Michael Vick To Plead Guilty

BobbyFord

BobbyFord

Secret Agent Man
Contributor
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
73,216
Points
1,033
Location
Southern California.
Report: Vick agrees to plea deal, prison possible


Prosecutors offering Vick 18-36 months, sources tell CNN

Three of Vick's co-defendants have pleaded guilty in dog fighting case

NFL has not announced how Vick's career would be affected by plea
From Mike Phelan
CNN

(CNN) -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has accepted a plea deal that could send him to prison, ending a federal dogfighting prosecution that jeopardizes his pro football career, a Virginia newspaper is reporting.

Vick will plead guilty to felony conspiracy next Monday, defense attorney Lawrence Woodward told the Virginian-Pilot, of Norfolk, Virginia.

The newspaper reports that the plea will help Vick avoid additional federal charges.

"Mike's accepting full responsibility," Woodward told the newspaper. "He's going to do everything he can personally and professionally to make this situation right."

Federal prosecutors had offered a deal recommending an 18- to 36-month prison sentence. Vick's attorneys were trying to reduce that to less than a year, two sources told CNN on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether Vick's attorneys have heard back Monday from National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell's office. They wanted to clarify Vick's career options before entering into any deal with federal prosecutors, the sources said.

Vick's three codefendants in the dogfighting case have accepted agreements to plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences.

If Vick doesn't accept a deal, he could face additional charges in the case on Monday, when a grand jury convenes in Richmond, Virginia.

The NFL is considering what, if any, sanctions they should impose on the 27-year-old suspended Atlanta Falcons player.

Court documents released last week showed that two of Vick's alleged partners said he helped kill dogs that didn't fight well, and that all three men "executed approximately eight dogs" in ways that included hanging and drowning.

The dogs were killed because they fared poorly in "testing" sessions in April at Vick's property in Virginia where the dogfighting venture was based, according to documents released following plea agreement hearings Friday for Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.

A third man, Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia, already had his plea deal approved.

In the court documents, Peace and Phillips said that the money behind the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation came "almost exclusively" from Vick, and they told prosecutors that other accusations in the 18-page indictment are true.
 
Falcons' Vick to Plead Guilty to Charges
Updated 2:51 PM ET August 20, 2007


By LARRY O'DELL

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a possible prison term.

The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines most likely would call for less.

"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding the charges pending against him," lead defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made. Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

Vick's plea hearing will be Aug. 27, Martin said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 
BobbyFord said:
"Mike's accepting full responsibility," Woodward told the newspaper. "He's going to do everything he can personally and professionally to make this situation right."
Click to expand...

Yeah,..............make it right for him.

That statement is such a crock of **** I can't believe they even released it.
 
I heard on ESPN2 today that usually this would be a state case, but for some reason the Feds stepped in and took over. The clencher is though the Fed charges are less than the State charges would have been.
 
It will be a copout by Commissioner Roger Goodell. He will probably suspend Vick indefinitely which means the door will still be open.

Vick almost had no choice but to plead quilty. Otherwise he would face even more serious charges and face a longer time in jail. Since it is a federal case it means that he must spend at least 85% of the jail sentence.
 
The NFL won't do anything until after the 27th and they've had time to examine the documents and what Vick actually pleads to. The Falcons won't do anything until after the NFL hands their decision.
Interesting time line. Let's say Vick gets the minimum, 18 months. It usually takes up to 60 days before he would start his sentence. A Federal charge he must serve at least 80% of his sentence. So that's 14 and a half months. That puts him back at the earliest Jan '09. So the Falcons will save $6M this year and $7.5M next year. That leaves 3 years on his contract assuming the Falcons don't pull the plug, which I think they will. Then there's the matter of whatever suspension he will face. And, if he pleads guilty to gambling, a big no-no in the NFL, there is already precedent that he will sit some games. Possibly most of the '09 season. He may never play at this level again.
 
BP, look at my previous post. The Commissioner will undoubtedly suspend Vick indefinitely, which means that he can be suspended forever or reinstated at any time. It will depend on which way the wind blows.
 
According to the news, as part of the plea agreement, the prosecution is recommending 12 to 18 months.

I say he gets out in less than a year. And time spent will be in some low risk country club prison.

He can be fined up to $250,000.......... that's nothing if he has millions.

