AP:
Michael Vick has pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback arrived at the downtown court building in a sport utility vehicle and walked into court flanked by his attorneys. His supporters erupted in a roaring cheer drowning out his opponents, silently holding signs.
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These so-called supporters of Vick are saying he should be forgiven for a mistake in judgment, he is not that kind of person and he should not be thrown out of football for the rest of his life because of this one thing.
Aren't these the same people who at the behest of Al Sharpton demanded and got the PERMANENT expulsion of Imus from radio and television for a 3 word comment on an obscure radio show that was heard by fewer people than watch an Atlanta Falcons game on one Sunday?
I assume Sharpton will be crawling out from under his rock soon to expound on how much of an injustice this is, that it is racially motivated and - most importantly - where you can send him donations so he can continue his fight against injustice (and live the life he has become accustomed to).
Sharpton is pretty "sharp" when it comes to this kind of stuff.
He has stuck his finger in the wind and based on public reaction, we won't see him even mentioning the word "Vick" unless someone asks him about it, such as on the Tucker show.
But I suspect he will tell Tucker "Don't ask me about Vick, don't even mention his name."
Sharpton came out against Vick from the very start but the media didn't make great mention of it.
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They would only be playing it up if he had defended Vick, as that would fit the stereotype.
Instead of making this about Sharpton, let's keep the focus on Vick.
sharpton has already come out against michael vick. old news, weeks ago.
Sharpton was one of the first people to come down on Vick ---and hard.
Oh good grief, Vick said in his phony assed, insincere speech that he has found God.
Why do all the creeps who are on the fast track to hell always find God.
That's so pathetic and no one believes it.
Hmmm.... didn't Paris Hilton say she found God too?
Just thinking out loud.
I have to admit that I rolled my eyes when he said he found God also. (my son immediately said "I didn't know He was lost", our standard joke to that statement)
I have to say though, his statement was well done other than that. He admitted to the lies and took full responsibility. Now if only he could stick with that I'd be impressed but I can't help but think we'll soon see him on Larry King blaming other factors.
I'll have to steal that line, cracks me up. "Did not know God was lost." Funny, funny, funny.
I would not give Vick an ounce of credit for that speech.
First, he had the whole weekend to prepare.
Second, it was stiff and obvious from the script he had in front of him.
Third, while I understand the need to not do so, he did not take questions. If he was truly repentant he would have thrown himself at the mercy of the people, aka, the media who had questions on our behalf.
Fourth, the speech, while it had some nice sounding buzz words, his statements were full of holes, all craftily written by lawyers.
Fifth, he said he made mistakes. Huh? How is engaging in dog fighting since high school a "mistake." When you press the wrong elevator button, that is a mistake. When you overcook the eggs in the morning because your attention was elsewhere, that is a mistake.
Saying "I have made some mistakes" is not repentance warranting forgiveness.
He also said "I need to grow up." What has that got to do with anything. Engaging in criminal behavior for 10 years and escalating his participation in such crimes each year, is not a "growing up" issue.
His speech was total BS.
I don't care if Vick is ever allowed to play football again. If he is picked up, he should be required to pay $1 million a year to the Humane Society of America for as long as his career lasts.
How can anyone be so morally and ethically bankrupt?
Michael Vic should be known by the content of his character.
Scum. Scum. Scum.
in the NFL,
if you beat a dog you gotta go
beat your woman and it's on with the show
what role models some of these guys are. There are many cases of spousal or girlfriend abuse in the NFL currently - where is that outrage?
Olerist_ Can you tell me specific names of players in the NFL that have abused their spouses?
Well OJ kinda sticks out in my mind. He still counts because he is in Florida, living off his NFL pension, and still abusing her, the latest with his book nonsense.
He continues to mock and abuse her name with his malicious behavior.
I think every time OJ is in the news we are reminded of THAT NFL player who has abused his wife.
patrick bates (assaulting pregnant girlfriend then kidnapping the baby and beating the mother with a gun), cornelius bennett (rape, sodomy and sexual abuse), lawrence phillips (assault), christian peter (arrested 8 times! including assault and rape), bam morris (felony drug), rae carruth (murder), pacman jones (arrested 5 times!), chris henry (aggravated assault with a firearm), steve foley (2 dui's), terrence kiel (selling drugs), whew! do i have to go on? my hand is getting tired...
Warren Moon
O.J. Simpson
Adam "Pacman" Jones
Frostee Rucker
Leon Searcy
Michael Pittman
Lionel Gates
Lamar Thomas
Did you think there weren't any or did you just want a list? This list is nowhere near exhaustive.
Too bad stupidity isn't painful. These idiots cheering on Vick would be some hurtin' individuals.
Supporters????
Y'mean there are people IN FAVOR of animal cruelty
it's a "cultural" thing
For someone who claims not to be one, you do one Hell of an impression of a racist!
I just looked at your profile: You ARE a bigot!
I can not understand the attitude of the mental defectives who stood outside the courthouse cheering for this sociopath.
WTF are these people thinking? Are these the same people who have sex with their sisters and think bush is doing a swell job?
