Author Topic: Vick takes guilty plea bargain! (Read 5748 times)

TrapsMcLats · « **on:** August 20, 2007, 12:27:33 PM »

to plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charge
Aug. 20, 2007
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

RICHMOND, Va. -- 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.

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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.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from Falcons training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation.

Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

Martin's announcement came as a grand jury that could add new charges met in private. Prosecutors had said that a superseding indictment was in the works, but Vick's plea most likely means he will not face additional charges.

Three of Vick's original co-defendants already have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach signed statements saying the 27-year-old quarterback participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.

Phillips, Peace and Tony Taylor, who pleaded guilty last month, also said Vick provided virtually all of the gambling and operating funds for his "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in Surry County, Va., not far from Vick's hometown of Newport News.

The gambling allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2006-2007, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

TrapsMcLats · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2007, 12:30:05 PM »

the best part is that all those people in the african american community who were claiming racism and prejudice look so ridiculous now. Time for the black community to take responsibility for itself and quit playing the race card. I can't remember the last time i was so happy! VICK IS DONE!

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2007, 12:42:42 PM »

Over/under should be a year and a half in jail.

Once he gets out, he won't be reinstated to the NFL. Goodell hasn't even handed down a punishment yet and won't until he applies for reinstatement. I don't think he will be permantly banned but no NFL owner is going to take a chance on him based on public relations backlash alone. PETA and animal rights activists will be all over the NFL team that decides to take a chance on him.

His best chance are the arena football league or the CFL. He'll be more than washed up by then.

At least he saved the tax payers major dollars by not going to trial.

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2007, 12:45:48 PM »

Quote from: TrapsMcLats on August 20, 2007, 12:30:05 PM

the best part is that all those people in the african american community who were claiming racism and prejudice look so ridiculous now. Time for the black community to take responsibility for itself and quit playing the race card. I can't remember the last time i was so happy! VICK IS DONE!

Most of the idiots that we protesting were uninformed, uneducated and simply knew nothing about the hard evidence against Vick. They were claiming racism because that was the only card they could flip in order to make their voice heard. Makes me fucking sick but at least they'll shut the fuck up now.

ieffinhatecardio · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2007, 12:56:49 PM »

Quote from: UPINTHEMGUTS on August 20, 2007, 12:42:42 PM

Over/under should be a year and a half in jail.

Once he gets out, he won't be reinstated to the NFL. Goodell hasn't even handed down a punishment yet and won't until he applies for reinstatement. I don't think he will be permantly banned but no NFL owner is going to take a chance on him based on public relations backlash alone. PETA and animal rights activists will be all over the NFL team that decides to take a chance on him.

His best chance are the arena football league or the CFL. He'll be more than washed up by then.

At least he saved the tax payers major dollars by not going to trial.

I was hoping the sentence would be more than that but I think you're right.

He agreed to a plea to save his own ass, the last thing he and his people wanted was for the general public to hear exactly what he did and how he did it. This is his effort to salvage some sort of career. I'm hoping it fails miserably.

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2007, 01:07:48 PM »

I hope he's fucking finished as well.

K-1 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2007, 01:48:26 PM »

Quote from: UPINTHEMGUTS on August 20, 2007, 01:07:48 PM

I hope he's fucking finished as well.

He's done. I don't think the nfl will ban him, but he won't be back in the league. No team will want to deal with the bad pub, he was on the chopping block this year anyway, he just isn't worth experimenting with at this time. His last coach got canned trying to get the most out of him as a player in this league and I think he did.

This was the end of the road for him either way as a starting. Coaches saw how Jim Mora Jr invested everything in him and look where it got him. Granted they got to the NFC title game, but that was a HUGE fall off up until Mora Jr. was fired and I really didn't see any more upside for him as a better %, yardage, TD QB.

He relied way to heavily on his running ability which was spectacular, but hey sometimes you have to change your M.O. a little in the NFL. It got to the point where he was racking up 120 yrds rushing and 0 TD's and maybe 150 yrd passing with 1 or 2 TD's and teams were like."we can live with that"

He even started saying things like "I'm doing all I can do!" kinda throwing his team under the bus. He forget the entire offense was designed for him his entire career up to that point. his 350 total yrds and 2 Td's wasn't translating into wins anymore. The league had caught up to him basically.

Just my 25 cents.