So if he invests wisely, he gets out in a year or less, still has his home and probably writes a book and makes more money.

Let's hope his cell mate is a big M.F. and loves dogs.
 
I heard that one of the animal rights organizations has Michael Vick chew toys available and that the proceeds will go toward the fight against animal cruelty.
 
Once the Commissioner issues his ruling The Falcons plan on going after the $22 million left on his signing bonus and will probably relegate him to hell.
 
I heard earlier where there might also be State charges that could carry like 40 years.
 
Frankly, I don't give a **** what happens to that a**hole, so long as it's humiliating. The only thing I want to hear is ...why. Why would anyone have anything to do with this sort of thing? Least of all, a millionaire with everything to lose.
 
Professur said:
Frankly, I don't give a **** what happens to that a**hole, so long as it's humiliating. The only thing I want to hear is ...why. Why would anyone have anything to do with this sort of thing? Least of all, a millionaire with everything to lose.
Click to expand...

It's part of the thug life. Vick had very little to do with his team mates. Instead he gravitated to the type of person he had known all his life. Take a look at his little brother. He's on a similar path.
 
I've seen this sort of thing happen time and time again with big time athletes. You can take the kid out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the kid as they say.

My question here is does anyone here believe that he will play again in the NFL? Listening to the sports guys on the weekend, they think that he will, but there are limits. One says that with the way the league is these days, being a QB is extremely hard and the strategy changes very often. Vick would actually work very well as a running back and that would be a much easier route for him they say. I've heard mostly from my working compadres that he shouldn't be allowed back into the league. We don't know what the commissioner will do or when he'll do it. Today I heard speculation that he might get less than a year in jail and then he might get a year or two suspension from the league. That would make it three years from now and he would be 30 years old then. Life as a QB might have passed him by that time, so he might have to make a decision as to whether or not he would insist on being a QB. Of course, it all comes down right now as to whether or not Atlanta would take him back.

I believe that the bottom line is if Goodell only gives a short time suspension, there will be more than one team that will try to give him a shot again. Afterall, the teams want to win and as we've seen before, they will take anyone and it's the commissioner that will either permit him to re-enter the league or not. I hope that he doesn't and he seems to be on the straight and narrow when it comes to things like this.
 
buckaroo said:
I believe that the bottom line is if Goodell only gives a short time suspension, there will be more than one team that will try to give him a shot again. Afterall, the teams want to win and as we've seen before, they will take anyone and it's the commissioner that will either permit him to re-enter the league or not.
Click to expand...

Can anyone say Oakland??? Sure you can!

I, personally, could care less what happens to Michael Vick and his football career. Or should I say, lack there of of a football career. He made his bed, now he has to lay in it........and it should be much more than just a year.
 
I wish he never saw the outside world again. Or maybe when he gets out on probation, they can do to him what was done to the dogs. The guy is scum. I hope to never hear about him again once he's locked up.
 
Now if I can only get some of you to feel the same when some thug or thugette takes a human life I'll think we're making progress...
 
I really am pretty deeply offended by what Michael Vick is accused of and apparently what he is about to plead guilty to. I hope he does a a lot of prison time. What I am hearing he will get doesn't sound like enough prison time in my mind, but I don't make those decisions. What does seem quite fair is how much money this will cost him in the long run. Yes, he is only being fined about $250,000. But then it will cost him 10's of millions of dollars in earning, endorsements, legal fees, etc.

If he serves his time then I believe he deserves a second chance to make a living be it in the NFL or elsewhere. This is America after all. As BP just said, it's not like he took a human life that we know of. I love my animals as much as anybody, but they are still animals. If he had executed a human being for not fighting hard enough, I would be the first one to volunteer to put him down myself.
 
Okay, let's talk about this in a different direction. I believe bp touched on it when he said that when people begin to feel like they do now about Vick, when some of the sports people are involved with the death of humans, then we'll be making some headway.

We have all talked like these dogs were like our family pets, but as you surely are aware, these dogs were pitbulls and anything but a family pet. They were bred for the purpose of fighting period. So in that respect, there's not a bit of difference between killing one of those dogs or killing a male chicken that has been trained for the same purpose. I seriously doubt that most people would be as serious about ****fighting as they are about dogfighting.

