Poll: NFL Fans Want Vick Banned For Life

Editor & Publisher:

A new Gallup poll, released today, finds that most pro football fans do not want Michael Vick playing in the National Football League ever again. The vast majority believe Vick should receive prison time for his involvement in dog fighting, "although most favor a short prison term over a long term," Gallup explains.

The poll of 1,001 adult was conducted last Thursday and over the weekend.

Read the whole story: Editor & Publisher

Comments

[oorfenegro]

10:39 AM on 08/29/2007

Vick will never play in the NFL again. Let's forget about the dogfighting for a minute. The real reason they NFL is freaked out over this is because of the gambling aspect of this incident. According to the evidence Vick set up the betting operations, although he claims he never actually made bets. In essence Vick was the CEO of an illegal gambling operation. Illegal gambling is kryptonite to pro sports. Former SF 49er owner Eddie DeBartolo was forced to give up his ownership of the Niners because his minor involvement with a gaming scandal that brought down the governor of Louisiana. Even though Eddie D fully cooperated with prosecutors, he has not been allowed to have any official involvement with the league, and probably never will. No athlete involved in illegal gambling have ever been reinstated by the NFL, NBA or MLB. Pete Rose's gambling is the reason he isn't in the hall of fame and why the league wants nothing to do with him. Given the recent NBA gambling scandal, the message the NFL is sending players is that if you're involved in illegal gambling, you're immediately out the league...the message to owners is that if you sign any player or coach connected any way to illegal gambling, you risk losing your franchise. Over time Vick could work as a commentator but because of the gambling thing, he'll never work in pro or college sports as a player, coach or executive.

[ResistanceisFutile]

10:29 AM on 08/29/2007

The only reason Vick should be banned from the NFL for life, is if his gambling has compromised the integrity of the NFL.

Vick should do time, at least two years, for dog fighting and the killing of dogs. He has plead guilty and must be punished.

There are several professions that do not allow convicted felons to work in that field. Playing football should not be one of them.

If no football owner wishes to associate theirself with Vick, it is their perogative.

[Independent voter]

10:05 AM on 08/29/2007

I agree - ban the bling bling king. The NFL does not need this kind of trash.

[ruddie]

09:11 AM on 08/29/2007

I dont understand. Somethings not right that there is so much passion about this.. It just seems all out of proportion to any sanity. He killed dogs, he didnt rape and murder.. he wasnt some sadistic scumbag who worked abu garab prison.. or worked in any other place where men and women are tortured behind closed doors in secret. We all know its happening.. constantly.
It seems there are some people who are ready to take Mr. Vick out in the dark of night and hang him. I for one hope he makes it through this.

[RusStyles]

09:44 AM on 08/29/2007

No...You don't understand because you're a rational, balanced-thinking human being. Also, you fail to ascertain how this crime is a "gateway" activity to other, more heinous crimes to mankind. Surely Timothy McVeigh, The Unabomber, the V-Tech mass murderer all probably killed and/or tortured defenseless animals before they transitioned to human killing machines. So, flush reason from your thinking, and perhaps this irrational reaction will seem, well...reasonable.

PS: When he's released, he better have enough money to hire 24 hour security, or he might indeed, become what Billy Holiday called: "Strange Fruit".

[argentino]

09:50 AM on 08/29/2007

the "strange fruit" hanging from the trees on michael vick's property were poor innocent dogs...

[RusStyles]

08:29 AM on 08/29/2007

LIR: In response to the below misplaced froth:

"Your contempt for animals shows you are subhuman, even less than the animals you want to have killed.

What the fuck does this have to do with Darfur? Your assinine logic reflects your immorality."

If you possessed a scintilla of common-sense, you'd have deduced that I was being tongue n cheek. Clearly it wasn't a literal suggestion to send dogs to Darfur. Though, if it happened, the genocide would stop--immediately. Look, I'm a dog and cat owner; they're treated better than many people--like Darfur--and there's something about that that knaws at my soul. And therein lies the connection. We get more emotionally incensed at dog-fighting than the wholesale slaughter of innnocent people--genocide! Where's the humanity in this...? Why aren't we pressuring China through PR, economic boycott, etc? This is just one example of why--when compared to a real human trajedy--the coverge and reaction to this case IS way overblown. And the fact that you and your ACDC brethren don't get it, is mystifyingly disconcerting.

I love my little furry freinds, but if my dog and kid are both drowning, and I can only save one of the two, "Shep" is going down. We need get a perspective here...

[WilliamWallace]

08:27 AM on 08/29/2007

So Do I.

[squareyellowpaper]

06:26 AM on 08/29/2007

I just can't believe that he threw away the generous opportunity he was given.

So many young boys in this country think that excelling in sports will be their ticket out of poverty. When you try to explain that their odds are not that great, they just don't listen.

