Michael Vick pays the piper

Michael Vick's day of reckoning came yesterday when U.S. District Judge sentenced him to 23 months imprisonment for participating and bankrolling an interstate dog fighting ring.

Rather, Vick was convicted for the dog fighting, but sentenced for lying about it before and after his guilty plea. Wilbon writes that he was suprised by the harshness of Vick's sentence, but should not have been, given Vick's lack of candor with the feds.

The whole self-made tragedy of the Ookie saga rests on that string of deception from the first news to the final FBI lie-detector test.

Worst lie of all was Vick's initial story that relatives living at his Moonlight Drive property were responsible. You're in this thing up to your neck and you throw your family under the bus?

If I were the patriarch of Vick's family, I would want to know why my one grandson publicly maligned my other grandson. I wouldn't be so quick to overlook it because the one was the goose laying golden eggs for the family. But, that's just me.

It's none of my business whether that accounting happened within the Vick-Boddy family. If it did not, however, it informs why Vicks' instincts led him to make the wrong decision at every turn in the saga; why he never outgrew his Ookie side.

Michael Vick never learned to hold himself accountable.

ESPN's John Clayton speculates that Vick could be back in the NFL as soon as the 2010 season. Maybe, if Virginia does not convict him on separate charges and extends his sentence beyond the fed's. [I still think those Virginia charges are piling on. It may be the law, but it's not justice.]

And maybe the 30 months of closely supervised probation will restrict Vick's movement after his release just enough to inhibit joining a team right away. Whenever he joins a team -- if that happens -- it will surely take a full season for Vick to get his "game legs."

It could be 2012 before you see Michael Vick on the field.
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I'm trying to fight the tendency of judging Vick too harshly, now; not to be one of those "evangelicals" who are quick to condemn human weakness in others while blind to their own.

There's a little Ookie in everyone. Whether you cheat on your taxes or cheat on your spouse, lie to your boss, or mistreat small animals, everybody is hiding something. Everybody wants a little understanding and a second chance if they get caught.

So now the Michael Vick story morphs to parable -- a tale with a moral lesson for all of us. And the moral is this,

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Photo top: http://www.missxpose.com/?p=921

Photo bottom: VarvelBlog found here.

Michael Vick Surrenders

Micheal Vick turned himself in to U.S. Marshals to begin serving his anticipated prison sentence for interstate conspiracy early. He is scheduled to be sentenced by the U.S. District Court on December 10.

He is being held in a regional jail pending his sentencing.

This is the second smartest move Vick made in his dog fighting saga. The best was hiring a first class legal team to represent his sorry butt when the damage was already done.

This move was smart because Vick will at least avoid the media excess and the protests and counter-protests that accompanied his earlier court appearances.

Vick still faces Virginia dog fighting charges. To put it in a football context, that's a late hit. Federal prosecutors accelerated their action when it appeared that the Commonwealth Attorney was dragging his feet at prosecuting a charge.

The State's case is based entirely on evidence developed by the feds and Vick's guilty plea to those charges. Legal fairness demands that Vick and his legal team were aware that they were putting themselves in jeopardy by his plea.

Virginia may have a case to proceed, but that's not justice. Fifteen yard penalty and loss of down.
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I always say that Jesus lives in jail. So many people seem to find Him there.

This intervention may the the thing that causes Vick to get a grip and reassess the direction of his life and choices. That's not a bad thing and Vick's life and career is not at an end. It's a time out, perhaps making up for the time-outs he didn't get [when needed] in his youth.

So, while Vick finds God and gets religion, he might also take inspiration from Martha Stewart, convicted of securities fraud in 2004. Like Vick, she chose to enter prison early, to complete her five month sentence early. [Her prison nickname was "M.Ditty."] So, she resumed her life and career that much sooner, albeit with some restrictions, and is still admired and beloved by her fans. She even made peace with PETA.

Michael Vick has a life and it's in football. I believe Atlanta is the best team and best market for him, if he can overcome Arthur Blank's sense of betrayal to get another chance.

The other market is Oakland, that NFL haven of former bad boys. The Raiders not only have a cultural ambiance where Vick can find acceptance, but a supportive African-American demographic that is attuned to prosecution and second chances; sin and redemption. It's a population deeply suspicious of the case against Vick that would resist the appeals of perceived Utopian outsiders like PETA.

More to the point, in three years, the Raiders may need a quarterback. We don't know yet if JaMarcus Russell is the answer.
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Some of the Bad Newz dogs may be adoptable.

Running Redskins' Michael Vick archive

Michael Vick Talking?

Heard on the street, or rather, on the parking lot at FedEx, Michael Vick is talking his head off.

To have some impact on his November sentencing, Michael Vick is spilling what he knows about dog fighting, including potentially damaging information about past and present NFL players.

Information heard in parking lots from people you are barely on a first name basis is far from confirmed sources. So, you have to take this as potentially alleged rumor.

It reminded me that there is more to come from this story, probably around the time of Vick's sentencing in late November.

Where was OJ Simpson . . .

. . . when Michael Vick really needed him?

Not that Simpson's recent arrest would have helped Vick's legal case, but it certainly would have deflected a lot of press attention and public wrath from Ookie Vick.

