Vick goes to court today....

[Rastak]

From AJC: OUCH! And all true......

PRO FOOTBALL: The coward who can't come clean

By Jeff Schultz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/25/07

A coward to the end.

He won't directly say he killed dogs. He will admit to heading a group of degenerates when dogs were killed. Does somebody award points for semantics? "Ookie" tells "T" or "Q" or "P-Funk" to "Drown the dog," but he keeps his hands in his pockets. Is this the Vito Corleone defense?
A coward to the end.

He won't admit to gambling on dogfights. But he'll admit to funding an illegal business enterprise that gambles. Well, that should appease NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Because I'm sure if "Bad Newz Kennels" ever accumulated significant gambling debts, a bookie would pressure "T" or "Q" or "P Funk" —- not the NFL player with the $130 million contract who gave the money to "T" or "Q" or "P-Funk."

How does this happen? How can somebody we admired for his courage on the field turn into such an invertebrate off it?

He runs in games. Did he have to run in the real world? Is it that difficult to admit guilt and say, "It's my fault. Everything."

We are, by nature, forgiving. We embrace the comeback. We want people to overcome obstacles, shed their baggage, become whole again.

This we shouldn't forgive. First, we need to see remorse. Michael Vick hides behind attorneys like an offensive line. If only he had hid that well as a Falcons quarterback, he never would've been sacked.

He doesn't care about the truth. He cares about exact wording in legal PDFs.

He doesn't care about accepting responsibility. He cares about limiting blame.

If he feels anything, he doesn't show it. It's only obvious that he's sorry he got caught. That doesn't count. That's pathetic. He's pathetic. Vick doesn't need a 12-step program for healing. He needs a conscience.
When will he realize that he did something wrong? When he's lying in a cell, wide awake at 2 a.m.? When he's scrubbing a floor or washing dishes for 12 cents an hour? Maybe while he's under house arrest, walking around with an ankle bracelet?

Try avoiding the rush with that, big guy. There's your new Michael Vick Experience.

This is not how people with character defects should begin rehabilitation. This is not how to repair an image or damaged career aspirations.

Come clean on everything. Express sorrow, contrition —- then we'll talk.

Vick did what cowards do. He not only hid behind some legalese, he agreed to cooperate with the government in turning in others. Maybe you view that as being a team player. But there's another view: There goes the street cred.

Page 5 of the plea agreement reads: "The defendant agrees to cooperate fully and truthfully with the United States, and provide all information known to the defendant regarding any criminal activity as requested by the government." It states this includes testimony at grand juries and trials. Vick also must submit to a polygraph test at the whim of the government.

Nobody agrees to such mandates unless they're backed to the edge of a cliff, with the cavalry approaching. So why not just come completely clean? At least he would look like he cared.

I can't imagine the hundreds of thousands of dollars Vick will have paid attorneys when this is over. I hope the verbiage was worth it.

We knew he struggled to read defenses. Turns out he can't read an offense, either. The story broke in April in Surry County, Va. Vick's reaction: "I'm never at the house. I left the house with my family members and my cousin. They just haven't been doing the right thing. ... It's unfortunate I have to take the heat behind it."

He thought it would go away, of course, like a disappearing water bottle incident. He goofed. Had he settled things with Virginia authorities, maybe the "United States vs. Michael Vick, a/k/a 'Ookie' " never happens.

Then officials dug up the yard at 1915 Moonlight Road. They found dog corpses. Vick still thought, "I can't be tied to this." The lying continued. Vick's fan base screamed racism or warnings about the Duke case revisited.

Then it fell apart. "T" and "Q" and "P-Funk" rolled on him. Suddenly, Vick was the last man standing. The last coward standing.

Maybe one day he'll step to a microphone and express remorse. But we're past the point of trust. Repentance needs to be wired to a polygraph.

jschultz@ajc.com

[GrnBay007]

You can all thank TROY for bringing down Vick.


(Troy's look-a-like)


How a Police Dog, Troy the Dutch Shepherd, Led to Michael Vick's Downfall


One of the aspects of the Michael Vick dog fighting investigation that hasn't gotten much attention is how it all started. So let's explain: It all started with a dog named Troy.

Troy is a Dutch shepherd (that's a Dutch shepherd in the photo, but it's not Troy) who joined the police department in Hampton, Va., last year. During a patrol outside a Hampton nightclub in April, Troy alerted his handler that he smelled drugs in the trunk of a car. Police found marijuana in the car, which turned out to belong to Vick's cousin, Davon Boddie.

After arresting Boddie, police got a search warrant for the home address he listed, 1915 Moonlight Road. That was the address of the property Vick owned, and when police searched the property, they discovered 66 live dogs and evidence of dog fighting. Further searches yielded 17 dead dogs and evidence that Vick's claim of "I'm never there" was false.

So it was Troy, out doing his job sniffing for drugs, who put a stop to a dog fighting ring, no doubt saving the lives of many of his fellow dogs in the process.

[Kiwon]

The writer above echoes what I said yesterday.....Vick's confession as required by the plea deal does not include details about what his specific role was in the dog killings.

