Vick Pleads Guilty

[statsman]

Michael Vick quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League in the US pled guilty today (Aug. 27) to running dog fights.

This would be the equivilent in the UK of Beckham pleading guilty to operating **** fights.

Even the American football fans are outraged at these charges. Vick will be sentenced in December. The League has already suspended Vick for the upcoming season and the best guess is he will be suspended for life.

Vick could get up to 10 years in prison.

 

[boblarson]

It always amazes me how some people jeopardize some big money for something STUPID. Now he's going to prison and misses out on $100 Million. What a schmuck!

 

[Alc]

This would be the equivilent in the UK of Beckham pleading guilty to operating **** fights.

Strictly speaking, it would the equivalent of Beckham pleading guilty to operating dog fights (we have dogs in the UK, too ).

Know what you mean, though. I though the news article was a spoof, until I saw it on a few channels. The guy seems to think he's above the law, now that he's famous? Can't think of any other reason why he'd risk everything.

 

[rainman89]

This would be the equivilent in the UK of Beckham pleading guilty to operating **** fights.

Vick isn't THAT big of a star, so comparing him to Beckham may be alittle too much. isnt Beckham a national star

 

[GaryPanic]

we should let the dogs loose on them .
then kick him in th enuts - just for good measure .
selfish barstard .
g

 

[Alc]

Vick isn't THAT big of a star, so comparing him to Beckham may be alittle too much. isnt Beckham a national star

Fair point. I don't follow the sports here in North America, but the guy's not at the level of Michael Jordan, in terms of fame, is he?

Like him or not, few people could realistically argue that Beckham isn't about as famous as a sports-based personality gets.

 

[rainman89]

Fair point. I don't follow the sports here in North America, but the guy's not at the level of Michael Jordan, in terms of fame, is he?

Like him or not, few people could realistically argue that Beckham isn't about as famous as a sports-based personality gets.

not even close. i mean he is good at what he does but nowhere near the caliber of MJ

 

[Alc]

So, just for ignoramuses like myself, if we were talking Hollywood, would Michael Vick be more at the Tom Cruise/Will Smith end of the scale or down at the Jean-Claude Van Damme/Steven Seagal straight-to-video end of things?

 

[rainman89]

id say in between. hes a great runner, but not the best quarterback.

 

[boblarson]

id say in between. hes a great runner, but not the best quarterback.

Agreed - it's his running ability (as compared to most American Football quarterbacks) that really made him stand out. It was his ability to get away from people and make things happen that was his strong suit. In fact, it actually could have hurt the team as I saw on a recent NFL broadcast that they were saying that he was the leading rusher on the team and that the receivers didn't have that many catches in the last couple of years, which means he was running more than passing which may look good, but it doesn't necessarily mean overall success.

It was good to see the decent showing that the Atlanta Falcons put together versus the Cincinatti Bengals the other night where Joey Harrington (former University of Oregon player - yippee!!) did a good job.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Michael Vick's talent as a USA Football quarterback could be best described as well above average but not a true superstar. Compared to Bart Starr or Joe Montana when either of those guys was in prime condition, Vick would be lower rated. But then again he was still a dangerous guy on the field because of his elusive style of running.

From what I have heard, this descent into the depths of stupidity might cost him as much as $350 million (USA) over the potential length of his career. About the only thing he did right was to admit his guilt. Whether he was sorry about his actions or his misfortune in getting caught, he at least admitted to being sorry about the whole thing.

I won't justify his actions - because I can't - but then again, I can't justify the actions of some of the citizens of Louisiana who were OUTRAGED to hear that the state has finally passed an anti-cockfighting law, to take effect (I think) Jan 1. For some people, animal fighting and betting is a way of life.

Then there is the story of the young man from south Louisiana who was recruited by the FBI to investigate the cockfights. He returned to his contact with a report that the Mafia, the Cajuns, and the Texas Aggies were involved in the organization he had discovered.

His boss said, "How do you know that the Cajuns were involved?" The young agent said, "They brought a duck to the cockfights."

His boss said, "How do you know that the Texas Aggies were involved?" The young agent said, "They were betting on the duck."

His boss said,"How do you know that the Mafia was involved?" The reply? "The duck won."