Vick's defenders, and there are still many of them, cry that the public outcry is not in proportion to the crime. Maybe, maybe not. I think something else is at work. The come-uppance.

Vick's case isn't like Simpson's. In that regard, Vick's supporters are right. They are just dogs. Vick didn't plead guilty to murder [of people]. A lot of the umbrage in the case was fed by Vick's own attitude, showing that he was in need of a come-uppance.

His cavalier regard of the animals; his use and destruction of them for entertainment and gambling -- as opposed to food and clothing, his shifting blame to his uninvolved relatives; his seeming attitude that "everybody loves Michael Vick" no matter what he does, betrayed a hubris in need of a come-uppance.

Michael wasn't treated any different than any other come-uppance case. Leona Helmsley was a come-uppance case, as much for her haughty personality as anything. Martha Stewart went to jail for lying to investigators to protect her broker. Who was she to tell the feds that the whole matter was silly?

Watergate and Monicagate were come-uppance cases. Opponents of Nixon and Clinton could not beat them at the polls. Both scandals were prolonged by political enemies taking advantage of an opportunity. All Nixon had to do was come clean early by saying "a couple of my guys got carried away." The country was ready to believe him.

Clinton's fatal blow was "I did not have sex with that woman ...." That was the moral equivalent of Nixon's "I am not a crook." Most people would have been satisfied knowing the president had to face Hilary. That was punishment enough.

Bill Belichick is a come-uppance case. He's hardly beaten on the field since he got to New England. Yet, he was 36-44 at Cleveland. So, how exactly has he been getting those wins with the Patriots?

Belichick knew better, broke the rules anyway and got nailed by the commissioner. There's still a hue & cry for a suspension. It's a cry for a come-uppance. [Suspension would be deserved if it could be shown that used the purloined defensive signals against the Jets during the game. That would have been underhanded and deserving of a suspension.]

Helmsley, Stewart and Belichick are evidence that Micheal Vick can resume life and career after he has his come-to-Jesus experience. Maybe he will be better off for it.

[We need to get off Helmsley for providing for the care of her dog, Trouble. Twelve million dollars is only 00.3 percent of Helmsley's estate. If I provided the same proportion of my estate for my dog, who is a lot of trouble, it would only keep him in dog food for a few months.]

Photo: news.bbc.co.uk (AP)

Michael Vick comes clean

Michael Vick wants you to forgive him. You and Commissioner Goodell and Arthur Blank and all the little kids. And Jesus.

Photo: Don Juan Moore/wireImage.com

You can read his apology here or watch on YouTube.

I watched his statement live. He came across as sincerely contrite. I do believe that he is sorry. Except that part about "Dog fighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it."

I think he does not know why people see dog fighting as cruel. He knows that he screwed up. Big time.

He implied that immaturity was the source of his poor decisions. I believe that, too. The perpetual kid in a candy store with an unlimited check book. Like Peter Pan and Michael Jackson, Vick is the kid who never grew up. Like Jackson, his wealth gave him a certain immunity from accountability, that curse of grown-ups. He never had to pay a price -- before now -- for bizarre behavior. Wealth can do that. If you don't learn how to control wealth, it will control you.

He's grown up a lot in that breath-taking period between April and August. Looking at a world crumbled by stupidity, He's found Jesus.

People are having a problem with that. I don't know why. Troubled times are exactly when people turn to Jesus. That's what He's there for. Redemption is for sinners. Jesus lives in jail. So many people find Him there, apparently for the first time.

He sure couldn't count on friends like "T" and "Q," who he may also meet in jail.

Michael Vick exposed, again, the racial gulf that exists between black and white in America. Vick's most loyal followers are black, of course. Many of them cite societal issues for unfair treatment of Vick. I'm black and old school. I disagree with them. What happened to Rodney King, or Lindsey Lohan, has nothing to do with running a gambling ring based on dog fighting. Dog fighting is not a victimless crime.

To be discriminatory, you have to show that Vick is being treated differently than, say, Peyton Manning or Brett Favre if they conspired to run an interstate criminal enterprise that involved killing. I think the media would make just as much of an issue as with Vick. More so, because Manning and Favre both won Super Bowls. The Vick believers will never buy that.

[A Reuters story by Matthew Bigg says the black-white distinction is not so clear cut.

"Those who demonstrated for Vick supported him as an athlete and man while those protesting against him were against animal cruelty . . . ."]

Mary Sanchez at the Kansas City Star gets it right, when she says "as long as we keep looking at Vick and shake, shake our collective heads, dismissing it all to race and class, we will miss ever understanding more about the deeper demons that people wrestle with." This is all about Michael Vick.

Funny thing, and this may be good for Vick, His problems brought him in close contact with black men of real accomplishment. Men like Billy Martin, his lawyer. I bet this is the first time he's worked closely with a non-athletic black superstar.

The clue is in Vick's suit that closely mimics Martin's normal attire, as does Vick's personal grooming. It's anti-hip-hop and more formal that the urban chic Vick wore at his arrainment. Yes, I realize his legal team dressed him for the occasion. Michael Vick is young enough that maybe a few other positives will rub off, too.

