Thanks for posting this, Ratdog. You beat me to it.
For anyone interested, the article is on Sports Illustrated.
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Thanks for posting this, Ratdog. You beat me to it.
For anyone interested, the article is on Sports Illustrated.
THe thing that bugs me is that "Vick was not named".
So why bother? Everyone goes down with the ship EXCEPT the captain.
:cool:
TUESDAY, July 17, 2007 ...
RICHMOND, Va. - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on charges related to illegal dogfighting.
Vick and three others were charged with violating federal laws against competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.
:D
:D
/s/ :) Phred
I hope the jerk does jail time. I'm so glad he was indicted. He didn't know what was going on, yea right. :rolleyes:
Score one for these poor dogs.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes
Good,
He'll still play because he can afford the lawyers.
He'll gp tp rehab and everything will be hunky dory. :rolleyes:
Another big blow to dog fighters & take down of a breeding/training
operation lately. There is one paragraph in this article describes the cruel
"traning process" that the animals go through. :(
Cops say dogs bred to kill
--------------------
Raid shuts down major dog-fighting operation
By Matthew Walberg, Tribune staff reporter. Freelance reporter Wendy E.
Normandy contributed to this report
July 14, 2007
Dozens of fighting dogs -- many of them scarred, starved and scared --
were removed from a barn in South Holland on Friday in what officials
described as a major bust of a high-end breeding and training operation.
"Today we made the largest seizure of dogs in the history of the state
of Illinois," Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said at a news conference
outside the home of the dogs' owner, a 29-year-old man now facing
felony charges related to dog fighting and animal cruelty.
Thirty-seven dogs -- from puppies to adults in top fighting condition
to broken, wounded older animals -- were removed from cages stacked
three high in a dark room in the barn behind the suspect's home.
Most appeared to be pit bulls, but one -- a urine-soaked dog, larger
than the pit bulls, and whose hair was falling out -- was thought to be a
"bait dog," used to train the pit bulls to fight, investigators said.
Treadmills to increase the animals' stamina and amphetamines to make
them fight harder and stronger also were recovered, Dart said.
The suspect was taken to the sheriff's police headquarters in Maywood.
Charges won't be filed before Saturday, spokeswoman Penny Mateck said.
It would not be the first time the man has faced charges in connection
with dog fighting, Dart said.
"This is an individual who was just recently convicted of attending a
dog fight in Livingston County, by Pontiac, Illinois," he said. "We were
involved in that arrest as well. That was a large outdoor dog-fighting
event that went on about a year and a half ago."
Investigators have not found any evidence dog fights took place at the
South Holland barn. Authorities said the suspect bred and trained the
dogs to sell or rent to individuals who entered them in fights
elsewhere. The dogs typically sold for about $500 each, an investigator said.
The property in the 15900 block of Cottage Grove Avenue, surrounded by
homes, seemed an unlikely location to house, breed and train fighting
dogs.
With the doors to the barn open, the pungent odor of dog urine and
feces wafted through the neighborhood, and the sound of the dogs could be
heard a block away.
"It's one of the things that I found astounding when I came here, both
from the aroma and the noise, that more people did not know about it,"
Dart said. "But there is a level of insulation inside the barn that
keeps you from hearing things inside and out, and there also was a
mechanism in the ventilation, where it kicked in radios as well to try to
drown out the sound [of the dogs]."
Operation hidden
It appeared to work. Neighbors gathered throughout the morning and
afternoon, incredulous when they learned of the dogs.
"This is going to come as a shock to everybody," said Charles Dixon,
53, of the 15900 block of South Drexel Avenue, about a block from where
the dogs were discovered. "We knew he had dogs. You could open your
window last summer and the stench would knock you out. We went to him and
asked him to clean it up, and he did."
Dixon said he never suspected his neighbor was raising dogs to fight.
"He seemed like a real nice guy," he said. "But then, they say John
Wayne Gacy was a hell of a nice neighbor, too."