Most states, if not all (I think that Louisanna still has yet to outlaw dogfighting) have outlawed both types of activity and for good reason. But it comes back to why are we so uptight about dogfighting when we don't seem to be nearly as wrapped up in a murder, or drug abuse or many other things that involve the destruction of humans. Yeah, I've heard that the dogs are innocent in this, but tell me the humans are at least as innocent. Don't tell me that the dogs can't take care of themselves. I see street dogs every day that survive without humans to take care of them. And the argument of "it's just a dog man!" again, just doesn't get it. Hell, if the dogs that they did this to were yorkies, or maltese, or something like that, then I might have a better sence of that argument, but we all know the reputation that the pitbull has, regardless if it is true or not. Wanna be in a locked room with a mad chiuaua or a mad pitbull?

Just tell me why.
 
buckaroo said:
Okay, let's talk about this in a different direction. I believe bp touched on it when he said that when people begin to feel like they do now about Vick, when some of the sports people are involved with the death of humans, then we'll be making some headway.

We have all talked like these dogs were like our family pets, but as you surely are aware, these dogs were pitbulls and anything but a family pet. They were bred for the purpose of fighting period. So in that respect, there's not a bit of difference between killing one of those dogs or killing a male chicken that has been trained for the same purpose. I seriously doubt that most people would be as serious about ****fighting as they are about dogfighting.

Most states, if not all (I think that Louisanna still has yet to outlaw dogfighting) have outlawed both types of activity and for good reason. But it comes back to why are we so uptight about dogfighting when we don't seem to be nearly as wrapped up in a murder, or drug abuse or many other things that involve the destruction of humans. Yeah, I've heard that the dogs are innocent in this, but tell me the humans are at least as innocent. Don't tell me that the dogs can't take care of themselves. I see street dogs every day that survive without humans to take care of them. And the argument of "it's just a dog man!" again, just doesn't get it. Hell, if the dogs that they did this to were yorkies, or maltese, or something like that, then I might have a better sence of that argument, but we all know the reputation that the pitbull has, regardless if it is true or not. Wanna be in a locked room with a mad chiuaua or a mad pitbull?

Just tell me why.
Click to expand...

I do not agree, buck.
As a part of my job, I am required to go to "dog defense school" put on by Bulli Ray, Inc.
We put on the protective suit with the arm guard and go in the room with Marine Corp Rottweilers, SWAT German Shepherds, etc.
On the average I come in contact (in their yard) with 20-50 dogs a day. The dogs most credited with bites in my job are Dalmations. Believe it or not a Chihuahua is far more apt to try to bite you than a Pitbull is. Obviously the Chihuahua will not do as much damage as the Pitbull, but the Chihuahua is far more agressive, on the average. Also on the biter list are ****er Spaniels, Poodles and most of the smaller breeds.
Pitbulls, by nature, are not vicious or aggressive toward humans. Vicious, aggressive Pitbulls are the product of ignorant, unresponsible, brainless pet owners.
Pitbulls aren't any worse than any other dog when raised properly. It is just that they have more potential to do damage when they are raised wrong.
The two dog breeds that I will not go in a yard with are the Presa Canario and the Argentino Dogo.
I have two Pitbulls and they would not bite anyone. My dogs have been around children a lot of their lives and my one dog, at 12 years old, has never bitten or tried to bite anyone (toasted a few trespassing cats, though).

For more on breeds go to www.dogbreedinfo.com
 
Oh Bobby!

Your post is zackly what every Pit Bull owner would post! As I read it I KNEW you owned Pit Bull!
The pits that KILL and MAIM people are ones JUST like yours! Raised by loving owners and good with the children..until they KILL THEM!
The breed is only here to FIGHT! Anyone that has lived as long as I have KNOWS full well how dangerous a pit really is.
ALL dogs have been bred to do different chores.. If you have children you would be well advised to get a PETTING bred dog and not a FIGHTING bred dog.
If Mike Tyson was a dog he would be a Pit Bull!
On the TV tonight are two pits that came into a doggie door from next door and killed the resident dog and a neighbors dog and tried to KILL the owner of the house.. These two Pits were familiar with where they were and had children in THEIR home..
And yes there are lots of dogs that MIGHT bite people...but only a few that can KILL YOU!
Betsy :rolleyes:
 
I understand everything that you are saying Bobby, but like you, I come in contact with dogs as well as every other animal that is out there on the streets daily. May I remind you that I carry mail for a living. Yes, I know, I repeat, I KNOW that the smaller breeds are more likely to be biters, but as I said before, you want to be attacked by a pit bull or a chihuahua? Now you might be one of those people who might say that they would rather be attacked by the pit bull because they don't have the tendency to bite as much, but as for me, I'll take a bite in the ankle or leg over a powerful dog going for my throat any day.