Photo: Steve Helber/AP

Here's an idea for redemption. Michael Vick pledges to pay for the care of the Bad Newz dogs for the rest of their natural lives. As fighting dogs, many of them will be unfit as pets. Their life expectancy will be short through no fault of their own. Vick's plea agreement already requires him to pay for their care while they are in government custody. Vick asks the court to let the dogs be kenneled and cared for on him. That's restitution for the dogs. That wins him some points.

Vick can set up a foundation to fund their care and call it Good Newz Kennels Foundation.

Don't worry Michael Vick fans. The NFL forgives quick. MV7 will play again, if he can put his legal troubles behind him before he's 30. The only question is where? There are two markets where Vick can fit.

Oakland has an owner with the requisite "fuck you" attitude to defy the animal extremists who will dog (oops) Vick's every step forever. And Oakland have a fan base that historically accepted social misfits. Oakland's large black community will give born-again Vick a shot at redemption.

The other market, ironically, is Atlanta where the black fan base adopted Vick as the face of the franchise and defiantly support him still. Whether the owner will ever trust him again is another matter. Arthur Blank's flexibility depends on how well Joey Harrington does as Vick's replacement

Photo: Michael Vick and Arthur Blank/AP

I wonder how Joe Gibbs would have worked with Michael Vick? We came ever so close to finding out. In January 2004, Arthur Blank invited Gibbs to lunch to feel him out about coaching the Falcons. Gibbs owned a small percentage of the franchise. Gibbs heard during that lunch that Steve Spurrier just quit as the Redskins' coach and Blank said he knew that he'd lost Gibbs for the Falcons.

Steve Spurrier saved Joe Gibbs from Michael Vick.

Wilbon - A Long Way to Go

Capehart - Michael Vick's Self-Defeat

Ookie's day in court

Michael Vick's immediate future is in the hands of U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson. Vick appears before the bench today to formally enter his guilty plea. Vick filed his statement with federal prosecutors Friday acknowledging that the government "would prove its case beyond reasonable doubt." The statement of Vick's Ookie side may be read on The Smoking Gun.

Michael Vick is compiling quite an archive at The Smoking Gun.

Give Vick his due process

The prosecution's statement accompanies Vick's guilty plea. In it, they say Vick acknowledges that, by entering his plea, he is waiving his legal "due process" rights, which are:

• the right to plead not guilty and to persist in that plea;
• the right to trial by jury
• the right to be represented by [legal] council
• the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, to be protected from compelled self-incrimination, to testify and present evidence, and to compel the attendance of witnesses.

Due process is a legal term. When Vick's Atlanta supporters cry out for his due process rights, they are referring to his shattered reputation based on news releases. They buy into Vick's initial denials of involvement even as mounting evidence exposed Vick's series of lies. [That ends today, of course.] And they want him to play football, before, during and after the fallout of the ugly episode. After all, "they're just dogs."

These are p.r. issues, not legal ones. Mr. Vick is well represented by council. Both his signed statement and the prosecutor's written statement acknowledge Vick's due process.

They were just dogs

Because they were just dogs, Vick is looking at 12 to 18 months rather than life imprisonment (see Carruth, Rae).

The real deal

Vick agreed with the prosecutors to waive his right to appeal, if the sentence imposed by Judge Hudson varies from the prosecution's recommendation. And he agreed to pay any monetary penalties immediately.

Vick will also pay for the disposition of Bad Newz Kennels stable of dogs now in government custody. The dogs are the subject of a civil action known as United States v. Approximately 53 Pit Bull Dogs, Case No. 3:07CV397. That involves "all costs associated with the care of the dogs . . . , including, if necessary, long-term care and/or the humane euthanasia of some or all of the animals as may be directed by the judge in that case."

He agrees to give up any ownership interest in the Bad Newz dogs.

Vick agrees to cooperate truthfully with the prosecution in future grand jury testimony and pre-trial conferences (presumably against others); to submit to polygraph examinations; to fully debrief the government on the details of his operation and of other dog fighters that he may know of. His signed statement of fact was sufficient to support his plea deal. He knows more and he agrees to tell all.

Any violation of any law by Vick will affect his reduction of sentence.

Vick agrees that, if he does not cooperate truthfully, his statements may be used against him in future prosecution. He effectively waives his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

Hard swallow

These provisions must be hard for Vick. He was reared in a socio-economic strata that views the Man with deep suspicion, born of ham-handed treatment by the law. Cooperation with the police is seen as almost traitorous. I have no idea of Vick feels that way. ESPN's Howard Bryant touched on this his lengthy piece Vick's next role is an unsavory one: Government informant.

"He may be called a snitch, but aiding federal authorities is the most honorable thing for this disgraced man to do at this late date. It could even be the beginning of his redemption."

Bryant's story speculates that Ookie could provide so much new evidence about the underground dog fighting culture that he could escape jail time altogether. I'm not sure about that one, but Bryant points out that the deal means that Vick would have to rat out other NFL players involved in dog fighting.

Commissioner Goodell's problems in this area may only be beginning.

Vick Pleads Guilty

UPDATE: NFL Suspends Vick Indefinitely for "cruel and reprehensible" conduct.

Vick files plea admitting to dogfighting.


This does not end the story, only the chapter. Billy Martin, Vick's lead attorney, says his client will speak to the public about his role that Martin says is different than that of the other defendants. That, my friend, is what you call "theater."


