What not to expect: Falcons vs. Vick in 2009
Falcons coach Mike Smith and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder probably won't have to devise a way to stop No. 7.
(UPDATE: An online sportsbook, Bodog.com, has just established odds on Vick’s next team. Feeling lucky? See below.)
When I caught the tail end of the Falcons’ luncheon for select season ticket holders Wednesday — ostensibly to talk to coach Mike Smith for a column –I mentioned to a few people that at least 18 teams already had indicated they weren’t interested in signing Michael Vick. But all anybody seemed to want to know was: Are any in the NFC South?
Well, here’s some news that even most Falcons fans who don’t want any more local coverage of Vick should be interested in: The Falcons will not have to play Vick twice a season because it seems no NFC South team is interested. (And he may not appear on their 2009 schedule: see below.) That’s something I would’ve never guessed. But here’s the UPDATED breakdown:
♦ NEW ORLEANS:The Saints are out (unofficially team No. 19). It turns out General manager Mickey Loomis actually said last month the team had “no plans to bring Michael Vick to the Saints.” But since everybody seemed to ignore him, he reiterated his lack of interest (sort of) Wednesday, saying: “We have already commented on Vick and have nothing further to add.” This surprises me. New Orleans seemed like a good fit. It’s another indoor/turf team that could help Vick utilize his speed. He’s familiar with the opponents. He could play for a loud and loyal fan base and in a town where the Saints are the show. He could play for a creative offensive coach in Sean Payton, who would find ways to incorporate Vick into the game plan, even with Drew Brees as the starter. He could play for an owner, Tom Benson, who is always desperately looking for ways to generate revenue in a market that just doesn’t provide a lot (which is why he has wanted to move the team).
♦ TAMPA BAY: The Buccaneers also once looked like a plausible destination. But that was before coach Jon Gruden — who goes through quarterbacks like jelly beans and always has been fascinated by Vick’s talents — was fired in January. The Bucs have been quiet since Vick’s suspension was lifted but they indicated earlier they weren’t interested. Chances are, they don’t want to subject new coach Raheem Morris to the circus, even though the team is a mess at quarterback (depth chart: Luke McCown, Bryon Leftwich, Josh Freeman). It also should be noted that Tampa’s offensive coordinator is former Falcons assistant Jeff Jagodzinski, who dealt with the relatively pristine Matt Ryan at Boston College. Morris and Jagodzinski are expected to use a form of the West Coast offense at Tampa, which as we’ve seen is not conducive to Vick’s skill set.
♦ CAROLINA: The Panthers have never officially commented on their interest in Vick. But it would be shocking if they signed him. This franchise already has had its share of tragedy and embarrassment — Rae Carruth conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend; Kerry Collins booze-fueled racist ramblings; two cheerleaders caught in public restroom having sex — and doesn’t want the attention that comes with the Vick package. Neither owner Jerry Richardson nor coach John Fox seem the type to want to roll the dice on Vick. A recent Charlotte Observer story noted, “Who knows what teams might be interested in picking up Vick – and some will – but be assured the Panthers aren’t one of them.”
And finally, I just looked at the Falcons’ 2009 schedule. The only two teams on it who haven’t yet made a public declaration about Vick are New England in Week 3 (when Vick might still be under Roger Goodell’s vague suspension) and Chicago in Week 5 (ditto).
So if you were wondering/concerned/anxious about the Falcons vs. Vick scenario in 2009, I think you’re safe.
♦ ♦ ♦
An online sportsbook, Bodog, has just issued odds on what team will sign Vick. I’m not sure if I’m required to say that these odds are for entertainment purposes only. But here you go::
- New England Patriots 4/1
- Orlando Tuskers (UFL) 9/2
- Baltimore Ravens 5/1
- Washington Redskins 5/1
- Oakland Raiders 6/1
- San Francisco 49ers 7/1
- Jacksonville Jaguars 15/2
- New Orleans Saints 15/2
- New York Sentinels (UFL) 15/2
- San Francisco Rockfish (UFL) 15/1
- Buffalo Bills 11/1
- Las Vegas Locomotives (UFL) 11/1
- Cincinnati Bengals 12/1
- Miami Dolphins 12/1
- Seattle Seahawks 13/1
- Any CFL Team 30/1
- Any other NFL team 5/2
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220 comments Add your comment
L. Canty
July 30th, 2009
9:23 pm
Preach on ED!!
