Jerry says people have turned against him. They accuse him of watching elementary children from his back porch. He says he’s just tossing a bone around with his dog and being unfairly victimized.
Michael can be around as many kids as he wants, but is not allowed to have a dog.
So now Michael Vick says we don’t understand his background and that he is a victim of circumstance.
Really?
Gee, I guess everyone born in poverty grows up the same way.
Yes, I know he was convicted.
Yes, I know he served his time, paid his debt to society.
Yes, I know I am throwing a label at him, but only him, not every poor black kid growing up in the US or the world for that matter.
JERK!
Here is the article Vick on Dog Fighting.
While I was reflecting back on 2010 and working on my 2011 goals, one topic I came across made me think. Where are they now?
We all know the story of Michael Vick, College Standout, Top Draft Pick, Top tier QB, Dog Fighting Ring Leader, Convict, Reformed Convict, NFL QB, and the latest chapter MVP. No matter what anybody says, for or against, that is a pretty remarkable life.
Well, he is also MVCT.
Most Valuable Chew Toy!
Last year as part of my Mutt Madness Contest the winner got a MVCT (I just realized that it also stands for Michael Vick Chew Toy!) Well, we of course ordered an extra one for our dogs as well.
So, what sort of life has the chew toy had?
I must say, that the hounds have loved him to death!
Greyhounds tend to like soft squishy and squeaky toys better, but both or foster greyhound Lola (above) and Hero teamed up to finally finish him off for good by the end of 2010.
Maybe for 2011 we can find one that squeaks when you bite him . . .
Happy ending for most of Vick’s dogs
Michael Vick spent 21 months in federal prison, lost a $100 million contract and became a national pariah for his role in a vicious interstate dogfighting ring.
Vick paid his debt to society, he’d no doubt gets a second chance by starting yet again this week.
But what of Michael Vick’s dogs?
It turns out there’s a redemption story there as well. A writer for Sports Illustrated details this story in the just-released book “The Lost Dogs”.
Of the 51 dogs authorities recovered on Vick’s property in rural Virginia, 22 of which went to Best Friends animal sanctuary in Utah.
It’s a book that’s equal parts horrifying and hopeful. And while every person and dog involved would’ve been better served if Bad Newz Kennels never existed, there are plenty of positives coming out of a story that at first seemed to contain only misery.
Forty-seven of the 51 dogs survived. While not all have fully rehabbed, a good number of them live with families; four even work in therapy roles.
If it wasn’t for the high-profile nature of the Vick case and the quarterback’s ability to pay for their postrescue care (Vick reportedly spent a court-mandated $1 million on it), each of the dogs would’ve been destroyed. Dogs which came from fighting busts had previously been considered so far gone that trying to retrain them would take a disproportionate amount of already limited resources.
Ninety percent of the time, they would’ve been put down. Even PETA and the Humane Society recommended it.
The public outcry over the Vick dogs helped change that. An attempt was made to retrain them, and the success rate was so high that the Humane Society changed its official policy.
I wish I had thought of this idea when it happened….
Check out their site. They’ve got the toys, videos, tweets and a blog.
So, the other day I was looking at suggestions for Fantasy Football Team names and realized that they would be perfect titles for reality TV episodes.
Here are some potential episode (AKA Fantasy Football Team Names) for Life on the sidelines…
Kibbles and Vicks
Eli, The Other White Manning
Forgetting Brandon Marshall
Cassel Greyskull
Goodell’s Morality Squad
FavreDollar Footlongs
Farve From Over
Forte-fied
WD-Forte
Burressted Development
ORTON (hears a) WHO?
Flacco Seagulls
I Dream of Mangini
Cutler’s Last Stand
Home is where the Portis
I’m so Zorny
Have Bush? Get Barber!
Victorious Secret
Touchdown There
Show me the TD’s!
The I.R.S.
Because the I.R.S. always wins, no matter what. There’s no beating the I.R.S.
(I know, that last one is not truly football related but it was too good to pass up)
And the NFL could also market special commemorative sports items based on each show…
Such as this one…
(NOTE)
If I were the type of person to speak out about such things as the NFL’s double standards, hypocritical or ethical or not, spin of profiting after a crimes or meddling with players lives and money… I probably would do so here…
But, I’m not. So, I won’t.
Sorry.
I don’t get it….
How could I have missed it?
Vick to an NFC East Opponent!!!
I’ve got to think of something…
And to think I could have had a prima donna premier QB buy my side right now, if only…
PSSssst!
Hey I can still run and throw…
A Little…
Maybe half the season…
I could come in on 3rd down…
Have you heard of wildcat?
Me and Jason in the same backfield…
I bet he could block…
I hear where you are coming from and I’ve got your number!!!