Michael Vick plead guilty to conspiracy charges and acknowledged that he bankrolled the Bad Newz Kennels operation, including paying the gambling losses of the group. However, Vick denies a hand in the actual killing of dogs and in placing any bets.


Ten questions for Michael Vick:

1. What the &%#$ were you thinking?
2. What lessons have you learned from this experience?
3. Who initiated the Bad Newz enterprise, you or your co-defendants?
4. What was your reaction when your co-defendants changed their plea and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution?
5. What are your true views about dog fighting today? Do you think people make too much of it? Is it a sport?
6. You've lost your good name. What's your plan to get your reputation back? Do you understand why people reacted as they did when the story broke?
7. How will you factor ethical choices as you make personal decisions in the future?
8. Dog fighting has emerged as an activity of an urban criminal element. Are you a thug, or just a thug wannabe?
9. Your lawyer says your role was different that that of the co-defendants. How does that justify your participation in this enterprise?
10. Should personal conduct have any role in determining if an athlete should play professional sports? Why, or why not?
    
    

Photo: www.1010wins.com from here.

Marbury Speaks

We've seen this before around here, only this time it's basketball player Stephon Marbury who lamented that Michael Vick was being charged with the sport of dog fighting while others kill Bambi for sport and get away with it.

Marbury didn't exactly use the Bambi device (that's mine). Marbury was actually quoted as saying

"I think it's tough," Marbury said, according to Albany TV station Capital News 9. "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."

Marbury has already backed off the contention when he said Vick "should be punished" and stating that his comments should be put "in the right context."

"It is not uncommon for my comments to be misconstrued in the media," the Knicks point guard wrote in a statement released by the team. " ... What Michael Vick did was wrong and he has admitted his guilt. He should be punished. However, he should be given a second chance as others have received for more serious crimes."

Anthony Brown dealt with the dog fighting as sport in a essay Blood Sports are Savagery, not Fair Competition that appeared on MVN.com. You an find it here.

Greg Hansen, columnist for the Arizona Daily Star points out that "the deer that are killed are not left to rot in the forest. They are harvested very carefully and subsequently find their way to dinner tables everywhere." He adds "Deer hunting can be and often is a dangerous endeavor. But unlike dog-fighting, it is not inherently a malicious one."

Like Marbury, I'm a kid from the inner-city. Hunting is not part of my cultural DNA. I've known and befriended hunters and talked with them about the activity. I sort of get it that there is an ethic about hunting that is absent from dog fighting and other so called blood sports.

I also understand that maybe that sense is beyond Marbury's and Clinton Portis' experience. I suspect their real beef is that Michael Vick may be banned from football for life. As athletes who committed their lives to their sport, they must empathize with Vick on that one.

They would argue that ability alone should be the sole determination of an athlete's right to play. What society is telling them through Ookie and Pacman and others is that more is expected than ability. It's a cool idea not to offend paying customers, both fans and sponsors. I'm not sure they like that.

Stephon shouldn't worry. The NFL forgives quick. Michael Vick will play again somewhere. There is one team that has always been a haven for social misfits with a bad boy image. If that JaMarcus Russell kid doesn't work out, Michael Vick could just fit the bill for the Oakland Raiders in three years or so.

Poindexter Speaks

Oh, NOW Surry County wants to aggressively prosecute Michael Vick on dog fighting charges. So says Commonwealth Attorny Gerald Poindexter in a story in yesterday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Poindexter, whose deliberate pace of investigation probably triggered the federal government's more active participation, says he will base his case, in part, on evidence developed in the fed's prosecution of Vick and his Bad Newz Kennels co-defendants.

That's no more helpful now than was Surry County's snail's pace effort before. All the more so because it gives Vick's defense team something more to think about as they craft his guilty plea to federal charges. Now they must avoid any admission that could weaken Vick's defense to State charges.

In football, there is a penalty for late hits. There should be one here too. Justice is best served by having Vick admit to everything in one swoop. That does create the situation where Vick is guilty of the conspiracy, but not charged with the underlying crime.

State charges should have been lodged first, or at least concurrent with the federal indictment. Now, State charges are anti-climatic and complicate matters for the feds as much as for Ookie. I think Vick's guilty plea this Monday will be less comprehensive than it might have been before Poindexter's announcement. [UPDATE: Vick will deny killing dogs]

The newspapers make a point of saying that States can level charges based on federal evidence. Such steps are not double jeopardy under the Bill of Rights because the accused faces different charges under a different, but related, set of facts. Double jeopardy is a violation of the Fifth Amendment.

That's the wrong angle for this story. The Bad Newz guys are pleading guilty to federal charges and admitting to the criminal facts that violate Virginia law. To use those guilty pleas in State charges now seems like a violation of the Fifth Amendment prohibiting self-incrimination. I don't see how the State can get away with that. But, I'm not a lawyer. I just watch them on TV.

Surry County, so slow to move in the case before, should move slowly now. Better yet, drop the case if Vick admits violating Virginia law in his federal plea. Lets not make this prosecution a persecution.

Bad News Kennels nearly K-put

Michael Vick's last two co-defendants in federal conspiracy dog fighting charges changed their plea to guilty this morning before the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia.

Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta face sentencing of up to five years on the charges. Both signed statements acknowledging that all of the facts in the federal indictments against them were true, and that they would cooperate with prosecutors in the case against Vick.

