[vincesanity82]

VICK DUE IN COURT JULY 26

Falcons quarterback Mike Vick is scheduled to appear in Court on July 26, the same day on which his teammates will be practicing in preparation for the coming football season.

Practice starts at 3:00 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., Vick will be attending a bond hearing. At 4:00 p.m., he will be arraigned before Judge Henry Hudson.

Judge Hudson was appointed by President Bush in 2002. Prior to that, Judge Hudson worked as a prosecutor. Federal judges receive a lifetime appointment.

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[vincesanity82]

WHERE'S BODDIE?

Several readers and media types have raised with us a compelling question regarding the Mike Vick indictment.

Why wasn't Davon Boddie, Vick's cousin who lived on the property, named in the indictment?

Really, how could Boddie have been living at the property and not involved in the operation, especially since the house was built for the sole purpose of supporting the dog-fighting operation?

In June, Boddie told WAVY-TV that he had no knowledge of dog fighting on the property where he lived, and he suggested that the dogs removed from the land in April had been planted there by law enforcement officials.

The most obvious conclusion is that Boddie already has been flipped by prosecutors, and that Boddie is singing like a bird that wants a cracker (or whatever in the hell it is that birds eat).

Indeed, there are four "cooperating witnesses" who are named in the indictment, and who likely testified before the grand jury. They provided exhaustive details, like the names of the dogs and the specific purses for the fights.

Boddie could be one of them. If he is, we hope that he's in a safe house right now, far from the influence or reach of any of the four guys who were named in the indictment.

Another "cooperating witness" could be the woman whom Vick allegedly gave herpes in 2003. (We're kidding. We think.)

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[vincesanity82]

POINDEXTER GETTING IN ON THE ACT?

As we suggested on Wednesday, the federal conspiracy charges against Mike Vick could be the tip of the legal iceberg into which his NFL career (and liberty) have rammed.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that Surry County, Virginia prosecutor Gerald Poindexter has now said that Vick will "more than likely" be prosecuted by local officials.

"[W]e're very moved by the idea of animals being executed,” Poindexter said, which is a refernce to allegations in the federal indictment that Vick was involved in the killing of canines as recently as April 2007.

Meanwhile, there are some unfortunate racial tensions emerging in Surry County. John Seward, the chairman of the Surry County Board of Supervisors, told the Virginia-Pilot that he and "the few people I have talked with" believe Vick will never face charges in Surry County. Seward claims that Poindexter, who is African-American, has been reluctant in the past to prosecute black suspects.

"I don't know where Mr. Seward is coming from, and I am very disappointed in his remarks," Poindexter said.

Frankly, we believe that Poindexter had been dragging his feet because he knew that prosecuting Vick would require this 60-something part-time prosecutor to devote most if not all of his professional time and attention over a one-year period (or longer) to one case and one case only. And with an O.J.-style dream team descending on town and flooding Poindexter with motions and letters and faxes and e-mails, it would have been a very unpleasant experience for a lawyer who otherwise is at or approaching retirement age.

Now that Vick's resources will be consumed by the federal prosecution, Poindexter might think that a local prosecution will be easier to engineer and execute.

As a result, Vick could be indicted as soon as next week by a Surry County grand jury on charges of dog fighting and animal cruelty. To do so, however, Poindexter will need access to much of the federal evidence, since Poindexter refused to execute on a search warrant that would have unearthed the dead dogs, and thereafter seemingly pulled the plug on his investigation after the feds were on the case.

But if/when Poindexter asks the feds to cooperate, the answer he might get is "hell no." Poindexter has a bad habit of running his mouth to the press, as evidenced by the fact that he felt compelled to proclaim on Wednesday that Vick is "more than likely" to face charges in Surry County. If Poindexter gets access to the evidence, he can significantly undermine the federal prosecution by leaking some of it to the press.

Then again, the feds surely would like to see Vick prosecuted for cruelty to animals under Virginia law, if (as we can assume based on the plain language of the indictment) the feds believe that Vick participated in the killing of dogs deemed not "game" enough to fight. The feds have no jurisdiction over such matters, and Vick could be facing at least eight counts that carry a potential sentence of one to five years each.

Still, the feds might choose to freeze Poindexter out until after the conspiracy charges are resolved, forcing Poindexter to monitor the federal prosecution (and attend the trial) in order to evaluate the evidence that is available regarding the dead dogs, and how it is that they came to be in that condition.

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[vincesanity82]

NEWS FLASH: VICK TELLS BLANK HE'S SORRY

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that Falcons quarterback Mike Vick has told owner Arthur Blank that he's sorry for the distractions that his federal indictment has created.

Um, what else would Vick say to Blank? Go to hell? Kiss my butt?

Okay, so Mike is sorry. Sorry for what? That he did it? That he got caught? That he's being falsely accused?

Does any of it mean he's guilty or innocent? Nope.

As we see it, it's just another way for Len to try, in subtle fashion, to generate some sympathy for the star client of Joel Segal, who is widely regarded in the NFL journalism industry as one of Len's key sources of information.

We also suspect that Len has been posturing his reports to make the Falcons look good because someone in the building (possibly G.M. Rick McKay) spoon-feeds info to Pasquarelli.

Meanwhile, the more we think about this, the more we believe that doing nothing is not a realistic option for the league or the Falcons. This is not a run-of-the-mill marijuana possession case. Nor is it a he-said, she-said in which Vick's version of the events can be accepted until proven otherwise.

This is a situation in which 17 dead dogs, 54 live ones, and extensive dog fighting equipment and pharmaceuticals were removed from property OWNED BY Michael Vick. Though the Falcons and the NFL might not be privy to the full scope of the information (and, given that the team was under the false impression that Vick wouldn't be indicted, it might be prudent to get new sources), the indictment makes clear that Vick's "I'm never there" routine is and was a flat-out lie.

The only way that Vick's "I'm never there" line has any credence is if the four cooperating witnesses committed perjury before the grand jury, or if the feds are fabricating the allegations without regard to the fact that, at trial, they'll be publicly embarrassed when the truth comes out.

The feds simply don't operate that way. They wouldn't allege that Vick was directly involved (and, thus, at and on the property) if they weren't sure that they could prove it in open court.

So everyone -- media, fans, Falcons, NFL, everyone -- needs to lose the Duke lacrosse paralysis and apply some common sense. Whether or not he is acquitted, Vick has (through intentional misbehavior or otherwise) single-handedly done more damage to the NFL shield than any of the other players who have been arrested or suspended since at least Rae Carruth, and perhaps ever. Vick is the biggest name in the NFL to face criminal charges while still in the league, and these are some of the most heinous and despicable charges that anyone could face, short of rape or murder.

Here's another thing that is bothering us. If Vick were on the practice squad, would we even be having the discussion about what the league should do? Vick would be long gone and forgotten, like alleged Steelers pimp Richard Seigler and every other bottom-roster turd that was dumped at the first hint of trouble.

And what if any of us had just been indicted in federal court for conspiracy to maintain an interstate gambling enterprise and dog fighting operation, with allegations that 17 dog carcasses had been found on property we owned, and that we participated in killing eight of them? Would we be sitting cozy in our cubicles today?

Mike Vick is clearly getting the star treatment here from the NFL and the Falcons. And it's wrong. The irony is that, given his performances of late on the football field, he's really not a star anymore.

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[vincesanity82]

In an open letter to Falcons fans (apparently, he has nothing to say to fans of the 31 other NFL franchises), owner Arthur Blank addresses the indictment of Mike Vick on federal conspiracy charges. Here's the text of the letter.

Though Blank's letter really doesn't say anything, we get the impression that it accurately reflects his current feelings on the matter, and that Blank really is torn and conflicted by the firestorm engulfing his franchise.

We still believe that the team should put Vick a paid leave of absence, allowing him to focus on defending against the pending charges.

ProFootballTalk.com -- The Best Pro Football Scoop on the Internet

[vincesanity82]

Nike suspends release of latest Michael Vick product

Michael Vick's legal troubles prompted Nike on Thursday to suspend the release of its latest product line named after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. Nike has told retailers it will not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, this summer. Company spokesman Dean Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick's name will remain in stores.
Vick will be arraigned next week in a Richmond, Va., federal courtroom on charges of sponsoring a gruesome dogfighting operation.
Stoyer said the company still has a standing contract with Vick but declined to speculate on his future with Nike.
A statement released by Nike Inc. said the company "is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick, and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent. We do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen; therefore, we have not terminated our relationship."
Stoyer, who declined to discuss terms of Vick's contract with Nike, indicated the company has no commercials or documentaries planned with the three-time NFL Pro Bowl selection.
In years past, Nike has run footage and interviews with Vick on its website, but none of the video promotions are currently posted.

Nike suspends release of latest Michael Vick product - USATODAY.com

[Bette]

On Primetime News, Erica Hill asked Glenn Beck would could possibly cause someone like Vick with so much going for him to be part of such a thing.
Beck deadpans, "He's a psycho????"
They mentioned again that dogfighting is part of the NFL culture. It is interesting to speculate why this is. After all, they're not all psychos.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Bette

On Primetime News, Erica Hill asked Glenn Beck would could possibly cause someone like Vick with so much going for him to be part of such a thing.

It is interesting to speculate why this is. After all, they're not all psychos.

ya know Bette, that crosses my mind all the time when i hear these things ..... and it usually seems so stupid

"offensive lineman making $3 million gets caught with $30,000 worth of pot in his car"

i just dont get it

[LSC9901]

Part of it is the "I'm above the law" syndrome. That $3 million can buy a nice lawyer to get you out of most jams but this one seems to have created too much of an uproar. Probably with reason.

[vincesanity82]

I wonder if its just boredom, I mean I cant fathom having 1 million or 60 million, so when you can have anything you want, you expect to do anything you want to do, though I could be wrong..

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by vincesanity82

I wonder if its just boredom, I mean I cant fathom having 1 million or 60 million, so when you can have anything you want, you expect to do anything you want to do, though I could be wrong..

naw, I think you are on the right course..me I am too busy working for a living to even think about dumb crap...well, really dumb crap...

[Bette]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

naw, I think you are on the right course..me I am too busy working for a living to even think about dumb crap...well, really dumb crap...

Glad you clarified that, Goth!!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

naw, I think you are on the right course..me I am too busy working for a living to even think about dumb crap...well, really dumb crap...

You mean ...... you mean this place isn't your life ???

[Bette]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

You mean ...... you mean this place isn't your life ???

Probably not, but the dumb crap sure is.

[vincesanity82]

BYRD GOES OFF ON DOG FIGHTING

Regardless of anyone's personal politics, Senator Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) is an American institution. He is serving his ninth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. There's something to be said for a guy that smart and that talented dedicating his life to public service, especially since he could have made much, much more money in private industry.

And even though his body is failing a bit after 89 years, his mind is as sharp as ever.

We're mentioning Senator Byrd for the first time in this space because the current Mike Vick dog-fighting controversy prompted an animated and angry response from the Senior Senator from the State of West Virginia (and the other 49) on Thursday afternoon.

Shouting and pumping his fist, Byrd exclaimed: "Barbaric! Let that word resounding from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, and valley to valley across the broad land. Barbaric! Barbaric! May God help those poor souls who'd be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me! Barbaric!"

A portion of the video of Byrd's speech is right here.

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