L. Canty
July 30th, 2009
9:25 pm
It has 2 b about color, like I quoted Trick Daddy yesterday, if it had have been P. Manning you would have never heard of it again!!
Jax
July 30th, 2009
9:33 pm
I can hardly wait to see Michael Vick suit up and play again! IN YOUR FACES!! It makes me wonder how many of you self-righteous dog-lovers will ever be so righteous as to turn in your ‘Uncle Billy-Bob’ for roasting marshmallows under a strung up black man back in the day? It’s never too late to jump on THAT bandwagon. If you want to make a man pay the rest of his life for a tragic indiscretion, then you should be standing on your soapboxes and demanding some real justice. If that’s too much to ask, THEN JUST SHUT UP!!!
AAA
July 30th, 2009
9:36 pm
Dipper is trying to turn this into a racial thing. It’s not. Vick has every right to earn a living. There are plenty of McDonalds, Krogers and other companies available for someone without a college degree. The NFL is not REQUIRED to take him back, just like any other company with rules about convicted felons and other moral clauses. I’m a nurse and if I had a felony on my record, I would lose my license. Should I expect and demand to get my job back, just because that was how I earned my living previously? No. I liked Vick when he was here, but honestly, other than a few amazing runs, did you really ever feel comfortable with him as QB? 3rd and 17, who would you want? Vick or Brady? Vick or Manning? Vick or McNabb? For me, it would be anyone other than Vick because he was never a sure thing, especially when it came to passing the ball. And normally, the play would be: Vick drop back, take a fast look at the first receiver and then take off. That is the Vick talent. Once teams put the spies in, his effectiveness was not so special.
BJ
July 30th, 2009
9:39 pm
He was a mediocre QB with a horrible work ethic and a lousy attitude. Dogs or no dogs, I’m just glad he’s not here any more. Anyone stupid enough to flip off their own fans in their home stadium has no business playing professional sports. Even though he was making millions of dollars, he talked, dressed, and acted like a ghetto trash gangbanger and it caught up with him; at least it was only dogs that paid for his “gangsta” illusion.
RDollar1
July 30th, 2009
9:43 pm
Give Vick a chance, they were only dogs. He did not rape anyone or was not accused of rape, he was not part of a murder or assualt accussation, but you guys a more forgiving of those situations. It was not crime against another human being and you deer hunters (deer ambushers) are not any better than Vick.
Carol
July 30th, 2009
9:57 pm
Yeah, he served his time, and now he can disapear into the real world, and attempt to become a contributing member of society. NOT a superstar! He blew that opportunity and just because he is out of jail doesn’t give him a free pass back into the limelight. And as for your argument about “had it been a white athlete”, drop it right now. I don’t care what color the FELON is, I care about the mentality that is capable of DOING the things that HE DID. He didn’t just invest in criminal wrongdoing, he actually participated in heinous acts on defenseless animals. Sure it was just “dogs” that he brutalized, tortured and killed for profit and pleasure, but NO ONE has the right to behave that way. If you look at some of our nations most horrendous criminals you will see that animal torture and murder were some of their earlier criminal acts. He not only committed atrocious crimes on animals, he also repeatedly lied about his actions. He has never shown remorse for what he did, simply remorse for what he lost. Any athlete (of any RACE)that makes criminal choices, should be banned from professional sports for LIFE once they are convicted. I’ll say it again, look how Major League Baseball handled Pete Rose. While what he did was extremely stupid and wrong, it was not a prosecutable crime – yet he was BANNED for LIFE from the sport he excelled in. He has survived his fate, and I’m sure Michael will survive his. Send him a part of your weekly paycheck if you feel so bad for him. If all his so called fans do that he will be just fine.
