Vick to plead guilty
- Thread starter DaveMage
- Start date
Kahuna Burger
First Post
The hubby was commenting on an interesting subtext of his plea. He made a thing of saying that he invested no money and never bet on the dogs - presumedly to avoid NFL sanctions for a gambling conviction. But that leaves him basicly saying "I was involved in a dog fighting ring, but I wasn't in it for the money."
It's a very odd situation, imo, when a semi public figure is more willing to implicitly admit to being a sadist than a gambler.
It's a very odd situation, imo, when a semi public figure is more willing to implicitly admit to being a sadist than a gambler.
Vraille Darkfang
First Post
Here's what I don't understand.
The guy wants to Dog Fight.
Which is illegal..... In this country.
Vick had signed a NFL Contract for over 100 Million & had Endorsement Deals bringing in Millions More.
If he absolutely had to Dog-Fight, Why not set up shop somewhere in the Caribbean or Mexico (is dog fighting legal in Mexico?)
He had enough money to set it up, get some tax advice on how to deal with the IRS & then....
He'd just have to deal with the Public Backlash & NFL Policies without the Threat of Serious Jail Time.
Vick just seemed to by one of those guys who had problems Breaking Ties with those Elements that were just going to hurt him in the end.
Vick had it all.
And then he threw it all away (in a carefully thought out Illegal Dog Fighting Cartel, this is a pretty big operation that went on for several years).
I doubt he'll ever play in the NFL again (more due to telling Goodell "I NEVER was involved in Dogfighting" than actually no GM ever taking a chance on him again).
He'll probablly get a shot at the Arena League, Maybe Canada. If the Jail time is minimal, he works out OK elsewhere, & he REALLY, REALLY, works hard at saying (and DOING) the right things, he might be let back in & some time'll take a chance on him as a Backup.
But if the Judge slaps the full 5 Years on him, He might never play again.
The guy wants to Dog Fight.
Which is illegal..... In this country.
Vick had signed a NFL Contract for over 100 Million & had Endorsement Deals bringing in Millions More.
If he absolutely had to Dog-Fight, Why not set up shop somewhere in the Caribbean or Mexico (is dog fighting legal in Mexico?)
He had enough money to set it up, get some tax advice on how to deal with the IRS & then....
He'd just have to deal with the Public Backlash & NFL Policies without the Threat of Serious Jail Time.
Vick just seemed to by one of those guys who had problems Breaking Ties with those Elements that were just going to hurt him in the end.
Vick had it all.
And then he threw it all away (in a carefully thought out Illegal Dog Fighting Cartel, this is a pretty big operation that went on for several years).
I doubt he'll ever play in the NFL again (more due to telling Goodell "I NEVER was involved in Dogfighting" than actually no GM ever taking a chance on him again).
He'll probablly get a shot at the Arena League, Maybe Canada. If the Jail time is minimal, he works out OK elsewhere, & he REALLY, REALLY, works hard at saying (and DOING) the right things, he might be let back in & some time'll take a chance on him as a Backup.
But if the Judge slaps the full 5 Years on him, He might never play again.
L
Lewis526
Guest
I wonder if Vick didn't really have an interest in the dogfighting itself, but saw it as a way to stay connected with his old friends from home.
Think about it this way: you know a guy from your neighborhood who's a supermillionaire, and he considers you and your neighborhood to be a part of his "roots." You want to start a big dogfighting business, but you don't have the capital to get it started. Why not call Mike and see if you can get him to invest in it? You'd get the money you need to run your gambling ring, and he'd get to claim "street cred" by being involved in it.
From Vick's perspective, once he'd been peer-pressured into putting up the money to get the dogfighting ring established (buying the property, etc.), he'd naturally have an interest in its success: he'd want some kind of payoff for the money he spent on it. That interest would naturally lead him to increasing involvement in the organization.
This explanation doesn't excuse the fact that he was directly involved in an illegal gambling establishment that ritually tortured and executed dogs for sport. On the other hand, I can't imagine any other way to explain Vick's involvement without writing him off as a sadist. The world will probably never know what his real motivations were, because history has shown us that the most efficient way for a pro athlete to ruin his career is to open up to the press. Vick's best move, now that he's been caught redhanded, is to keep as low a profile as he can until he completes his sentence, and then live as quiet a life as he can while he considers a comeback. He didn't have the wisdom to get rid of his thug friends, and he didn't have the conscience not to torture dogs, but he might have the sense to keep mum about as much as he can for as long as he can.
