Should Michael Vick be allowed to play in the NFL again?

[MF Prime]

I say Yes.

Vick was a great athlete and a joy to watch in every game he played in should be no denying about that. After a couple years away from the game, he's done his time and lost plenty of loot and should be given another chance.

 

[celtsxpatsxsox]

The guy served his sentence. He should be allowed to play. He deserves a second chance.

If you worked in a high profile business and you were found guilty of committing a federal crime would your old job bring you back right on the spot?

 

[JTRaines92]

Of coarse, he served his time. Roger Goodell will let him back because he is a fan favorite and he wants to make money.

 

[Hogle]

let him play, the more the merrier considering some of the clowns we've got playing qb in the NFL

 

[Hasselbeck]

Of coarse, he served his time. Roger Goodell will let him back because he is a fan favorite and he wants to make money.

I can guarantee he won't be a fan favorite anymore.

 

[Hasselbeck]

What does doing time or not have anything to do with the NFL and their punishment? Can someone answer me that?

I mean, Stallworth got 30 days in jail, so afterward, the NFL should just be fine with him coming back even though the negative attention he brought has hurt the NFL? Of course not!

Vick has had ZERO punishment from the league. None. For him to not get punished under the new player conduct policy would be a mockery.

NEW YORK -- The NFL has suspended Falcons quarterback Michael Vick indefinitely without pay following his admission of guilt in a dogfighting scheme.

On Friday, Vick filed his plea agreement in federal court admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and agreeing that the enterprise included killing pit bulls and gambling. He denied making side bets on the fights, but admitted to bankrolling them.

Friday afternoon, a letter to Vick from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, in part:

"Your admitted conduct was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible" and regardless whether he personally placed bets, "your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player."

Goodell freed the Falcons to "assert any claims or remedies" to recover $22 million of Vick's signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004.

The commissioner didn't speak to Vick but based his decision on the court filings. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Goodell may meet with Vick in the future, and Goodell said he would review the suspension after all the legal proceedings.

"You have engaged in conduct detrimental to the welfare of the NFL and have violated the league's personal conduct policy," Goodell told Vick in a letter after meeting in New York with Falcons president and general manager Rich McKay.

"You are now justifiably facing consequences for the decisions you made and the conduct in which you engaged. Your career, freedom and public standing are now in the most serious jeopardy," Goodell wrote. "I hope that you will be able to learn from this difficult experience and emerge from it better prepared to act responsibly and to make the kinds of choices that are expected of a conscientious and law abiding citizen."

Falcons owner Arthur Blank supported Goodell's decision and said:

"We hope that Michael will use this time, not only to further address his legal matters, but to take positive steps to improve his personal life."

Nike, meantime, said it terminated its contract with Vick.

In disciplining Vick, Goodell said he will "review the status of your suspension following the conclusion of the legal proceedings. As part of that review, I will take into account a number of factors, including the resolution of any other charges that may be brought against you, whether in Surry County, Virginia, or other jurisdictions, your conduct going forward, the specifics of the sentence imposed by Judge Hudson and any related findings he might make, and the extent to which you are truthful and cooperative with law enforcement and league staff who are investigating these matters."

"I have advised the Falcons that, with my decision today, they are no longer prohibited from acting and are now free to assert any claims or remedies available to them under the Collective Bargaining Agreement or your NFL Player Contract."

The grisly 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.

Animal-rights groups mobilized against Vick -- even protesting at NFL headquarters in New York -- and sponsors dropped him.

"It is fitting that the NFL has suspended him,'' said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "He's now a role model for something terrible, and it's not appropriate that he suit up in an NFL uniform."

He was suspended before he was sentenced.. whats the point of suspending him after a 2-year sentence? To me that's overkill.

 

[Bmore]

He was suspended before he was sentenced.. whats the point of suspending him after a 2-year sentence? To me that's overkill.

