but that’s the goal. The less pain for the deer, or the duck, or the dove, the better. What hunters are not doing is throwing animals into a pit and forcing them to fight for their lives. And torturing them to make them meaner. And killing them when they don’t come up to expectations-for cruelty.

We won’t bother you with some of the detailed charges against Michael Vick and his buddies while you’re eating breakfast, Gentle Reader. But let’s say dogs that didn’t perform to expectations didn’t live long. Not because of the other dogs, but because the owners killed them-in various, gruesome ways.

There is a line, Mr. Marbury.

And Michael Vick crossed it.

IN THE DAYS after the indictment, and especially after Michael Vick put out the word he’d plead guilty, the radio and TV waves were full of how this would affect the quarterback’s playing career:

We heard: (1) He’s only 27, so if he goes to jail for a year, he’ll still be under 30, so he should be able to play ball. (2) The Atlanta Falcons won’t want him back after he ruined their whole season, so he’ll have to play for another team. (3) The NFL should ban him for getting caught up in this kind of activity. There was gambling involved, you know. (4) Maybe he should try to play football in Canada first, then work his way back to the NFL.

Etc. etc. etc.

You know what we didn’t hear much of?

The fate of the dogs.

Just in case you didn’t know it, and you wouldn’t if you listen to sports channels, if nobody comes forward to claim any of the dogs (and would you? the feds might have some questions) then the dogs seized on Michael Vick’s estate-53 of them-will be killed. For dogs trained to kill other dogs can never be adopted out to live normal lives. “Those dogs have been bred for aggression,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the national Humane Society. “It’s very difficult to deprogram that behavior once it is instilled. Even if you can do it to some degree, all it takes is one lapse in the animal’s behavior to kill another animal or exhibit some other type of aggression.”

Those dogs never had a chance. They were either going to die in the ring as humans cheered and jeered, or they were going to be killed by their owners, or they were going to be killed by authorities who seized them.

Man’s best friend, they say.

But the friendship isn’t always reciprocated.

We hope the judge in this case has the book in his hand, and a strong arm.

This article was published Saturday, September 1, 2007.
Editorial, Pages 20 on 09/01/2007

Family Snapshot

09-01-2007, 07:11 PM

If he names names and "cooperates" it'll only be to save his own sorry bacon. The worst part is, I don't think his behavior is a result of feeling entitled or above the law, he's just a guy who's always looking for an angle, his next scam. It pains me to admit, but the guy can run (not such a passer as his criminal sibling was) and he's certainly an athlete to be reckoned with. The shame of it is that he isn't a human being to be reckoned with. I say, throw him to the dogs!

samanthajane13

09-06-2007, 11:25 PM

Michael Vick and multiculturalism
Posted: September 5, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

As repulsive as Michael Vick's actions were, what I've heard and read in the aftermath has struck me as being far worse. The dogfights themselves, and Vick's executions of the underachieving canines, as vicious and sadistic as they were, involved only the Atlanta quarterback and a handful of his feebleminded lackeys. However, his defenders have been crawling out from under rocks all over the place, parroting all sorts of ignorant nonsense, and I find that even more troubling.

By and large, his defenders fall into one of three camps. There are those who want the rest of us to get over our outrage and be willing to give Vick another chance because we're all mere mortals, after all, and humans make mistakes. This argument falls apart as soon as you acknowledge that wearing brown shoes with a black suit is a mistake; guessing incorrectly on a true-or-false test is a mistake; torturing and killing dogs over and over again isn't a mistake or an error in judgment. It's a felony and, I'd venture, a sin.
Another equally fatuous defense is that killing dogs is no big deal, considering that hunters are free to shoot just about every other animal under the sun. Even though I'm not a hunter, even I can readily see the difference. In spite of their having four legs and a tail, dogs are not exactly animals. They are members of our families. Calling them man's best friend is only a slight exaggeration.

Many blacks, including some high profile ones, have leapt to Vick's defense. All that proves is that they have no moral sense, and that, in spite of Martin Luther King's inspiring words, they are still judging men not by their character, but solely by the color of their skin.