CNN reports that the statements included details that Vick joined the two defendants when they "executed approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions" in April of this year by methods such as hanging and drowning. Vick met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in late April and denied any involvement in dog fighting.

The feds threaten to file superseding charges against Vick next week when a federal grand jury will be empaneled. Those charges are likely to include racketeering charges. They have offered Vick a plea deal that would call for Vick to spend a year or less of jail time. No agreement was reached by Noon today.

Vick apparently is weighing the impact of a guilty plea on his ability to return to football at the end of any sentence. His agreement to a plea deal depends on what he thinks he hears from the NFL about his future.

Vick has contract law and the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement working in his favor. The NFL does not have sole discretion to just drop him. The league owners agreed to restrict that right last year -- mistakenly, I think -- to reach the new contract with the NFL Players Association. The NFLPA objected to the disciplinary actions that Philadelphia Eagles used against Terrell Owens.

Working against Vick is the additional charges the fed intend to file. Racketeering and gambling charges are serious business. The league suspended Paul Hornung for a year for gambling. The NFL might be persuaded to limit itself to an eight game suspension for a dog fighter. Racketeering could get you banned for life.

It seem unlikely that Vick would plead guilty to racketeering. If a plea is coming, it will be before the more serious charges are filed next week.

Vick likely to plead out

According to a story written by Jeremy Redmon and Bill Rankin at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will most likely join his three co-defendants and agree this week to a plea deal with prosecutors in his federal dogfighting case, according to two people with knowledge of the case.

"Vick has not made a final decision, according to the two people with the knowledge of the case, because he wants to hear from the NFL what a guilty plea would do to his football career."

Vick hired a crack legal team, giving every indication of his intent to fully fight the charges. Plea deals by all of his co-defendants tackled Vick for a loss. It's bad when you are dogged by your dawgs in federal court.

The AJC story points out that one of Vicks considerations is how the NFL will respond to the developments. One of the smarter moves Vick made was to hire Butch Williams for his legal team. Williams, of Durham, NC, represents athletes in contract law and professional league rules. He represented one of the accused in the Duke rape case. I suspect that Williams is leading negotiations with the NFL.

And it is a negotiation. The league wants to be seen as taking action as a result of the scandal. But, there are contracts and union rules in play. Like the feds, they might be open to exacting a less severe penalty if Vick waives some of his rights.

Roger Goodell's good behavior policy does not use criminal conviction as a triggering event. Repeated actions that go beyond personal reputation to taint the league is substantiation enough to act. The NFL is investigating the facts that have emerged about Vick's Ookie side to see if he violated the league's personal conduct policy.

Butch Williams would be wise to open a dialogue with the NFL Players Association as part of his efforts. The players' union is obliged to monitor player treatment by the NFL. They supported Terrell Owens' outrageous behavior in 2005. Vick has a price to pay. Both his legal team and the union will want to see that he's not railroaded. The union pretty much has to do so.

The NFL wants to sanction Vick. I'm not so sure they want to ban him. Vick is, or was, the NFL's most popular individual star. As voiced by an anonymous man who sat behind me at FedEx Field, "the NFL forgives quick."
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As a black man, I am furious at Michael Vick. To waste his talent and resources on the silliest of diversions; to be so blind -- or so unfeeling -- to the savagery of the enterprise; to fail to put aside the low-lifes in his life, is criminal in its own right.

I'm not sure if Bad Newz Kennels was Vick's idea in the first place. I am certain (without knowing the parties involved) that Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace would not have involved themselves in the venture, except for the glamor of being in Vick's inner circle.

That's the biggest crime of all. Phillips, Peace and Tony Taylor might have been elevated to better circumstances, better lives, through Michael Vick. Instead, he allegedly financed their way to federal prosecution. Something about laying down with dogs . . . .
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The black community, especially the Atlanta black community, has been in a quandary about Vick. Advancement and hope for African-Americans have only come through government action. Slavery was banned in the U.S. in the sixties, that's the 1860s. However, it was replaced by a system of economic deprivation and social isolation that ended about a decade after the modern Civil Rights movement. The blessings of America were not enjoyed by large numbers of blacks until the seventies, that's the 1970s.

Wide disparities in the treatment of blacks and other minorities remain in the criminal justice system. Folks get uncomfortable when it looks like a young black man is getting railroaded, whether the man is named Ookie, or O.J. The barrage against Vick feels like the bad old days to many people.

The venerable, Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, once led by Martin Luther King, Jr., considered a show of support for Vick at its upcoming convention. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Unfolding events would have made them look silly.

Michael Vick does not need their help. Ookie Vick does not deserve their sympathy.

Why Michael Vick is worried - IV

The latest on Michael Vick: Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips, the remaining co-defendants in the case, are reportedly scheduled to appear in court at the end of the week to accept plea agreements in the case. Defendant Tony Taylor reached a plea agreement only days after entering his not guilty plea at his arraignment.

Vick is the only defendant who has not reached a plea deal. His lawyers met with federal prosecutors Monday. They planned to discuss options with Vick after the meeting. The feds are giving Vick until this Friday to accept a deal, or face additional charges in the case.

