Vick Latest NFL Star In Trouble With Law

ve heard it all before. High profile athletes accused ofNFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy quickly responded
a heinous crime, convicted in the court of publicby saying, “We agree with them that dog
opinion before receiving their due process.fighting is cruel, degrading and illegal. The alleged
We saw it with Kobe. We saw it with the Dukeactivities are very disturbing and we are extremely
lacrosse players. We are seeing it everyday with thedisappointed Michael Vick has put himself in that
Barry Bonds homerun chase. Now we are seeing itsituation.
with Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick.“We are having extensive dialogue with
When Vick entered the league as the No. 1 draft picknumerous groups and individuals including the ASPCA
of the Falcons out of Virginia Tech it seemed as if heand are reviewing all of our options to deal with this
could do no wrong. The excitement that he broughtas quickly as possible.”
to the Georgia Dome initially crossed racial lines, as heAccording to the AP, the indictment alleges that Vick
brought all colors together while leading the Falconsand his co-defendants began the dog fighting
to the NFC championship game in 2004.operation in early 2001, his rookie year. The
However, when Vick began to struggle on the fieldindictment alleges that eight young dogs were put to
he also began to struggle to regain the confidence ofdeath in April 2007. They were killed “by
White Falcons fans. Many White fans lobbied forhanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one
former Falcons backup Matt Schaub to replace Vick,dog’s body to the ground.”
while African Americans in the Atlanta area faithfullyVick also allegedly gave permission to douse a losing
supported their embattled quarterback throughout hisa dog with water before electrocuting it.
polarizing career.Vick claims he rarely visited the home and was
That support or lack of support has seemed tounaware that it was being used for a criminal
follow Vick as he prepares to face his toughest foeenterprise.
to date, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern DistrictBecause of the charges, Nike has suspended the
of Virginia.release of Vick’s latest signature shoe, the
According to the AP, Vick, and three otherAir Zoom Vick V. However, Nike has not dissolved
defendants, are charged with competitive dogtheir contract with Vick, instead choosing to let the
fighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting andmatter play out in a court of law.
conducting the enterprise across state lines. IfDespite still having some level of support from the
convicted, the four defendants could face up to sixNFL and Nike, Vick has lost the confidence of many
years in prison and $350,000 in fines and restitution.Atlanta Falcons fans. Support for Vick is usually
Almost immediately, organizations such as PETA anddrawn on racial lines, with a majority of White fans
the ASPCA began urging NFL commissioner Rogerbelieving the Falcons should release Vick, while Black
Goodell to “sack Vick” for the entirefans believe that Vick should receive his due process,
2007 season like he did with Adamaccording to an ESPN poll.
“Pacman” Jones.McCarthy added, “The activities alleged are
“We think they should do the same withcruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick’s guilt
Michael Vick,” said Don Shannon, an assistanthas not been proven and we believe that all
director of campaigns for PETA. “Weconcerned should allow the legal process to
don’t think that their ‘wait anddetermine the facts.”
see” attitude goes far enough. If theyDespite initially showing support, at REGAL press time
suspend Pacman Jones, they can suspendthe NFL ordered Vick not to report to Falcons
Vick.”training camp pending an investigation by the league.