Michael Vick Indicted - July 17, 2007
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| Deadspin found this 7/17/2007 on www.thesmokinggun.com [flag] |
Tags:
NFL
Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick
Comments (18)
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RyNoSauce low-rated comment [show] -1Now thats a black red-neck. -
johnhavard HOW IS IT WE HAVE COME TO LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE ONES INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND PERSUIT OF HAPPINESS MEANS NOTHING? FACT: WE HAVE YOUNG MINOR CHILDREN PITTING AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE NAME OF SPORTS EACH YEAR, IN PUBLIC TAX FUNDED ARENAS (SCHOOL STADIUMS). THESE ARE CONTACT SPORTS IN WHICH THE CHEERING PARENTS KNOW ON ANY GIVEN PLAY A HEALTHY CHILD COULD BE INJURED IN NUMEROUS WAYS INCLUDING PARALISAS AND EVEN DEATH (CHECK NATIONAL STATS) YET YOU WILL GO TO JAIL IN THESE STATES IF YOU DECIDE TO PIT DOGS OR ROOSTERS AGAINST EACH OTHER IN A PRIVATE SETTING. Animal rights 1 peoples rights 0
THE HEAD OF ANIMAL RIGHTS TELLS THE COMMISIONER OF THE NFL HE”S WATCHING HIM, HOW LAUGHABLE.
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hartlisann Ignorant-
johnhavard WHEN A PERSON READS PURE FACTS AND THE BEST THEY CAN DO, IS COME UP WITH ONE WORD IGNORANT . THEY MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR WHERE THE IGNORANCE LIES. DUUHH -
hartlisann Thank you tmcallist!. In the case of Vick, we're not talking about his 'right' to hold dogfights in a private setting. We're talking about cruelty. Are you suggesting that the pursuit (not persuit) of happiness includes torturing and killing pets? He put to death (at least) 8 dogs by hanging, drowning and slamming them into the ground when they were deemed not worthy of fighting. Come on! This is not acceptable behavior whether you are or are not a dog / animal lover.
There have been murderers who started out getting a thrill by torturing and killing helpless, innocent animals. If we want to make these comparisons (little league / dogfight/ cockfights), I think it would be closer to compare Michael Vick to O.J. Simpson. Vick is a murderer. And because his victims were animals and not people you think that's fine? That's just his 'right' and his way of pursuing happiness. Nice.
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johnhavard Thanks Lisahartnn, in full agreement with you about hanging dogs and cruelty to animals as such, thanks for the spelling correction also. I'm currently deployed in Iraq and at times my spelling may not be purr fik, smile. I would never defend Vick or OJ if either were found guilty of their charges. Although I will not equate the life of Nichole or Ron's to that of a dog, sorry babe. No need to split hairs, once again just a simple fact; A country founded on freedom; sports that involve human injury glorified, sports that involve animal injury vilified. No hair splitting there just fact.
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tmcallist it's pretty simple, man-- if you can't see the difference between cockfighting/dogfighting and little leaue baseball, then you're ignorant. No need to explain anything else.
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johnhavard yes I think it is very simple. My senior year of highschool I witnessed a young man name of Blaze Goddett suffer a broken neck on the football field, he has been paralized from the neck down since. That same year a kid from Amite Academy received a blow to his chest with a helmet while being tackled and died from cardiac arrest. To allow this to happen in public with kids, and condem sports that injure animals in private in about as ignorant and unconstitutional as it can get. Thats just facts guys-
tmcallist i suppose your buddy Blaze was also forced to play high school football against his will and would have been shot in the back of the head if he hadn't performed... poor guy.
seriously, the difference is so staggeringly obvious that no one should need it explained.
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johnhavard I need no one to explain simply stated facts. Kids injured in public contact sports is legal. Animals injured in private contact sports not legal. No need to over complicate the issue. Those who would place the well being of animals above the well being of children, will try to find ways to glorify one while vilifying the other. Peer pressure, tradition, and hopes of escaping poverty through sports, sure can come at a price for some. No explaining here, just facts again.-
TJK619 The argument this ignorant poster has stated is a logical fallacy (a false analogy to be exact). Little league sports and animal fighting are not comparable in any way other than both are termed “sport” and both are meant to be competitive (and let’s not forget that one’s legal and one’s not).
In little league, kids are taught meaningful lessons (i.e. teamwork). There is a greater purpose other than entertainment. The same cannot be said about animal fighting, which exists for the sole purpose of gambling and personal entertainment at the expense of an animal’s life. In little league sports, no one’s life is INEVITABLY going to end. Although extreme injuries and death do occur at times (and it is very sad when it does), this is not the GOAL or MAIN OBJECTIVE of the little league event. It IS the goal in animal fights.
To correct his argument and put it on track, you CANNOT chain up a child and use proven strategies to make him/her more aggressive with the intention of entering the child into an organized fight against another child. There are laws against this. In fact, there are Child Labor Laws as well, that prevent a minor from even working in legitimate jobs. This is how much we protect our children.
On the flip side, you can enter animals into LEGAL competitions if you choose, such as dog racing. Before you say there’s no difference between dog fighting and dog racing, let me refute what you’re about to say. There is a difference. Training an animal to run fast is not cruel and does not alter the animals psyche so much that it becomes violent in all circumstances. “Training” an animal to be more aggressive by not feeding it and isolating it is cruel and does alter the animal’s psyche.
And those, Mr. johnhavard, are the facts!
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johnhavard Thanks for the reply. Cant see why I have to be labeled ignorant because I wont split hairs on the issue. I for one am proud of the laws that protect our children. I am in now way arguing with you. If you wish to say human sports in America is not about entertainment, if you wish to forgo all the rules of animal sports and say the only way to win is to kill, If you wish to say competitive sports effects psyche in animals and not in people, I can respect your OPINION without referring to you as ignorant. I simply struggle with the constitutionality of laws based on animal rights when our nation is presumed to be based on human rights. When did Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness become items subject to approval by animal rights organizations. THANKS tjk619 but split hairs with someone else, ONLY FACTS please. NEXT?
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TJK619 I’m not even going to go into how you grossly misinterpreted and over-generalized my statement.
This time I won’t split hairs either. I’ll simply say there is no Constitutional issue at hand so you don’t need to struggle anymore. Article 1 gives Congress the right to pass laws. If they pass a law that prohibits dog fighting, then so be it. The Constitution gives them that right and no where else does it say they can’t pass such an act.
And the “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” you keep referring to is not in the Constitution. It is found in the Declaration of Independence. It is not law and is not binding on any legislator, executive officer, or courthouse in the United States. It is simply a guide to help with the formulation of laws. In my “pursuit of happiness,” I wouldn’t have to pay taxes; but if I don’t then I go to jail for tax evasion because Congress passed a law that says that if you don’t pay your taxes you go to jail. Just like they passed a law that says if you facilitate animal fights, you can go to jail.
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johnhavard SOMETIMES THOSE WHO DEMAND THE MOST TOLERANCE FROM SOCIETY CAN BE THE MOST INTOLERANT. JUST FACT, SMILE
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Brad Vick may have done it or he may not have. I do not agree at all with cruelty to animals especially they way they were killed which is just disgusting. But how can we put the Knife in Vick and say he is guilty when everything is alleged. If he is found guilty he deserves everything he gets. Has everybody forgotten the Duke Lacrosse case. Those kids were guilty before the trial went to court. They were kicked out of school, season suspended, and their reputation was hurt. And we all remember how that turned out. All I am saying is innocent until proven guilty. -
hartlisann Brad, you are right, innocent until proven guilty, and I'll admit I am assuming his guilt which is not fair. I would like to think he is innocent since so many young people look up to sports stars as role models. It's just that when a federal indictment comes down there has to be pretty strong evidence of wrongdoing. Maybe it wasn't him, but certainly something illegal and inhumane happened on his property. I agree what happened to the boys at Duke is an injustice, perpetrated by an overzealous prosecuting attorney who deserved to be disbarred.
I have respect for all those serving our country in Iraq so I sincerely thank you John Havard. I will respectfully disagree with you on the issue of dogfighting and contact sports involving willing players. I think tmcallist and tjk619 made articulate points that make a lot of sense to me. To clarify, I'm not labeling you as ignorant, just the point of view which I believe is lacking some facts.
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johnhavard Hey hartlisann, thanks for the refreshing words in your last blog. Shows a ton of class. Just wanted to say I love the word FACTS. I will never direct anything towards you on a subject without researching it completely. Thats why I despise splitting hairs. With the help of animals rights activist, dog fighting is truely against the law. No argument here. The result being; the true art of dog fighting has been changed possibly forever. The old guys that knew each of his dogs breeding from generations past, the guys that knew the good care of their dogs could mean the difference between winning and loosing, the guys that knew the limits of their dogs and hated to see their dogs pushed beyond those limits. I've met some of these guys and they are long gone. Due to intolerance, pit dogs have now been forced underground and in most cases fought by unworthy thugs. JUST FACT-
TJK619 Now you're making sense to me. Although I don't really agree with what you are trying to say, your argument in this post has merit and makes sense.