AUG. 14, 2007 UPDATE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Vicks legal team is negotiating a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The lawyers did not speak with their client last evening. Perhaps they would like to know the outline of an agreement to present to Vick to see what direction he wants to take. With no plea deal, Vick could face additional charges supported by testimony by his former co-defendants and alleged partners in Bad Newz Kennels.

Read the details at ESPN.

The Official Website of Michael Vick opens with a video tribute to Virginia Tech University. The last news item listed is a January 18, 2007 link to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story that opens

"One thing's certain; quarterback Michael Vick is not getting traded. He's not getting cut. He's not going anywhere. Barring injury, Vick is the Falcons' starting quarterback."

The link to the fan message board is broken, but the Vick Store link is working. An Atlanta Falcons #7 jersey is available through the store. However, Reeboc, the official supplier of NFL clothing, announced that they would no longer sell Michael Vick jerseys.

Vicks K9 Kennel website is no longer available. The existence of this site was the first inconsistency between Vicks statements about the case and emerging facts.

Vick denied knowledge of the operation when the suspected dog fighting site was discovered on his Surry County, Virginia, property. He accused his relatives as the responsible parties. Vick's aunt, and his cousin, Davon Boddy, lived at the address. Neither were named in the indictment.

Vick said he rarely visited the property, but investigators turned up testimony that he was regularly seen in the area.

Vick denied involvement in dog fighting, but the revelation that he held a Pit Bull dog breeding license and the web site www.vicksk9kennels.com/ listing the Surry County address undercut that argument. The web site specifically stated "we do not raise dogs for fighting purposes."

In an April 2007 meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Vick denied any involvement in dog fighting. Federal prosecutors allege that Michael "Ookie" Vick has been the financier of a dog fighting ring, Bad Newz Kennels, since 2000, and that Vick participated -- in April -- in killing eight "young dogs" that showed insufficient gameness for dog fighting.

Now, it all comes crashing down around him. It appears that all of the other defendants are prepared to enter guilty pleas and co-operate with the prosecutors against Vick. The NFL is investigating whether Vick's actions, including his statements to Goodell, violated the league's personal conduct policy. He has lost his lucrative endorsement deals.

It looks bad, but there is redemption in there for Michael Vick. It's all up to him.

Questions linger. How could so talented young man, who held life by the tail, waste his wealth on a thing like this? Why was he anywhere near enough to dog fighting to even be tainted by such a thing?

It you sleep with the dogs, you will get up with fleas.

Photo: www.all-creatures.org/

Why Michael Vick is worried - III

Vick co-defendant pleads out.

Only a few days after pleading "not guilty" to conspiracy charges, Tony "T" Taylor changed his mind and his plea. Taylor is accused of being a partner with Michael Vick in the Bad Newz Kennels operation for large scale dog-fighting and gambling.

In his plea agreement, Taylor alleges "Michael Vick supplied most of the money to run and bet on dog fights at a Virginia property he owned."

What's ominous is that Taylor isn't "copping a plea" in return for a promise of a light sentence. According top the news report, the Feds did not offer a deal. Taylor is falling on the mercy of the court in return for his testimony against the other defendants.

Without knowing anything about Taylor, I'm going to guess that he has credibility issues -- just because I think dog fighters have "credibility issues." Had he pled out to get a lighter sentence, a sharp attorney like Billy Martin could savage him for self-serving interests. Now, Taylor has no incentive for hiding the truth, and a good deal of incentive to avoid perjury. If the judge senses "T" is untruthful, the sentence will be harsher.

Vick assembled a superlative legal team to represent him. That indicates he intends to fight the charges, which is entirely within his rights. At the moment, he is innocent. The evidence and testimony has yet to be challenged. But, the longer this goes on, the more comes out, and the more Ookie twists in the wind.

When the case was led by Surry County, Vick had little to worry about, since he had more financial resources (I suspect) than a backwater county. Once the feds took the lead, starting with their search of the property on Moonlight Road, things rapidly spun out of control for Vick. The best course of action for Vick would have been to cop a plea for lesser charges with the County, and suppress a lot the evidence before the feds turned up. Too late for that now.

But, what do I know? I'm no lawyer. I just watch them on TV.

UPDATE: See Why Michael Vick is Worried - IV

Photo: www.all-creatues.org who oppose eating or wearing animal products and any activity that exploits animals.

Another blow for Vick

I'm trying to imagine what Michael Vick is going through now (doing for him than he allegedly did not do for his dogs. But then, they're just dogs.) One day you are on top of the world with a $100 million income stream. Next day, your secret life comes out and you lose everything in the blink of an eye. This is when you find Jesus. Someone asked Mother Theresa why there was suffering in the world. Her reply, "so you can share the suffering of Jesus Christ" (stay with me folks). I didn't understand that answer. Then, when facing my own troubles (nothing like Vick's), I found that people tend to pray more, pray harder with more sincerity than when things are going good. You get a Divine reminder that you don't really control your life, usually just when you think you do.

I'm sure Michael's praying now, and those prayers are going to be answered; but he's going to walk the Via Dolorosa first. And just maybe come out of this a better man.

