Vick Latest NFL Star In Trouble With Law
Author: Jeremy James

We have heard it all before. High profile athletes accused of a
heinous crime, convicted in the court of public opinion before
receiving their due process.

We saw it with Kobe. We saw it with the Duke lacrosse players.
We are seeing it everyday with the Barry Bonds homerun chase.
Now we are seeing it with Atlanta Falcons star quarterback
Michael Vick.

When Vick entered the league as the No. 1 draft pick of the
Falcons out of Virginia Tech it seemed as if he could do no
wrong. The excitement that he brought to the Georgia Dome
initially crossed racial lines, as he brought all colors
together while leading the Falcons to the NFC championship game
in 2004.

However, when Vick began to struggle on the field he also began
to struggle to regain the confidence of White Falcons fans. Many
White fans lobbied for former Falcons backup Matt Schaub to
replace Vick, while African Americans in the Atlanta area
faithfully supported their embattled quarterback throughout his
polarizing career.

That support or lack of support has seemed to follow Vick as he
prepares to face his toughest foe to date, the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to the AP, Vick, and three other defendants, are
charged with competitive dog fighting, procuring and training
pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across
state lines. If convicted, the four defendants could face up to
six years in prison and $350,000 in fines and restitution.

Almost immediately, organizations such as PETA and the ASPCA
began urging NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to "sack Vick" for
the entire 2007 season like he did with Adam "Pacman" Jones.

"We think they should do the same with Michael Vick," said Don
Shannon, an assistant director of campaigns for PETA. "We don't
think that their `wait and see" attitude goes far enough. If
they suspend Pacman Jones, they can suspend Vick."

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy quickly responded by saying,
"We agree with them that dog fighting is cruel, degrading and
illegal. The alleged activities are very disturbing and we are
extremely disappointed Michael Vick has put himself in that
situation.

"We are having extensive dialogue with numerous groups and
individuals including the ASPCA and are reviewing all of our
options to deal with this as quickly as possible."

According to the AP, the indictment alleges that Vick and his
co-defendants began the dog fighting operation in early 2001,
his rookie year. The indictment alleges that eight young dogs
were put to death in April 2007. They were killed "by hanging,
drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."


Vick also allegedly gave permission to douse a losing a dog
with water before electrocuting it.

Vick claims he rarely visited the home and was unaware that it
was being used for a criminal enterprise.

Because of the charges, Nike has suspended the release of
Vick's latest signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V. However, Nike
has not dissolved their contract with Vick, instead choosing to
let the matter play out in a court of law.

Despite still having some level of support from the NFL and
Nike, Vick has lost the confidence of many Atlanta Falcons fans.
Support for Vick is usually drawn on racial lines, with a
majority of White fans believing the Falcons should release
Vick, while Black fans believe that Vick should receive his due
process, according to an ESPN poll.

McCarthy added, "The activities alleged are cruel, degrading
and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not been proven and we
believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to
determine the facts."

Despite initially showing support, at REGAL press time the NFL
ordered Vick not to report to Falcons training camp pending an
investigation by the league.


About The Author: Todd A. Smith is the publisher of
http://www.regalmag.com, an online magazine dedicated to issues
affecting African American men. The website tackles such topics
as social and political issues, health, relationships, business,
sports and entertainment.