Mike Vick took lives, it may have been a dog. But a life is a life.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Mike Vick took lives, it may have been a dog. But a life is a life.

... and... did you miss his two-year prison sentence for that?

The point brought up was "the NFL hadn't punished Vick yet.." when actually .. they did. It's not like Vick was out throwing passes to Michael Jenkins and Roddy White while he was awaiting his prison sentence.

 

[bucky]

... and... did you miss his two-year prison sentence for that?

The point brought up was "the NFL hadn't punished Vick yet.." when actually .. they did. It's not like Vick was out throwing passes to Michael Jenkins and Roddy White while he was awaiting his prison sentence.

If I recall correctly, he did not miss any regular season or post season GAMES from any action taken by the league......So did he really get punished by the league yet? If the original "indefinite suspension" caused no loss of game time?

Vick has not really been punished by the league in any meaningful way. Come on Hass, you're smarter than that.

You may disagree with my assessment, That's OK. Always thought you were pretty cool and I still do.

Maybe we will just agree to disagree.

 

[Fox1994]

I can guarantee he won't be a fan favorite anymore.

WELLL.... I still like him.

If I recall correctly, he did not miss any regular season or post season GAMES from any action taken by the league......So did he really get punished by the league yet? If the original "indefinite suspension" caused no loss of game time?

Vick has not really been punished by the league in any meaningful way. Come on Hass, you're smarter than that.
You may disagree with my assessment, That's OK. Always thought you were pretty cool and I still do.

Maybe we will just agree to disagree.

Except that Marshawn Lynch, Donte Stallworth, Deuce McAllister, and the Williams-es boys have yet to miss any games, either. (Deuce and the Williams-es appealed their suspension for illegal substances and Marshawn and Donte's seasons haven't started... yet, so they haven't missed any time... YET)

In any case, I think MV7 was an exciting athlete and I'd love to see him playing ball again. I don't care whom with, I just hope it's at QB.

While race could be brought into the discussion, let's just not.

 

[bucky]

Except that Marshawn Lynch, Donte Stallworth, Deuce McAllister, and the Williams-es boys have yet to miss any games, either. (Deuce and the Williams-es appealed their suspension for illegal substances and Marshawn and Donte's seasons haven't started... yet, so they haven't missed any time... YET)

What does this have to do with MV? Hasn't Donte been suspended indefinitely by the league? Just because he hasn't missed any games YET, does not mean he will not miss any games. I expect he will miss games.

The Williams-es have already been suspended, and should miss games pending the correct legal decision. They have already been suspended by the league and it should never have gone to court,

These guys should and probably will miss games outside of any legal punishment.

So I just don't see where you are going with this?

 

[JeremyHight]

He was suspended before he was sentenced.. whats the point of suspending him after a 2-year sentence? To me that's overkill.

Wow, get your history straight.

1. Vick was being investigated for being a financier and a part of an illegal dog fighting ring.
2. Vick was told by Goodell he was unable to go into training camp because of an ongoing NFL investigation into Vick's gambling on the illegal dog fighting ring. NFL rules prohibit any illegal gambling done by its players, coaches, referees, and etc. It was an NFL matter only concerning the gambling.
3. During arraignment, Vick was barred from leaving Virginia by the judge, thereby making the barring from training camp by Goodell moot.
4. Before any games, Vick pleaded guilty to his part in the illegal dog fighting ring.

So, let me get this straight, for all the problems Vick caused the league, his team, his teammates, and everyone associated with it, you think a fair punishment from the NFL is to have him barred from training camp for 2 weeks? Remember, the federal punishment is not at all associated with a punishment by the NFL and notice that gambling illegally is completely against several NFL rules for obvious reasons.

 

[dave]

Mike Vick took lives, it may have been a dog. But a life is a life.

I am not defending what Mike Vick did for a second, but that's an insane comparison.
Under your premise, every hunter in the world is a murderer.