 

[MrsGorilla]

I never thought he was that great of a quarterback to begin with. Yes, he grabbed everyone's attention because he could scramble out of most situations, but once he did he couldn't do anything (except run the ball himself). One of the most integral parts of being a quarterback, being able to pass the ball, was lost on him.

I'm sure right now he's mostly sorry that he got caught. Maybe he is truly sorry, but I don't know, nobody knows what's truly in his heart except him. I just find it hard to believe that he could be involved in it for so long, participate in killing animals, and lie to those around him about his involvement right up to the very end even when it started crashing down around him, and not know or care that these things were wrong when he was doing them. Then he gets caught and he's sorry. Hmmmm.

Hopefully he'll have plenty of time to reevaluate his morals and his priorities now.

 

[Rich]

What am I missing here, it's perfectly acceptable, even considered good sport to blast an animals brains out but it's evil to watch them fight each other?

 

[Alc]

What am I missing here, it's perfectly acceptable, even considered good sport to blast an animals brains out but it's evil to watch them fight each other?

There's a weird sort of double-standard held by a lot of people I've talked to, here (Canadians and Americans). If you said you were going away this weekend to shoot something - deer, bear, or whatever - you're seen as a macho, hunter-provider type of a guy. If you said you were going away to beat an animal to death with a crowbar, you'd more likely be seen as sick.

Likewise, dog fights? Barbaric. **** fights? Awful. Me and the guys killed a deer to show how tough/clever/resourceful we are? Admirable.

I don't know if it comes down to the whole 'sporting' aspect a certain type of people associate with guns, but it's weird to listen to.

 

[GaryPanic]

Alc - good point

Although I have nothing against hunting a deer and killing it with 1 shoot
i think what outrages most people is the suffering

Fox hunting I am against - but killing a fox with a gun - i am ok with
Deer hunting the same as long as they are not chased all over the place then I don't have the same problem

double standards ehmmmm. maybe but I think I am making a distintion (?)(not a good one I grant you)

g

 

[Alc]

Alc - good point

Thanks. I tried to avoid wording it in a way that could just be dismissed as 'US-bashing'.

Although I have nothing against hunting a deer and killing it with 1 shoot
i think what outrages most people is the suffering

If it were always one shot, I can see the point. I know there are times when culls are necessary, etc. so other than the scale involved, it's no different to using a mouse trap in a house. However, if I understand it correctly, it takes a very good shot to kill something with a single shot. Unless everyone who goes hunting is that good (and having met some of them I know this isn't the case), there's still a fair bit of suffering involved, isn't there?

Fox hunting I am against - but killing a fox with a gun - i am ok with

Agree, there - the previous comment about suffering notwithstanding.

double standards ehmmmm. maybe but I think I am making a distintion (?)(not a good one I grant you)

Ah, but if there were one definitive answer where would be the debate?

 

[MrsGorilla]

Also, most of the people involved in hunting over here use they meat from the animal. They aren't just doing it for the fun of the kill. It also helps keep populations under control, which is why the seasons are strictly adhered to. Hunting outside the season is illegal.

What am I missing here, it's perfectly acceptable, even considered good sport to blast an animals brains out but it's evil to watch them fight each other?

If you don't understand it by now, you never will.

 

[Alc]

Also, most of the people involved in hunting over here use they meat from the animal. They aren't just doing it for the fun of the kill.

I've read that in quite a few of the threads on this forum. I also know I've met at least 30 people who hunt - both US and Canadian - since arriving in North America and have yet to hear the nutritional aspect being important to them. Without exception, it's been a chance to take a weekend away with some friends, drink beer, and kill something.

The proportion who leave what they killed behind s it's too mch work to trek it back to their turck, or who come out with comments along the lines of 'Well, I know we wounded it, 'cos we found blood, but we couldn't be bothered chasing after it to finish it off' is quite depressing.

 

[rainman89]

The proportion who leave what they killed behind s it's too mch work to trek it back to their turck, or who come out with comments along the lines of 'Well, I know we wounded it, 'cos we found blood, but we couldn't be bothered chasing after it to finish it off' is quite depressing.

they aren't hunters.. they are killers..

 

[Alc]

they aren't hunters.. they are killers..

Yep.

But I find it hard to believe that the only ones who do it happen to be the few dozen that I've met, and that all others kill with a single shot, stick strictly to the seasons and areas permitted by law, only kill animals which need to be culled, and eat everything they kill.