Just for your information, over the 25 years that I've done my job, I've been attacked by dogs exactly three times, or three times that I've cared about. I've been barked at by yorkies, maltese, dachounds, and the like, but the three dogs that I count as attacking me were 1, Ceasar a doberman who jumped out of a second story window to attack me. My satchel saved my butt on that one. 2. Levi, a german shepherd who was a real stalker and a dog that would and did attack my jeep and bit at the tires before I got out and 3, an akita that literally scared me to death, but my pepper spray was able to keep him at bay until the owner showed up and collered him. I can tell you that ****ers, border collies, afghans and just about all the other breeds as well as the regular mutts have all chased me so to speak, but all of them were scared of me when I faced them down, something that every dog trainer will tell you not to do.

I know and you know that the pit bull has a reputation that makes them perfect for the fighting dog and that's why they are trained for such purposes. And the more they are bred for that, the better they get in thier job. And yes, it's the owners that make them that way, but more and more owners are using these dogs for protection of their "stash" and that it's the "thing" in the hood to own them. My route that I have now is loaded with dogs, but only one of them is a meany and it isn't because his masters have trained him to be so. That's just the way he is and I know how to handle him. All of the others are putty in my hand and they all love me. But I don't deliever mail in the hood either. I put mail in the mailboxes of doctors, lawyers and other professionals who don't have dogs to protect their property. Those animals are pets for the family. Oh, and I've seen some real teddy bears that are pitbulls, rotties and dobies as well as other dogs that have bad reputations. But I've never ever heard of a Chihuahua being trained to fight.
 
Betsy said:
Your post is zackly what every Pit Bull owner would post! As I read it I KNEW you owned Pit Bull!
The pits that KILL and MAIM people are ones JUST like yours! Raised by loving owners and good with the children..until they KILL THEM!
The breed is only here to FIGHT! Anyone that has lived as long as I have KNOWS full well how dangerous a pit really is.
ALL dogs have been bred to do different chores.. If you have children you would be well advised to get a PETTING bred dog and not a FIGHTING bred dog.
If Mike Tyson was a dog he would be a Pit Bull!
On the TV tonight are two pits that came into a doggie door from next door and killed the resident dog and a neighbors dog and tried to KILL the owner of the house.. These two Pits were familiar with where they were and had children in THEIR home..
And yes there are lots of dogs that MIGHT bite people...but only a few that can KILL YOU!
Betsy :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Relax, Betsy, I bred Labs for 5 years, too.
 
buckaroo said:
I understand everything that you are saying Bobby, but like you, I come in contact with dogs as well as every other animal that is out there on the streets daily. May I remind you that I carry mail for a living. Yes, I know, I repeat, I KNOW that the smaller breeds are more likely to be biters, but as I said before, you want to be attacked by a pit bull or a chihuahua? Now you might be one of those people who might say that they would rather be attacked by the pit bull because they don't have the tendency to bite as much, but as for me, I'll take a bite in the ankle or leg over a powerful dog going for my throat any day.

Just for your information, over the 25 years that I've done my job, I've been attacked by dogs exactly three times, or three times that I've cared about. I've been barked at by yorkies, maltese, dachounds, and the like, but the three dogs that I count as attacking me were 1, Ceasar a doberman who jumped out of a second story window to attack me. My satchel saved my butt on that one. 2. Levi, a german shepherd who was a real stalker and a dog that would and did attack my jeep and bit at the tires before I got out and 3, an akita that literally scared me to death, but my pepper spray was able to keep him at bay until the owner showed up and collered him. I can tell you that ****ers, border collies, afghans and just about all the other breeds as well as the regular mutts have all chased me so to speak, but all of them were scared of me when I faced them down, something that every dog trainer will tell you not to do.