 

[Hasselbeck]

If I recall correctly, he did not miss any regular season or post season GAMES from any action taken by the league......So did he really get punished by the league yet? If the original "indefinite suspension" caused no loss of game time?

Vick has not really been punished by the league in any meaningful way. Come on Hass, you're smarter than that.

You may disagree with my assessment, That's OK. Always thought you were pretty cool and I still do.

Maybe we will just agree to disagree.

Technically he missed all games played until his sentence.. and he was suspended for the association with dog fighting and all the other shit that came along with it.

Wow, get your history straight.

1. Vick was being investigated for being a financier and a part of an illegal dog fighting ring.
2. Vick was told by Goodell he was unable to go into training camp because of an ongoing NFL investigation into Vick's gambling on the illegal dog fighting ring. NFL rules prohibit any illegal gambling done by its players, coaches, referees, and etc. It was an NFL matter only concerning the gambling.
3. During arraignment, Vick was barred from leaving Virginia by the judge, thereby making the barring from training camp by Goodell moot.
4. Before any games, Vick pleaded guilty to his part in the illegal dog fighting ring.

So, let me get this straight, for all the problems Vick caused the league, his team, his teammates, and everyone associated with it, you think a fair punishment from the NFL is to have him barred from training camp for 2 weeks? Remember, the federal punishment is not at all associated with a punishment by the NFL and notice that gambling illegally is completely against several NFL rules for obvious reasons.

I think his fair punishment was already served. Irregardless of whether the technical suspension suspended him from training camp, or months of regular season play - which Goodell is acknowledging - Vick paid his sentence.

Granted I think this 4-game suspension is fair, because the man isn't going to be ready to start/play for quite some time due to being out of the game for 2 years.

From the article about Vick's return

The anticipation and speculation can stop. Roger Goodell has reached a decision on Michael Vick, NFL sources told ESPN.

League sources told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio and Chris Mortensen Thursday that sometime next week Goodell is expected to announce a conditional reinstatement of Vick, which would allow Vick to go to training camp if he signed with a team but that could also include a four-game suspension.

"Can we suspend him in basically double jeopardy?" asked the league source. "That's the question."

Goodell had already given Vick an indefinite suspension that ran concurrent with the 23-month federal prison sentence and home confinement stemming from Vick's role in an illegal dogfighting ring.

According to a source close to Vick, the former Falcons quarterback is hoping to receive no additional punishment. A four-game suspension would likely inhibit his ability to catch on with an NFL team. No teams have expressed interest in bringing Vick in for a tryout as of yet.

As part of the deal, Goodell is reserving judgement in the event of any further transgressions from Vick.

So apparently I'm not the only one with either.. "messed up history" or the belief he's paid his time.

I'm not condoning Vick's actions at all.. but no suspension in the world is going to even come close to the damage he inflicted on himself already with his image to his fans, peers, etc. He was once the highest paid athlete in the NFL. Now he'll be lucky to make anything above the veteran minimum this season. He was once the face of a franchise.. a city.. and now he will be hated everywhere he goes.

I just think a severe suspension is ridiculous. But agree to disagree because no matter what he's coming back in 2009

 

[Point Blank]

Mike Vick took lives, it may have been a dog. But a life is a life.

If I step on an ant, am I a murderer?

 

[dave]

If I step on an ant, am I a murderer?

Yes. You're suspended from VSN for four weeks.

 

[bucky]

Technically he missed all games played until his sentence.. and he was suspended for the association with dog fighting and all the other shit that came along with it.

The suspension had nothing to do with missing those games. He was legally unable to attend anything outside of the state the charges were made. Technically, the suspension did nothing.

I think his fair punishment was already served. Irregardless of whether the technical suspension suspended him from training camp, or months of regular season play - which Goodell is acknowledging - Vick paid his sentence.

I would have liked a one year suspension, but it's not my call. It's up to Goodell to decide what is fair, and I'm fine with whatever he decides.

