ussa / CC

While Nike the shoe company is named after Nike the Greek goddess of victory, unfortunately, in dogfighting, there are only losers: Even the victors end up in the grinder at the end of the day. Nike seems to have forgotten that little fact, as the company is reportedly now supplying Michael Vick with "product," although it says it has not signed a promotional contract with the disgraced former dogfighter and current NFL QB.

This begs the question posed in a letter sent by PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk to Nike President and CEO Mark Parker: Why is Nike giving free swag to a guy who admitted laughing when he tossed "family pets" into the ring and watched them get ripped to shreds by trained fighting dogs? Is this a guy you want parading around Philly displaying the Nike swoosh? Unless Nike aspires to corner the bottom-feeding dogfighting market, this plan seems designed to have the company's competitors cheering.

We hope you'll contact Nike, too, and let the company know that if it aspires to alienate anybody and everybody who's ever loved a dog—and to encourage them to change their brand away from Nike—it is sure to be, er, Vick-torious.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

boston / CC

Ever since notorious dog abuser Michael Vick got out of jail and was signed by the apparently desperate Philadelphia Eagles, there has been a lot of discussion in the press and at your local humane society and sports bar about the ethics of his return to the NFL—and all the other issues that go along with it.

Now, the Washington Post (along with media outlets everywhere) is reporting that Nike might again be teaming up with Vick for product endorsements.

Today in the Post's special online NFL feature, "The League," PETA's own Dan Shannon cuts through the noise with a guest post on the subject. Dan puts it bluntly when he writes, "If Nike and other companies know what's best for the bottom line, they won't touch Michael Vick with a 10-foot pole."

Read the whole post here.

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Huge thumbs up to Wyoming and Idaho! It’s wonderful to have legislators in all 50 states recognize that forcing dogs to tear each other to shreds in a bloody pit is a felony level crime that must be taken seriously. Sometimes a high-profile scandal like the Vick case shocks people in high places into officially recognizing that we simply can’t keep turning a blind eye to atrocities that are going on around us. Whatever the catalyst, a result like this one is something to celebrate.

As of this week, when Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal signed legislation to make dogfighting a felony in his state (following Idaho’s similar decision last week), every state in the U.S. considers participating in dogfighting to be a felony offense. A huge thank you to the governors of both of these states for taking this compassionate step forward.

I’m looking forward to the day when I can announce that foie gras is illegal in all 50 states as well. We’ll get there.

Hundreds of PETA members and other concerned citizens gathered outside the Michael Vick hearing in Richmond today to ask that the court send a message to any dogfighters that this horrific blood sport will not be tolerated, and that its practitioners will be penalized to the fullest extent of the law. The latest news is that Michael Vick has been sentenced to 23 months in prison, which is almost twice the amount initially recommended by prosecutors. We’re still waiting to hear for certain whether he has received a ban on contact with animals, which is an essential provision in any cruelty case, given the high likelihood of repeat offenses where animal abuse is concerned.

Vick will be facing state charges following his federal sentencing, and we’re calling on State Prosecutor Gerald Poindexter to consider this case with the same seriousness that has been applied to his federal sentencing—i.e., to make sure this admitted animal torturer is made to answer in full for the crimes he has committed. I’ll post updates with any breaking news as this case develops, but in the meantime, you can write to Mr. Poindexter through this page to remind him that vigorous prosecution is essential in cruelty cases like this one in order to prevent repeat offenses and to deter others from committing similar crimes.

Given the high-profile nature of this case, the statement made today and at the state proceeding will have a far-reaching effect on prosecution of dogfighters for years to come, and we need to ensure that Mr. Poindexter follows in the footsteps of the federal authorities and demonstrates for the countless people following this case that Virginia will not tolerate cruelty to animals.

Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips were sentenced today to 18 and 21 months in prison on federal charges related to a dogfighting operation that they had been running in Virginia. We’re obviously very happy that these guys are going to be serving time for their crimes against animals, but the other key provision here is that they will not be allowed to “own” dogs for three years following their release from prison. If it were up to me, they would be banned from any contact with animals for life, but you take what you can get, and restrictions on “ownership” of animals are vitally important (and sadly, often overlooked) in any cruelty case, as repeat offenses are the norm. This provision was something that PETA had specifically asked for, and we know of no other federal case where defendants have been banned from owning animals. Purnell Peace was in tears at the sentencing and personally apologized to PETA and other animal groups for his role in these crimes—which, well, it’s nice to see some remorse, but we weren’t victims here, the dogs were, and there’s not much that an apology can do for them now. Let’s hope that this sentencing sets a strong example for any of the bastards who still think they can get away with torturing animals and forcing them to fight for amusement or profit.