But the stupidest defense of all comes, as one would expect, from the multiculturalists in our midst. So far as these pinheads are concerned, we Americans are never supposed to be judgmental of what others do. So, for instance, if black and Latino teenagers choose to wear their baggy pants below their butts, that's their culture, and who are we to ridicule them? Or, for that matter, who are we to say that the music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, is in any way superior to the noise which we have come to know as rap and hip-hop?

Likewise, how dare we sit in judgment of Mr. Vick? After all, there are places on earth where dogs aren't pets, but, instead, are a major source of protein. To which I can only respond that there also hell holes where, dogs being scarce, they make do with people.

It's the same fatheads who'll insist with a straight face that Christians are no better than Islamics, even if you patiently point out that the followers of Christ believe that good deeds will get you to heaven, and the disciples of Muhammad are of the opinion that blowing up innocent human beings will provide you with a one-way ticket to paradise.
The whole concept of tolerance has been turned topsy-turvy in contemporary America. Perhaps it's because our Baby Boomer journalists and academicians have contended for so many years that America is the source of all evil that millions of our young people have come to be so accepting of any culture just so long as it's not our own – even if it happens to be one that sanctions honor killings, beheadings, female mutilations, suicide bombings or, in Vick's case, the massacre of dogs.

++++++++++++++++++++

Burt Prelutsky has been a humor columnist for the L.A. Times, a movie critic for Los Angeles magazine and a freelance writer for TV Guide, Modern Maturity, the N.Y. Times and Sports Illustrated. He has also written TV scripts for shows such as "MASH," "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Diagnosis Murder." His book "Conservatives Are From Mars, Liberals Are From San Francisco (http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=1911)" was recently updated and is available from WND's online store; or if you'd rather order by phone, call WND's toll-free customer service line at 1-800-4WND-COM (1-800-496-3266). </B>
++++++++++++++++++++

This particular editorial caused such a ruckus on the Michael Vick board at imdb.com that the administrator deleted it on me.

The racial out-cry was HORRIBLE!! You'd think I'd set fire to Rev. Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Michael Vick and O.J.

I hope it meets a better reception here...it really does contain a lot of truths.

samanthajane13

09-07-2007, 12:40 AM

Michael Vick, NFL and Atlanta Falcons Must Do the Right Thing
Tue Sep 4, 8:08 AM ET

To: SPORTS EDITORS

Contact: Chris Heyde of the Animal Welfare Institute, +1-703-836-4300, chris@awionline.org

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In light of his recent indictment and guilty plea for charges related to dog fighting, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) calls on National Football League (NFL) quarterback Michael Vick to immediately surrender $22 million of his signing bonus back to the Atlanta Falcons. The organization in turn urges the Falcons to commit at least $10 million to an independent, self-operating charity overseen by AWI.

"These funds would not be paid to AWI or other national organizations. They would help establish a nationwide humane education and rehabilitation program for children and adults so we can lessen the likelihood that others will commit violence against animals," said Chris Heyde, AWI deputy legislative director. "In addition to educating people about respect for animals, such funds would also be used toward local humane societies, SPCAs and other organizations that take in, care for and rehabilitate animals in need."

Despite the majority of America's outrage over this incident, little attention has been given to the actual crimes perpetrated upon the dogs in Vick's "care." More discussion has occurred over whether Vick will play football again, or whether the Falcons can recoup money from his signing bonus to be applied to the team's salary cap this season. As one CNN reporter noted at the close of a recent Falcons press conference, "it sounded like businessmen talking about a business plan."

Others have raised concern over why there has been so much outrage over Vick's charges, while many NFL players have faced a litany of criminal charges, including murder, spousal abuse, and drug and alcohol addiction. While such a worry is valid, it is not a reason to overlook the brutal actions Vick committed.

"The public should hold the NFL accountable for its practices," Heyde said. "Something is clearly wrong with our sporting industry when it is more of a crime to bet on a game than it is to murder one's wife or pit innocent animals against each other for entertainment."

Young people are exposed to an array of cruelty -- and it is well documented that children exposed to animal abuse tend to become desensitized and commit crimes against animals and ultimately people.

Fortunately, because of the current heightened public awareness, the humane community and the American public have been presented with an opportunity to take a positive step toward ending this cycle of brutality.

The dogs who suffered and perished as a result of Vick's actions cannot be brought back to life, nor will Vick ever be able to fully redeem himself.