I just think a severe suspension is ridiculous. But agree to disagree because no matter what he's coming back in 2009

We will just agree to disagree.

Hass, any chance Seattle would sign him?

 

[bucky]

If I had to compare Vick to see what is fair I would say he deserves less than whatever Donte Stallworth gets. Donte is who should get nailed, Donte took human life through drunk driving and that is way worse then dogfighting I am sorry. Whatever happens to Vick it needs to be less than Stallworth is getting.

You're confusing the end result with the events leading up to the end result.

I'm smart enough to be able to separate the two.

The end result of losing a human life is worse than the end result of dogs dieing. I agree with this.

But let's compare the two:

The events leading up to the end result, well let's use two examples and then we can get to the Stallworth, Vick specifics.

There are two guys re-roofing a house. One guy slips and slides into his buddy, causing his buddy to fall off the roof and his buddy dies.

Across the street is a guy that steals neighborhood cats, ties them down to a board, and slowly cuts the cats skin away while the cat screams in pain and slowly dies..

Your backwards logic would execute the guy that accidentally slips on the roof, and let the guy murdering cats off scott free, just because the end result of the person dieing was worse.

Now let's look at Stallworth vs Vick.
Stallworth's crime was driving under the influence. You still have to, as an investigator, judge and jury, have to look at what the likely causes of the accident was, You look at, what condition the driver was in. You look at WHERE THE GUY WAS when he got hit. And the guy was illegally running out in front of traffic, onto a VERY busy highway very late at night. Donte was wrong (and criminally wrong) for driving under the influence. It was an accident that was in part was caused by the pedestrian that was also illegally crossing the street. Here there was no intent to harm anyone.

M. Vick took pleasure in torturing animals. He took a sick, sadistic, evil pleasure in electrocuting, drowning, hanging, and slamming dogs to their death. He trained, and forced dogs to fight to the death. He organized an illegal gambling ring around these sick acts. And he did this repeatedly over the course of many years. So much for your first offense theory. It takes a very special person to intentionally bring that kind of harm to a living being, whether it's human or a domesticated animal, and especially take a sick pleasure in it. M.Vick was not convicted of Dog fighting or abuse of animals as far as I know, he was only convicted of the gambling, But all of this was part of his confession, after he realized he was not going to lie his way out of trouble. He confessed to all this.

Can you see a difference in intent. One was accidental, and the pedestrian had a significant role in causing his own death.

The other was intentional and pure evil.

It's a good thing you're not a judge. Scary thing is that you could end up on a jury.

 

[Juggernaut]

M. Vick took pleasure in torturing animals. He took a sick, sadistic, evil pleasure in electrocuting, drowning, hanging, and slamming dogs to their death. He trained, and forced dogs to fight to the death. He organized an illegal gambling ring around these sick acts. And he did this repeatedly over the course of many years.

Please provide a link for the underlined part. I couldn't find one and im not sure if there was a link in this thread pertaining to exactly what he did.

 

[dboy_dc]

Funny thing is all these people who down MV especially looking at how they "Never" done any harm to an animal...

So riddle me this?

Have you ever thrown anything at a bird for fun? or fed it rice or them medicine tablets that makes them explode?

Have you ever poked a dog with a stick? hit it with a rock? kicked one? done anything voile to it?

Do you go fishing? for fun?

Do you hunt? If yes, do you do it for food or to hang a head on your wall?

Ever hurt a cat?

Ever ran over an animal with a car or laugh when you see roadkill? Matter of fact if you see an animal in the street do you avoid it or keep driving if it's small enough?

I'm 100% sure none of you owned any of the dogs that were used, not complying with MV actions at all, but hell it's said and done with...Pull ya skirt back down and shut up, it's worthless taking about it, the animals wont be brought back to life and MV life will never be the same... Some of yall are emotional as females and shit.


side note:
Money can lead to doing evil things...
If any of yall would've fucked up bad in life, i'm sure you would want a sencond chance...