Plea Deal - Page 1

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txfalconsvick&prov=st&type=lgns

What is a shame, is what his partners in crime said that he did! Lets see, he helped kill 8 dogs that would not fight, they hanged them first and when it didn't kill 3 of them, they held there heads in a 5 gallon bucket of water until they died! I think he should get the same fate!

I am surprised that people think that Vick killing dogs is worse than him setting up dog fights.  People kill animals all of the time.  That's where we get chicken and steak.  But the slow torture of having them fight, maul and maim each other for sport, now that is inhumane.  The other shame is the people that think just because he is a good football player, we should look the other way.  There are millions of football fans that think this way.  THAT is the real shame here.  The pass athletes get, in all walks of life.  HIgh School, college and professional.  If Vick was not a good athlete, what do you think he would be doing for a living and what kind of sentence would he get for his crimes?  I'll tell you.  He would be working for a city water department and he would receive a sentence of 3 to 5 years for his crimes.  It looks like he is going to do, at most, 8 to 10 months, and pay a fine, with possibly donating some money to the ASPCA (how hipocritical if that happens).  He will play football next year or the year after.  Some owner will give him a contract.  They always do.  But, ya'll keep rooting for that laundry and wearing their names on your clothing.  Sad, just sad.

Do right

We don't take chicken and steak to training and walks.  We don't let steak sleep in our beds and give steak our pizza crust.  Steak never gives us the sad look when steak wants something.  You're talking about dogs and the methods used to kill.  I don't know of people that hang a steak to die and then finish it off by drowning.  Why would you boil a steak?

Unfortunately this asshole would have no problem killing a human being in the future. This is the key ingredient to become a killer. He obvious shows no remorse for what he did. I do not accept his apologies. I do not believe he is sorry deep inside. He plea's guilty because he's going to get a lesser sentence.

Instead of going to prison for 5 years... watch him getting that 10-12 months.

I'm starting to get the feeling he won't play again.  They were saying yesterday that whatever the NFL gave for punishment probably would not be served in conjucntion with what he gets from the fed's so even if he gets only a year term, he'll probably be suspended for another year at least by the league.  You're looking at a 30 year old QB in 2010 that's a convicted Felon and hasn't played in the league for at least 2 years probably 3.  Some owner may give him a small window to try and prove himself for a vet minimum contract, but I think his opportunities will be very very small by that point seeing he was never more than  a mediocre QB anyway. 

I wonder if the Falcons will be able to get back any of the money they've paid him seeing he won't be fulfilling his contract with them anytime soon?  That would be sweet, him having to pay back millions in signing bonus money on top of the millions upon millions he lost, just because he wanted to fight and kill a few dogs, what a pathetic excuse for a man.  Poor, poor boy, have fun in prison. 

I was stating this over and above the dog fighting! That he was guilty of more then just fighting dogs. In no way was I trying to make light of the dog fighting! Since he funded this horrible act, I think he should get the same treatment he gave the dogs that he killed!

The fans will always have something negative to yell at him for the rest of his career. Can you imagine any team wanting that kind of publicity. People would be yelling "Dog killer" at every game. No owner needs that kind of negative publicity. My bet is that he will never play again. I think a professional sports star/criminal finally went too far. And try to get PETA off his ass. Ha!

It goes to show how these athletes and Hollywood stars earn a lot of money but are not very smart. In fact most of them are one step from working in a low skilled job if they had no ability to do something our society feels is entertainment. Really shows the values in our society.

PS: I don't buy any shirts with other people's names on them. I never understood that.

The Falcons said they were "certainly troubled" by news of the plea but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell's request.

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."

The lawyer said salvaging Vick's NFL career was never part of the discussions.

"Football is not the most important thing in Michael Vick's life," he said. "He wants to get his life back on track."

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. He had pleaded not guilty last month and vowed to clear his name at a November trial.

The plea deal was announced just a new grand jury began meeting. 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 rural Virginia, 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.

Vick's Atlanta attorney, Daniel Meachum, told the AP that Vick is taking a chance with his guilty plea as far as his career is concerned because there have been no discussions with the league in recent days.

"There's no promise or even a request of the league to make a promise," Meachum said.

Meachum said the plea deal involves only the federal case. He said he doesn't know if there have been any discussions about resolving Virginia state charges that may be brought against Vick.

The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at a massive home Vick built in Surry County found 66 dogs, some of them injured, and items typically used in dogfighting. They included a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth.

Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. The former Virginia Tech star also blamed friends and family members for taking advantage of his generosity and pledged to be more scrupulous.

The July 17 indictment said dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other brutal means. The grisly details fueled public protests against Vick and cost him some of his lucrative endorsement deals.

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Associated Press Writers Harry R. Weber and Doug Gross in Atlanta and Michael Felberbaum in Richmond contributed to this report.