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #7 on:** August 20, 2007, 02:24:06 PM »

Very well put. He did have his best year passing statistically in 2006 with 20 TD tosses to go along with 1,000 yards rushing.

But the bottom line is that he is a running QB. Running teams rarely score 20+ points a game unless the defense chips in. He couldn't rely on scrambling forever because there would've come a time where he could only rely on his arm in the pocket.

A 6 foot tall(I doubt he's even that tall) pocket passer is almost non existent in the NFL. The rest of the league was definitely catching up to him.

danielson · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2007, 02:29:26 PM »

Quote from: K-1 on August 20, 2007, 01:48:26 PM

He's done. I don't think the nfl will ban him, but he won't be back in the league. No team will want to deal with the bad pub, he was on the chopping block this year anyway, he just isn't worth experimenting with at this time.

If Demarcus Russel doesn't workout(Culpepper will be done by then), The Raiders might pick him up, they don't give a fuck about the press.

TrapsMcLats · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2007, 03:41:44 PM »

no way in hell does al davis associate himself with vick. he might take a risk on some loose cannons, but this is a whole different situation and ultimately, unlike anything the NFL has EVER had to deal with before.

Dos Equis · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2007, 04:00:01 PM »

Good. He can go ahead and serve his sentence, serve his likely year-long suspension, and put this puppy to rest (so to speak). I hope he cleans up his act. Sounds like justice will be served.

He'll definitely be back. People have short memories and NFL teams have given far worse bad actors second, third, fourth chances. Lawrence Phillips anyone? I will be shocked if Vick does not have multiple opportunities upon his return in about two years.

OzmO · « **Reply #11 on:** August 20, 2007, 04:15:06 PM »

No doubt about that BB. There is nothing more forgiving than the all American Dollar. If you can make those, morals and ethics in many cases (not all) will take a back seat.

P.S. It's nice to know, that he wasn't above the law. Nothing against him, from i hear he's a good guy, but just made some bad choices.

Dos Equis · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2007, 04:43:53 PM »

Quote from: OzmO on August 20, 2007, 04:15:06 PM

No doubt about that BB. There is nothing more forgiving than the all American Dollar. If you can make those, morals and ethics in many cases (not all) will take a back seat.

P.S. It's nice to know, that he wasn't above the law. Nothing against him, from i hear he's a good guy, but just made some bad choices.

I agree.

ieffinhatecardio · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:01:44 PM »

Quote from: OzmO on August 20, 2007, 04:15:06 PM

No doubt about that BB. There is nothing more forgiving than the all American Dollar. If you can make those, morals and ethics in many cases (not all) will take a back seat.

P.S. It's nice to know, that he wasn't above the law. Nothing against him, from i hear he's a good guy, but just made some bad choices.

Michael Vick a good guy? Are you kidding?

Have you forgotten about the whole Ron Mexico fiasco? Or the dope in the water bottle? And I'm not quite sure how you can characterize someone that participates in dog fighting as a good person especially considering the thugs that are involved, the gambling involved and the horrific way the animals are treated and executed.

Mike Vick is not a good guy. The guy is a scumbag.

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #14 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:11:34 PM »

You guys are talking delusional.

No way he plays for an NFL team ever again. You guys seem to be forgetting what kind punishment Roger Goodell hands down once Vick applies for reinstatement when Vick gets out of jail. Goodell is doing an excellent job with his zero tolerance approach since he became commissioner.(i,e. Pacman Jones, Chris Henry)

You have to look at it from business standpoint when it comes to NFL ownership. Why would any owner risk the negative public backlash his franchise(and other shareholders) would inherit by signing Vick to a contract? PETA and animal rights activists would picket and demonstrate non stop in protest of Vick. Too much negative publicity and owners don't want it or need it. It's not like people are going to forget a year from now what Vick admitted guilt to.

CFL or arena football is his best bet. He'll be 29 or 30 years old and too long away from the game to make an impact anymore on the NFL level. Being an NFL athlete is a year round committment and Vick is going to be spending his down time in jail picking up dog shit at kennels as punishment.

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #15 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:13:45 PM »

Quote from: ieffinhatecardio on August 20, 2007, 05:01:44 PM

Michael Vick a good guy? Are you kidding?