Michael Vick is set to be sentenced on December 10.

Well to be fair, this is more of a Part 1-revisited, so if you totally understood the story the first time, feel free to browse through the archives (maybe cast your vote for this week's Vivisector of the Week), but if you had some questions about the whole thing, here's a quick guide to PETA's reasoning behind providing Michael Vick with information about why animals deserve respect, and some key facts about how it all went down:

1. PETA believes that almost anyone can come to understand that animals are capable of suffering and deserve respect, if given a chance. If we didn't, we'd have a pretty hard time getting up in the morning. Only time will tell whether Michael Vick ends up being one of those people.
2. We made it clear both to Michael Vick and the judge that, given the crimes Vick has admitted to, he needs to serve hard time and be banned from any contact with animals. We're glad he paid attention when we gave him information about treating animals with kindness, but the guy still needs to go to prison.
3. This is not a race issue. We don't care if he's orange.
4. This is not a race issue. White people who fight dogs need to fry.
5. This is not a race issue. Are you deaf, or just desperate?
6. We need to give offenders a chance to open their hearts, eyes, and minds to the suffering they've caused. We would not be doing our jobs properly if we spent all day preaching to the choir.
7. Vick is working with children. This makes it all the more important that we arm him with facts about respect for animals and how to treat them.
8. After he took the course, Michael Vick pointed out that NFL players have a bad record of violence and said that he wished he'd taken it years ago. So do we. That's why we're pushing the NFL to include a similar course in empathy for animals for all of its new players.

I hope that clears a few things up. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions at all.

As you may have heard by now, Michael Vick and his three co-defendants were indicted today by a grand jury, and charged with one count of beating or killing a dog in addition to one count of engaging in and promoting dogfighting. The next step is for the prosecuting attorney, Gerald Poindexter, to actually charge these guys. This is PETA’s official statement on the new indictment:

"PETA believes, as most Americans do, that the best way to safeguard animals is for anyone who participates in dogfighting to spend time behind bars and be banned from owning animals for life. Given that dogs who did not perform to the defendants' satisfaction were intentionally killed by electrocution, drowning, hanging, shooting, and being repeatedly slammed to the ground, state felony cruelty-to-animals charges and state felony dogfighting charges are clearly warranted in this case. The federal authorities prosecuted the crimes under their jurisdiction with due diligence, and we look forward to seeing Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter do the same.”

Please click here to take action on this issue by urging the NFL to add cruelty to animals to its conduct policy.

Well, that was quick! Here’s what she said on The View this morning:

"Let me really just reiterate this for everybody: I was not condoning nor was I saying I thought Michael Vick did anything right—I did not say that I thought he was good in what he did. … I watched the show on another network that is a sports show, and what I saw made me take a minute to think about what happened with this kid, because they were talking about the culture of dogfighting, and so I thought to myself—well, if you're raised in it, that may be a reason why you're acting the way you have been acting. So I went on to pose this as a discussion, and somehow—I don't know how this happened, if you read the papers today—I'm eating dogs, I'm swinging them by their tail. … I love my animals. I have cats. I've adopted cats from various shelters, but I also believe that if there's a problem out there that we can address by checking out where it stems from, that we need to take a look at this in this high-profile area so we can mark it for the future. That was my point, and I'm very, very sorry—PETA and I are very close and we’ve talked about it a lot.

Thanks for clearing that up, Whoopi, and keep up the great work. Your fans appreciate it.

Click here for an update

CityUniversity/Creative Commons

"He's from the South, from the Deep South ... This is part of his cultural upbringing"

I have no idea where she got that one from, but I can tell her right now that there are an awful lot of people in the South who'd be pretty upset by the implication that electrocuting animals is somehow "part of their heritage." Or, as PETA President Ingrid Newkirk put it in the letter she wrote to Whoopi yesterday,

"Those who fight dogs do so in New York, Chicago and even the Republic of Ireland, and what unites them is lawlessness and callousness, not whether they eat grits or Belgian waffles for breakfast."

Michael Vick needs a lot of things right now—some serious counseling for a start—but he doesn't need anyone to give him lame excuses for his decision to torture dogs for pleasure and profit. He needs to face that horrible fact all by himself.

