Michael Vick Goes To The Dogs

It is getting tougher and tougher to be a professional sports fan as athletes continue to grab headlines for their bad deeds off the field instead of the good things they do between the lines. The latest and one of the more disturbing involves Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, one of the NFL’s biggest names and biggest sellers when it comes to his #7 jersey. If thinks don’t go Vick’s way his football uniform could be replaced by prison garb in the near future.

Tuesday a federal grand jury indicted the 27-year old on and three others on charges related to an illegal dogfighting operation that goes back to 2001 when Vick was a rookie. The four are charged with competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines. The indictment says the dogs were housed, trained and fought at a Virginia property owned by Vick, who has previously said he was rarely at the house, had no idea that dogfighting was taking place and blamed family members and friends for taking advantage of his generosity. In an April raid of the property 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls were seized as well as equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

Shortly after that “Sports Illustrated” published a piece which said quite a few pro athletes are involved in dogfighting and that it’s growing in popularity with thousands of dollars waged on fights, which sometimes end in death for one of the animals. In the indictment against Vick and the others are charges that losing dogs were sometimes killed by electrocution, drowning and hanging.

Vick will likely turn himself in to authorities in the next day or so and officially be charged and booked. He will probably be released on bail and unless charges are dropped face a court case down the road. The real question now is what action or inaction is taken by the Falcons and the NFL,
who initially have expressed disappointment in Vick but at the same time said that the legal system has to play out. While you are innocent until proven guilty Vick is a player who it would be tough to root for and here’s hoping that no parent buys their child his #7 jersey because he does not deserve any adulation…at least not now.