I know and you know that the pit bull has a reputation that makes them perfect for the fighting dog and that's why they are trained for such purposes. And the more they are bred for that, the better they get in thier job. And yes, it's the owners that make them that way, but more and more owners are using these dogs for protection of their "stash" and that it's the "thing" in the hood to own them. My route that I have now is loaded with dogs, but only one of them is a meany and it isn't because his masters have trained him to be so. That's just the way he is and I know how to handle him. All of the others are putty in my hand and they all love me. But I don't deliever mail in the hood either. I put mail in the mailboxes of doctors, lawyers and other professionals who don't have dogs to protect their property. Those animals are pets for the family. Oh, and I've seen some real teddy bears that are pitbulls, rotties and dobies as well as other dogs that have bad reputations. But I've never ever heard of a Chihuahua being trained to fight.
Click to expand...


You make some very good points, buckaroo.
I too understand what you are saying. The Pitbulls do have big time jaw pressure and the potential for serious damage is certainly there, more so than most other breeds.
 
Bobby, my main point is, and you know this, that it's the owner that is the problem, such as Vick.

Question for everyone, why don't we see Pomeranians being trained to fight? Can't you just see the fur fly? Now that would truely be a crime in more ways than one. :cool:
 
buckaroo said:
Bobby, my main point is, and you know this, that it's the owner that is the problem, such as Vick.

Question for everyone, why don't we see Pomeranians being trained to fight? Can't you just see the fur fly? Now that would truely be a crime in more ways than one. :cool:
Click to expand...

I have a Miniature schnauzer and my Grandmother has a Boston Terrier that fight all the time. They are jealous of each other. LOL
 
Perhaps they should put Vick in the ring with Tyson and let the two go at it, biting allowed.
 
Fox news

Is reporting a mailman attacked by pit bull. Yesterday while walking his 20 year route the pit bull jumped a 4 foot fence and attacked him. He is in the hospital with many cuts and bites on the head and throat. BREATHING thru a tube!
The mail man was attacked while on public property. Doing his job! As usual the tame pit simply "lost it" and returned to his breeding. So many folks have been attacked by these fighting animals... All of which thought they had a loving animal.
Betsy:rolleyes:
 
Betsy said:
Is reporting a mailman attacked by pit bull. Yesterday while walking his 20 year route the pit bull jumped a 4 foot fence and attacked him. He is in the hospital with many cuts and bites on the head and throat. BREATHING thru a tube!
The mail man was attacked while on public property. Doing his job! As usual the tame pit simply "lost it" and returned to his breeding. So many folks have been attacked by these fighting animals... All of which thought they had a loving animal.
Betsy:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I agree a pit bull can be aggressive. So can a Chow and so forth. What I don't agree with is the torture that was going on. Even wetting them and electrocuting them. NOT COOL
 
I don't understand

why people are so against raising dogs that are bred to fight and then allowing them to do what was bred into their genes..
We cull out lots of animals. We use electricity to kill the animals we EAT..
I wonder what happens to the racing dogs that aren't fast enough? What happens to the race horses that aren't fast enough? What happens to the chickens that don't lay enough eggs?
Do we have any idea how lions, bears, and elephants are trained to act for our pleasure?
What about hunters spearing animals with arrows? Or the harmless little birds that are shot for pleasure..
Get off of the band wagon if you aren't against EVERY form of animal "cruelty"!
Humans use animals for many purposes...get used to it.
Remember CHOW dogs are raised for food! So much so that we have even taken their NAME as a substitute for the word "food".
Betsy :rolleyes:
 
In the 70's is was Doberman Pincers, in the 80's and 90's it was Rotties. It is currently the Pitbulls turn.
As I stated before, the dog credited with the most bites (for my job) is the Dalmation.
 
I heard on the news today that there were 50 some dogs from the Michael Vick raid waiting on the owners to claim them. They had till 5pm today. Like if one was mine I would go get it. That would take a dumb@$$. When you go say that is my dog you are gone to jail too.
 
Vick files plea, admits bankrolling operation
/ FOXSports.com

Michael Vick filed his plea agreement in federal court Friday admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and helping kill pit bulls. He denied ever betting on the fights, only bankrolling them.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court. He signed the plea agreement Thursday.

"Most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies were provided by Vick," a summary of facts in the case said, echoing language in plea agreements by three co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty.

The statement said that when the kennel's dogs won, the gambling proceeds were generally shared by Vick's three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips.

"Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels," the summary said.


According to the statement, Vick also was involved with the others in killing six to eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions last April. The dogs were executed by drowning or hanging.

"Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts" of Vick and two of the co-defendants, Phillips and Peace, the statement said.

In the plea agreement, the government committed to recommending a sentence on the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range of a year to 18 months. However, the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, and the judge is not bound by any recommendation or by the sentencing guidelines.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who will accept Vick's plea, has a reputation for imposing stiff sentences, according to lawyers who have appeared in his court. Vick will not be sentenced for several months.

"Our position has been that we are going to try to help Judge Hudson understand all the facts and Michael's role," Vick's lead defense attorney, Billy Martin, said in telephone interview. "Michael's role was different than others associated with this incident."

Martin said Vick will "speak to the public and explain his actions," but he declined to say whether that will occur in court or in a news conference after Monday's hearing.

The U.S. attorney's office, which has declined to comment on the case, said it would issue a statement after the hearing.

The case began in April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's Surry County property and found dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

A federal indictment issued in July charged Vick, Peace, Phillips and Taylor with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent.

Taylor was the first to change his plea to guilty, saying Vick financed the dogfighting ring's gambling and operations. Peace and Phillips soon followed, disclosing that Vick joined them in killing dogs that did not perform well in test fights.

The sickening details outlined in the indictment and other court papers prompted a public backlash against Vick, who had been one of the NFL's most popular players.

Vick was barred from the Falcons training camp, but neither the NFL nor the team have taken further action.

Thursday night, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Vick's father said he asked his son to give up dogfighting, or to at least put property used in the venture in the names of others to avoid being implicated.

On Monday, Vick agreed to plead guilty in the federal dogfighting case in Richmond. He faces up to five years in prison and the possible end of his football career. Three co-defendants already pleaded guilty and were expected to testify against Vick if the case went to trial. In addition, a Virginia prosecutor is considering bringing state charges against Vick.

In The Journal-Constitution report posted on the newspaper's Web site Thursday night, Michael Boddie, who is estranged from Vick and the quarterback's mother, also said some time around 2001 his son staged dogfights in the garage of the family home in Newport News, Va.

Boddie told the newspaper Vick kept fighting dogs in the family's backyard, including dogs that were "bit up, chewed up, exhausted." Boddie claimed to have nursed the dogs back to health.

The indictment against Vick does not mention the parents' former home in Newport News.

In the report, Boddie dismissed the idea that Vick's longtime friends were the main instigators of the dogfighting operation.

"I wish people would stop sugarcoating it," Boddie told The Journal-Constitution. "This is Mike's thing. And he knows it ... likes it, and he has the capital to have a set up like that."

The report said Boddie and the Atlanta Falcons quarterback have had a volatile relationship for years and that his son has refused to speak with him directly for the last 2 1/2 months.

Boddie, 45, lives in an apartment his son has paid the rent on for the last three years. Vick, who has a $130 million contract with the Falcons, also gives him a couple of hundred dollars every week or two, the father told the newspaper.

In the report, Boddie also said he asked Vick for $1 million, spread out over 12 years, Vick declined, the father said. Recently, Boddie asked Vick, through an assistant, for $700,000 to live on.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 
The whole cruelty debate is a tough one & everyone has their own take. I personally love to hunt. Ducks are my favorite because I love to eat them. I cannot buy duck in the store, so I kill them myself. I do,however, try my best to kill them in the most ethical & fastest way possible. At the same time, if I were to stumble upon an injured duck in the marsh, my first instinct would not be to kill it, but to help it. Kinda weird, I guess. Now to the dog thing...I've personally had a pit jump a fence in an open garage & charge me. I ducked into some bushes around the corner & he flew by & ran down the block looking for me. Lucky fo me..I would have been bitten & someone's pet would have died for no reason as I already had the knife in hand. I also am friends with people who use pits as grab dogs when hunting hogs. They are used only as a tool to hold the hog until it's dispatched by a knife.Is this cruel to the hog??...probably, because it is being bitten(however,it dies by knife faster than if shot)...to the pit??...probably, simply because it won't live the pampered life of some other dogs. Then again, that is how society is in general....it depends where/to whom you were born sometimes. I just can't lump all hunting & animal cruelty into the same category.At this point, I may not be making any point, except that I think that Vick & the others that tortured the dogs & killed them unethically are cowards & should pay.I think they will in prison.....what inmate wouldn't want to sleep with a real life celebrity ??
 
NFL has suspended Michael Vick indefinitely, The Associated Press reports.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom