July 21, 2007
Protesters Demand That NFL Sacks Michael Vick
Animal rights protesters held a rally outside the National Football League's Park Avenue headquarters yesterday to ask for quarterback Michael Vick's suspension from the league. Earlier, the Atlanta Falcons star was indicted on federal felony charges for dogfighting. Here's what the Department of Justice's press release (PDF) said:
According to the indictment, the defendants were involved in an ongoing animal fighting venture based out of a property located in Smithfield, Virginia, from early 2001 through on or about April 25, 2007. The property was purchased by Vick in June 2001. Since that time, the named defendants formed a dog fighting enterprise known as “Bad Newz Kennels” and used the property for housing and training pit bulls used in dog fights. From at least 2002, the defendants and others sponsored dog fights at the property, where participants and dogs traveled from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Texas, Alabama, and other states to participate. Generally, only those accompanying the opposing kennels and “Bad Newz Kennels’” associates attended the fights.Matthew Brazell of PETA said, "We hope [the NFL] would go ahead and suspend him now. He's not on a field with people who are heroes and role models. He's definitely not that. He shouldn't be associated with [players] who are what their fans expect them to be." Here's PETA's information on how you can tell the NFL to suspend Vick.For a particular dog fight, the participants would establish a purse for the winning side, ranging from the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Participants and spectators would also place side-bets on the fight. The dog fight would last until the death or surrender of the losing dog. At the end of the fight, the losing dog was sometimes put to death by drowning, hanging, gunshot, electrocution, or another method.
However, the NFL is proceeding cautiously and waiting for the legal process to take its course, as well as the players union to weigh in, before acting. An NFL spokesman said, “We agree with [protesters] that dogfighting is cruel, degrading and illegal. The alleged activities are very disturbing and we are extremely disappointed Michael Vick has put himself in this position.”
The NY Times reports that the NFL has been meeting with the ASPCA; "earlier this year, the N.F.L. and the A.S.P.C.A. began working together on public-service announcements and programs to help educate players and the public on treating animals properly." You can see the ASPCA's press release about its partnership with the NFL here: "To support its players, the NFL makes several presentations to its teams each year on a range of issues. This initiative will draw on the ASPCA’s expertise to enhance awareness in the NFL on the proper treatment of animals."
Earlier this year, Disney-owned ESPN ran repeated commercials hyping its Arena Football League by comparing the excitement and intensity of its enclosed field competion to the fury of "two pitbulls locked in a cage."
Photograph of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protesters outside NFL headquarters by Bebeto Matthews/AP
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all due respect to animals, if these wackos would be even remotely considerate of their fellow man this might be a better place.
As sick as dog fighting is, how can the NFL do anything to the guy before he's convicted? I would assume that there is a lot of overlap in that crowd of PETA protesters with the ACLU, labor union supporters etc. What about his right to due process?
The NFL didn't do anything when Vick got caught with marijuana at the airport.
I was watching one of those sports shows, and they said the guy would be in less trouble if he had beaten other PEOPLE vs. letting these dogs do it to each other. It's awful though, he should be fired most definitely. You can't treat animals like that, especially not our friends the dogs.
#1, the argument that you can't think of two things at once or help both man and animal is ridiculous. How do you know these people don't think of or fight for their fellow man as well as animals? When I hear the argument you make, I understand why people might fight more for animals than for humans.
While I certainly favor very harsh punishments for people that abuse animals (Think Prometheus and his liver or Christians and the lions.) I don't understand the point of the last sentence. What is the connection between a somewhat trite analogy used in advertising copy and the actions of this savage ass? Is it the tenous sports link? Are you trying to imply that American footballers are all cruel to animals? Also, PETA? PETA!! Any organization that would gleefully euthanize thousands of animals every year rather than try to find them homes or put them in no-kill facilties has no moral basis for outrage here. Ingrid Newkirk (PETA founder and leader) has advocated the extermination of the Pit-Bull as a breed because she claims they are dangerous and too often used as fighting dogs. Shame on PETA and shame on anyone that would blindly support them.
He's a beautiful dog, not fat, just right.
#2, the NFL quite often punishes players before convictions are handed down. For example, Pacman Jones got a 1 year suspension from the league just because he was a "person of interest" in several shootings. He never was even indicted let alone convicted.
I love animals, especially with ketchup.
Rodney, I know the NFL can do it - the infamous conduct clause. That fact doesn't make it right. My point is that the lefties protesting Vick would most likely through a temper tantrum and call the ACLU if someone they knew was fired from a job based on allegations of wrongdoing outside the workplace.
The point of the last sentence was that even major corporations in professional sports seem to have a very blithe attitude towards a barbaric sport like dog fighting, if they're refering to it casually as a source of excitement analogous to arena football. I can see how a player like Michael Vick could get the impression that it was not such a big deal to fight and kill dogs if a respected network like ESPN refers to the inhumane practice to hype its indoor football league.
Something tells me this isn't going to go away until he is suspended or kicked off the NFL.
This is really sad.
Dave, thank you for your answer. I do however, disagree. Violent imagery and analogies abound in media especialy sports (Gladiators of the gridiron, titans of the turf, ...etc) without people thinking that footballers are really going toe to toe with trident, spear or gladius; or that footballers are going to murder their fathers to create the whole of existance out of their remains. Violent imagery in sports did not lead Vick into cruelty. That blame rests squarely on the shoulders of his parents for not instilling a sense of empathy and moral code into their son.
Sigh. Another professional athlete who has an overdeveloped sense of his own "specialness" and thinks he can do anything he wants. So what else is new?
There is something quite sadastic about abusing animals. It is a HUGE warning signs for young boys. People here must be dumb...his EMPLOYER can take action against him, he doesnt have to be convicted of anything. There is no such thing as guarenteed money in the NFL, they can cut him tomorrow if they want and not owe him anything. If you work for Citibank, they can fire you for any or no reason, its called 'right to work' which also means right to fire. Your employer doesnt need to wait for you to be conviced in a court of law. Morons.
Your employer doesnt need to wait for you to be conviced in a court of law. Morons.
Vick is in a union so "right to work" is irrelevent and you analogy with Citibank is useless. Unionized employees can sue for back pay if the collective bargaining agreement is violated. The conduct clause is rarely used. The Yankees could have cut Giambi by now and are afraid they will still have to pay him. Vick will easily beat this because he can afford an army of lawyers that will get the search thrown out because his cousin let the cops search the home.
I think YOU are the one who is a moron. Learn something about unions and labor law before you mouth off.
If you work for Citibank, they can fire you for any or no reason,
They can't fire you for race, religion, gender, age, etc reasons which means they usually invent a performance issue. I know who guy who had perfect evaluations at JP Morgan until the market crash of 2000. At his next evaluation they nitpicked some deal from two years eariler and then fired him.
Bottom line is Michael Vick is a piece of garbage. While the NFL doesn't have to suspend him, the Falcons should at the very least not play him - he's tarnished that team and is an embarrassment to professional sports as a whole. If he was some third string player he would've already been gone..
Also we live in a pretty sad world where the NFL and the ASPCA have to get together to have, "programs to help educate players and the public on treating animals properly."
I mean seriously. WTF?
Vick was caught redhanded - there's no reason to wait, he should be fired Now. The
NFL has standards (or should) & Vick most obviously fails. Abuse of animals is a strong sign of an incredibly sick & cruel person. I don't even want to call him a person, he's an insult to the human race. These animals trust us; he's proven he can't be trusted. The ONLY possible positive to this ugly action by Vick, is that it gives the NFL & the Falcons the opportunity tomake an example of him in response to the very loud message we are sending. We put up with alot of crap from sports figures, but we want to make the message very clear that America will not put up with violence and cruelty to "Man's Best Friend"!
Bradedward, from your post to Goodell's ear. What a scumbag. I heard on NPR that dog fighting is a billion dollar industry. That's billion with a B. If Vick is so into it, fire his ass and let him move to some third world country where it's not illegal.
Personally, This whole story makes little difference . Dog fighting has been going on for centuries and this will not stop it . I'm not a Mike Vick Fan, but the way I see it this is just a witch hunt to crucify a guy with a lot of money . Notice you don't hear about people with no money being indited for dog fighting . You never hear about those caught involved in this sort of action having there employers investigating them for possible ties to the sport . With that said what is the difference here aside from the fact this is "Michael Vick" a celebrated Sports figure with a shitload of money . It sickens me the coverage these types of story get . I mean look at what happened to the Mets Catcher "Paul Lo Duca" The media found out he was mixed-up in horse racing and the story was blown of proportion ! We now have to deal with "runoff" stories about the troubles Lo Duca currently has going on . All you lonely trouble-seekers need to get a hobby other than trying to make someone Else's life a living hell ! Get this through Ur hard heads, Sports figures are not role models . They are people like the rest of us and make the same mistakes we all do . The only difference is the money . Maybe if more people took a look at this, We may not be talking about this now . Posted by; "Still Not Amused"
NFL should can him, and the Feds should track down and also arrest all those other particpants that brought their dogs to fight. Dogfighting is a revolting, disgusting sport.
#21 re: "Notice you don't hear about people with no money being indi[c]ted for dog fighting."
Of course you don't- you don't hear much of anything about people with no money in the national news. That doesn't mean other people never get indicted, it simply means that no one cares because they're not famous. Obviously it's a bigger story because Michael Vick is involved. You don't read about Average Joes getting arrested for possession of a small amount coke either, but that doesn't mean Lindsay Lohan is the first person that's ever happened to.
I think it's good that this is getting so much attention. Hopefully people will think of it as a more serious crime now.