An AP story in USA Today says Vick's legal team faced a daunting P.R. challenge. No kidding. The story named Michael Vick's legal team and it included James "Butch" Williams of Durham, North Carolina. Williams' web site profile describes his expertise as contract negotiations and legal advice for athletes. His clients include Alge Crumpler (Falcons), Greg Ellis (Cowboys) and Rasheed Wallace (Pistons). Oh yeah, he represented the captain of the Duke LaCrosse Team, so he knows a thing or two about daunting p.r. challenges. Williams will likely face-off with the NFL on Ookie's behalf.

Lawrence H. Woodward Jr. and Thomas B. Shuttleworth II, both of Virginia Beach law firm SHUTTLEWORTH, RULOFF, SWAIN, HADDAD & MORECOCK, P.C. round out the team. Woodward and Shuttleworth will have local knowledge with the District Court. Vick better hope there is no "I" in this team.

Meanwhile, Tony "T" Taylor, one of Vick's co-defendants, will return to U.S. District Court Monday for a plea hearing. That didn't take long. A plea bargain in return for what?

Photo: Butch Williams on www.jdwlaw.net

NFL selects Holder for Vick inquiry

The Washington Post reported that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tapped former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder to head the inquiry into Michael Vick's activity.

"According to league officials, the review will be conducted by members of the NFL's security staff and D.C. lawyer Eric Holder, a partner with Covington & Burling. Holder formerly was the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. He was appointed deputy attorney general by President Clinton in 1997, and served briefly as the acting attorney general under President Bush. Holder's firm is the NFL's outside counsel. He is the second prominent D.C. lawyer to become involved in the case this week. On Monday, Vick hired William R. 'Billy' Martin to represent him."

Holder is a New York City native and graduate of the Columbia Law School. He joined the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in 1976. In 1988, Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In these divided political times, I didn't know that Reagan-Clinton appointments were possible!

Holder's profile at the Covington & Burling web site describes him as "a litigation partner who handles, among other matters, complex civil and criminal cases, domestic and international advisory matters and internal corporate investigations."

Covington & Burling is one of the most prestigious of Washington, DC, law firms. Their partners are regularly tapped for federal appointments and high profile cases. Covington's Chuck Ruff represented President Clinton during the impeachment process. Covington is also the legal counsel to the NFL, the NBA and the NHL. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was a partner at the firm.

There is a racial undertone to the Vick case, with some of Vick's supporters and bashers saying dog fighting is part of an "urban culture," with "urban" a code word for African-American. I can assure you that dog fighting is not part of the Black culture. It does seem to be the hallmark of low-life culture. But, I digress.

The NFL's is inquiring whether there is "indisputable evidence" that Vick's activities violated the league's personal conduct policy. Selecting Holder to lead the investigation will offset some of the suspicion that the league is just trying to take down a successful Black man. With Holder's reputation, I expect an accurate, thorough investigation without slipping into a "get Ookie outa here" tone -- even if that's what the league wants to do now. I'm not sure the NFL thought of Holder that way; or, perhaps they did.

Photo: Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. in 1999 (Ray Lustig — The Washington Post)

Vick hires legal gunslinger

Johnnie Cochran is gone, so Michael Vick hired Billy Martin, one of the best defense attorneys around, to represent him against federal charges.

Martin came first came to national prominence as one of the attorneys representing Monica Lewinsky's mother during the Clintongate scandal. He also represented former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell on corruption charges. Other clients include NBA stars Allen Iverson, Juwan Howard and Jayson Williams, and Chandra Levy’s parents. His wife, Michel Martin, is a correspondent for Nightline on ABC.

Martin is a partner at the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan, LLP, where he heads the White Collar Criminal Defense Practice. His profile on the Sutherland, Asbill web site describes him as "a skilled negotiator whose experience includes bringing diverse constituencies and interests together—despite highly charged political circumstances—to resolve community conflicts." The profile describes his growing reputation with professional athletes:

"Billy also maintains an active sports and entertainment practice. In addition to serving as an advisor to organizations such as the NBA and NFL Players Associations, Billy has advised numerous clients on the scope and meaning of the NCAA rules and eligibility requirements. He has represented professional athletes and entertainment industry figures in their public and private business dealings."

Involvement in dog fighting might have been the dumbest of the dumb things Vick [allegedly] did. Hiring Billy Martin may be the smartest.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted to suspend Vick for four games, until the League office ordered the team not to take action until their investigation is complete. A story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Falcons considered dropping Vick. They turned from that path to avoid the grievence Ookie was sure to file through the NFLPA. The team was prepared to live with the salary cap hit, according to the article.

Meanwhile, residents of Vick's boyhood neighborhood are puzzled by his apparent interest in dog fighting since the activity was not common there. Pit Bull dogs were not seen in the area until about five years ago.

Photo: www.courttv.com

Vick Benched

The National Football League has ordered Michael Vick to stay from the Atlanta Falcons training camp while they review the dog fighting accusations swirling around the embattled star.

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.

The NFL will talk to federal officials to assess the strength of the evidence against Vick, according to the story on msn.foxsports.com.

Goodell instructed the Falcons not to take disciplinary action against Vick until the league office completes its review. Vick will receive his preseason pay during the investigation.

The Falcons open training camp this Thursday. Vick will be in Richmond, Virginia, to answer charges in the federal indictment.

Ookie Vick might have expected this development. I'm sure it's not one he welcomes. The football field and locker room must look like safe havens to Vick, whose fate is largely in the hands of others. To sit home to dwell on his legal and career jeopardy is not the take control scenario athletes cultivate.