However, he can do something that will have a positive impact on those who once looked up to him as a role model. Likewise, the NFL and Atlanta Falcons can begin to promote and foster humanity toward animals. By doing what is right versus what is profitable, both animals and our society will benefit.

For More Information Contact:

Chris Heyde -- 703-836-4300/ chris@awionline.org (chris@awionline.org)

For over 56 years, AWI has been a leader in the animal protection movement in the United States. AWI publishes books and other materials on humane education and initiatives aimed at reducing the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. AWI also lobbies Congress for better and stronger laws protecting animals. More information about AWI's programs is available at http://www.awionline.org (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/usnw/pl_usnw/storytext/michael_vick__nfl_and_atlanta_falcons_must_do_the_ right_thing/24320385/SIG=10ql73j1c/*http://www.awionline.org).

samanthajane13

09-07-2007, 01:22 AM

“Barbaric, Barbaric, Barbaric!”
Vick Dog Fighting Charges Symptomatic of a Larger Problem

Washington, DC (July 23, 2007) – “Barbaric, Barbaric, Barbaric!” This is the phrase recently opined by Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, our nation’s longest-serving US Senator and last great political orator. Following news of charges leveled against Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick, Senator Byrd described the tragic and gruesome practice of dog fighting in a heartfelt speech on the Senate floor.

Senator Byrd wiped tears from his eyes during his speech, symbolizing the revulsion felt by the majority of Americans regarding the allegations made against a supposed “role model.” The public is clearly opposed to animal abuse, and every state in this country has laws against animal cruelty. Yet, from the beginning of recorded history, some humans have treated animals as disposable pieces of property to use, abuse and kill at will.

When asked about the Vick case, Washington Redskins player Clinton Portis said, “I don’t know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it’s his property, it’s his dog. If that’s what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their own business.” This mindset of animals as “private property” may sound abhorrent, but sadly, it is used all-too-commonly by elected officials.

In fact, during a Congressional hearing just last week, a US Representative from Georgia derided a ban on horse slaughter as infringing on owner’s rights because horses are “private property.” And in a debate on the floor of the House of Representatives last year on the same subject, a Congressman from Utah dedicated his entire speech opposing the bill to the premise of protecting “private rights.”

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has come close to enactment in the US Congress, but it continues to languish on Capitol Hill due to a few individuals who misuse the democratic process and tout the private property argument. However, private property does not confer a right on anyone to mistreat animals. People who mistreat animals must be held accountable for their actions without being able to rely on this supposed justification.

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) calls on federal authorities to aggressively pursue the charges against Michael Vick and his three cohorts. Further, AWI encourages the National Football League to suspend Vick. AWI also urges the US Congress to reject antiquated and clearly out of step arguments regarding the most basic animal protective measures. Our legislators must set an example by leading efforts to reduce animal cruelty whenever possible.

The Animal Welfare Institute, founded in 1951, is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. AWI's legislative division is leading the national campaign to end horse slaughter and advocating passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. For more information, please visit www.awionline.org (http://www.awionline.org/).

samanthajane13

09-07-2007, 01:05 PM

Slightly off-topic, but it reminds us WHY we love dogs...and why people like Michael Vick should ROT IN PRISON AND HELL.

This happened in a Buffalo, NY suburb last October-after we had a HORRIBLE storm that's become known as the October Surprise...

Eve and Norman are just too cute...

NEW YORK — When Eve and Norman Fertig rescued a sick, two-week-old half wolf, half German shepherd puppy from a breeder
almost seven years ago, they'd never dreamed that the animal one day would save their lives.

"God is watching; he's watching all the time," Eve Fertig told FOXNews from her home at the Enchanted Forest Wildlife Sanctuary in Alden, N.Y.
He apparently was watching on Oct. 12, when the 81-year-old Fertigs were treating injured animals in the forest sanctuary on their property.
One such animal is a near-18-year-old raven, while another is a crow who was shot, blind in one eye with two broken legs.

It was routine for the couple to feed and exercise the dozen or so animals there around 7 p.m. every night.

"While we're in there, the lights go out and I realized something's wrong," Eve Fertig said. "We go outside to see what's happening and
down comes one massive tree … the trees came down across us."
The massive storm that hit upstate New York that night felled trees, blocking the Fertig's path to the other sanctuary buildings — such
as the school and storage building — and to their home, which was at least 200 feet away.