Call began scrutiny
Dart said a concerned citizen contacted South Holland police and his
office in May. He declined to identify the person, but two workers for
animal shelters who were watching the bust said they tipped off police.
Officials close to the investigation confirmed their role.
One of the workers, who did not wish to be identified for fear of
reprisal, said she and her colleague went to the suspect's home May 14 and
told him he was breaking the law. The police were called, and the
workers said the officers told them they had to leave the suspect's property.
The two workers told reporters they believed police did not take their
suspicions seriously. But an investigator at the scene said that as a
result of the May 14 incident, officers with the sheriff's police
special operations unit and the South Holland department began trying to
develop evidence for a search warrant.
A neighbor who lives across the street said he began seeing police in
unmarked cars watching the home the last several weeks, and one
investigator interviewed him about a week ago.
"I told him that the place was like a gas station -- people coming and
going constantly at night," said the man, who did not wish to be
identified. "I thought maybe he was dealing drugs."
A horrific process
Dart and investigators said the process by which a happy puppy is
transformed into a brutal fighter is simple: First, break the animal's will
by keeping it in the dark, in a cramped cage without adequate food or
water, and, on occasion, batter it with loud music. Then, once the
animal is reduced to a shell, rebuild it physically and mentally through
better feeding, strength training and beatings and torture to make it
angry. Then, take it out and bet money on what essentially are death
matches.
The sheriff said it was too soon to know whether any of the dogs would
be put to death.
Dart said the investigation is ongoing.
He lamented the cachet dog fighting has garnered, both in bragging
points for gang members and as a lucrative moneymaker.
"That's one of the things that's really so troubling," Dart said. "They
become status symbols within the gangs, and it's also used as a way of
making money. It's not anything like what somebody might say is a
harmless offense. This is incredibly serious -- the amount of cruelty
toward the animals is unbelievable."
----------
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2940065
Maybe it's time for Mikey to take a season-long leave of absence to ensure his legal issues are taken care of and he's not a distraction to the team.
I liek Vick because he is a awsome QB but thats all that i knew about him was that he played football, not that he fought dogs.
Michael Vick and all his cronies need to go directly to jail. Where the jailers are all dog lovers.
I read this this morning, and while the graphic writing disturbed me greatly, I offered up a prayer!
I'm so glad they finally arrested this punk that thinks nothing of contributing to an already obnoxious so called "sport". I saw this on the news last night and was overjoyed. Unfortunately, he'll probably only get off with a slap on the wrist.
I just went to the Atlanta Falcon website and sent them an email for Mr. Vick that I can imagine will curl someone's hair. I doubt that he will ever read it but I hope someone get's something out of it.
I was amazed at how clever I could be after hearing the latest on CNN. I didn't think I had it in me. In the email, in conclusion, I invited him to please come to Florida and spend a week with me and I would show him a really good time.
What a stupid jerk!!! :( :( :mad: :mad:
He disgusts me! :mad: I hope he gets more than a slap on the wrist. I don't want to say what I wish for him as it's not very nice.
Remember that the Altlanta Falcons are just his employer, we have to wait until they make a judgement as to what they are going to do with him.
I see he has his own website with message boards. However, I couldn't find a "contact" link on there to go directly to him or his people. I didn't know what else to do to get my frustrations out. I am so incredibly sickened by this story, I can't get over it. If he is in fact found guilty of this crime, I hope he gets as much punishment that the law allows. :mad: :mad: :mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
My thoughts on this are not allowed to be expressed on PT. :mad: :mad: Oh how I'd love to take all of my stress and anger out on this poor excuse of a man. :mad:
Pardon while I interrupt my thread for a minute....
Vick has been indicted. This does not equal guilt.
That is for a jury to decide, based on the evidence that will be presented to them at the time of the trial.
Do I think Vick is a punk?
