What I said about Vick in BlackAmericaWeb

Does Michael’s Vick’s Punishment - Nearly Two Years in Jail - Fit the Crime? Many Say No
Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2007
By: BlackAmericaWeb.com and Associated Press

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced Monday to serve 23 months in prison and three years probation for his role in a Virginia dog fighting operation, but some observers are questioning whether the punishment fits the crime.

“He did a despicable thing, but does going to jail for almost two years fit the crime he has committed?” wonders Doug Stewart, who forms the two-man syndicated sports talk show team, "2 Live Stews," with his brother, Ryan. “He did not have a prior record. They did not mention all of the work he has done for charity in Atlanta and in his hometown, Newport News, Va.,” Stewart told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Vick was indicted in federal court in July on federal conspiracy charges related to a dogfighting ring operated on his property in Virginia. In August, Vick pleaded guilty, admitting he bankrolled the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting operation and helped kill six to eight dogs.

The president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States released a statement saying he was pleased with the sentence handed down for Vick.

"Michael Vick committed a reckless and unconscionable crime, and the sentence meted out today is fitting and appropriate. We hope that anyone participating in the sordid activity realizes that dogfighting is a dead end, and no good can come from it,” the statement from Wayne Pacelle read.


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Federal sentencing guidelines called for a term of 18 months to two years. While prosecutors asked for a sentence on the high end, defense attorney Lawrence Woodward asked for leniency, noting his client's previously clean record, despite growing up in a rough area in Newport News.

But in addition to initially lying about his role in killing dogs, Vick tested positive for marijuana use in violation of the terms set for his release -- then gave conflicting accounts about when he used the drug, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson noted.

Boyce Watkins, a Syracuse finance professor and social commentator, said Vick’s sentence and the publicity surrounding it is another example of how African-American athletes are vilified today in society.

“He did something stupid. He should be punished, but the negativity is magnified by who he is,” Watkins told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “When it comes to vilifying black athletes, look at Barry Bonds. Look at Terrell Owens. He was vilified and never committed a crime."

Stewart said part of issue with Vick is his persona.

“I think he made some people uncomfortable," he told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "He wore the jewelry and the baggy clothes. He was a top quarterback, and he dressed hip hop, so he was a target."

Producers with Stewart's show researched to find other instances where the federal government has intervened in a dogfighting case. “They found none,” he said.

In Atlanta, at headquarters for the "2 Live Stews" syndicated show, the telephones lines were lit up nonstop on Monday afternoon, Stewart said. “Everyone wanted to talk about Vick. They had many of the same questions. They were disappointed that Vick is going to jail for almost two years."

Despite the early surrender, a public apology and participation in an animal sensitivity training course, Vick was denied an "acceptance of responsibility" credit that would have reduced his sentence. Federal prosecutors opposed awarding Vick the credit.

Dogs that did not perform up to expectations were killed by electrocution, hanging, drowning and other violent means by the dog fighting ring. Hudson said evidence, including statements by the co-defendants, showed Vick was more directly involved than he admitted. Hudson also mentioned that Vick had been deceptive on a polygraph test. Though that evidence was not admissible in court, the results were discussed.

"He did more than fund it," prosecutor Michael Gill said, referring to the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation. "He was in this thing up to his neck with the other defendants."

The judge agreed.

"You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity," he said.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank called the sentencing another step in Vick's "legal journey."

"This is a difficult day for Michael's family and for a lot of us, including many of our players and fans who have been emotionally invested in Michael over the years," Blank said. "We sincerely hope that Michael will use this time to continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard."

Vick was suspended without pay by the NFL and lost all his lucrative endorsement deals. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked after Monday's ruling if Vick should play again.

"That's a determination we'll make later on," he told the Associated Press from a legislative hearing in Austin, Texas, involving the NFL Network. "As I said earlier when we suspended him indefinitely, we would evaluate that when the legal process was closed."

On its Web site Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution estimated that Vick has incurred financial losses of $142 million, including $71 million in Falcons salary, $50 million in endorsement income and nearly $20 million in previously paid bonuses.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, said Vick had been diagnosed as clinically depressed.

"Mr. Vick, in life, had numbed himself to a lot of events around him. That was, in a sense, his way of surviving," Martin said.

Outside court, Woodward said Vick didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him.

"He just wants a chance to prove himself when all this is over," he said. "But the other thing he said to me, which I also think is important for everyone to know, is that he understood that some of the things he was doing in life and off the field were dangerous, and he told me he feels lucky that he's alive and not hurt, and now it's all about the future."

Vick will be sidelined at least three years following the Monday sentence, sports observers say.

Once he has served his time, it is possible that Vick could make a comeback, said Bill Rhoden, author of “Third and a Mile: From Fritz Pollard to Michael Vick.”

“I don’t think he will have the same level of prominence,” Rhoden told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “If he becomes this great story of redemption and leads his team to the Super Bowl, he can do it. Winning has to be in the formula -- winning and contrition.”

Watkins agreed.

“There is a rule in sports: If you win, we forgive all sin,” Watkins said. “If he comes back and wins a Super Bowl, somebody is going to love him. The corporate brand will embrace him as the ultimate bad boy.”

Watkins and Rhoden said there are lessons to be learned by current and future black athletes.

“Everybody can be taken down,” Rhoden said. “Sometimes, those of the older generation were taught that you got to be twice as good. With this generation, they feel that they can do anything anyone else can do. But even with money and wealth, you have to keep yourself in check.”

Watkins said Vick was prosecuted and sentenced as an example.

“I think it is the goody-two-shoes lesson,” he said. “Don’t get out of line, even if you are at the top.”