Michael Vick Update - Outside the Lines

NFL security is actually called to almost every incident that involves an NFL player. They approach the police about helping, if the police turn them down they conduct their own independent study. According to Solomon Wilcox on NFL Radio.

Just wish these guys would wise up and cut the thuggish behavior out. Once you are on top like that the spotlight is going to be on you anyway, so why risk blowing everything. Trouble is since HS and by definitely college these guys are put on easy street, cut classes, inflated grades, basket weaving classes, etc. I remember friends from Univ of Mich telling me they saw members of the "Fab Five" in the early 90's drive around in Beemers from boosters no doubt. Too much crap like this going on and these guys get inflated heads like they can do anything. Thing is they are smart, they know they help get the butts into seats and make the universities millions, and the universities will look the other way if they screw up. Even a lot that do get nailed get let off easy. Univ of Michigan is one of the worst for that stuff. So much for higher learning.


These guys cant wise up because thugs is what they are and always have been. As the saying goes "You cant teach an old dog new tricks."

It bothers me for three reasons:
1) I can't see any benefit or input NFL Security could bring to the investigation.
2) A few other folks in these Vick/dogfighting threads have mentioned they feel that NFL Security is in this for the sole reason of feeding info on the investigation back to the NFL brass to play "damage control".
3) If you think about the old saying of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer", from the NFL's perspective this investigation is definitely the "enemy".

I'm not a big conspiracy theory guy, but if Michael Vick is put in a situation where it's jail time or rat out some other NFL folks in exchange for immunity, IMO he would rat for sure. If this investigation goes deeper than Vick and expands to more NFL players (which many believe it will if Vick ever started talking), it could cause a significant loss of "casual fans" for the NFL. The lost advertising revenue and merchandise sales would be in the multi-millions. Again IMO the NFL would take any steps necessary to be sure that doesn't happen. If it means hampering or sabotaging this investiagtion, I wouldn't put it past them.
The only thing that could hurt the NFL worse than having multiple players involved is to be accused of hampering or sabotaging a legal investigation. I think your totaly wrong on that point and the NFL has just offered any help it could provide. That is really the only thing the NFL can do to help keep its image from getting dragged through the mud. If the NFL takes the appropriate steps if people are found guilty I don't think they will suffer from this. It would be only if they turned their back on the situation and let the players off. Which I don't think will happen.

There has been so much about his character the past year or two, along with his little brother, when will people realize he is just a high paid bum?

Thanks for posting the article. I can't believe that dog fighting is such a huge thing. People betting thousands of dollars on dogs is just insane.I assume that most people who fight dogs don't believe that they are breaking the law, or realize that it's a felony. Like the article says it is a subculture for alot of folks, just like hunting is.

I do not condone dog fighting in any way. As a dog lover I find it repulsive. But some of the things that Clinton Portis said really made sense to me. I think shooting a dear is just as bad as dog fighting. Yet it's legal. Not only is it legal but ESPN airs hunting shows usually on Sat. morning. They show some hillbilly in the woods with all his dear gear on and what not. They will show the actual act of someone shooting a dear and then the hillbilly will drag around a dead dear gloating. What they don't show is sometimes the first shot does not kill the dear and the animal will suffer a bit. I think it's a bunch of BS that this crap is actually show on TV. The only difference is one is legal and one is a felony. The reality is both are disgusting acts IMO.
There's a big difference in fighting dogs and hunting a deer. To put to dogs in a ring and let them fight tearing each apart ripping skin, breaking teeth, breaking bones for over an hour or to force an animal to fight for a lengthy period of time while injured and in pain is sick! To go out in the woods and use a high powered rifle and shoot a dear (and if shot well) the dear almost dies instantly. He's not having his skin torn apart, teeth broken, bones broken, throat ripped out.
I will add that in the article it mentions how people in that circle belive "their just dogs." I have been a dog lover all my life. but I still have always had the "their just dogs" mentality. It drives me nuts to hear people paying thousands of dollars for Vet bills. I grew up when the most costly vet bill you would have would be maybe $150-$175. Go visit a vet now and see. Just a visit is $75(just like doctors). Add shots and now you are paying $200 to $400. My mom found three cats in her yard. Strays. She wants to get them fixed and shots and she found out it would cost her $900 for all three. No wonder people are dumping animals along roads! Making pets other peoples problems. Amazing how you can put an animal down for $50. Or a hunting accident for much less. Don't get me wrong. I'm just joking about the hunting accident. and I can appreciate vets wanting to get their payday too, but come on. People are getting colonoscopy's on their pets costing $800. WTF?

I also belive the latest report was there is supposed to be 15 dead dogs known to be barried on the property and possibly a total of 30. The police do have a search warrant to search for the dead dogs but have not decided if they will exicute it or not. New off of NFL network I think.

After reading this (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/05/29/vick0604/index.html) article and seeing the attached pictures, it's pretty hard to swallow the notion that Vick had no involvement in the operation. I know a jury must presume innocence and can only convict a defendant upon finding guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but I've pretty much made up my mind about the guy based on the article and the pics.

Good article, but I fail to see how it proves Vick's guilt (or how any of the pictures shed light on the situation). If he is convicted then he will face consequences, but can we reserve judgement for just a moment? Plus, the article also made the point that convicting Vick would prove a boon to prosecutors and others who wish to publicize the evils of dogfighting and scare others off from participating so they have their own agenda in pursuing Vick. I'd let the thing play out and see what happens rather than rushing to conclusions.

Also, for those worried about NFL security, I think they are generally pretty tough. They investigate guys coming out of college and they tipped off Roger Goodell that Pac Man had visited a strip club the night before the two met in New York to discuss Pac Man's suspension.

The county this happened in is very small and I would think has a very small police force. This is probably the biggest thing to happen to this small city and I think the investigator working this case has had to go out and buy a few suits.

The only thing that could hurt the NFL worse than having multiple players involved is to be accused of hampering or sabotaging a legal investigation. I think your totaly wrong on that point and the NFL has just offered any help it could provide. That is really the only thing the NFL can do to help keep its image from getting dragged through the mud. If the NFL takes the appropriate steps if people are found guilty I don't think they will suffer from this. It would be only if they turned their back on the situation and let the players off. Which I don't think will happen.

Your make a good point and I definitely hope you are right.

SC_Skins_Fan,

I've rushed to conclusions about Vick because the evidence sounds pretty bad and, more importantly, I'm not on the jury. As for the pictures, it seems incredibly hard to believe that Vick would not have noticed those structures in the back of his house. Moreover, given that the structures are there, that Vick has obviously been to his house, and that I doubt that Vick thought he was raising pitbulls for the Westminster dog show, it's pretty safe to assume that he was involved in dog fighting. I come to that conclusion without even considering the alleged eyewitness accounts of Vick being deeply involved in and a witness to the dog fights.