I just don't get it. What planet are these people from, and how do we send them back?
Can anyone explain to me how the fact that this person tortured, maimed and murdered dogs - admitted to it even - is a race issue? What the hell is wrong with people to say that the only reason Vick is being convicted is because he is black - what a bunch of BS. There would be as much outrage if the guy was white, yellow, red, purple - whatever. He broke the friceken law. Besides, anyone who defends this kind of activity is just as depraved as Vick is.
It isn't a race issue and no one with an once of brains is saying it is.
Those who are saying it is a race issue are the same people who made Al Sharpton rich. Think about it. Who with a modicum of intelligence and a life would be waiting outside a courthouse in the middle of a workday Monday morning in order to shout their approval of a dog killer. Obviously natural selection goes only so far.
good point.....
By the way, the people that made Al Sharpton rich are the white media who pay him for his responses, ie, CNN, Fox News, etc. The victims aren't the ones that pay him, the media does.
One quick question -- if this is not a race issue, then why are you bringing race up?
Seems to me the best way not to make this a race issue would be to not make the first comment on this board about race, but rather individual character.
You are creating your own conflicts when you continually harp on the race issue, from either side of the equation.
let's talk about individual character and the character of all those making excuses for, rationalizing and diminishing this scumbags behavior..
I don't think he's the one raising the race issue, but simply responding to those who have, and will continue to do so. There have been many pundits, athletes, celebrities, and so on that have injected race into an issue that is purely about animal cruelty. The second we forget that, the easier it will be for this kind of thing to continue. In a way I am glad it was someone of Michael Vick's stature that got caught. If it had been a average ordinary guy, I doubt there would be this kind of spotlight. Most of the country would never know the horrible things these people do for "entertainment"
You are right, I am not African American, I brought up the race issue because it was brought up in the MSM almost immediately when this first came to light. It was a knee-jerk reaction - didn't mean to start anything.
You mention personal character. Vick is mega rich, African American and is(was?)the biggest name in the NFL. How many 28 year olds are set for life? Now for whatever reason(s), he blew all that and will have to pay the price.
Now turn to another big name w/talent, money, etc.: John Daly. A drug addicted white guy (booze, nicotine, gambling) who's been thru detox several times and goes thru money like drinking booze. He plays in tournaments with a can of beer and/or smokes on the course. I don't see anybody else doing that.
Now why is he allowed to do that?:
It's colorful
It adds to the game
Golf needs more characters like him
He has "issues"
Translation: He's a freaking fat drug addict! And as long as it maks money for the corporate media and pro golf they'll let it slide. And Daly knows that. How come the PGA commissioner doesn't suspend him? How come his endorsements haven't been cancelled? Again, as long as it maks money people will let anything slide. If Daly was African American, do you REALLY think that this behavior would slide? Of course not.
So while personally I'd really love to see race not be a factor in this, unfortunately right now it is. And the corporate media refuses to face reality.
Temper Temper!
As Mr O’Donnell pointed out, this is a complicated issue. I live in Alaska; I fish. My excuse for drowning an animal after dragging it from its environment by a hook is for sustenance. If Mr Vick ate dog would there be a difference?
Up here many folks take fish, bears, sheep, moose….. Just for wall ornaments, is this any less cruel.
Some white folk kill for sport.
Some black folk kill for sport.
Whites like powdered sugar, Blacks like rock candy, same thing but vastly different prison time!
As Mr O’Donnell said, something to think about when you wrap your lips around a juicy hamburger.
AKJM you raise a reasonable hand that we must pause to consider whilst we saw into our beefsteak, but cultural mores aren't that easily dismissed. That doggies have been "Man's best friend" since our troglodyte ancestors first tamed them means that, in a purely cultural context (leaving aside the issue of cruelty for a moment to address your points as i read them) MV is a bona fide creepasaurus who will never share again in the privlige (sp.) of wearing the colors of the NFL
The moral equivalency of killing different animals is not the issue here.
He is in Federal Court because he broke the law. He has pled guilty to a number of different crimes and will serve time in prison.
His race should have nothing to do with the sentence handed down, but historically this country has a poor record on racial equality in the legal system.
Oh, and good luck getting dog fighting legalized in a country that spends roughly $30B on their pets.
Thank Bill Clinton for the reason cocaine and crack cocaine have different sentences. He signed the harsh law on 'crack'.
How about that ! Maybe Clinton wasn't the 'first black president' afterall.
More importantly, you haven't heard the MSM relating dog fighting to the rap culture. SO typical of other races who are not black to blame the entire race of black people and their culture for one person who made a mistake.
All I have to say is that Pit Bulls have jaws that lock and it isn't like they fight, like most animals do, like poodles. Training them to fight is wrong but dogs are not the nuevo children. It is wrong to fight dogs, it is vicous and henious, however, dogs are not humans. I think most people who are outraged by this need to look in the mirror and find their moral compass because if you have more compassion for the life of a dog than the life of a human then you have issues.
DOGS are no the NEW kids! They are not the future of this country.
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First Posted: 08-27-07 10:47 AM | Updated: 03-28-08 02:44 AM