Big time oops for Ookie (The Michael Vick Indictment)
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Yesterday around 5:45 ESPN reported that Michael Vick has been indicted on "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful actvities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture." I'm sitting here reading this 19 page indictment, and I've got news for #7...you've gotta spend a ton of money to get yourself out of this one.
This isn't smuggling a bong (oops, I mean "designer water bottle") through an airport or flipping your adoring fan base the bird after a game...this is some serious stuff. This is especially serious considering that Vick has been the face of the NFL, which puts him in a higher regard than Adam "Strip Club" Jones and Chris Henry...he was on the cover of Madden, has tons of endorsements (if Nike doesn't drop him I'm never buying another pair of Jordans)...this guy is chalked to make the 2nd highest salary this year. Not to mention he plays in a big market city like Atlanta, a team that represents and is cheered for by the entire dirty south. If you're a sponsor, do you drop him? I sure as hell hope so. If you're Arthur Blank, do you keep this guy on your team?
I hope you wouldn't...and before you start crucifying me for saying that, here are some excerpts from the 19 page indictment, which suggests Vick a.k.a. Ookie (sweet nickname dude...) is the king pin of a dog fighting ring called "Bad Newz Kennels."
The indictment tells us that Purnell A. Peace, a.k.a, P-Funk/Funk (again, another clever, intelligent nick name ::cough cough::) consulted Vick after a female pitbull had lost a fight. After the consultation, P-Funk proceeded to soak a dog in water and electricute it...
Other statements from anonoymous witnesses include accounts of dogs being hanged, drowned, and at least one account of a dog being slammed to the ground repeatedly in order to "execute" the losing fighter.
The NFL office has made a statement which implied that they're going to hold off on handing down a suspension to Vick until everything is settled in court...if that's the case, then why has Pacman been suspended for the entire year? This certainly seems like a double standard to me...and causing a fight at a strip club is a much lesser offense than holding a domestic dog's head underwater until it stops kicking...I know that his entourage has been connected to shootings, but it looks as though Jones himself hasn't been connected to the shootings/murders. By the looks of this indictment, #7 has been personally connected to fighting dogs and "executing" them in ways that the U.S. government wouldn't allow for murderers and rapists on death row.
Not to say that an animal has as much rights as a human...but for God's sake, there a 4 year old kids who have donned that #7 jersey, and these allegations literally make me sick to my stomach knowing that no matter what happens, Vick will probably still start for the Falcons this year.
Hopefully he won't (c'mon, Arthur Blank, do the right thing), but he probably will. Like most of the celebrities that buy their way out of trouble, Vick will start throwing suitcases of money at scum-bag lawyers who will put their morals aside (if they have any) to get him out of this mess. After reading this indictment, that would put a big, swollen, black eye on the NFL. Roger Godell needs to suspend Vick; that is, unless he's making an exception for one of the poster children of his organization.
And please, before you start bashing this artcile, read this indictment
By: Alex Thomas
Intern, 1570 AM WNST, Baltimore
Sports Night with Michael Popovec
