How can anyone be so ungrateful for their good fortune?
How can anyone be stupid enough to jeopardize all of that?
What is wrong with Michael Vick?
RICHMOND, Va. -- It's up to Michael Vick now. His last two co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday and implicated Vick in bankrolling gambling on dogfights. One of them said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback helped drown or hang dogs that didn't do well.
With his NFL career in jeopardy and a superseding indictment adding more charges in the works, that left Vick with a hard choice: Cutting his own deal to hold jail time under a year or go to trial and sit through detailed descriptions of the ghastly operation known as "Bad Newz Kennels."
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Vick's attorneys were negotiating with prosecutors as of late afternoon, trying to hammer out a plea deal.
"It seems to be a pretty clear indication there will be some sort of plea entered," Blank said before the Falcons preseason game at Buffalo. "When? I'm not positive."
Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach entered plea agreements and agreed to testify against Vick. A third member of the dogfighting ring, Tony Taylor, struck a similar deal last month.
..."Did you conspire with these folks to sponsor a dogfighting venture?" U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson asked Peace.
"Yes, sir," he replied.
That's "bad newz" for Vick.
As part of his plea agreement, Phillips signed a statement that said Vick joined in executing at least eight dogs that didn't do well in test fights by various methods, including hanging and drowning.
"Phillips agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips, and Vick," the statement said.
Phillips and Peace also backed up Taylor's assertion that Vick was involved in gambling.
"The `Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling monies were almost exclusively funded by Vick," according to statements by the two men.
Those allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Blank accused Vick of lying to the owner and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when they first questioned the quarterback about the allegations.
"It's just very sad," Blank said. "It's sad that those allegations exist and now they are confirmed by others. It's sad that Michael has put himself into that kind of situation. It's his responsibility for putting himself into that situation."
Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the latest pleas.
When is Goodell going to suspend Vick for the season?
Given the seriousness of the allegations and the agreement of Peace and Phillips to testify against Vick, it's time for the NFL to do more than just keep the quarterback from training camp.
I don't see why there's all the foot-dragging. It puts the NFL in the position of being an enabler.
I'm not declaring Vick guilty.
At this point, I don't think that Vick should be banned from the NFL for life. That would be a premature move.
Assuming Vick enters a plea, there will be plenty of time for the NFL to determine the appropriate steps to take for the long term.
However, at this point, the NFL should be taking a tougher stand.
Blank said he was stunned by the charges made against Vick by his co-defendants.
"It's distressing after six years spending time with somebody, you think you know them and then there's another side that is shocking to all of us," the owner said. "Those statements of facts don't match up with what the league was told, even our organization, and certainly not was said to the commissioner. So we'll have to see what comes out in this plea and deal with the facts as soon as we have them."
This investigation has progressed far enough for Goodell to have good reason to officially suspend Vick now.
Peace and Phillips pleaded guilty to the same charge facing Vick: conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Sentencing was set for Nov. 30.
The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The men will get credit for accepting responsibility and cooperating with the government but would be penalized for animal brutality.
It appears that Vick doesn't operate under under any personal conduct policy of his own. If he does, it's a very twisted one.
Goodell should step in.
On Thursday, Vick had more trouble with the law.
...As if he didn't have enough troubles, Vick was cited for not wearing a seat belt when a car he owned was pulled over Thursday by Virginia state troopers.
The officer stopped the car because the tint on the windows was too dark, state police Sgt. D.S. Carr said. The Vick-owned vehicle was being driven by someone else when pulled over in Isle of Wight County.
The driver was cited for the tint and Vick was slapped with a $25 fine for not wearing his seat belt. There are no court costs, and Vick doesn't have to go to court.
"He can prepay it if he wants to," Carr said.
Vick definitely has personal conduct issues.
A pro-football player shouldn't be caught not wearing a seat belt.
What sort of example is Vick setting for all his young fans?
I think in addition to a seat belt, someone needs to put a choke collar on Vick.
That would be humane compared to what Vick is alleged to have done to dogs.
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