If Michael Vick is running dog and cockfights, he must be suspended for 2007
April 27, 2007 by William K. Wolfrum
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is being investigated for running pit bull fights and cockfights at a home he owns.
If Vick is innocent, I’ll gladly write a post saying so. If he’s guilty, he needs to be suspended every bit as harshly as Pacman Jones.
The news on Vick comes out a couple months after his teammate, defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux, was arrested for animal abuse for murdering his girlfriend’s dog.
From Pet-Abuse.com:
A search warrant has been issued for a property in Surry County owned by NFL Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick.
Vick does not live at the home. It is inhabited by Vick’s nephew. Police said Vick does not spend much time on the property.
The search warrant was granted by the Surry County Circuit Court. A state task force went to the property searching for a person that they believed may be on the property, but the person was not Vick. Investigators would not reveal the name of the person they were searching for.
While investigators were at the property, they discovered three buildings behind the home that housed several barking dogs.
“When they had a chance to go to the site, they discovered animal neglect,” Surry County Administrator Tyrone Franklin.
Franklin said that the dogs appeared to be hungry and forgotten.
Both state and county investigators were searching the property Wednesday afternoon. Several animal control trucks were also on the scene and dog barking was audible.
No further information about the warrant has been released at this time. More information will be available after the investigation is complete.
Early reports indicate that Vick was allegedly running a dog-fighting and cockfighting operation from the back of the home. The Virginia Animal Fighting Taskforce was on the scene. Authorities report that Vick had been under investigation for several years for illegal animal fighting.
Whether Vick likes it or not, he’s a role model, and is paid quite well to be one. In fairness to him, his side of the story has yet to be heard, and he doesn’t actually live at the house in question. Abusing animals is a sickness and generally the sign of a disturbed individual, however. If Vick is found guilty, or even had knowledge of what was happening on his property, the NFL needs to erase his 2007, at the very least. Of course, if guilty, he could be going away regardless.
If the NFL doesn’t act on this situation, however, then they are complicit. They would become a league that is pro-pit bull fighting and pro-cockfighting and pro-animal cruelty. It’s that simple.
–WKW
Personally, I think if he or any other professional athlete is guilty of such, then let them suffer the legal consequences. I just don’t see the necessity of connecting what happens on the field to what is going on off the field, with the exception of when what happens “off the field” affects “on the field”. Being in prison, for example.
I just don’t care for the whole “role model” idea. If you want some good moves to the basket or maybe would like to know how to blow 100,000 bucks on a craps game, Jordan is a great role model. Otherwise…meh.
You have a point, wonder cow, however, the NFL is committed to public services, supporting various charities, especially the ones that focus on kids. They really adopt the whole “role model” idea. How can a organization that support such initiatives not punish a player if he is involved in such cowardly crime as animal cruelty??? They have to.
“How can a organization that support such initiatives not punish a player if he is involved in such cowardly crime as animal cruelty???”
And this is why they take such disciplinary actions against their players, to keep up appearances and to not catch heat that would potentially hurt the bottom line.
Of course the NFL could stop marketing so strongly to young boys and stop holding up every standout athlete as a role model. But then think about how much money they would loose on the sell of Michael Vick bobble head dolls?
So, it’s a wash, I guess.
Hi. You might be interested in this post about Michael Vick from the Encyclopaedia Britannica blog. It has some background on the extensiveness and legalities of dog fighting.
[...] But the evidence is overwhelming – Michael Vick is a demented, dog-torturing fuck. When you’re a licensed dog breeder who owns a house where dog fighting takes place and has been called a “heavyweight” of dog fighting, I’m willing to forgo a jury’s affirmation and go out on a limb – Michael Vick likes to watch dogs kill each other for his amusement. [...]
[...] I’ll give Romney this – he’s no Michael Vick. But one would imagine a Presidential candidate might want to aim a little higher. [...]
[...] I’ll give Romney this – he’s no Michael Vick. But one would imagine a Presidential candidate might want to aim a little higher. Of course, no one expects any GOP candidate to ever take any responsibility for their actions. That’s just not their thing. [...]
[...] While there’s been no word from the NFL, it’s highly unlikely the Atlanta Falcons will keep Vick around, and the former Virginia Tech star really just needs to be shelved until the court case is resolved, and if found guilty, his football career must end. [...]
So he’s a licensed dog breeder, what breed?
I’m so disgusted by this guy, he’s such a scum-bag thug, and I hope he never plays professional ball again, he’s a damn idiot, and he sickens me. If the falcons keep him or just suspend him for a couple of games their idiots, I really do feel sorry for the fans, and any players that didn’t know anything about all this shit. Maybe he can start a league in Prison???? at least he’ll be able to run fast from the showers.
[...] With Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, the NFL acts before the courts do. With Michael Vick, they want to wait things out so the courts can decide. [...]
Let’s see him run one last time — lock the gates at BAD NEWZ kennel and let the surviving dogs loose on him and his posse.
Michael Vick is a big pussy , cruel and warped and should be put in prison so he can be in a cage too. We need to expose him for the torture of animals and make him pay. I hope others will see this is illegal and unacceptable dogfighting. I want to watch Vick get tortured. Call me if you need a woman to kick his pussy ass, I could beat his ass with my bare hands because he is such a wimp. I am a black belt and would enjoy every moment, I have trained all my life to defend myself against people like him. Vick wants to dominate smaller, defensless animals, wow, what a tough guy. Starving animals and torturing them on a daily basis is so crazy. Vick should be in a mental institution. It will be a pleasure to watch him loose all his endourcments and money. I hope he goes broke fast. Why do we pay people in sports so much money when they are so dumb. I am not going to watch football this year because of Vick, any football. There must be more guys like him on these teams. Why has no one exposed him before now. How many years has he done this? Football is for idiots after this and OJ, they have no brains! I would rather watch two old ladies knitting than watch those dumb dumbs run around on a field with a ball???????????????BORING
Rev Al said that we shouldn’t be in such a rush to Judge poor Michael Vick.
Hummm, Is this a “race” issue?
When did it become that?
[...] It is alleged that Michael Vick was a ringleader in a huge dog-fighting operation, as well as someone who apparently gained perverse pleasure in torturing dogs. Vick pleaded not guilty to the federal charges brought against him, but with the public clamoring for his head, the NFL has basically suspended him until further notice while all his sponsors, including Nike, have done the same. [...]