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Links (39)
Ron Mexico: Michael Vick Indicted On Dogfighting Charges
Published 7/17/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... (UPDATE: The Smoking Gun has the full indictment, of course.) ...
Michael Vick Has a New Nickname: Ron Mexico Is Out, Ookie Is In
Published 7/17/2007 by Michael David Smith at FanHouse
... Vick was indicted today on charges related to a dog fighting ring that was operating on property he owns, and The Smoking Gun has the documentation, which includes this: ...
When P-Funk, Q, T, and Ookie Meet
Published 7/17/2007 by Larry Brown at Larry Brown Sports
... , and at The Smoking Gun (thanks to ...
Michael Vick is Fucked
Published 7/17/2007 by Sports Bettor at The Online Sports Bettor
The Smoking Gun has the 18 page indictment here... the dude is fucked. ...
Blizzard: Michael Vick is indicted
Published 7/17/2007 by Pacifist Viking at Pacifist Viking
... ) reports that "Michael Vick has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the dogfighting probe of his property in Virginia." At The Smoking Gun (also via ...
The Offseason Adventures Of Michael Vick Ookie! Episode 8: Indictment!
Published 7/18/2007 by Big Daddy Drew at Kissing Suzy Kolber
... Lawyer: Michael, you’ve been indicted. ...
Vick indicted
Published 7/18/2007 by Davey at BlownCoverage.com
... The actual indictment which you can read over at the Smoking Gun also gives us the nicknames that Vick and his buddies used while doing this stuff. Purnell Peace was "P-Funk", Quanis Phillips was "Q", Tony Taylor was "T" and Mike Vike was known as “Ookie". ...
Vick’s Part Of A Conspiracy, Man
Published 7/18/2007 by Matt Sussman at The Futon Report
... , federal agents on Tuesday afternoon were finally able to indict the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. ...
Down Goes Ookie
Published 7/18/2007 by mondesishouse at Mondesishouse.com
... Michael Vick, also known as "Ookie", according to the 18-page court document, was indicted on Tuesday for conspiracy to transport dogs across state lines for the purpose of dog fighting. ...
The Safe Thing To Say About Michael Vick Now.
Published 7/18/2007 by Signal to Noise at Signal to Noise
... Regardless of how the indictment and potential trial (if there is one) of Michael Vick down the road goes, my guess is that his playing career in Atlanta may be over with the indictment’s announcement. It is unsurprisingly ugly as to what’s in the contents of the thing (I wouldn’t recommend reading it while eating at all), and if there are four witnesses in said indictment placing you as a person directly involved in the operation, you’re in trouble — especially considering that federal prosecutors do not usually bring charges if they don’t think they have a very good shot at a conviction. I thought he might have been in the clear a couple weeks ago, and ...
Dog Day Morning
Published 7/18/2007 by Sam Rubenstein at SLAM Online
... For example, let’s take a look at one Lang Whitaker. Aside from all of his basketball writing, he has mentioned hundreds of times that he is an Atlanta Falcons fan. On a day such as today, when the face of his franchise – arguably the most electrifying athlete in sports today – is dominating the news because he’s been indicted for all kinds of inhumane crimes against the animal kingdom, I have no choice but to sit back and laugh and enjoy this. ...
Ron Mexico: It's All About Ookie Today
Published 7/18/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... The full indictment from The Smoking Gun is riveting stuff. Here's our favorite two parts. ...
Ookie Is Signifcantly More Scary Than Ron Mexico
Published 7/18/2007 by Marco at Just Call Me Juice
... via The Smoking Gun, here are the highlights of the Michael Vick incident on dog fighting charges yesterday.... ...
An Open Letter to Michael Vick
Published 7/18/2007 at Sports Bastards
... Youre an embarrassment to your family, you dog-abusing son of a bitch. ...
The Big Story: Michael Vick Indicted
Published 7/18/2007 by The Feed at The Feed
... Thanks to the failures of Time Warner Cable we're a little late getting our words in about the Michael Vick indictment. Since we enjoy the proud history of the United States we like to think of people as innocent until proven guilty but after reading through the Vick indictment handed down yesterday it's hard to feel much sympathy for Ron Mexico. The Smoking Gun, of course, has it up on their site and it's overstuffed with damning information and that's not even including the fact that he goes by the nickname "Ookie" around the Bad Newz Kennels. That's the name of the outfit that operated from Vick's property and raised pit bulls to fight. They also organized fights with purses up to $26,000. That would be bad enough but it gets worse when the indictment relates what Vick and his co-defendants would do when the dogs weren't up to snuff in fights or training. ...
Michael "Ookie" Vick -- Dog Fighter
Published 7/18/2007 by HM at Hoops and Other Pop Culture
... http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0717072vick1.html ...
United States of America v. Ookie
Published 7/18/2007 by Master4Caster at Running Redskins
... The Smoking Gun published the bill of indictment against Michael "Ookie" Vick and three other persons for "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities . . . ." Vick's street name in this venture was "Ookie." ...
Vick Indictment via The Smoking Gun
Published 7/18/2007 by Fooch <ninersnation@gmail.com> at Niners Nation: Front Page Posts
... The Smoking Gun has put the indictment up on their website and there is plenty of interesting information there. While there is definitely a decent amount of evidence in there, I'd prefer to not assume guilt quite yet. Based on past precedent I figure there are a couple ways this could go. I personally don't think a trial will happen with the case going as is, so the other options: ...
Mike Vick Indicted; Will Suspension Follow?
Published 7/18/2007 by Sean Yuille <info@prideofdetroit.com> at Pride Of Detroit: Front Page Posts
... of "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting venture." You can read a copy of the full indictment at The Smoking Gun, but trust me, you may not want to do that. I went through each page and what I read is absolutely appalling. Some of the things Vick and the others did to these dogs is beyond comprehension. I'm not even going to get into what went on because you can read that for yourself, but basically, starting in 2001, Vick and these others started dog fighting. Purses were as small as $1,000 and as large as $26,000. The worst part isn't even the fact that he was dog fighting, but instead is what happened after if that dog lost. ...
The Dirty Details Behind Michael Vick
Published 7/18/2007 at STLSportsMag
With all the image issues caused by the multitude of run-ins with the law by NFL players, the recent Michael Vick dogfighting charge may turn out to be the worst since Rae Carruth in terms of sheer outrage amongst fans. For those who haven’t read up on the details, the Smoking Gun has a copy of the indictment submitted by federal prosecutors naming Vick aka "Ookie" as one of the defendants. For those not interested in reading the nuts and bolts of the case or don’t want to stomach the details, here’s a brief summarization of one of the most disturbing charges leveled against the Falcons QB: The manner in which the dogs were "destroyed" is some of the more disturbing information in the document, with some being shot, electrocuted, or beaten to death. For those looking for some plain-speak information regarding the ramifications of Vick’s action, ESPN secured the services of Chicago lawyer, ...
Why the Coverage of the Michael Vick Scandal Ticks Me Off as a Vegan and as a Woman
Published 7/18/2007 by Angela S. at Serious Dismay Sports
So, look, obviously The Michael Vick Indictment is some stomach turning stuff, and if any of it is true, I hope he does not play in the NFL again. ...
Michael Vick vs. United States - Doesn't Look Good
Published 7/18/2007 by Dima Krymskiy at Nyjer Please
... Michael Vick Indictment [The Smoking Gun] ...
Vick Gets Dogged By Feds
Published 7/19/2007 by Mark at SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated
... Anyway, as the world knows by now, the Falcons QB has been indicted by the Feds for running a dog fighting operation. The indictment can be found here. That presents both the Falcons and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell with some interesting decisions. The Falcons have a real problem since inexplicably, knowing this problem was lurking, they traded away their backup. Still, they have little choice but to start searching for a potential starter, as the likelihood that Vick will be the starter on opening day is remote. He probably won't be around much anyway. Daunte Culpepper is available and probably cheap - he may not be the best solution but he is available. ...
Ron Mexico: Why's Vick In So Much Trouble? Because He's An Idiot!
Published 7/19/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... Even though there isn't much funny about what Ookie and his pals are charged with -- we remind you once again to read the full indictment, just to see the depths of depravity the government is accusing Vick of -- there's still plenty of comedic highlights in the indictment's wake. First off, anything that ...
Sticks, stones, and irresponsible moral equivocation
Published 7/19/2007 by Skin Patrol <info@hogshaven.com> at Hogs Haven: Front Page Posts
... and what Mike Vick was alleged to have done criminally to dogs in this 18 page indictment, which I simultaneously encourage and warn reader(s) to look at. ...
Darko Milicic on Pau Gasol’s “Softness”
Published 7/19/2007 by Marcel Mutoni at SLAM Online
... (or Ookie if you prefer)!!! Too soon? ...
The Latest Vick News Roundup: I'm Sick Of It Already
Published 7/19/2007 by Dave the Falconer <info@thefalcoholic.com> at The Falcoholic: Front Page Posts
... So with all that to digest, I'm interested in your opinions. Based on the indictment at The Smoking Gun, is Vick in serious trouble? What should the team do? ...
Michael Vick Is (allegedly) The Devil
Published 7/22/2007 by snoopyjode at Taking One For The Team
... Back to my original point, Vick and all other purveyors of dog fighting are evil. The things Vick is charged with doing are gruesome and unfathomable. The things I will be detailing have been taken directly from the 18-page grand jury indictment. Reading it has been tough for me. I have 4 dogs: a rescued Chocolate Lab, a Golden Retriever, and 2 rescued Greyhounds. They are like my children. There aren't words in the English language that could accurately describe my outrage at the Vick situation. John Stewart of The Daily Show said it best when he said he wanted to cover Vick in liver treats and let the fighting dogs have at him. ...
Emmitt Smith Seeks Bigger Fish, Tartar Sauce
Published 7/22/2007 by Scott at Bucstats.com weblog
... One more thing. Remember Davon Boddie, the cousin who was living at the property? He was not named in the dogfighting indictment. Boddie claimed to have no knowledge of dogfighting on the property and then was never heard from again. Meanwhile, the indictment listed four cooperating witnesses who gave up information like names of dogs. How likely is it that Boddie isn't one of those witnesses? Not very. And if there was some mysterious kingpin, a "bigger fish", wouldn't Boddie have preferred to finger him rather than his own cousin? If not out of family loyalty then at least because he doesn't want Vick to find him and, I dunno... slather his balls with Alpo and send one of his starved killing machines after him? ...
Ron Mexico: If Vick Can't Trust His Dogfighting Buddies, Who Can He Trust?
Published 7/30/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... case: Tony Taylor, or "T" in the now-famous indictment, has plead guilty ...
7.30 Link Dump
Published 7/30/2007 by Mitch Cumstein at stain club
... --The actual paperwork for the Michael Vick indictment (courtesy of the Smoking Gun) as well as the ...
Vick Speaks for the First Time Since Indictment
Published 7/30/2007 by Dan Benton at FanHouse
... But really, if you would like to hear about how good Vick's Mother is doing, how much Foxx loves him and when he expects to get back on the field, this interview is for you. If not, then may I suggest you read this: Hot Click. ...
Cedric Benson Needs A Hug
Published 7/31/2007 by Mustafa Redonkulous at Deuce of Davenport | Sports News, Commentary, Humor, Videos
... Little does Lil' Brady know that he's about to meet the Care Bear Rape Stand. ...
Ron Mexico: Could Vick Plead Out This Week?
Published 8/14/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... One thing we're not necessarily looking forward to, if it comes to that, is a Michael Vick trial. We already have read all the gory details and aren't necessarily eager to see them rehashed in gruesome detail, with pictures. And these trials inevitably involve a bunch of lawyers talking to each other in ways we don't understand while Vick sits impassively in the back. (They probably won't let him doodle on his PSP.) ...
Ron Mexico: Inmate Number Ookie
Published 8/20/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... for you to play while reading the gruesome Vick indictment. It has potential, and it will keep us warm during those cold winters days of no trial. ...
Michael Vick: Ron Mexico's Plea, The Day After
Published 8/21/2007 by Leitch at Deadspin
... Of all the aftereffects to come out following Michael Vick's announcement that he'll be pleading guilty, the one that amazes us the most is that he's gonna have to admit, out loud, that the indictment against him is true. That's not something one can spin; he's gonna have to say, to a judge and to the world, that he electrocuted puppies. ...
Stephon Marbury on Mike Vick: ‘Good Human Being’
Published 8/22/2007 by Marcel Mutoni at SLAM Online
... I mean, he does make a decent point about the double-standards when it comes to big-game hunting and dog-fighting, but come on dude, did you read about the cruel things that were done to those dogs? ...
Top 10 reasons to be happy you are Michael Vick
Published 8/22/2007 by Inside the Iggles at Inside the Iggles | A Blog For Philadelphia Eagles Fans
... 10. All of this controversy over dog fighting, makes people forget how much of a lousy QB you are. ...
The 10 Biggest Falls From Grace
Published 5/22/2008 by Phillips (noreply@blogger.com) at Rumors and Rants
... that he had visited various clinics under the hilarious alias of "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and therefore obviously knew he had the disease. The suit was settled out of court. Then in 2006 following a loss to the New Orleans Saints, Vick made an "obscene gesture" in reaction to fans booing him as he left the field. On January 17, 2007 at Miami International Airport, Vick surrendered a water bottle which had a hidden compartment for storing marijuana. Oh and then there's the whole dogfighting thing (you might have heard about it) for which he's currently serving 12-23 ...