"We were in big trouble. … I said to my husband, 'I think we could die out here,'" Eve said.

'The Most Heroic Thing I've Ever Seen'

The Fertigs huddled in a narrow alley between the hospital building and the aviary, where they were sheltered from falling trees. They
couldn't climb over the trees without injuring themselves. Neither had warm clothes on since it was a clear, crisp fall day just a few
hours ago. They hugged each other for warmth, since by 9:30 p.m., temperatures had dropped.

"I wasn't prepared for this … I thought, 'we're trapped, we're absolutely trapped,'" Eve said. "That's when Shana began to dig beneath the fallen trees."

The 160-pound dog that habitually follows her owners around — Eve likens it to "Mary had a little lamb," when the lamb went everywhere
Mary went — eventually found the Fertigs and began digging a path in the snow with her teeth and claws underneath the fallen trees, similar
to a mineshaft, and barking as if to tell them to follow.

A reluctant Norm said, "I had enough in Okinawa in a foxhole," referring to his service in World War II.

"'Norman, if you do not follow me, I will get a divorce,'" Eve said to her husband of 62 years. "That did it. He said, 'a divorce? That would
scandal our family.' I said, 'all of our family is dead, Norman!'"

After Shana tunneled all the way to the house — a process that took until about 11:30 p.m. — she came back, grabbed the sleeve of
Eve's jacket, and threw the 86-pound woman over her back and neck, which Eve described as "as wide as our kitchen shelf."

Norman grabbed Eve's legs, and the dog pulled them through the tunnel, under the trees and through an opening in a fence to the house,
at which they arrived around 2 a.m.

"It was the most heroic thing I've ever seen in my life," Eve said. "We opened the door and we just fell in and she laid on top of us and just
stayed there and kept us alive … that's where we laid until the fireman found us."

There was no electricity and no heat in the house, so Shana acted as a living, breathing generator for the exhausted Fertigs until the local
fire department arrived the next morning.

Concerned neighbors — many of whom had children Eve taught — who couldn't get hold of the elderly couple via telephone throughout the
night had called the Town Line Fire Department.

But when the fire department urged the Fertigs to go to the firehouse to take shelter along with 100 others, they told them they would have
to leave Shana behind.

"We said, 'we don't go anywhere without her.' ... I said, 'we'll stay until the people are gone and we'll take Shana,'" Eve said.

So the couple stayed at home with Shana until Sunday, when the firehouse emptied out. During the three days in a house with no power,
heat or hot water, Shana slept with her owners to keep them warm.
"She kept us alive. She really did," Eve said.

Also during that time, firefighters not only helped clear trees from their grounds, but they brought food and water for both human and animal.

"They kept looking at that tunnel and said, 'we've never seen anything like it,'" she said. "I can't thank them enough — they're heroes."

When they went to the firehouse Sunday, Shana followed the Fertigs everywhere, even to the bathroom. And she was 'spoiled rotten' by the
fire crews there, Eve said.

She said the fire chiefs said her story of being saved by her pet rejuvenated exhausted fire teams. "The story, they said, just gave them new hope."

A Lesson Learned

Last Thursday, Shana received the Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment's Hero's Award for bravery — an award traditionally given to humans.

The plaque, complete with Shana's picture on it, hangs in the Fertigs' living room, along with other pictures of wolves the couple has worked with.

Eve, who teaches courses in Saving Endangered Species and Caring for Injured and Orphaned Wildlife at community colleges and trains animal
rehabilitators in New York, said she hopes her story will help further her message of humanity toward animals and educate people about how
even a wolf, if treated with care and dignity, can be a "kisser and a hugger" like Shana.

"If you're vicious to a human being, they'll become fighters," Eve said, but even wolves, "once you treat them right and raise them in your house,
they're magnificent."

Eve has taught 400 adults to be wildlife rehabilitators. She and her husband are volunteers who pay for their own teaching licenses and caring
for the sanctuary animals, out of their Social Security checks every year.
"I've never been on a cruise and I don't shop and I haven't seen a movie in two years," Eve said.

The only time the Fertigs go to the movies is, of course, when they are submitting to a higher calling.

"What I do to get signatures for my petitions, I go to [a] movie that's showing a wolf, horse or whale story," and she and her husband camp
out outside the theater and get petitions signed to help save various animals, which they send along to wildlife organizations.

"I have a motto ... joint abilities don't create hostilities," Eve said. "I make it my business to talk to all groups, all conservationists, all hunting
clubs, to let them know what they're missing out there."

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/ShanaAldensHeroDog.jpg

Editor's Note: The Fertigs rely on food donations to help feed the injured animals they try to rehabilitate at their Enchanted Forest Wildlife
Sanctuary in Alden, N.Y. They told FOXNews.com that the Oct. 12 storm completely wiped out their supply of food. The Fertigs would
welcome any donations. Please contact them at 716-681-5918 if you would like to donate or volunteer.

Editor's Note II: After this story was published, Eve Fertig contacted FOXNews.com and said she received phone calls from all over the U.S.
with people asking about Shana's story and how they can donate food for the Fertigs animals, toys for Shana, or money for their sanctuary.

Mrs. Fertig asked that her address be published so people can send such items to them.

Their address is:
Mrs. Eve Fertig
Enchanted Forest Wildlife Sanctuary
11380 Cary Road
Alden, N.Y. 14004-9547

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/shanaandfertigs.jpg

lorettalockhorn

09-16-2007, 11:25 AM

Online Auction for Michael Vick Note Generates $10,200 to Combat Dogfighting:

http://hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/vick_note_ebay_091407.html

snipped: "Michael Vick ironically never made the most important apology - the one to the animals themselves. 'Dogs have suffered' is the only talking point he left out on that note.

dallasvic

09-19-2007, 07:14 AM

people like this make me ill

I'mSun

09-19-2007, 09:33 PM

NC Murder: Possible Vick Link Investigated
From NBC12 News

WBTV in Charlotte, N.C., is reporting that Michael Vick and his dogfighting partners are now being investigated for a possible connection to a murder.

More at link: http://www.nbc12.com/home/9883742.html

samanthajane13

09-21-2007, 02:28 AM

WAVY-TV

A murder investigation in North Carolina has led to the discovery of a possible link to the Michael Vick dogfighting investigation here in Virginia.

According to a story published in the Charlotte Observer, investigators at the Catawba County Sheriff's Office have found paperwork that may link Vick to Roy Thomas Melton, a 38-year-old pit bull breeder who was shot to death in April, said Capt. Roy Brown.

The report states that Melton's body was found at his home on South Beulah Road by a friend, and when authorities arrived at the trailer, they found 30 pitbulls.

The dogs, many of which were puppies, were subsequently euthanized.

For the past five months, Brown said, investigators have been reviewing paperwork from Melton's home. Some of the names found in Melton's documents are reportedly the same as names mentioned in an indictment against Vick.

Brown said he is not sure if the names mentioned are names of dogs or nicknames for other people.

samanthajane13

09-21-2007, 02:36 AM

Prosector: Vick still likely to face Surry County charges
By Veronica Gorley Chufo
Newport News Daily Press

SURRY, Va. — Whether Michael Vick will face local charges next week is still up in the air.

“I’m not going to move forward until I know everything is in place to successfully prosecute,’’ Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter said Wednesday.

Vick, 27, a Newport News, Va., native and suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback, pleaded guilty to federal charges related to dogfighting on Aug. 27 and will be sentenced Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He and three co-defendants admitted to operating Bad Newz Kennels, a dogfighting operation, out of property Vick owned on Moonlight Road in Surry County.

Poindexter previously said charges might come before September’s grand jury, which meets Tuesday. Since then, he said, both evidence and witnesses remain in the hands of the federal prosecutors.

Charges could come Tuesday “if the commonwealth can assure the grand jury at that time that witnesses, which we don’t have access to at this time, are going to be available,’’ Poindexter said.

“Witnesses that were available to the commonwealth were subsequently not available to the commonwealth because of their involvement with the federal prosecution,’’ he said.

Also, evidence seized when the dogfighting investigation started in April was turned over to federal prosecutors, Poindexter said.

But he said he plans to bring charges at some point.

“The things that occurred in Surry County have not been prosecuted at the federal level,’’ Poindexter said.

Vick and his three co-defendants were charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture.