Vick set to cop a plea on dogfighting charges?
posted at 4:20 pm on August 14, 2007 by Allahpundit
His three co-defendants already pleaded out and are ready to roll over, which might actually be lucky for him: now, instead of taking his chances at trial and risking a longer sentence, he’ll plead early, get off relatively easy, and be able to profess forevermore that he was actually innocent and only made a deal because his pals were planning to throw him under the bus as part of their own deals.
He’ll do time, though. Not sure where that leaves his career.
If the announcement is that Vick has reached a plea agreement, the embattled star quarterback is expected to be sentenced to some time in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.
Vick’s motivation to enter a guilty plea is likely fueled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement last month that it will seek a new “superseding” indictment against Vick by the end of August. With the cooperation of Vick’s three co-defendants, there will likely be new, and more specific, allegations against Vick. The federal grand jury in Richmond is expected to hand up that indictment sometime early next week.
If Vick can reach an agreement by the end of this week, he would not have to answer to any additional charges.
This week, Vick learned that in the criminal justice system, friendship only goes so far.
No word yet on a suspension but the Falcons are prepared for the worst:
Tailback Warrick Dunn, who spoke to Vick recently, said Falcons players are already of the mindset that they’ll have to play without him.
“Mike is going to be missed, and he has been missed, but at the same time, you have to go on,” he said.
Exit question: Who does he catch on with after prison, the Cowboys or the Raiders?
Blowback
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What a fool. All that talent. All that wealth. All that admiration and love. All the good he could have done. All the warnings he got that the world was watching him and to be a good role model. He flushed it all down the drain to satisfy his need to watch animals destroy each other. How sad.
TheBigOldDog on August 14, 2007 at 4:24 PM
He catches on with no one after prison. I would think that any plea agreement will have him copping to betting on the dog fights, and professional sports do not react too kindly to someone who gambles on any kind of sporting event. I would hope that the lifetime ban hammer will get dropped on him when he gets out of prison.
Then again, Ray Lewis is still playing and he had a double murder rap against him until he threw his friends under the bus and took a drastically reduced charge.
Shivv on August 14, 2007 at 4:26 PM
I don’t think Al Davis and Jerry Jones could pick out a quality quarterback if he was serving them their martinis, so I’ll say: Both of them will bid for him furiously.
Vick is the best flanker every to play QB
albo on August 14, 2007 at 4:30 PM
I’d make this sadistic, thug pick up and dispose of 100,000 dead dogs – in the summer – at the Atlanta Animal Shelter. Let this pig wade in dead dogs – up close and personal.
OhEssYouCowboys on August 14, 2007 at 4:32 PM
What a loser! I hope his cellmate is a dog lover.
Masscon on August 14, 2007 at 4:35 PM
There is absolutely no chance that he’ll get within 100 yards of General Population
Shivv on August 14, 2007 at 4:37 PM
After prison Vick can only catch on with an organization that has absolutely zero moral compunctions. But the ACLU usually requires a law degree.
TunaTalon on August 14, 2007 at 4:39 PM
“The man” is after Vick. White people wouldn’t understand.
lorien1973 on August 14, 2007 at 4:41 PM
How about the Ravens so he can commiserate with Ray Lewis. Even better, how about a gig wrestling with ‘Pacman’ Jones?
Brat on August 14, 2007 at 4:41 PM
OT
BigOldDog:
You were very helpful yesterday on the Firefox Download Helper. Working fine. Thank you!
:D
leepro on August 14, 2007 at 4:42 PM
Probably down the crapper. If the new commissioner handles this in the same way he’s handled “Pacman” Jones and his antics, Vick will never play another down in the NFL.
Kowboy on August 14, 2007 at 4:42 PM
If he times it right he might be able to get PacMan Jones from the Titans to be his roommate.
volsense on August 14, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Glad to have helped.
TheBigOldDog on August 14, 2007 at 4:46 PM
I don’t think he ends up being charged with dog fighting. Just on the conspiracy charges. However, that should be enough to keep him off anyway.
amerpundit on August 14, 2007 at 4:47 PM
Well, Tony Romo has already been hyped up as the Savior of the NFL, so he has one more season to prove himself before the media goes onto the next overrated backup in their quest to find another Tom Brady.
The Raiders now have Dante Culpepper, a previous Savior of the NFL (and a lock, a lock I tells ya to win the Superbowl with the Dolphins last year), so they’ll be needlessly hyped for a few weeks until he sits out again.
Nope, Vick will either go to Marc Cubain’s fledgeling league, or Arena. He’ll most likely never set foot on an NFL field again.
crazy_legs on August 14, 2007 at 4:50 PM
How long will it be before the NFL begins to look like the NBA
Kini on August 14, 2007 at 4:56 PM
Maybe he’ll get off light with the public sector, he is a sports celebrity after all. But what about the private sector?
What is the NFL going to do about his illegal dogfighting, and the illegal gambling that goes hand-in-hand with it?
You can take the rat out of the hood, but you can’t take the hood out of the rat.
SilverStar830 on August 14, 2007 at 4:57 PM
If I was Vick, I would want to take it to trial. OJ Simpson, Snoop Dogg, Ray Lewis. Black celebrities have gotten away with murder. Surely a black celebrity can get away with dog fighting.
SoulGlo on August 14, 2007 at 5:11 PM
He’ll do a limited stretch (90-180 days, maybe), get a year or two from Skinner’s husband, and Lord only knows who he might play for in 2008 –or perhaps 2009.
Possible candidates: Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
Whatever pans out, he’s radioactive marketing-wise and has likely seen tens of millions evaporate.
Not an ounce of sympathy for this chump.
JammieWearingFool on August 14, 2007 at 5:11 PM
Prison Time: Good.
Exit question….too bad. I think the NFL should sharpen up and ban him from playing. ever. Convicted Felon. No Play.
Message needs to be sent.
Get some standards.
bridgetown on August 14, 2007 at 5:15 PM
The Bengals
I live here in Atlanta (Decatur actually) and the sports talk radio guys are all pretty much on the same page now. They are all saying his days as a Falcon are over no matter what at this point.
If he does admit to being guilty by taking the plea bargain then I certainly don’t want to see him in a Falcon uniform ever again nor any NFL jersey for that matter. However this is the same league that had a female owner draft Lawrence Phillips who was a known batterer of women so anything is possible.
Benaiah on August 14, 2007 at 5:17 PM
Assistant quarterback coach at Georgia.
On-my-soap-box on August 14, 2007 at 5:24 PM
Exit answer: Digging through dumpsters looking for scraps of food that stray dogs wouldn’t eat.
FloatingRock on August 14, 2007 at 5:27 PM
It’s so sad that someone with so much talent, and the world on a silver platter, would piss it all away to act like a common street thug. The Vick brothers are idiots.
BeachBaby on August 14, 2007 at 5:27 PM
I just wonder how much the Falcons will still have to pay him.
Labamigo on August 14, 2007 at 5:28 PM
He’ll do some time but not much. He’ll be suspended by the NFL for one year, possibly two. Then look for him in Washington. It’s close to home, Gibbs will be retired again and Daniel Snyder won’t let something like this stop him from lavishing mega bucks on #7. You heard it here first.
oilbertan on August 14, 2007 at 5:32 PM
Vick is in a lot…. a LOT more trouble now:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293268,00.html
RiteWingFascist on August 14, 2007 at 5:39 PM
Whadya mean “like” a common street thug? He “was” and “is” a common street thug. The fact that he got a multi-kajillion dollar contract doesn’t change that.
What good? He’s a punk with a contract. You and others persist in attributing moral value to wealth, as if it could make a difference to his character. It is a universal truth that money enables a person to be exactly who they are. Instead of being constrained by, for instance, the necessity of providing for one’s family, wealth removes constraints. A minority of the wealthy do much good in the world. A majority do great harm.
Not that I’ve got something against rich people; I don’t. I hope one day to join that party myself. But if I’m a skuzball, wealth won’t change that fact.
Splashman on August 14, 2007 at 5:40 PM
Holy crapola! Just… wow.
NTWR on August 14, 2007 at 5:44 PM
Pro athletes…going to the dogs.
right2bright on August 14, 2007 at 5:46 PM
That headline is a bit redundant! Or, it it really 63 billiob billion dollars. You never know these days with a $53 million dollar pair of pants!
On-my-soap-box on August 14, 2007 at 5:56 PM
What in heavens name is a billiob!
On-my-soap-box on August 14, 2007 at 5:56 PM
A thousand times a milliob, of course.
Splashman on August 14, 2007 at 5:57 PM
What’s interesting about this whole ordeal is that Rich McKay is the GM of the Falcons. When he was here in Tampa he always made it a point that he’d only hire guys who led a straight life; he didn’t want any criminals or punks. He even let people go because they would get into trouble during the off season. He left Tampa, in part, because Gruden wasn’t such a harsh disciplinarian like that. Now, in Atlanta, when his star player is the guy on the block, he can’t even get out a 4 game suspension. Incredible.
I used to respect McKay, too. He was a great GM here in Tampa. Where is his leadership in Atlanta?
lorien1973 on August 14, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Vick will be doing it doggie style
Zaire67 on August 14, 2007 at 6:14 PM
I honestly I am tired of hearing about Vick every time I read an article in the sport section of the Atlanta Journal Constipation (oh and by the way that is really the only thing worth reading in the AJC). Seems the AJC can’t mention anything about the Falcons without saying some about Vick. I will be glad when all this is behind the team.
Mofugger on August 14, 2007 at 6:21 PM
It’s allll coming together now.
NTWR on August 14, 2007 at 6:34 PM
He’s still subject to the whims of the owner/owners. No matter how McKay feels about a player’s personal life, the owner gets what the owner wants.
Kowboy on August 14, 2007 at 7:15 PM
As a Cowboys fan since the Staubach era … you better be wrong on that one. It would take a lot to make me an ex-fan (like I haven’t already dealt with enough!) … but Vick on that team would do it.
I don’t think any team will take him. Next to crimes against children (see that thread on Kreepy McKreeperson), crimes against animals are the ones that’ll really be remembered and really piss people off.
Any team that took him would have to be ready to lose a lot of money. And Vick ain’t that good.
Professor Blather on August 14, 2007 at 7:59 PM
You in Hotlanta? If so, I feel for you. I’ve been feeling really bad for local Falcons fans ever since this story broke.
I’ve had to watch something similar here in Nashville with Pacman Jones … but the Vick thing is a billion times worse. The face of your team tortured dogs for kicks. It’s hard to get much worse.
Joey Harrington’s your back up, right? (Correct me if I’m wrong.) If so, he might surprise you. Good luck this year. Hope the team kicks ass without him.
Professor Blather on August 14, 2007 at 8:02 PM
It’s not every day a man gets the opportunity from God to own an oasis in the countryside where he can relax, smoke a fine cigar, kick his feet up, and enjoy a vicious dog fight with his closest, dearest friends.
I’m going to buck the trend here and give the man mad props for keepin dis ril, yo. If a man lose his cred, he lose his manhood. This was a legit way for a man to get mad street cred and make some extra dogfighin’ loot to feed his family.
A MAN GOTTA FEED HIS FAMILY DON’T HE??????
Metro on August 14, 2007 at 9:38 PM
Raiders.
PRCalDude on August 14, 2007 at 10:26 PM
He better not get off easy. That will send a horrible message to the public.
Highrise on August 15, 2007 at 2:34 AM
I remember my disappointment when the Trailblazers became the “Jailblazers.” This is a zillion times worse. I’d be shocked and disappointed if Vick plays football again.
Ordinary1 on August 15, 2007 at 9:09 AM
In McKay’s defense, there’s two things happening:
1) Like Kowboy said, he’s at the whims of the owner (who’s name escapes me) who has always been Vick’s biggest supporter.
2) More importantly – Atlanta can’t serve a suspension until a) this whole thing gets sorted out, and b) any NFL suspension is dealt with. If the NFL suspends him for a year, Atlanta can then turn around and hit him with a 4-game on top of that.
So McKay’s hands are pretty well tied for the time being (and he’s pretty smart to keep quiet). I don’t think you’ll see him quiet for long after the NFL sorts out its decision, thopugh.
crazy_legs on August 15, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Have waded through literally, hundreds of comments on ESPN,here, Townhall, and others. From this small slice of public opinion, Vicks actions will not be forgotten after a measly 1 or 2 year suspension, following a trivial 6 month sentence. No team in the NFL will touch him.
captivated_dem on August 15, 2007 at 11:23 AM
You are correct sir Harrington is our new #1. Actually the falcons just signed Casey Bramlet anyone have a clue who that is? Bramlet, 6-4, 220 pounds, was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh-round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He was signed as a free agent by the Washington Redskins last year, but did not see any action. Bramlet broke the University of Wyoming’s career passing yards record with 9,864 career yards on 767 completions.
He is the only player in Wyoming history to pass for 3,000 yards in three different seasons.
More recently, Bramlet led the Hamburg Sea Devils to the World Bowl XV title. The quarterback was named MVP of the NFL Europa championship game after throwing for four touchdowns in the Sea Devils 37-28 victory over Frankfurt.
Screw Vick Bramlet is my man
Mofugger on August 15, 2007 at 4:36 PM
The owner is Arthur M. Blank
Mofugger on August 15, 2007 at 4:40 PM
He’s a perfect Raider.
The Sinner on August 15, 2007 at 4:51 PM