Was he physically present when dogs were killed? Whose idea was it to choose the method of killing......drown, electrocute, or hang the animals? Who attached the cables to the dog? Did he personally do it? How long did it take for the dog to die? How many dogs did he personally kill? What was his preferred method? If he drowned a dog, how many minutes did it take for a big, strong pit bull to die? How did they bind the dog to prevent his escape as it struggled to live? Did he ever feel guilt about what he was doing?

Bottom line: There is a big, big difference between "collective guilt" and personally torturing an animal.

Obviously, one reason he DOES NOT want to be specific is because admitting the details means that he will probably have to admit to drug use as well. The original search warrant was linked to drugs and remember his fake bottom water bottle at the airport that had drug residue on it?

If the dog fighting doesn't completely jeopardize his NFL comeback possibilities, the drug use will (not to mention further complicate his legal situation).

Again, hopefully the judge will make all the defendants elaborate specifically about what they did, when they did it, and where. Otherwise, as I mentioned yesterday, we will have to wait for one of these geniuses to write a tell-all book that will then be discredited by the others.

Set out all the facts in a court of law and let's hear the whole story, start to finish.

[Kiwon]

Good story, GrnBay007,............and perfect timing with my post.

The investigation all started with drugs. Troy's a hero.

[Rastak]

The writer above echoes what I said yesterday.....Vick's confession as required by the plea deal does not include details about what his specific role was in the dog killings.

Was he physically present when dogs were killed? Whose idea was it to choose the method of killing......drown, electrocute, or hang the animals? Who attached the cables to the dog? Did he personally do it? How long did it take for the dog to die? How many dogs did he personally kill? What was his preferred method? If he drowned a dog, how many minutes did it take for a big, strong pit bull to die? How did they bind the dog to prevent his escape as it struggled to live? Did he ever feel guilt about what he was doing?

Bottom line: There is a big, big difference between "collective guilt" and personally torturing an animal.

Obviously, one reason he DOES NOT want to be specific is because admitting the details means that he will probably have to admit to drug use as well. The original search warrant was linked to drugs and remember his fake bottom water bottle at the airport that had drug residue on it?

If the dog fighting doesn't completely jeopardize his NFL comeback possibilities, the drug use will (not to mention further complicate his legal situation).

Again, hopefully the judge will make all the defendants elaborate specifically about what they did, when they did it, and where. Otherwise, as I mentioned yesterday, we will have to wait for one of these geniuses to write a tell-all book that will then be discredited by the others.

Set out all the facts in a court of law and let's hear the whole story, start to finish.

I hear ya Kiwon, but if I'm standing there as the 130 million dollar man and say "kill the dog, dogg". I'm the asshole responsible. If he's trying to make it sound like he didn;t do it AND he admits it was a collective effort one can only assume he either killed the dogs or called the shots.

What an asshole.

[Kiwon]

Rastak, people want to know EXACTLY what he did from his own lips. That's a full confession. "Collective guilt" does not cut it.

In human terms, there is a difference between being an accessory to murder and being a murderer.

We all know that he knew what was going on and financially enabled it. But, yes or no, is he the type of man that would personally, physically, sadistically torture a dog to death?

His defenders and the excuse makers need to hear exactly how heinous his actions were.

I hear your assessment, but you are presuming because you weren't there. You can describe the aftermath of what he did but you can't describe with certainty exactly what he did do.

I think the public wants the whole story in detail and the judge should force the truth to come from the man's own mouth on the record.

[Scott Campbell]

Was he physically present when dogs were killed? Whose idea was it to choose the method of killing......drown, electrocute, or hang the animals? Who attached the cables to the dog? Did he personally do it? How long did it take for the dog to die? How many dogs did he personally kill? What was his preferred method? If he drowned a dog, how many minutes did it take for a big, strong pit bull to die? How did they bind the dog to prevent his escape as it struggled to live? Did he ever feel guilt about what he was doing?

I thought I was about as pissed as I could be at Mike Vick - till I read this.

I hope VA nails that prick's ass, and he gets 5 years or more.

[Rastak]

Was he physically present when dogs were killed? Whose idea was it to choose the method of killing......drown, electrocute, or hang the animals? Who attached the cables to the dog? Did he personally do it? How long did it take for the dog to die? How many dogs did he personally kill? What was his preferred method? If he drowned a dog, how many minutes did it take for a big, strong pit bull to die? How did they bind the dog to prevent his escape as it struggled to live? Did he ever feel guilt about what he was doing?

I thought I was about as pissed as I could be at Mike Vick - till I read this.

I hope VA nails that prick's ass, and he gets 5 years or more.

Me too.....I go back and forth from being kinda pissed to extremely outraged. The part that pushed me to outraged was the hanging thing wasn't working so they drowned a couple.


What a fuckhead.

To Kiwon's point, I don't need to know who shoved the dog underwater If they all sat around nodding that this was cool they can rot in prison and then in hell as far as I'm concerned.