Have you forgotten about the whole Ron Mexico fiasco? Or the dope in the water bottle? And I'm not quite sure how you can characterize someone that participates in dog fighting as a good person especially considering the thugs that are involved, the gambling involved and the horrific way the animals are treated and executed.

Mike Vick is not a good guy. The guy is a scumbag.

Don't forget he was sued for giving some girl herpes also a couple of years ago. He settled out of court which pretty much admits his guilt.

OzmO · « **Reply #16 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:14:29 PM »

Quote from: ieffinhatecardio on August 20, 2007, 05:01:44 PM

Michael Vick a good guy? Are you kidding?

Have you forgotten about the whole Ron Mexico fiasco? And I'm not quite sure how you can characterize someone that participates in dog fighting as a good person especially considering the thugs that are involved, the gambling involved and the horrific way the animals are treated and executed.

Mike Vick is not a good guy.

The people who coached him and played with him all pretty much said he was a mild mannered stand up guy. Now, their definition of a "good guy" might be different as both yours and mine, but IMO, a person in the NFL who isn't a loud, boisterous, with an attitude of the world owing me a living or an all around jerk off and plays and practices hard is ok in my book. I may disagree with his choices and actions but understand that his opinion on the treatment of animals differs greatly from mine. I do believe he broke the law and should be punished for it. Additionally, Hanging around with thugs doesn't make you a bad person unless you share their actions that define them as thugs.....but like hanging with dogs, you might get fleas. i guess what I'm saying is that when put in perspective, Vick is a good guy considering other things outside of the dog fighting and that his view of dog fighting as repulsive and outrageous as it is to you and i, factors only slightly on the overall assessment of him being a good guy. Of course if he murdered another person it would be a different story here.

OzmO · « **Reply #17 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:16:01 PM »

Quote from: UPINTHEMGUTS on August 20, 2007, 05:11:34 PM

You guys are talking delusional.

No way he plays for an NFL team ever again. You guys seem to be forgetting what kind punishment Roger Goodell hands down once Vick applies for reinstatement when Vick gets out of jail. Goodell is doing an excellent job with his zero tolerance approach since he became commissioner.(i,e. Pacman Jones, Chris Henry)

You have to look at it from business standpoint when it comes to NFL ownership. Why would any owner risk the negative public backlash his franchise(and other shareholders) would inherit by signing Vick to a contract? PETA and animal rights activists would picket and demonstrate non stop in protest of Vick. Too much negative publicity and owners don't want it or need it. It's not like people are going to forget a year from now what Vick admitted guilt to.

CFL or arena football is his best bet. He'll be 29 or 30 years old and too long away from the game to make an impact anymore on the NFL level. Being an NFL athlete is a year round committment and Vick is going to be spending his down time in jail picking up dog shit at kennels as punishment.

Maybe so, but his crime was outside of football and a crime he will have paid for. The fans will petition for his reinstatement and the NFL will find a way to justify it.

Doug_Steele · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:23:58 PM »

Does anyone else feel that the people who bring up race are racist people themselves? Michael Vick should have been smarter then to put himself in this position he is in. I would think he may have a chance of playing in the NFL but it is looking like he will end up in Canada.

blinky · « **Reply #19 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:34:39 PM »

there will always be one team willing to pick up a "michael vick". no he wont be their starter but someone will want him as a back up...or if their starter gets hurt and need to sign another qb . some owners will always choose winning and $$ ahead of public backlash.

personally i hope he never plays again.

blinky · « **Reply #20 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:35:46 PM »

and i hope to hell no one up here in canada signs him

Dos Equis · « **Reply #21 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:36:11 PM »

Quote from: UPINTHEMGUTS on August 20, 2007, 05:11:34 PM

You guys are talking delusional.

No way he plays for an NFL team ever again. You guys seem to be forgetting what kind punishment Roger Goodell hands down once Vick applies for reinstatement when Vick gets out of jail. Goodell is doing an excellent job with his zero tolerance approach since he became commissioner.(i,e. Pacman Jones, Chris Henry)

You have to look at it from business standpoint when it comes to NFL ownership. Why would any owner risk the negative public backlash his franchise(and other shareholders) would inherit by signing Vick to a contract? PETA and animal rights activists would picket and demonstrate non stop in protest of Vick. Too much negative publicity and owners don't want it or need it. It's not like people are going to forget a year from now what Vick admitted guilt to.