Ingrid spoke with Whoopi on the phone last night after she received the letter, since Goldberg actually has a good track record with animals outside of this incident, and Whoopi explained that she had never intended to appear accepting of cruelty. Let’s hope she makes up for it with some positive comments about animals on The View after this rocky start.

This week, Vick’s dogs became the “property” of federal authorities, which means that they are no longer legally required to be held as they have since April, awaiting what is widely accepted as the only safe and humane fate for dogs bred, raised and trained to kill each other and other animals: a painless release from this world. Some people are saying “we must save the Vick dogs!” That sounds good, but let’s think for a minute. These dogs are not only hot fighting stock but a hot “star” commodity and will always be in danger of being stolen. For four months now, they have gone stir crazy in cages at animal control agencies around Virginia. Because they can’t be trusted to be around each other or any other animals, they are isolated, kept in solitary confinement, 24/7. Although this has likely been the only time in their sad lives when humans have shown them any kindness, life in a cage is no life. Some people have gone as far as to suggest that the dogs should have their teeth removed so that they can stay alive. Warehousing and mutilating these dogs is not the answer; it’s cruelty. Keeping them solitary and caged for the rest of their lives, no matter if in a “sanctuary” pen or in a pen in a yard, won’t be much different from how they spent their non-fighting time on Vick’s property. In this case, we must not only think about what makes us feel good. We have to think carefully about these dogs, the other animals, too, and perhaps children, who could well be at risk if “the Vick dogs” are released. Let’s also think about the tens of thousands of homeless dogs languishing in animal shelters at this very moment who desperately need our attention—the thousands upon thousands of dogs who can actually be walked or run in a dog park without fear of a mauling or worse; who are social and happy-go-lucky and won’t have to be kept isolated for life due to the unpredictable behavior that results from abuse.

Every day that these dogs remain in kennels at animal shelters is a day of increased euthanasia rates for the potentially adoptable animals that the shelters must put to death for lack of space. There is only so much space, and resources are limited. May I humbly suggest that instead of raising hell and raising money to try to “rehabilitate” these dogs, and instead of flying to Virginia to “save the Vick dogs,” we do less “heroic” but even more important things to save dogs’ lives. When it comes to euthanasia, every day’s real world choice is of which not if—making the choice to demand that fighting dogs be “saved” is a soothing fantasy, more about public relations and, in some obvious cases, about fundraising, than about truly helping the most dogs in the most productive ways. If you have been tempted to join the call to “save the Vick dogs,” please think about sponsoring a spay surgery instead. That simple wonderful act will prevent the births of countless homeless dogs who will never have to be “saved” because they will never be homeless, thanks to you. Or call your local open-admission shelter and find out how else you can get involved. It makes more sense and helps more dogs.

Now we can say what we couldn’t mention before. PETA has been talking to Michael Vick’s personal representatives, legal team, and more insiders for weeks. We asked for two things over all others: We wanted Michael Vick to tell impressionable young people not to follow in his footsteps, and we wanted him to openly condemn dog fighting. Today, in his statement, he answered both those requests, calling dogfighting “terrible” and telling kids to pay attention and not go down the same road he did. Mr. Vick also said he has found Jesus. Christian or not, we can agree that if Mr. Vick now asks himself “WWJD?” he will not be led back to dogfighting.

To urge the NFL to speak out against dogfighting as well, please click here.

And you can read the comments that PETA President Ingrid Newkirk made last week on the importance of Vick speaking out against dogfighting here.

Brittania/Creative Commons

Anyway, here’s what PETA Prez Ingrid Newkirk had to say about Foxx’s comments, “Black leaders like Russell Simmons and Dennis Courtland Hayes, head of the NAACP would agree, as does PETA, that it is cheap and dirty and wrong to call this a cultural thing -- unless Foxx believes that cruelty is a black thing when it isn't. It may be his thing, but it is not a black thing. PETA encourages people to watch our anti-dogfighting PSA with world heavyweight boxer Lamon Brewster at PETATV.com.”

Great news! The NFL has finally suspended Michael Vick indefinitely. This is following his own admission of guilt when he entered his plea today. Now urge the NFL to add cruelty to animals—in all its forms—to its personal conduct policy. We need them to hear from as many people as possible!