Yes, but I thought he was a punk long before these charges were being investigated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Do you think that there is a chance in hell that he will get off on any of
each separate count in the Indictment? The evidence, shown only publicly,
would prove overwhelming guilt on all charges. Who knows how many witnesses can be produced for Trial against him. In fact it shows his
involvement in all phases of the dog fighting business. He's a freak &
deserves all the time he gets.
Again, there hasn't been a trial yet, and we only know what's in the grand jury indictment. Who knows what it will look like when the lawyers get done with it?
I have sincere doubts about his innocence, but with some of the emails I've received I felt that some people could do with a reminder that there IS a constitutional right to trial by jury, as opposed to lynching via public opinion.
OOH OOH! Vick's court date is set for the first day of practice. That doesn't mean a whole lot except it'll add to the media frenzy. I'm sure that coincidence will help fuel much discussion and add to the distraction. I don't like the falcons cause back in 1997 the 49ers played them in the playoffs and garrison hearst shattered his ankle. He never was the same player again and he was an amazing RB before getting hurt. Thus i despise the falcons to this day. :)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2941014
Why is this jerk still in the NFL? I just don't get it. The NFL has sworn to clean up the league and hold its employees (the players) to higher standards. This is embarassing to the game! Get that SOB out! :mad:
Quote:
Originally Posted by elizabethann
I totally agree with you! The more I read on Vick and his cronies the sicker I become. The things they did to those dogs should be done to them!!!!
I was thinking about all the young kids that look up to that jerk as a role model. That’s all the pit bull needs is kids thinking dog fighting is cool because one of their so called football heroes thought the same. Vick is a total waste of space. The guy must have a heart made of coal, or no heart at all.
I received this in my email from the Humane Society. I signed for getting Vick kicked out of the NFL. Look at the picture of the poor pit bull. He is so scarred from fighting. The Humane Society has all the pit bulls that were taken from Vick's home. Thank God, they are out of the hands of the monsters that owned them.
https://community.hsus.org/humane/no...er_id=11740930
I just went to the website you mentioned and sent an email to the commissioner. I basically said what I said in my previous post.
On another note, I went to the Michael Vick website (yes, I wasted my valuable time & oxygen on this pig). It has his NIKE sneakers on the main page. Why is NIKE still supporting him? They should cut his contract and chalk it up to a lesson learned. Some of the things people wrote on his website are very nasty. Little kids shouldn't read them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elizabethann
Its about the all mighty dollar with Nike and the Falcons.
This article is very interesting, also the video is very good. They do have a very strong case against Vick. His cronies will more than likely snitch on him to help with their case.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2941489
I'm still waiting for ESPN to respond to my email asking how Golic (one of their morning radio hosts) could dismiss the gravity of the case they have against Vick and compare it to the Duke rape case. I'm not holding my breath.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady's Human
Let us know if you hear back from ESPN.
They have these shirts on Cafe Press. I'm going to order one. To bad ALL the Falcon fans dont order one and wear it to the games.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1184874019
I haven't received a response from my email to the Atlanta Falcons. It's too bad they can't find time to comment. I'm not holding my breath either.
I love the t-shirt!!
This just in - from ESPN:
Quote:
ATLANTA -- Michael Vick's legal troubles prompted Nike on Thursday to suspend the release of its latest product line named after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback.
Nike has told retailers it will not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, this summer. Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick's name will remain in stores. Vick will be arraigned next week in a Richmond, Va., federal courtroom on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation.
Stoyer said the company still has a standing contract with Vick but declined to speculate on his future with Nike.
He'll pay - one way or another!
:D
The fallout of his once numerous Product Endorsement Contracts is fast approaching a
landslide of UN-happy sponsors and companies he USED to represent.
Soon there may be none! ;)
Here's a good aticle from MSNBC.com >>>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19834805/
/s/ Phred
his suspension from the falcons, nfl and the termination of his contract with nike won't be soon enough. no reputable company can afford to be affilated with that waste of dna
My parents just told me about this and I am so mad :mad: I hope he gets fired and loses all his sponcers.I hope he gets jail time.He should the Sick Wimp. :mad:
Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
I guess he'll soon find out!