CFL or arena football is his best bet. He'll be 29 or 30 years old and too long away from the game to make an impact anymore on the NFL level. Being an NFL athlete is a year round committment and Vick is going to be spending his down time in jail picking up dog shit at kennels as punishment.

I think he'll get a year suspension that will probably run after his jail term, so he's looking at being gone for two years.

Business reasons are precisely why Vick will play in the NFL again. He can help a team win. He's one of the best football players in the NFL. He sells tickets. How long did Mike Tyson continue to be a draw after showing he is certifiable? A player who can help a team win and help the team make money will always get multiple opportunities.

rockyfortune · « **Reply #22 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:37:13 PM »

Quote from: OzmO on August 20, 2007, 05:14:29 PM

The people who coached him and played with him all pretty much said he was a mild mannered stand up guy. Now, their definition of a "good guy" might be different as both yours and mine, but IMO, a person in the NFL who isn't a loud, boisterous, with an attitude of the world owing me a living or an all around jerk off and plays and practices hard is ok in my book. I may disagree with his choices and actions but understand that his opinion on the treatment of animals differs greatly from mine. I do believe he broke the law and should be punished for it. Additionally, Hanging around with thugs doesn't make you a bad person unless you share their actions that define them as thugs.....but like hanging with dogs, you might get fleas. i guess what I'm saying is that when put in perspective, Vick is a good guy considering other things outside of the dog fighting and that his view of dog fighting as repulsive and outrageous as it is to you and i, factors only slightly on the overall assessment of him being a good guy. Of course if he murdered another person it would be a different story here.

where do you get this good guy shit? you ever meet him? have dinner with him or something? or are you taking deion sanders opinion that he loved his dogs like any dog lover just in a different way? no one that did what he did can be considered a ''good guy''...

Dos Equis · « **Reply #23 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:38:29 PM »

Quote from: OzmO on August 20, 2007, 05:14:29 PM

The people who coached him and played with him all pretty much said he was a mild mannered stand up guy. Now, their definition of a "good guy" might be different as both yours and mine, but IMO, a person in the NFL who isn't a loud, boisterous, with an attitude of the world owing me a living or an all around jerk off and plays and practices hard is ok in my book. I may disagree with his choices and actions but understand that his opinion on the treatment of animals differs greatly from mine. I do believe he broke the law and should be punished for it. Additionally, Hanging around with thugs doesn't make you a bad person unless you share their actions that define them as thugs.....but like hanging with dogs, you might get fleas. i guess what I'm saying is that when put in perspective, Vick is a good guy considering other things outside of the dog fighting and that his view of dog fighting as repulsive and outrageous as it is to you and i, factors only slightly on the overall assessment of him being a good guy. Of course if he murdered another person it would be a different story here.

Yeah. I think his Ron Mexico stunt was awful, but he was apparently not a problem player. From Jim Mora Jr.:

``He plays in a flamboyant manner. But he's not a flamboyant person,'' Mora said of the 27-year-old Vick. ``He doesn't dress flamboyantly. He doesn't hit all the night spots. He isn't out on the town. He's kind of a quiet, reserved kid.

``But I can just tell you this: He always carried himself in a very professional manner when he was around the Atlanta Falcons.''

``Just like Dan Reeves (Atlanta's coach from 1997-2003) said, I never saw that side of him. What I saw was a real professional. A kid who cared about his teammates, who cared about people in general, who was a hard worker, who was always there and always on time.

``And once again, he is accused of things. He hasn't been convicted. I didn't ever seen anything that indicated that side of him.''

http://www.newsday.com/search/dp-now-vickmora,0,7151373.story

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #24 on:** August 20, 2007, 05:39:37 PM »

Quote from: OzmO on August 20, 2007, 05:16:01 PM

Maybe so, but his crime was outside of football and a crime he will have paid for. The fans will petition for his reinstatement and the NFL will find a way to justify it.

I disagree. New commissioner, new outlook and perspective. I really like Goodell's attitude and approach.

And what "fans" are you referring to? Vick has lost more fans faster than any pro athlete in quite a long time. All the media has to do(and they will) is broadcast the horrific acts that Vick was engaged in and the hate starts fresh.(drowning, electrocuting, slamming a dog against a wall) What kind of justification to that could the NFL conjure up? That is precisely why Goodell will keep him out.