BREAKING NEWS: Vick to Enter Guilty Plea

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by Hog1

Attempting to justify this heinous (perhaps pathological) crime with thinly veiled racial implications is shameful

Never did I try to justify this crime.

[skinsfan_nn]

Originally Posted by memphisskin

I agree dogfighting is despicable, but unfortunately the only people who know what happened at that ranch are those four guys charged. Vick has pleaded guilty, and will be punished for his actions. Is banning him for life really necessary? Vick will go to jail and be suspended by the NFL, and he will never be able to recoup what he once had. Seems like punishment enough to me, he'll forever be associated with dogfighting, but is the enemy Mike Vick or dogfighting?

Oh please dude that's bullshit. There's alot of people that know his level of involvement like his buddies that sang like birds, THE FEDS, and HIMSELF! He plead quilty becauce his dumb ass was!

NO RACE CARD NEEDED! I hope they hammer his ass to the full extent of the law.

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by skinsfan_nn

Oh please dude that's bullshit. There's alot of people that know his level of involvement like his buddies that sang like birds, THE FEDS, and HIMSELF! I plead quilty becauce his dumb ass was!

NO RACE CARD NEEDED! I hope they hammer his ass to the full extent of the law.

I do too, and it appears that they will. But go after all dogfighters, not just Vick. I will never believe that he's the first or last professional athlete or celebrity involved in this admittedly heinous act. And I certainly don't believe everything in that indictment, the Tuskegee Airmen, Jena 6, INTELPRO, and a littany of other events have conditioned me to distrust the government. I'm not defending Vick, I am saying that the calls for him to be banned for life do smell of racism. There, no more thinly veiled calls, is that better?

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by memphisskin

Never did I try to justify this crime.

Originally Posted by memphisskin
I agree dogfighting is despicable, but unfortunately the only people who know what happened at that ranch are those four guys charged. Vick has pleaded guilty, and will be punished for his actions. Is banning him for life really necessary? Vick will go to jail and be suspended by the NFL, and he will never be able to recoup what he once had. Its mighty convenient how people want to punish Vick, and he deserves every minute of jail time he gets. However, since none of us actually knows the depth to which he was involved, and the statement of facts that he signed doesn't specify his level of involvement, then its hard for me to digest the level of vitriol and anger that this case has brought out.

To me, it smells of something else...

You did however come to his defense, and it appears suggest that something else is amiss? Perhaps racism?
It's like this, MV has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt...........he's a bad guy.
If Peyton Manning did this, he would be a bad guy. That's the way it should be. Black and white have no place here, only right and wrong.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by memphisskin

I do too, and it appears that they will. But go after all dogfighters, not just Vick. I will never believe that he's the first or last professional athlete or celebrity involved in this admittedly heinous act. And I certainly don't believe everything in that indictment, the Tuskegee Airmen, Jena 6, INTELPRO, and a littany of other events have conditioned me to distrust the government. I'm not defending Vick, I am saying that the calls for him to be banned for life do smell of racism. There, no more thinly veiled calls, is that better?

Paying the price for dogfighting is color blind

I think that had Vick gone to trial then a lot of names, famous names, would be revealed and that wouldn't do any one any good. Vick might be taking the fall for a lot of people beyond himself but....life sucks.

I actually met several of the Tuskegee Airmen a few years back. That was pretty sweet

[MonkFan4Life]

Let that man serve his year in prison, serve his YEAR suspension because it shouldn't be any more than that, I don't care if he gambled on dog fighting. Then watch him or don't when he plays QB for his new NFL team. He isn't radioactive, the only way that will happen is when all of the reporters speak about him as if he is. He is still Michael Vick, who is a hell of an athlete so someone will pick him up. No lifetime ban either, should we punish him for dog fighting for his entire life ? Let everyone protest but he will be back. Or at least he should be. He should not be banned for life, a one year suspension should suffice. That's my opinion on the matter.

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Paying the price for dogfighting is color blind

I think that had Vick gone to trial then a lot of names, famous names, would be revealed and that wouldn't do any one any good. Vick might be taking the fall for a lot of people beyond himself but....life sucks.

I actually met several of the Tuskegee Airmen a few years back. That was pretty sweet

Never said the punishment was based on color. The calls for him to be banned for life, uh yeah.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by memphisskin

Matty, I'm not. But its difficult as a black man to not see things through that lens. I think MV is an idiot and what he did is disgusting. But to have him banned for life because of dogfighting? C'mon man.

I think people are just fired up right now. Time will heal this wound a bit, but not completely.

People have very close relationships with their pets and this strikes a very serious nerve with alot of people. Like I said, over time I think this will heal some. Black or white I think people would be disgusted just the same.

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by Hog1

Originally Posted by memphisskin
I agree dogfighting is despicable, but unfortunately the only people who know what happened at that ranch are those four guys charged. Vick has pleaded guilty, and will be punished for his actions. Is banning him for life really necessary? Vick will go to jail and be suspended by the NFL, and he will never be able to recoup what he once had. Its mighty convenient how people want to punish Vick, and he deserves every minute of jail time he gets. However, since none of us actually knows the depth to which he was involved, and the statement of facts that he signed doesn't specify his level of involvement, then its hard for me to digest the level of vitriol and anger that this case has brought out.