Meanwhile, Surry County (VA) Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter confirmed that local charges would not be filed against Vick in deference to the federal prosecution. This is not a surprising development. The county's investigation was "deliberate," that is to say "suspiciously slow." Still, local charges could be percieved as piling on. The development means that Vick is charged for illegal activities across State lines, but not for the underlying crime of animal cruelty. Sorta like Scooter Libby's situation. If convicted, there will be no Republican presidential clemency for Ookie. There is a story of federal-State contention in there somewhere that will emerge in time.

David Steele at the Baltimore SUN, citing Ray Lewis as an example, reminds that the NFL "forgives quick." If Ray Lewis can recover his reputation, so can Ookie who faces a less dire situation that Lewis in 2000.

Photo: Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.( November 19, 2006)

Why Michael Vick is worried - II

Michael Vick draws a "no-nonsense" judge, according to Jeremy Redmon's story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"RICHMOND, Va - The judge assigned to preside over Michael Vick's sensational dog-fighting case is a tough jurist who has a history of exceeding federal sentencing guidelines to make a point, criminal defense attorneys here said today."

The story describes Judge Henry E. Hudson as a highly respected jurist "who affords everyone equal respect." However, on sentencing, Judge Hudson, a former prosecutor, considers the impact of the crime on the community. Hmmm. In a Surry County court, Mike could come off as the local boy made good. In the federal court, before this judge, Mike's celebrity could work against him.

You can read the rest of the story here.

Well, Ookie, if you didn't do this thing, and the dog fighting was done by your low-life relatives like you said, who surprisingly are not listed in the indictment, then remember ILLEGITIMUS NON CARBORUNDUM. If you really are guilty, cop a plea now, Dawg, and take whatever you can get.

See also, Why Michael Vick is worried, and Why Michael Vick is worried - III.

We already know that the biggest news in football this Thursday won't be the opening of training camps. It will be Ookie Vick's court appearance. Ookie, shave and wear a suit. Smile to the people and the cameras. No, I'm serious. SMILE when the cameras are on you. Start winning people back to your side. You are in danger of becoming this year's T.O.

Photo: Rogelio Solis / AP file

United States of America v. Ookie

The Smoking Gun published the bill of indictment against Michael "Ookie" Vick and three other persons for "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities . . . ." Vick's street name in this venture was "Ookie."

Vick said he was not aware of dog fighting taking place on property he owned at 1915 Moonlight Road, Smithfield, Virginia. The indictment alleges that Vick bought the property in 2001 specifically to be the site for dog fighting, and that he was actively involved with his partners in the venture, identified as Bad Newz Kennels.

The indictment catalogs instances when Vick and his Bad Newz partners staged dog fights year-by-year. The feds list the dogs by name (Jane, Maniac, Tiny), but, at this point, identify cooperating witnesses as "CW."

Defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; although that doesn't work so well in the court of public opinion. We've seen the charges, but have not heard the witness testimony. The evidence has yet to be challenged. And yet, I have to wonder why Vick, with everything he had going for him, would put himself in the situation to be even tainted. That was incredibly poor judgement. Not that we all aren't guilty of poor judgement; but Vick had -- has -- so much more at risk. That name "Ookie" might just as well have been "Stoopid Fool."

Fool!

Yesterday, I suggested that Vick come forward now, cop a plea, and tell what he knows. It may be too late. The indictment refers to a number of cooperating witnesses who are already pointing fingers at Vick. Ookie is scheduled to appear in court to answer the charges on July 26, which is also the first day of the Atlanta Falcons training camp.

Photo: www.copyright-free-pictures.org.us/

Feds bite Michael Vick

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted Tuesday on one felony count related to dogfighting.

"Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce and aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor an animal fighting venture.

"The grand jury indictment charges that Vick and co-defendants Pernell Peach, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor spent six years 'knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting in an animal fighting venture.'

"The grand jury also charged the men with establishing a kennel to represent dogfighting competitions, purchase and train pitbulls in dogfighting competitions and 'destroying or otherwise disposing of dogs not selected to stay with the ongoing animal fighting venture.'

"The Falcons will issue a statement later Tuesday as owner Arthur Blank and president and general manager Rich McKay were traveling via airplane, according to a Falcons spokesperson."

ESPN just posted a longer version of this story. You can see it here.

There's a back story buried somewhere in this development. These are federal charges. The investigation started as a Commonwealth of Virginia show, when Vick's cousin, Davon Boddie, came to local police attention on suspicion of selling drugs. The dog kennel was discovered during a raid on the property owned by Vick. County authorities were the first to investigate animal cruelty charges, but it's the feds who bring the first indictments -- for unlawful interstate activity.

How that came about will make very interesting reading someday.

If I were Vick, and I knew I was guilty, I would cop a plea now. Doing so might hurt his street cred, but save his career and his income stream. A conviction would devastate everything, not to mention the sense of pending doom that will hang over him all season. Oh, I would walk away from dog fighting, too. Invest in race horses instead.

If he's innocent, he should fight the thing all the way and plea to nothing.

Needless to say, he won't be on my fantasy team this year.

Photo: Harry Howe, Getty Images