If they spent as much time on their studies as they do on sports, it would be a better investment. So many want to go to college just to play a sport. Every one of these kids I have known, sets himself up for failure.

Every college athlete in this country should be required to take a class on personal finance management. So many who do make it have no idea what to do with their windfall bonuses and money from lucrative contracts.

I wish that every kid who wants to play professional sports could understand the lesson from this case. Unfortunately, few will.

[nihilon x]

10:34 AM on 08/29/2007

I think every junior high school kid should be required to take a course on personal finance management as well as ethical behavior and child rearing.

After all, its not just sports figures who seem to have these problems.

[Witchitalineman]

04:49 AM on 08/29/2007

I would like to have seen Vick say what he did was "wrong". It was far beyond just immature. He and his cohorts who participated in this evil activity are sociopaths and disturbed. I would never ever pay to see this man play football. He had choices and now deserves everything the judge gives him.

[RubberDuck]

04:07 AM on 08/29/2007

The judge in the case is known for giving stiff sentences. My guess, two years at least. Assuming the NFL puts on a band of a year or two afterward (which they should). Vick will be 30-32 when eligible to return to the field...even on the low end...he's done.

Who will want to pay a 30-year-old QB who hasn't played in 2-3 years?

Maybe the Arena League.

[Celldumceen]

05:44 AM on 08/29/2007

The wish full thinking of a extremist!

[POSTHRUDAHART]

11:34 AM on 08/29/2007

I get the dum part of your moniker, celldumheard would be a better choice.

[bil]

02:36 AM on 08/29/2007

I cant even begin to grasp what goes on in the mind of a grown man torturing & killing animals for pleasure.Cant even begin to understand the level of insensitivity & coldness needed .Anyone who can get enjoyment from such cruelty must be sick or Evil.Maybe both.

[argentino]

08:50 AM on 08/29/2007

so true!

[Celldumceen]

02:28 AM on 08/29/2007

Let the backlash to the backlash begin! Now that u crazy animal lovers have gone off the reservation, thousands of animals will pay the price for your irrational overreaction!

[POSTHRUDAHART]

11:32 AM on 08/29/2007

You are one sick puppy, Lucky for you you have taken subhuman form.

[esquire07]

01:21 AM on 08/29/2007

He will still wind up with Millions.

Makes me think of all the innocent Iraqis that American soldiers have killed like dogs to fill Bush/Cheney Oil and Arms pockets.

[TooLooze]

11:41 PM on 08/28/2007

What's sad is when a football player can not only be contrite, but do it fairly eloquently without notes. I wish Bush were more like Vick (animal cruelty notwithstanding).

[wadenelson1]

01:08 AM on 08/29/2007

Vick tortured and killed what, 300 dogs?

Bush has tortured innumerable Iraqi HUMANS and is responsible for the deaths of at least 600,000.

There's simply no comparison.

[Gumby123]

08:38 AM on 08/29/2007

wade, with talk like that you better hurry to the whitehouse and take Georgie down. Keep your head low and watch out for the secret service and always keep your tinfoil hat in good condition!

[GenericBlogger]

11:36 PM on 08/28/2007

A prison sentence is mandatory. A lifetime ban from the NFL is harsh. Let's see what happens after he will come out of prison, after the dust will settle.

If he can't play in the NFL again, he just might play football in Canada.

[RusStyles]

11:35 PM on 08/28/2007

Nommo:

Conserve your reason. And empathy...You're dealing with extremists here. Even when one agrees that MV was wrong; that he knew dog-fighting was illegal and deserves appropriate punishment; the American Canine Defense Clan is not satisfied. Paying his debt to society is insufficient--oh no!--he doesn't deserve a second chance to resume his athletic career. Some even suggest he receive the death penalty..You know, like the poor, defenseless dogs. When you point out the hyperbole in this case, they go into denial or ignore-the-point mode. And when PETA realized they had a high-profile celeb, well...you know how a farmer feels when it finally rains after weeks of dry, hot weather. Ecstatic! Man, they cleaned out the PR arsenal. They'll milk this "well" till the last drop.

What they should do is send all these dogs on death row in hundreds of pounds across the country to families in Darfur. Once a few dogs get killed by the Janjuweed, they'll be massive demonstration across the nation; boycott on Chinese goods, etc. I guarantee you the genocide will end. Talk later....

[Nommo]

11:54 PM on 08/28/2007

Got 'cha.

[LIR]

01:14 AM on 08/29/2007

Nommo conserve his reason? He lost it at "YO". And your absurd, repellent response is typical of someone who feels they have to "shock" to make a point. Your contempt for animals shows you are subhuman, even less than the animals you want to have killed.

What the fuck does this have to do with Darfur? Your assinine logic reflects your immorality.

[Nommo]

10:50 AM on 08/29/2007

Your contempt for humans is the only obvious thing here. Where exactly, what sentence or phrase allows you to construe a contempt for animals?