Just some of the things that tick me off…
Unwarranted Hype…
Brett Favre Hype…
Michael Vick Hype…
Dan Snyder…
At the risk of starting posting wars with SAM… By the way great post Sam – even though it did make my stomach turn.
And here is why…
The following numbers have been “unofficially” retired by the Redskins:
#7 Joe Theismann;
#9 Sonny Jurgensen;
#28 Darrell Green;
#42 Charley Taylor;
#43 Larry Brown;
#44 John Riggins;
#49 Bobby Mitchell;
#51 Monte Coleman;
#65 Dave Butz;
#70 Sam Huff;
#81 Art Monk
And you can include Sean Taylor #21 in this list as well…
Can you imagine the uproar of putting Vick in #7 and trying to associate him and that number with any of these guys!!!
Especially, whether you like him or not, replacing Theismann?
NO WAY!
But hey, there are plenty of other numbers available…
Hopefully #17 will not become one of them…
Oh palease!
I hate talk like this but, of course, I should not be surprised. Everyone, from players, to personnel, to management and yes, even sports prognosticators…
They all talk the talk.
I was driving home listening to the radio and Coach Zorn was talking about the start of training camp and yes, the topicality of the day Michael Vick.
“Well, I think Michael’s on his journey. … I want to wish the best for him. I think there’s a way that he and Roger Goodell have created to find his way back into the league,” Zorn said, a day before Washington’s first practice of training camp. “I would just say it won’t be with us, at least at this juncture.”
Translation…
If the Redskins open the season 0 – 2, Ol’ Danny Boy will be knocking on Micheal’s door.
Here is hoping that Campbell has the breakout year everyone is hoping for!
except your own obituary. (BRENDAN BEHAN)
Oh yeah?
Just ask MJ estate owners, attorneys and his creditors…
In death, MJ is setting all time record sales for his music and performances. And we all know that hype sells. MJ certainly is not the first, nor will he be the last, artist to be worth more dead than alive.
But I digress…
Perhaps I should have started off with a quote from Oscar Wilde…
“There is only one thing worse than being talked about and that is NOT being talked about.”
I saw an article the other day about the NFL, Bad Behavior, and Profits.
I’ll briefly summarize:
“The NFL is a machine that hums 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year…The more people read, listen and watch NFL-related items, the better… the transgressions and drama of a select few (like Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, and Brett Favre) fuel that machine… the same goes for criminal behavior…Lately, Burress, Stallworth and Vick have been in the headlines. All three made poor choices. All three faced the legal and league music. But all three also kept the NFL in the news and that’s so much the better for them and their bottom line.”
So this got me to thinking about other sports. Their image, the image of their players, teams and management and what, if any, impact this has on their profits.
I will rule out stuff like MMA and UFC.
But I will start with Hockey.
A large part of Hockey’s attraction is the speed and intensity of the sport and yes, the ‘fights’.
Does this detract from the image of Hockey being a good sport?
Does this detract or add to the financial success of a team or league?
What about the basically good players with incredible talent?
The Crosby’s, the Ovechkin’s?
How about Baseball?
Accusations about pitchers targeting certain batters?
Managers charging out of the dugouts arguing a call?
Use of Steroids? And the affect on the record books…
Yes there are the “bad boys” in the field of dreams, but there are a few good ones too.
Manny Acta just got fired. Everyone will say it is because of the performance of his team, and yes the lack talent in key areas (like pitching). But some criticized him for his calm demeanor. When was the last time you saw him charge out of the dugout, veins bulging, and dirt flying?
And yes I believe there are probably some players in every sport who use performance enhancing drugs.
But are good competitive personalities, talent and image good enough? Does any team or league have just the good attributes and still remain profitable?
How about golf?
Certainly the fights, drug use, and bad behavior is less of an issue here. Yet when Tiger is on tour, tournament attendance is up 30%, and TV ratings are up nearly 50%.
So, what are everybody thoughts regarding this?
Yes, the NFL is using a double standard by allowing this kind of behavior to continue. Yet at the same time they try to portray the good image of 3 strikes your out rule(s) – Does this apply to murders, manslaughter and federal offenses too?
Am I being to sarcastic?
Am I being too harsh?
Does this even matter?
Is it a financial reality?
If not, then how come the Jacksonville Jaguars have recently advertised a half off pricing for tickets?
Maybe they should recruit Michael Vick instead of cutting prices?
Of course, Vick will most likely end up playing a year in the new football league.
What better way for Vick to earn enough to pay off his debts…
Or for a new fledgling league to even generate enough interest and sales to get off the ground…
Or for the NFL to let him prove himself in addition to paying his dues and then bringing him up to the big leagues once he has passed probation and gone a whole year on good behavior.
That way they get to publicize the good image and recruit hype all at the same time!
Fumbled Returns 