Marie
July 30th, 2009
10:28 pm
Carol, its amazing how people always want to apply the OVERPAID tag to professional athletes and other celebrities who make millions of dollars. This is America and in this once capitalistic nation a person could earn what he/she is deemed to be worth. And frankly I don’t begrudge anyone who is earning a living honestly of one dime they are making whether its Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Tom Brady or whoever.
As I stated all this noise about Vick not playing football again is just wishful thinking. Even if all 32 NFL teams turn him down; the UFL is clamouring for him to join their start-up league and are willing pay him $1 million or more for his services. Which actually means he’ll make a lot more per game than some NFL players since the UFL season is much shorter. Whether you like him or not or agree with the fact that he is a talented QB; some football market has determined that he is and are willing to pay him for those services.
Finally, I really wish folks would apply the same HARSH standard to politicians as they want to apply to Michael Vick. Michael Vick as a QB in the NFL or UFL cannot do ONE THING to alter your everyday life, yet so many folks want him to never play football again. Yet politicians can lie, cheat on their taxes, drink and drive, commit perjury, take bribes and the list goes on and some have never been held accountable for their abuse of the public trust. Bill and Hilary Clinton, Charlie Rangel, William Jefferson, Harry Reid, John Conyers, Governor Sanford, etc., etc., etc. And lets not forget about good ol Ted Kennedy who in a drunken stupor drives a car into a body of water and leaves a poor young woman to drown. Yet many of these clowns go on with their career and have never been held to nowhere near the public scrutiny that Michael Vick has had to face. And unlike Vick, some of the above forementioned do have the power to alter YOUR LIFE with the laws and regulations they pass.
I can see if Michael Vick had actually gotten away with his deeds and folks were outraged. But unlike Ted Kennedy, the man went to not one court but two courts and was sentenced for his criminal activity by two different jugdges. Yes he may have killed dogs, but, he also saved 50+ pitbulls that the state or federal government would have put down if not for the $1 million dollars the man paid to have these dogs rehabilitated. By the way, that’s more dogs than PETA probably saves in a year because it is a FACT that PETA kills more companion animals than it attempts to place up for adoption and even had members of their staff go on trial for killing dogs they were supposed to be “rescuing”. Many of Vicks dogs are now living with families and SI wrote a great article chronicling this fact.
Yet a white firefighter in Ohio can brutally kill his two dogs (tied them up in his basement and emptied his revolver into both shooting them as many as 11 times) because he did not want to pay to have them shelter while he took a cruise. Yet he receives 90 days in prison which the judge generously will allow him to serve in 10 day increments over a 2 year period. He will only pay a $4500 fine (as compared to the $300,000 fine Vick paid) and perform 200 hours of community service. And the last time I checked he had not been fired from his job and his reinstatement was under review.
And then there are the 26 dogfighters which were arrested across 5 states about 2 weeks ago — anyone care to tell me their name, race, occupation or any other information about them. When will the state and/or federal government make public the indictments which tell us how they killed dogs (we already know they burned some in barrels)? Have there been any protests outside courthouses or their homes over their misdeeds (I mean since we all love these pitbulls)? And speaking of those pitbulls — what will happen to the 350 dogs rescued from these operations? Surely dog lovers everywhere will be raising or donating money (if it takes $1 mil for 50 then we’ll need about $7 mil for 350) to make sure these dogs are not put down but are rehabilitated.
And then there is the life and brutal deaths that dogs involved in greyhound racing and Iditarod racing face but noone wants to talk about. And then there is the sport of Kings (horse racing) in which underperforming horse routinely suffer brutal deaths(HBO ran a special on this about 1.5 ago and it is brutal). And we really don’t want to talk about abortion now do we. So you can go on and on and on and on about Vick did this and he did that, but, for this Vick supporter you’re nothing but sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
Dell
July 30th, 2009
11:26 pm
Carol! I have one question for you. Who are you to say what someone deserves? There is only one God, and He surely IS NOT YOU!