----------
Emmit Smith was quoted regarding the MV charges.
Paraphrased here- "Vick's taking the fall because he's the big name.."
Emmit, I admired you, but hated the Cowboys.
Now I know that can't have any faith in a moron named Emmit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
I'm surprised that he didn't call it a racist move to charge the punk.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lizbud
It's already happened.
Funny,
You are smart enough to earn a ginormous (god, I hate that word) amount of money, and you are too stupid to know right from wrong.
Please, the race card is always played when someone does something stupid.
The _____________ ( fill in the appropriate race ) always blame the "man" when a famous person screws up.
As for the "presumption of guilt" by the public before the trial.
Rarely are people indicted by a GJ if they are innocent. Why?
THe GJ jumps thru hoops to get the info before the indictment-
Not politically correct to say this but, If the AH had nothing to do with it, no problem, I am sure they were very thorough with the evidence.
It has nothing to do with race.
It has to do with brains-Vick and his defenders have none. :confused:
Pit Bulls and Stupid Fools
by Doug Giles
It's sad that one of the greatest dog breeds ever to grace the planet,
the
American Pit Bull Terrier, has fallen into the hands of animal abusing
idiots. Guys like Michael Vick, our nation's scurrilous hip hop
hoodlums and
other waste-of-sperm-and-eggs are not even worthy to carry this
canine's
excrement much less superintend their subsistence. The Pit Bulls should
be
walking these boys on the leash, teaching them to fetch, heel and sit
and not
the other way around.
I think I speak for all Pit Bull lovers by saying, "thanks morons for
sullying a substantial animal's rep via dog fighting." Why don't you
Darwinian holdovers get another hobby, huh ladies? I've got something
you
could do. Since you like doing radical stuff ... how about bungee
jumping
without the bungee? Or base jumping without a 'chute? Or trying to
catch
bullets with your teeth? Yeah ... that's it.
Of the many things that suck about Vick's and his vapid gang's Pit Bull
fighting, one particular thing (aside from the obvious abuse) that
ticks me
off is this noble breed gets officially branded, once again, as Satan's
Cerberus.
Read on at...
http://townhall.com/Columnists/DougG...d_stupid_fools
Staci, fantastic article, I love it. :) Thanks to you for posting the link.
I wish that could be reprinted in every paper in the USA.
ANd here's a link - sorry if this is posted already - I didn't read the entire thread....
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/...nd8ui82yd3txm7
***************************************
Update......
Vick has been banned from training camp by the NFL pending their review of the case.
the key seems to be the nfls' instructions to the falcons not to do anything until the nfl is done. could this mean the nfl is prepared to 'overlook' his in ditement? ..from msnbc.. Michael Vick was ordered by commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp until the league reviews the dogfighting charges against him.
“While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy,” Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.
The NFL said Vick would still get his preseason pay and Goodell told the Falcons to withhold any disciplinary action of their own until the league’s review was completed
Gooddell told Vick the league would complete its review as quickly as possible and that he expected full cooperation.
The Falcons open camp on Thursday, the same day Vick is scheduled to be arraigned in Richmond, Va., on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation.
Vick, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft, last season became the first quarterback ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards.
After his indictment last week, the NFL’s position was that it would monitor developments and allow the legal process to “determine the facts.”
Since then, pressure has been mounting on the league and the Falcons, particularly from animal-rights groups.
PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — demonstrated at Falcons’ headquarters in Flowery Branch, Ga., on Monday and did the same outside NFL offices in New York last week. At the same time, Goodell was meeting with officials from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The league and the ASPCA are working on a program to educate players about the proper treatment of animals.
Activists also put pressure on companies that have endorsements deals with Vick to sever their ties. Nike said it would not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, this summer. Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick’s name will remain in stores.