Falcons' Michael Vick in Trouble
Will the Atlanta Falcons' Quarterback be a Disaster for the NFL?
Top Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick gets sacked by AirTran Airways after a series of missteps and incidents involving anti-social behavior.
Most likely Michael Vick’s new conservative haircut won’t counter balance his propensity for antisocial behavior – behavior that could very well derail – if not torpedo – his career as an NFL quarterback.
When the Atlanta Falcons selected Vick as the number one National Football League draft pick in 2001 they envisioned him as a franchise player. He then inked a $130 million, 10-year contract in December 2004, reinforcing Atlanta’s desire to build the team around him.
Yet Vick’s decidedly thoughtless, self-centered actions over the years have undercut his standing with both the club and its fans. As each day passes it looks more and more as though Vick will be indicted for his involvement in dogfighting at his former home in Surry County, VA. And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall appears poised to suspend Vick should that occurs.
Vick: “I don’t know nothin’”
One of the complicating factors of the mess is that Vick swore to Goodall that he had no knowledge of dogfighting at his estate, and the allegations were false. But now several witnesses have come forward directly tying Vick into the sordid activity. In addition, investigators announced they discovered a dogfighting pit, paraphernalia usually used in dogfighting, and blood-soaked carpeting. And they found 66 dogs, 55 of them pit bulls.
Dogfighting is a felony in Virginia, and Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter said witnesses who can tie Vick directly into the case are coming out of the woodwork. But, said Poindexter, he’s approaching the matter carefully, checking out the informants who have come forth.
But that didn’t prevent several from speaking out on ESPN and a local TV station. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported May 25 that the NFL had contacted the Surry County Sheriff’s Office offering to assist in the investigation.
And now sports columnists nationwide are calling for serious sanctions against the face of the Falcon franchise should he be charged and convicted.
A Poor Track Record
If this was Vick’s lone misstep – assuming the charges are true – he might be able to dodge a fatal bullet. But the allegations are but the latest in an entire cavalcade of questionable actions on the part of the quarterback.
In January at Miami International Airport, Vick tried to dump a water bottle with a hidden compartment after being confronted at a security checkpoint. Officials said they believe marijuana residue was in it. Although no charges have yet to be filed in that case, authorities have submitted the water bottle for testing.
This occurred less than a month after Vick broke the single-season rushing record for NFL quarterbacks – yet his seeming inability to follow a game plan cost Atlanta head coach Jim Mora Jr. his job, despite the fact that Mora remained Vick’s No. 1 fan until his own bitter end.
Previously, Vick twice flipped off his own fans after a November drubbing of the Falcons on the part of the New Orleans Saints, incurring a $10,000 fine.
“Keep Your Nose Clean”
After meeting with Vick in the wake of the dogfighting allegations, Falcon owner Arthur Blank said he warned the quarterback that his behavior wasn’t appropriate, even if some of it stemmed from the people around the quarterback.
“I told him, 'You represent us as a franchise, you represent yourself as a person and you represent the NFL. It's not one single thing, it's a series of things,' Blank told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Associated Press reported Vick said both Blank and Goodall told him he needed to be more careful about what he does and whom he hangs with. “They both challenged me to be more accountable in all areas of my life,” Vick said. “I know I need to make some changes around me to make sure that the people in my life have my best interest at heart. My goal is to not let my fans, my teammates or my coaches down.'
Meanwhile, Vick still faces a 2005 civil suit charging him with giving Herpes Simplex 2 to a Georgia woman. The suit claims Vick admitted he had the condition after she confronted him.
But even before Vick showed up at the Falcons’ 3-day mini-camp this week he incurred yet more negative publicity, when AirTran Airways announced it would not renew his contract as a spokesman for the airline. Vick had failed to appear as scheduled before Congress April 24 to speak about the need to fund after-school programs. A spokesman for Vick blamed their airline for the missed breakfast date. AirTran said that claim was untrue.