Dell
July 30th, 2009
11:31 pm
…and Carol did you date MV, and was dumped by him? You seem to be venting some personal feelings.
JUSTICE 4 ALL
July 31st, 2009
5:45 am
SEE HERE ALL YOU HATERS. EVEN THE AJC ITSELF IS REPORTING THAT WHAT VICK DID WITH THEM SORRY DOGS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THEY DONT GO TO PRISON OR LOSE $130 MILLION DOLLARS LIKE VICK.
Sex with animals? It’s not uncommon
By Alexis Stevens
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two men, two animals in two different states. And two separate arrests within the last week for having sex with four-legged animals.
Clayton County Police Edwin Robles, 53, of Jonesboro, faces a felony bestiality charge.
Related
Man arrested for horse sex
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No one’s really counting, but probably more people than you realize, according to an Atlanta psychiatrist.
Last week, Edwin Robles of Jonesboro was arrested by Clayton County police for allegedly having sex with his dog. Bestiality is a felony in Georgia, and Robles could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
On Wednesday, South Carolina police said Rodell Vereen was arrested for the second time for having sex with the same horse. He could face up to five years in prison for the latest buggery charge.
“It’s not as uncommon as one would think,” said Tracey Marks, a forensic psychiatrist who practices in Atlanta. “Dogs and farm animals are probably the most common occurrences.”
Like most sexually deviant behaviors, “zoophilia” is more common in men, Marks said. And now more than ever, it’s easier for the curious to explore sexual options.
“Just as people consider marijuana to be a gateway to other things, the Internet has been a gateway for [bestiality] to becoming more ordinary,” Marks said.
But having sex with animals isn’t just a freakish fetish. Many consider it to be animal abuse.
Laws preventing sex with animals differ from state to state, according to animallaw.info. At least a dozen states don’t have laws at all.
“It is shocking. It should be illegal in every state,” said Stephanie Bell with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. “It’s not a laughing matter. Even in cases where physical harm doesn’t occur to the animal, it’s still cruel.”
Because human sex with animals is not a topic many people are comfortable discussing, sometimes it takes a high-profile case to raise public awareness, Bell said.
In 2005, a Washington state man died after having sex with a horse. The 45-year-old suffered a perforated colon after being penetrated, according to police.
“It piqued the attention of the legislators,” Bell said.
The state now has a law making sex with an animal a felony.
In the current Georgia case, Robles has been accused of sexually assaulting two family members, according to Twis Lizasuain with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Robles previously lived in the Kissimmee, Fla., area.
During the investigation into those allegations, one of Robles’ relatives gave Florida police information that led the agency to contact Clayton County police.
“She also made reference to the fact that there may have been videos of him having sex with an animal,” Lizasuain said Wednesday. “She gave them the videotape.”
Robles has a previous 1999 fraud charge in Florida, according to Lizasuain. In February 2003, he was charged with two leash law violations in Clayton County. And on Wednesday, he was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian, according to the Clayton County courts docket.
It’s up to the state prosecutor’s office in Florida to determine if Robles will face charges in that state. But after posting $6,600 bond last week, Robles is out of jail. He’s expected to appear in Clayton County Magistrate Court for the bestiality charge on Aug. 11 at 8 a.m.
In addition to the legal problems, a person such as Robles would likely need treatment to avoid repeated similar behavior, Marks said.
“Typically the people who are involved with bestiality will have a difficult time being aroused by regular sex,” Marks said. “Many people will be very ashamed of it.”
Because of that shame, it is usually an outside force that will lead someone to seek treatment, such as a spouse’s demand or an incident with law enforcement.
“The treatment is behavioral therapy, which in generally involves decreasing the level of the arousal that people would have to this,” Marks said. “It’s hard not to laugh, but it’s a serious condition.”
pooty tang
July 31st, 2009
6:45 am
justice for all, your homeless arent you
dapper186
July 31st, 2009
2:33 pm
Michael Vick has shown he cannot handle responsibility. His playing days should be over as it send the wrong message to our fine young men playing this and other sports. Done. He blew his opportunity and opportunity only knocks once. No second chances with this kink of money and responsibility.
Tom
July 31st, 2009
2:51 pm
A lot of people don’t realize it but there is still thought that M.V. may know something about a person from Texas who was murdered. He Meet MV and his people in MV’s place and MV’s dogs lost him close to 80,000. The man left and drove back to Texas where he had a home invasion and murdered, just hours after getting back home. Sometimes information on murders take a while to surface. All the teams know about his and there affraid a connection will be made and he will be gone again, but for good. IT sure has cost him a lot of money and endorsements, you can figure his fine has been over 200 million, pay and all..Sad..
Tom
July 31st, 2009
3:03 pm
RDollar 1. At some point you may see some type of murder charge on MV. I guess you didn’t see and read the story on the guy from Texas that carried his dogs to MV’s place and won about 80,000 from him and then the guy was killed shortly after getting home…Now i don’t know if him and his friends had anything to do with it or not, but you can bet if he did, it will eventually come out, it maybe years from now when some one is on there death bed, but it will come out..I hope he didn’t have anything to do with it..It think he has paid enough, it has cost him over 200 mill. Pay and endorsements, well over 200 mill, that is a lot of cash and it was just plain stupid on his part and i think he would be the first to admit that, at least i hope so. Take care.
Max Power
July 31st, 2009
4:45 pm
You guys are so funny….comparing MV to other athletes.
It is not a black or white thing….Look into Leonard Little, Dontae Stallworth
EVERYONE has the opportunity to become president of the US…It’s what you make of your life…no one is holding you down…only YOU can hold you down…Ultimately, Mike did this to himself
first timer
July 31st, 2009
4:57 pm
People fight, dogs fight and so on. what does that have to do with Vick coming back to the NFL. I could care less about an animal. I’d run one over if it came down to me running off the road and damaging car. Get over it. People kill people everyday and they get a second chance and it doesn’t get this much attention. Live your life and stop hating.
Concerned
July 31st, 2009
6:04 pm
Carol, well said and I agree with you 100%. I’m African American and I reposted your comment on http://www.ballerwives.com of which is a black website and Vick supporter. Michael Vick is a THUG, and the only chance he deserves is another stint in a real prison, rather than the country club he occupied over the past 18 months.
Rebecca Alexander
August 1st, 2009
2:47 pm
Part of the reason the wrong impression is given in regards to race is because of black posters telling that it is the ENTIRE race that supports Mike Vick. we are all individuals. A co-worker(an AA)walked up to me the other day and asked me what i thought. I hesitated to answer, but did anyway. He agreed with me. I was so happy!
http://www.petitiononline.com/ridofvic/petition.html
Bobo
August 3rd, 2009
2:32 pm
First off, how does this issue turn into people who don’t support Vick into racists?!?!?!? Why is everything always about race?!?!? No one on here has said “I hate Vick because he is black.” STOP TURNING EVERYTHING INTO RACISM. When are you going to realize that this isn’t 1852 anymore?!?!?!?! Second, if YOU were a GM for an NFL team would you really want someone who tore a franchise all to pieces on your team?!?! Think about it. Vick really screwed up the Falcons franchise. Arthur Blank stated that he thinks it will take a couple more YEARS to fully recover from the Vick situation. ALSO, I just read where some idiot typed “he paid a debt that was severely unfair.” What is unfair is how he starved those defenseless dogs. What is unfair is that he pulled out their teeth so they couldn’t bite. What is unfair is that he didn’t give those dogs a chance. I don’t care if he was the one who actually pulled out their teeth or not, the bottom line is IT HAPPENED ON HIS PROPERTY AT HIS HOUSE… and he plead G U I L T Y!!!!!!!!!!