NFL suspends Vick after he signs plea agreement

Hopefully, the NFL will continue to stick to its guns and Michael Vick will be properly discredited and kept from the ranks of professional players. Better yet, perhaps this can be the beginning of a new trend where professional athletes are held to the same standard as everyone else and no longer given a slap on the wrist when they seriously misbehave. Here's highlights from the latest Virginian Pilot article:

The NFL acted swiftly Friday to suspend Michael Vick indefinitely without pay after the release of court documents detailing his admission to dogfighting allegations. Months after saying he had nothing to do with it, Vick said in court papers that he bankrolled a dogfighting operation – and its gambling money – throughout his entire NFL career.

The document, released three days before Vick is scheduled to plead guilty in federal court in Richmond to a conspiracy charge, also says he helped kill six to eight dogs that he and his partners did not consider good fighters. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the Atlanta Falcons star for “cruel and reprehensible” conduct and “significant involvement in illegal gambling” related to a dogfighting operation. “Your team, fans and the NFL have all been hurt by your actions,” Goodell told Vick in a letter sent Friday.

Vick agreed to the executions of six to eight dogs in April 2007. The dogs were killed by hanging and drowning, and died “as a result of the collective efforts” of Vick and two of his co-defendants. Vick’s signed plea agreement, also made public Friday, indicated prosecutors have agreed to a prison sentence for Vick of between one year and 18 months, based on the offense level listed in the terms of the agreement. The prosecutors will recommend a sentence on the low end of that range if Vick fulfills his part of the deal, the agreement says.

Vick Takes Plea Deal, Avoids Additional Dogfighting Charges

I cannot say that I feel any sorrow seeing Michael Vick face prison time for his illegal and immoral dogfighting operation. Hopefully, the NFL will punish him as well, making for once and example that sports stars are not above the law:

Atlanta Falcons quarterback and Hampton Roads native Michael Vick has accepted a plea deal - and a likely prison sentence - to avoid additional federal charges related to a professional dogfighting operation, according to one of Vick's attorneys. Vick is going to enter a guilty plea to the felony conspiracy charge at 10:30 a.m. next Monday, said Lawrence Woodward, one of The deal, in its form last week, was expected to include a recommendation from prosecutors that Vick serve at least a year in prison, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. The judge will have the final say in sentencing.

It is unclear how the plea deal will affect Vick's NFL career. League Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that the NFL was still working on its own review of the case and is closely monitoring talks between Vick's lawyers and prosecutors. Vick's defense attorneys. The NFL's recently toughened player conduct policy empowers Goodell to fine, suspend or impose a lifetime ban on a player for criminal behavior. He's levied harsh penalties on players even for being arrested.

At Virginia Tech, where Vick starred in college, his former coaches said last week they didn't want to talk about the case until it was over. Said head coach Frank Beamer: "Michael is one of ours, and we want the best for him. But I'm going to wait until I hear the final word."

Perhaps if Coach Beamer had not treated Vick like a spoiled prince at Tech, Vick would have learned sooner that the same rules apply to him as everyone else.

Vick Co-Defendants Plead Guilty, Still No Word on Vick

Things are not looking good for Michael Vick as reported by the Virginian Pilot (http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=130502&ran=8959&tref=po). Personally, I believe it is about time that grossly overpaid professional atheletes are held to the same legal standards as us ordinary citizens:

RICHMOND - Two of NFL quarterback Michael Vick's co-defendants in a professional dogfighting case pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court. There was still no word on whether Vick, a Hampton Roads native, would accept a deal that would require him to serve at least a year in prison. Prosecutors had given him until today to decide or face more serious charges next week when a grand jury meets.

In pleading guilty, Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, and Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach signed a 12-page summary of facts. Those documents say there is a picture of Vick and three co-defendants with a pit bull named Jane that they were about to sponsor in a dogfight in North Carolina four years ago. Jane was to fight another pit bull owned by an organization called "Lockjaw Kennels." The documents also say that in April, Vick, Peace and Phillips had training sessions with several dogs at the Surry County property owned by Vick. When about eight of the dogs did not perform well, all three men participated in killing the animals by drowning or hanging them.

According to sources close to the case, Vick's attorneys have advised him to take the deal. There were discussions between prosecutors and Vick's attorneys all week.

I know Vick's attorney, Lawrence Woodward, who is a straight shooter and pragmatic guy. I suspect he's telling it like it is to Vick.

Another Vick co-defendant may turn witness against him

Things are definitely not looking good for local Surry County resident Michael Vick who has been charged with creating a dogfighting operation called "Bad Newz Kennels" in 2001, gambling on fights and setting up matches with owners from several other states. The men executed dogs that lost or performed poorly, and ran their operation out of a rural Surry County property that Vick owned, the federal indictment alleged. The Virginian Pilot is reporting this evening as follows:

Another co-defendant in the Michael Vick dogfighting case has scheduled a plea agreement hearing, an indication that he is ready to plead guilty and testify against Vick. Quanis L. Phillips has a hearing set for 9 a.m. Friday in U.S. District Court in Richmond, before District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Tony Taylor accepted a deal and entered a guilty plea two weeks ago to the felony charge. The agreement required him to testify honestly against the remaining defendants: Vick, Phillips and Purnell Peace.

Michael Vick gets Summons for Bond Hearing

To me, Michael Vick is another example of a spoiled brat athelete - Alvin Iverson who is from this area is another one - who has been given too many "get out of jail" cards soley because of his atheletic skill. Anyone else would have been fired or in jail. Is it any wonder that the guy thinks that he's above the law and can do whatever he pleases? Here's what one local sports writer, Bob Molinaro, had to say recently:

FAMILY AFFAIR Michael Vick's indictment may create some blowback on Virginia Tech, though not nearly to the same degree as Marcus Vick's egregious behavior when he was the Hokies' quarterback. But you know what Tech people are thinking right now, don't you? They're thinking, thank God there isn't a third Vick brother.