You know, this just really makes me very happy. I'm happy because I know that this country doesn't like dogfighting, and dogfighters had better hear that message and get out of the business. Since the Vick case ripped the lid off dogfighting, law enforcement and PETA are getting tips and leads on other cases across the country. PETA is even offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in dogfighting, and we are already working with law enforcement in a number of different jurisdictions.

In a plea agreement entered today, Michael Vick, who was indicted last month for his role in a professional dogfighting operation, admitted that he had provided "most of the 'Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling proceeds" and admitted playing a role in the deaths of at least 6-8 dogs earlier this spring (some of these dogs were strangled or drowned). You can read CNN's story about the plea agreement and comments from the public here.

It's up to a judge now to decide Vick's sentence and fine. I was appalled to learn that the maximum jail sentence for Vick's offense is only 5 years.

If you're like me, and you want to do something now, let the powers that be know right now that you won't tolerate this kind of cruelty, contact the NFL and urge them to add cruelty to animals—in all its forms—to its "Personal Conduct Policy." This case has shown that NFL fans are just as disgusted by cruelty to animals as by any of the other antisocial behaviors outlined in the policy. Click here to contact the NFL now, and be sure to pick up a "Dogfighters are Cowardly Scum" t-shirt from Café Press.

Vick has admitted his guilt: Michael Vick has accepted a plea deal—with a likely prison sentence—to avoid additional federal charges related to a professional dogfighting operation, one of his attorneys says.

We’re still awaiting details, but please know this: if a celebrity with Vick's money and teams of lawyers has to serve time for dog fighting, then anyone else who fights dogs had better head for the hills.

When Vicks co-defendants entered their plea agreements on Friday, yet more details came out about the dogs being hanged by the neck until death. It is chilling stuff, so kudos to the media outlets who covered it without vomiting.

This article by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, for instance, is very good in a tough to read way. Here’s a powerful excerpt:

They were hung from trees in the woods behind Michael Vick's house, eight dogs left there to die, kicking and screaming.

The pit bulls had made the mistake of failing the test. They weren't mean enough, quick enough, strong enough in the ring, so they were of no more use to Vick's Bad Newz dogfighting operation.

Imagine, killing a dog because it's just too nice.

Five of the dogs finally kicked their last breaths away as the ropes cut deeper and deeper into their throats. Three somehow clung to life.

Vick and two of his henchmen, growing impatient, cut those three down and one by one shoved their heads into five-gallon buckets filled with water, drowning them to finish them off.

Try keeping your breakfast down after hearing that report on ESPN.

The inhumanity, the callousness, the abuse of these innocent, helpless animals is almost beyond comprehension.

There is something you can do PETA is pushing the NFL to add cruelty to animals—in all its forms—to its "Personal Conduct Policy." This case has shown that NFL fans are just as disgusted by cruelty to animals as by any of the other antisocial behaviors outlined in the policy. Click here to contact the NFL now!

Three dogfighters knocked out of the ring (or should that be pit) early! Two more of Michael Vick's alleged accomplices entered guilty pleas in Richmond today, and there is no doubt that Michael Vick is huddled with his attorneys, deciding whether or not he will follow suit early next week.

According to The Houston Chronicle, "A statement of facts signed by Taylor as part of his plea agreement placed Vick at the scene of several dogfights and linked him to betting. Taylor said Vick financed virtually all the "Bad Newz Kennels" operation on Vick's property in Surry County."

If Vick is ultimately tied to betting on these dogfights, it is likely to trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy, which does not look kindly on illegal gambling. Does anyone else think it might be a good idea for the policy to include a similar stance against charges of electrocution and drowning?

PETA was present at the hearing, and I've posted some images for you below.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

… but first, here’s a comic from the wonderful Dan Piraro that I think just about sums it up:

One of Michael Vick’s codefendants, Tony Taylor, changed his plea to guilty today. Taylor admitted to the court that he helped buy pit bulls and puppies and executed animals who didn’t do well in performance tests by shooting and electrocution.

PETA is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone suspected of dogfighting.

PETA demonstrators outside Taylor’s hearing today

Following PETA protests outside Niketown stores and countless calls and emails to the company asking that they cut ties with Michael Vick in light of horrific allegations of his involvement with dogfighting rings, Nike has released the following statement:

"Nike has suspended Michael Vick's contract without pay, and will not sell any more Michael Vick product at Nike-owned retail at this time."

As a result, we have called off our planned protests outside Nike stores around the country. Thanks to everyone who wrote to the company about this issue or attended the demonstrations, and thanks to Nike for doing the right thing by ending its association with someone accused of torture.