[Kiwon]

Well, I want EVERYONE to know what exactly what these men did. Every gory detail.

This is a perfect opportunity to expose dog fighting "as a sport" and to motivate communities to shut it down. The same goes for Michael Vick and the lifestyle he embraced.

By the way, I am a Christian and the Bible says in Proverbs 12:10, "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel."

The contempt these men demonstrated for animal life is nauseating. Civilized people don't act this way.

At the same time, I will call out those who consider abortion a personal right and choice. A choice to do what exactly? Describe what happens to a baby in the womb during an abortion. Not WHY it happens, but what actually takes place.

Isn't innocent human life something to defended and considered sacred? How can I as a caring person not feel outrage and sadness in one case and not the other? Maybe others won't get the parallels but I do.

[Rastak]

Well, I want EVERYONE to know what exactly what these men did. Every gory detail.

This is a perfect opportunity to expose dog fighting "as a sport" and to motivate communities to shut it down. The same goes for Michael Vick and the lifestyle he embraced.

By the way, I am a Christian and the Bible says in Proverbs 12:10, "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel."

The contempt these men demonstrated for animal life is nauseating. Civilized people don't act this way.

At the same time, I will call out those who consider abortion a personal right and choice. A choice to do what exactly? Describe what happens to a baby in the womb during an abortion. Not WHY it happens, but what actually takes place.

Isn't innocent human life something to defended and considered sacred? How can I as a caring person not feel outrage and sadness in one case and not the other? Maybe others won't get the parallels but I do.

I could debate the abortion thing but it deserves it's own thread. Fire one up in romper room. I can't promise I'll participate because I'm bound to alienate half the board and that isn't productive. Let's keep this to Mr asshole and his merry band of fuckheads.

[Harlan Huckleby]

The contempt these men demonstrated for animal life is nauseating. Civilized people don't act this way.

Well, I agree, but it's a moving target. I think 50 years ago in the U.S. people would dislike killing dogs. But the idea of going to PRISON for it would seem ridiculous.

Some portion of the Hip-Hop community has gotten the idea that dog fighting is OK. And I heard a rumor that Vick is threatening to name-names of many NFL players who attended and/or bet on dog fighting. (Don't know if this is true.)

I hope the Vick case will spread the message that cruelty to animals, including dog fighting, is not OK.

[MJZiggy]

You can all thank TROY for bringing down Vick.


(Troy's look-a-like)


How a Police Dog, Troy the Dutch Shepherd, Led to Michael Vick's Downfall


One of the aspects of the Michael Vick dog fighting investigation that hasn't gotten much attention is how it all started. So let's explain: It all started with a dog named Troy.

Troy is a Dutch shepherd (that's a Dutch shepherd in the photo, but it's not Troy) who joined the police department in Hampton, Va., last year. During a patrol outside a Hampton nightclub in April, Troy alerted his handler that he smelled drugs in the trunk of a car. Police found marijuana in the car, which turned out to belong to Vick's cousin, Davon Boddie.

After arresting Boddie, police got a search warrant for the home address he listed, 1915 Moonlight Road. That was the address of the property Vick owned, and when police searched the property, they discovered 66 live dogs and evidence of dog fighting. Further searches yielded 17 dead dogs and evidence that Vick's claim of "I'm never there" was false.

So it was Troy, out doing his job sniffing for drugs, who put a stop to a dog fighting ring, no doubt saving the lives of many of his fellow dogs in the process.

Great story--Bearman's gonna LOVE it.

[MJZiggy]

I have a question: does the judge HAVE to accept the plea deal as written? I ask because Vick wrote out the deal to indicate that some of the actions were done by others while he kind of oversaw the whole thing while the statements of his co defendants have him right in the middle of the action. I wonder if the judge has the ability to determine why that is...

[Kiwon]

I have a question: does the judge HAVE to accept the plea deal as written? I ask because Vick wrote out the deal to indicate that some of the actions were done by others while he kind of oversaw the whole thing while the statements of his co defendants have him right in the middle of the action. I wonder if the judge has the ability to determine why that is...

I wonder the same thing. I have heard that this is a very fair, but no-nonsense judge. I have to guess that he has some discretion in both accepting the plea deal as presented as well as the terms of sentence.

I want him to make Michael Vick the posterboy for knuckleheads. Through his questions at the plea hearing, I want him to make these men provide detailed accounts of what their specific roles were.

I assume, however, that the testimony these men give could be used against them in state court so I don't know if the threat of a state prosecution would keep him from establishing exactly what the facts are. I sure hope not.

[Kiwon]

The contempt these men demonstrated for animal life is nauseating. Civilized people don't act this way.

Some portion of the Hip-Hop community has gotten the idea that dog fighting is OK.

Drug dealers have used Pit Bulls and Rottweilers for years to guard their drug operations and somehow these types of dogs have become status symbols among the hip-hop crowd. Animal bling-bling if you will.

My prediction is that if Vick doesn't get into football again that he'll get into record producing or something like that. He is always a VIP in the eyes of these folks and his prison record is a resume enhancement for him.

Word, Dogg!