Michael Vick Is A Dog Killer And A Liar

As you have surely heard by now, Michael Vick was finally indicted on federal charges relating to his involvement with dogfighting.

For a particular dog fight, the participants would establish a purse for the winning side, ranging from the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Participants and spectators would also place side-bets on the fight. The dog fight would last until the death or surrender of the losing dog. At the end of the fight, the losing dog was sometimes put to death by drowning, hanging, gunshot, electrocution, or another method.

The actual indictment places Vick at the property and being actively involved in the training, fighting and gambling on more than one occasion, so this isn't just a matter of him owning the property and having no idea what goes on there. In fact...

Further, in April 2007, an additional "testing" session was performed by Peace, Phillips, and Vick. Following that session, the indictment alleges that approximately eight dogs were put to death by hanging, drowning, and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground.

For those who don't remember, Vick had a meeting with Roger Goodell on April 28 to discuss his involvement with the dogfighting ring. Vick claimed he never visited the property and was unaware of anything that went on there. So either several eyewitnesses and hundreds of investigators are all wrong, or Vick lied to the commissioner. Which is more likely? I know it's a headscratcher, so take your time.

I don't see how the commissioner can't suspend Vick. Goodell hasn't been shy about handing out suspensions to players who have been charged with crimes without being convicted. Granted, those players are repeat offenders, but the scope and severity of Vick's crimes go above and beyond anything Pacman Jones, Chris Henry or Tank Johnson has been accused of. Johnson had a whole bunch of guns but was never accused of hurting anyone with them. Waiting the season out for the trial to unfold and allowing Vick to collect game checks in the meantime would be terribly inconsistent send the message that Vick, despite the severity of the charges, is more important than other players in the league. The more interesting question, though, is what Arthur Blank will do. He's a no-bullshit kind of guy and doesn't like seeing the good name of his franchise slammed to the ground like Vick does with dogs. But the investment the team has in Vick both financially (thanks, Rich McKay!) and from an image perspective is enormous. They really made Vick the face of the Falcons, so just releasing him would kill their salary cap for the next two years and essentially leave the team without an identity or a leader on the offense. On the other hand, this indictment will haunt the Falcons every day in training camp. They can say publicly that it won't be a distraction, but after a day or two of nothing but Vick and pitbull questions, you know they're going to get sick to death of it. How will that affect the team on the field? Maybe Blank will release him to just to cut his losses so they can move on with the season without the added media attention. They'll still get the questions, but at least Vick himself won't be right there and the other players can give answers like, "He's not with the team anymore. I'm just concentrating on what's happening on the field."

In my opinion, the commissioner should suspend Vick now and remain consistent with his conduct policy. If the policy can take a superstar like Vick down, the rest of the players know that no one is above the law. Arthur Blank should release Vick and write off the whole Michael Vick experiment as a learning experience in how to misuse talent. The Falcons can ride Joey Harrington for the season (or, in an interesting twist, sign Daunte Culpepper on the cheap to compete with him again) and look for their future quarterback in the 2009 offseason when Vick's cap hit is finally settled. Vick needs to be persona non grata in the NFL.

And no photo of Vick. Fuck him. After being inundated with a story of animal abuse all day, we need a reprieve. Here's a cute little puppy to make you feel better. Support your local SPCA.