To me, it smells of something else...

You did however come to his defense, and it appears suggest that something else is amiss? Perhaps racism?
It's like this, MV has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt...........he's a bad guy.
If Peyton Manning did this, he would be a bad guy. That's the way it should be. Black and white have no place here, only right and wrong.

First, thanks for quoting a post that I actually was in the process of editing, seeing as how I wanted to actually read the statement of facts that Vick signed and not someone else's opinion of it. Once I read it, I edited my post. Never once did I defend him or say he was unfairly prosecuted because of his color. I came to his defense over the calls for a lifetime ban, which to me, a black man, smell of DWB and a littany of other problems that successful black men must deal with. Its how I see it, but its also cool of you to tell me that what I see is wrong and what you see is right. Anything the legal system does to him is the cost for breaking the law. Now, what the NFL does is completely arbitrary and up to Commissioner Goddell. But in the end, its not my call or yours, unless that's you Commish, in which case, can I send you a resume?

[SmootSmack]

Must have misunderstood you.

But anyhow, I never understood why Vick has always been such a posterboy for racism. I mean even dating back to the days when all we talked about was how he wasn't nearly living up to his potential playing QB, there was all this talk of "You only say that because he's Black." What's up with that?

It's a shame we can't freely criticize him the way we can with just about any other QB without fear of retribution.

I don't know, maybe it's only here on this site (thank you ST21!) that I see this, but it seems kind of ridiculous.

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I think people are just fired up right now. Time will heal this wound a bit, but not completely.

People have very close relationships with their pets and this strikes a very serious nerve with alot of people. Like I said, over time I think this will heal some. Black or white I think people would be disgusted just the same.

Matty I wholeheartedly agree with you. I guess I just wish people got this worked up over violence against women, or drunk driving. Its depressing to me that we seem to pick and choose our morality these days. Wrong is wrong and MV is all the way in the wrong. But society and the law dictates he gets a second chance, all I'm really trying to say is that he does deserve one. Guess it saddens me to find out that someone so talented can be so f'ng stupid. I don't have a pet, so I don't have the same level of outrage.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by memphisskin

Matty I wholeheartedly agree with you. I guess I just wish people got this worked up over violence against women, or drunk driving. Its depressing to me that we seem to pick and choose our morality these days. Wrong is wrong and MV is all the way in the wrong. But society and the law dictates he gets a second chance, all I'm really trying to say is that he does deserve one. Guess it saddens me to find out that someone so talented can be so f'ng stupid. I don't have a pet, so I don't have the same level of outrage.

It all depends on what you mean by second chance really. Some would say playing again in the NFL is his second chance. Others would say playing in the NFL is simply a privilege, not any right he has. And that his second chance-as it were-is simply getting out of prison at a young age in life and being able to lead a free life.

[MTK]

I believe he will get a 2nd chance once this situation has a few years to blow over. I agree that it's disappointing to watch someone fall from grace like this. It's such a waste of talent. Vick had the world in the palm of his hands and he's thrown it away over something incredibly stupid.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by memphisskin

First, thanks for quoting a post that I actually was in the process of editing, seeing as how I wanted to actually read the statement of facts that Vick signed and not someone else's opinion of it. Once I read it, I edited my post. Never once did I defend him or say he was unfairly prosecuted because of his color. I came to his defense over the calls for a lifetime ban, which to me, a black man, smell of DWB and a littany of other problems that successful black men must deal with. Its how I see it, but its also cool of you to tell me that what I see is wrong and what you see is right. Anything the legal system does to him is the cost for breaking the law. Now, what the NFL does is completely arbitrary and up to Commissioner Goddell. But in the end, its not my call or yours, unless that's you Commish, in which case, can I send you a resume?

I was listening to Michael Wilbon, who I do not always agree with, but I have much respect for.
He describes it thus. The media wants to interview the more controversial "leaders" in the black community as it will get more play. These opinions are generally not representative of the black community as a whole, but those of the minority, which noturally do more harm thatn good.
For what it's worth, Vick will pay for his sins with the Fed (as well he should). Beyond that, he should be afforded anything that any other ex-con should recieve. Nothing more or less.
THAT does not mean any person that wants him to burn in hell or anything else is a racist. It's sensitve stuff.
--Commissioner, THE Hog1

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

It all depends on what you mean by second chance really. Some would say playing again in the NFL is his second chance. Others would say playing in the NFL is simply a privilege, not any right he has. And that his second chance-as it were-is simply getting out of prison at a young age in life and being able to lead a free life.

I like that line from Godell I lot more than the old "violent sport, violent men" line that used to permeate the NFL. I do think it's a privilege, however its sad to me that the Commissioner has to control the owners. As the writers of the checks, they've shown up til now that they will pretty much stomach any behavior as long as it helps them win ballgames or put butts in the seats. Maybe the only color that really matters is green...