From an Atlantan's perspective, I'm glad that we now have a starting quarterback who passes better than he rushes. I suspect the Falcons' receivers share that sentiment.
Think about it this way: you know a guy from your neighborhood who's a supermillionaire, and he considers you and your neighborhood to be a part of his "roots." You want to start a big dogfighting business, but you don't have the capital to get it started. Why not call Mike and see if you can get him to invest in it? You'd get the money you need to run your gambling ring, and he'd get to claim "street cred" by being involved in it.
From Vick's perspective, once he'd been peer-pressured into putting up the money to get the dogfighting ring established (buying the property, etc.), he'd naturally have an interest in its success: he'd want some kind of payoff for the money he spent on it. That interest would naturally lead him to increasing involvement in the organization.
This explanation doesn't excuse the fact that he was directly involved in an illegal gambling establishment that ritually tortured and executed dogs for sport. On the other hand, I can't imagine any other way to explain Vick's involvement without writing him off as a sadist. The world will probably never know what his real motivations were, because history has shown us that the most efficient way for a pro athlete to ruin his career is to open up to the press. Vick's best move, now that he's been caught redhanded, is to keep as low a profile as he can until he completes his sentence, and then live as quiet a life as he can while he considers a comeback. He didn't have the wisdom to get rid of his thug friends, and he didn't have the conscience not to torture dogs, but he might have the sense to keep mum about as much as he can for as long as he can.
From an Atlantan's perspective, I'm glad that we now have a starting quarterback who passes better than he rushes. I suspect the Falcons' receivers share that sentiment.
Ranger REG
Explorer
I'm just lucky I don't have friends involved in shady dealings.
If I found out one of my friends is into that, I'd sever all ties between us.
Plus, I make it a rule, don't loan money out to friends unless you know where it is being spent.
If I found out one of my friends is into that, I'd sever all ties between us.
Plus, I make it a rule, don't loan money out to friends unless you know where it is being spent.
I can't speak to the way things work in other countries, but in the good ol' US of A, we have a nasty habit of not telling atheletes and entertainers "No!" As a result, they grow up with a sense of entitlement & untouchability that wouldn't seem out of place in a medieval court.
There are all kinds of atheletes who have tossed away lucrative professional careers over utter garbage. A few years ago, a couple of linemen from a Florida university were so good they were universally expected to be drafted in the 1st or second round. That translates into large signing bonuses.
Mere months before the NFL draft, they were busted for burglarizing a home. A crime that would have netted them a couple of hundred dollars between them in electronics instead cost each of them their freedom and millions of dollars.
Ricky Williams showed every indication of having the talent to be a Hall of Fame running back in the NFL. Unfortunately, he has shown an even greater indication of being a big pothead, his NFL career essentially vanishing in a puff of bluish smoke.
In addition, there may just be something wrong with the current generation of Vicks.
Vick's brother Marcus, also on the path to fame & glory, was dismissed from VT's college team "due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play," got selected by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, currently has a conviction for "brandishing a firearm" and is facing legal actions involving fraud & sex with a minor.
And the reason Michael Vick got caught in the first place is a cousin of his, busted for a drug charge, listed Vick's house as his legal residence...which meant the cops could go in and search it.
There are all kinds of atheletes who have tossed away lucrative professional careers over utter garbage. A few years ago, a couple of linemen from a Florida university were so good they were universally expected to be drafted in the 1st or second round. That translates into large signing bonuses.
Mere months before the NFL draft, they were busted for burglarizing a home. A crime that would have netted them a couple of hundred dollars between them in electronics instead cost each of them their freedom and millions of dollars.
Ricky Williams showed every indication of having the talent to be a Hall of Fame running back in the NFL. Unfortunately, he has shown an even greater indication of being a big pothead, his NFL career essentially vanishing in a puff of bluish smoke.
In addition, there may just be something wrong with the current generation of Vicks.
Vick's brother Marcus, also on the path to fame & glory, was dismissed from VT's college team "due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play," got selected by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, currently has a conviction for "brandishing a firearm" and is facing legal actions involving fraud & sex with a minor.
And the reason Michael Vick got caught in the first place is a cousin of his, busted for a drug charge, listed Vick's house as his legal residence...which meant the cops could go in and search it.
Hey, thanks for that update on the CFL! Good on 'em!
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