1. yeah, i'm not sure how that will work. his first hurdle is reinstatement. his next is getting team to pick him up. i don't know how that will play out, honestly...but my guess is SOMEONE would give him a run if he's reinstated. 2. i'm with you. i agree. i have a hard time believing he'll be dealing with a plea involving anything less than what has already been brought against him. we'll see....pretty soon, i guess.
http://www.ajc.com/falcons/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/08/15/vick_0816.html This article is from the Atlanta paper an hour ago. It won't let me copy the article. It says: 1. 2 sources are telling the paper that Vick will "mostly likely" enter a guilty plea; 2. he hasn't made a decision only because he's waiting to hear what the NFL's response would be to a guilty plea; 3. he could enter the plea in court as early as next week, bu they're giving him until Friday to make his decision; 4. according to the sources, the superseding indicment contains at least one RICO charge -- which carries with it 20 years. this will not be pursued if he enters a plea soon.
Even if Vick serves just one year and Goodell lets him come back for the 2009 NFL season, his athleticism and already poor passing skills will be diminished when he gets out. Without his incredible athleticism, Vick is not an NFL-caliber quarterback. Plus, he will be off the pedestal and no team will guarantee him anything (read: money) if they sign him. Without the smoke and mirrors of "potential" to prop him up, Vick would have a tough road. He would have to really dedicate himself to football like (rumor has it) he hasn't been willing to do since signing his $100MM deal.
Come on, man...that's what prison football is for! If he led a ragtag group of inmates to victory against the guards, he could pretty much pick his team after he gets out...
I doubt Goodell gives him any assurances.......and I wonder if the Falcons are looking to terminate that contract of his. DD
I think after he serves his time he should be allowed to return to the NFL That said, I don't think any team will touch that publicity nightmare. He'll end up in Europe, AFL or CFL --- someone desperarte for any kind of media attention.
Problem with that is NFL Europa doesn't exist anymore and there are rumors that the AFL is going to be taken under the NFL's wing. I'm trying to figure out how he can possibly make money outside of football after he gets out of jail. Clearly, he is no Rhodes Scholar and I doubt any network would touch him for broadcasting. Maybe he should be talking to OJ on how to make money while being the human equivalent to toxic waste.
I wouldn't exactly compare Vick to O.J. Do not get me wrong, dogfighting is cruel, inhumane, and sickening but I don't think it compares to the murder of human beings.
Not comparing the crimes, but the fact that no one will want to have anything to do with him when the dust settles (just like OJ).
People are upset with OJ because they feel that he got away with murder. If Vick admits to his part in dog fighting, does his time, and appears remorseful, I think people will give him a second chance.
You better believe the Falcons were looking for a way to nullify that contract from the moment he was indicted. Isn't their owner the one that is very strict on issues like this? My guess is a guilty plea will kill his current contract, and I'm guessing he doesn't come back to the NFL. There is one thing Michael Vick can do to save his career IMO. He has to plead guilty, serve his time without complaining, and hold a nice big press conference where he talks about what he did wrong, how sorry he is, how wrong it was, and he better be a damn good actor and make it convincing. America is a sucker for an apology, and the media loves the "reclamation project" story.
I read the first 17 pages then gave up before skipping to page 22. I have some comments then a question: the comment: I am incredibly happy to see that most everyone here finds these crimes to be heinous and disgusting. If Michael Vick is guilty of these crimes I hope he never plays another game and loses his contracts with Nike, the NFL, etc and all of the revenue that entails. (and I believe that's well over 100 million dollars) I think, rightly or wrongly, Vick's celebrity is bringing a whole lot of light to the issue of dog fighting and hopefully it will lead to some of these morons realizing it is a serious crime and that most good/rational people consider it to be appalling behavior. I think that's a good thing. Now the question: Why does everybody care what pgabriel thinks? This thread contains about 15 pages of people arguing with the guy and, honestly, I don't even think his position is that extreme. And I'm an animal rights advocate. Whatever. So the guy thinks this isn't as serious as Ray Lewis. Who cares?
With all this talk of Vick never returning to the NFL, I don't see it. Certainly, the Falcons are going to void that contract and will ask for the signing bonus back. But Vick is way too talented, and plays a way too important position on the field, for teams not to give him a second chance. Remember, we're not only a society big on overlooking conduct in favor of talent, but also a society with a very short memory. Provided Vick manage to stop creating more stories and just serve his time, some QB-deficient team is going to take a risk on him in a couple of years. And when he speeds into the endzone on an incredible run, I'm guessing the fans of his team will suddenly manage to forget all the crap he did.
I don't think any owners want constant picketing by the Humane Society and PETA at every game when Vick is on their team. He will never take another snap in the NFL.