Reebok has also made the decision to stop sales of Michael Vick apparel, stating:

"While we respect the legal process we find the allegations against Mr. Vick too disturbing to ignore, therefore, we have decided to immediately suspend selling Vick NFL product, both at retail and online through the Reebok website."

This is great news for anyone who is concerned about cruelty to animals, and we hope that it sends a strong message to the NFL that they need to do the same thing and suspend Michael Vick immediately, pending the outcome of this case. To send a message to the NFL asking them to get on with that, please click here.

All day today, PETA protesters and hundreds of members of the public stood outside the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, to call for vigorous prosecution of Michael Vick and the three other men charged in this horrific dogfighting case. Although this story is the first glimpse for many people of exactly what dogfighting is all about, the real tragedy here is that the kind of abuse detailed in Vick's indictment is as widespread as it is horrific. In the last year alone, PETA has responded to more than 14,000 calls and e-mails regarding other dogfighting and individual cruelty-to-animals cases. It's great that there has been so much outrage over this case, and we're certainly going to keep pushing to make sure that it is treated with the utmost seriousness by the courts—as well as by Vick's sponsors and the NFL—but the next step is going to be getting policymakers and law enforcement officers to treat all cases of dogfighting and animal cruelty the same way that they have been prosecuting this case, which happens to be under scrutiny from the media.

The good news is that this is already beginning to happen on the federal level. According to a press release from Senator John Kerry's office today, the senator has announced that he is "introducing legislation to finally eliminate dogfighting, which has been targeted by federal and state laws but by all accounts is more popular than ever." A copy of the proposed bill can be found here, and you can read our thank you letter to Senator Kerry and expression of support for the bill here.

Falcons Owner Arthur Blank gave a press conference this afternoon to present the Falcons’ official position on the Vick case. Here’s what PETA told the media about our reaction:

PETA commends Arthur Blank and the Falcons for not being satisfied with a voluntary leave of absence for Michael Vick. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, truckloads of illegal dogfighting equipment and 66 dogs—many of whom had injuries associated with dogfighting—were seized from Vick’s property. Based on those facts alone, a voluntary leave of absence would clearly not be satisfactory.

PETA also commends the Falcons for drafting the paperwork for a four-week suspension, mentioned by Blank as a “first step” in disciplining Vick. We continue to call on the NFL to suspend Vick immediately and to permanently bar him from the league if convicted of the charges detailed in the indictment.

PETA appreciates Arthur Blank’s statement, “How anyone could participate in dogfighting is incomprehensible to me,” which echoed the feelings of many millions of Americans and football fans.

Because of the Falcons’ willingness to suspend Vick, PETA is canceling plans to protest outside the Falcons’ training camp on Thursday. Instead, PETA will demonstrate outside NikeTown stores nationwide, demanding that Nike—which has stated that it will continue to sell Michael Vick merchandise—drop its corporate partnership with Vick.

Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter, whose job entails dealing with a certain dogfighting case that you may have heard of involving Falcons Quarterback (for the time being) Michael Vick has apparently decided to sit around and do nothing instead. A full eight days after the indictment, Mr. Poindexter has yet to file any state charges against Vick. As PETA Director Daphna Nachminovich puts it,

"Short of an engraved invitation, what else will get Poindexter to file charges against Vick? He should be ashamed that it took the federal government to come down here to do his job for him. This case needs to go before a grand jury lickety-split. Vick's name will forever be associated with cruelty to dogs and so will Poindexter's unless he takes immediate action to see that justice is served."

Right on, Daphna. And Poindexter, what the hell are you up to? You can read our letter to the attorney here.

Welcome to Day 7 of the Michael Vick dogfighting indictment. PETA is still being inundated with calls and emails about the case, and we’re still working round the clock to make sure that the NFL and Vick’s sponsors send a real message to fans about the cruelty of dogfighting, rather than just sitting around to see what will happen next. I’ll have some more updates for you in a little while, but in the meantime, here are some great photos from today’s PETA demonstration outside Falcons HQ. You can be certain that there’s more where that came from.

Ohio State Buckeyes fans out there will recognize the man on the left of this first photo—Bill Long, the QB for the Buckeyes in the 60s who led them to a national championship in 1968, is a longtime animal activist who’s been working this whole week in Atlanta on this campaign. Bill, you’re amazing.

