Let's review the NAACP's position:
We believe that the influence of the media is so strong that whatever people see on television and hear on the radio, they believe. The coverage of Michael Vick’s situation has been very negatively skewed, skewed to the point that we don’t believe the whole story is getting out. What we’re asking is that people not make judgments until he has had his day in court.
PETA and the Humane Society have been so vocal in their criticism of him because they think he might have harmed an animal. And this case is so high profile that it gave them an opportunity to get up on their soapbox and make news. So they’ve initiated writing campaigns to his sponsors and organized demonstrations outside the Atlanta Falcons training camp. They’ve done whatever they’ve done to bring negative attention to Michael Vick, and at that point it wasn’t about Vick as much as it was about getting publicity for themselves. We feel that’s wrong.
We’re not taking a position on whether or not he did it, nor are we condoning dogfighting. We’re merely saying that people shouldn’t rush to judge Michael Vick. When [Baltimore Ravens linebacker] Ray Lewis was accused of murder [in 2000], he was still afforded the right to work. [Lewis later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a plea deal and the murder charge was dropped.] When [Los Angeles Lakers guard] Kobe Bryant was accused of rape [in 2004], he was still afforded the right to work [those charges were also later dropped]. My question is, are we suggesting that alleged rape and alleged murder is less important than mistreating dogs? He’s been told he cannot come to work because of this because the NFL wants to see if he’s violated the code of conduct, when all the evidence has not yet come out. We think that’s wrong. That’s not due process. It’s the media convicting him before his day in court.
Well, the NAACP no longer has to be concerned about Michael Vick's good name being besmirched.
He is pleading guilty.
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.
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. Vick's plea hearing is Aug. 27.
Lead defense attorney Billy Martin said Vick reached an agreement with federal prosecutors after consulting with his family over the weekend.
"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," Martin said in a statement. "Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."
Martin later told The Associated Press he could not divulge any specifics of the plea agreement or how much time Vick can expect to serve in prison.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation.
"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons," the league said in a statement. The NFL added that it has asked the Falcons "to continue to refrain from taking action pending a decision by the commissioner."
The Falcons said they were "certainly troubled" by news of the plea but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell's request.
Read Vick's lawyer's statement.
I'd like to link to Goodell's statement, but I can't because he hasn't issued one.
According to John Czarnecki:
Michael Vick's NFL career is over.
By accepting a guilty plea today on those gruesome federal dog-fighting charges,
Vick won't escape prison and he could be sentenced to more than a year when he appears before U.S. Judge Henry Hudson next Monday morning.
No details of the plea agreement have been made public, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has no choice but to indefinitely suspend Vick.
...Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted to suspend Vick when the indictment was handed down, but in order to recover any signing bonus money, the team needs Goodell to suspend Vick. Blank definitely feels betrayed by Vick, but another huge problem facing him is how will his fan base — 52 percent of his season ticket holders are African-American — react to the permanent loss of Vick, one of the league's most popular players. Some of Vick's fans in Atlanta actually believe that Vick was unfairly targeted by the Justice Department in this case.
But Vick dug his own hole here. Based on his plea, he lied to Goodell around the time of the draft when he said he was innocent of these charges. According to what his co-defendants said last Friday, Vick was killing dogs in April just prior to the draft.
And now it's likely all over for Michael Vick.
Since he entered the league in 2001, Vick has received more than $60 million in salary and endorsements. It's nothing short of ludicrous that he threw away such a career and earning power by being involved in an illegal dogfighting betting ring.
I still can't believe why someone so blessed would throw it all away like that. $60 MILLION!
Wasn't that enough?
Why would Vick need to turn to illegal activity?
It's not because he lived in poverty and felt he was trapped, no way out, no future.
It's not because he didn't have the ability to succeed.
It's not because he wasn't given the opportunity.
$60 MILLION and he chose to engage in cruel, inhumane games.
When is Goodell going to suspend him?
It seems like everyone knows it's over for Vick except Goodell.
In a telephone interview with the AP, Martin said Vick is paying a high price for allowing old friends to influence his behavior, but he emphasized that his client takes full responsibility.
"There were some judgment issues in terms of people he was associating with," Martin said. "He realized this is very serious, and he decided to plead so he can begin the healing process."
Healing process.
What a load!
This has nothing to do with Vick's buddies. It has everything to do with Vick willingly engaging in horrific brutality.
One has to have a truly blackened heart to torture living things.
How is Vick going to "heal"?
I don't know that it's possible for someone so cruel to change.
I don't think it's possible to do a complete personality transplant.
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