In Other Vick News

Read PETA’s letter to the NFL Player’s Association

MSNBC covers the story

Falcons owner expected to take action (finally)

Tell the NFL to “Sack Vick”

Senators John Kerry and Robert Byrd have added their voices to the outrage over Vick's alleged involvement in dogfighting rings and the NFL's continued failure to take positive action in this case. In a letter to Commissioner Goodell, Senator Kerry writes,

I am deeply disturbed by the indictment of Michael Vick for dogfighting charges. I urge you to treat this issue with the utmost seriousness as the case progresses. In light of the seriousness of the charges, I believe that Mr. Vick should be suspended from the League, effective immediately.

And Senator Robert Byrd made this emotional speech on the subject of dogfighting in light of this incident. You can watch an excerpt here, but it included the following statement:

"Let that word resound from hill to hill and from mountain to mountain, from valley to valley across this broad land. May God help those poor souls who would be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me!"

Right on, Senators. I’ll let you know how the NFL responds—but it’s pretty clear that the pressure is seriously mounting.

MSNBC/Creative Commons

Since taking over the job, Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked a big game about cracking down on character issues in the NFL—and until now, he's backed up his commitment, doling out tough penalties to Bengals receiver Chris Henry for DUIs and Bears tackle Tank Johnson for charges related to illegal firearms possession, and suspending Titans cornerback Pacman Jones for a full year following his troubles with the police. But now, in the face of national outrage over Vick’s indictment on dogfighting charges, Goodell has announced that Vick will be allowed to play when the season starts in September. Why, Roger, are you folding now when one of the NFL's biggest stars (who's certainly been no stranger to the courtroom since he was drafted by the Falcons) has been indicted for a crime that is nothing short of torture? What kind of a message does this send to the communities that are working so hard to stamp out this crime, or to the young fans of Michael Vick who are waiting to find out whether dogfighting is something that will get you into trouble? Goodell's weak response to these deadly serious allegations is tantamount to admitting that the National Football League doesn't consider ties to dogfighting rings a character issue at all.

Starting tomorrow, we will be holding demonstrations calling for Vick's suspension from the league, so I'll keep you posted with details, and if you want to let Goodell know that he's made the wrong decision, you can contact him about the issue here.

There is some good news, though. I know a lot of people have been contacting Vick's sponsors asking that they sever their ties with him, and it looks like some companies have been listening: Nike just announced that they will be suspending the release of the Air Zoom Vick V this summer. You can read about that here. You can be certain that we'll keep the pressure on Vick's other sponsors and the NFL to do the right thing here, and I'll let you know as soon as there are more developments in the story.

While the rest of us were working our fingers to the bone responding to the Michael Vick indictment yesterday, PETA Campaigner Mike Brazell got to traipse off to DC to live out my greatest fantasy—eating veggie dogs with a pair of Playboy Playmates (hey, I'm a man of simple desires.) I will keep you up to date throughout the week as the Vick case develops, but I think something a bit more lighthearted is in order for this morning's entry. Besides, these pictures, from yesterday's "Congressional Veggie Dog Lunch" are just too good to pass up.

Positively dreamy.

And now, with those pictures to bolster you up against the trials of the day, back to Michael Vick …

Vick News

Sign Russell Simmons and Al Sharpton's pledge to stamp out dogfighting

Sun Times Columnist says Vick must go

Court date is set for next week

ESPN talks animal rights

And finally, despite leading The Girls of Norfolk High to the Fantasy Super Bowl last year (we lost), Michael Vick will definitely not be making my fantasy roster when the draft begins in August. I can only hope the Falcons management makes the same smart decision to suspend him from their team.

I hadn't been planning on writing too much more about Michael Vick, given that most people are on the same page that dogfighting is reprehensible and that if Vick is found to have any involvement in the sport—which is looking more and more likely—he needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. But this story I read on The Fanhouse today is just too much. Apparently, the much-maligned Falcons QB is building a second property near the site where 60 abused dogs were found more than a month ago. Vick's plans for the property? To build two horse stables on the land so that he can hunt deer. How is it that, with weeks of scrutiny focused on this guy related to deadly serious allegations of animal abuse, he seems to have completely failed to grasp the fact that now is just a really bad time for him to be seen in public acting out his apparent need to see animals suffer. How about making a donation to an animal charity? Or coming out publicly to talk about the horrors associated with dogfighting? No, Vick’s response to all the outrage is to throw himself into his work building a place where he can kill deer. Regardless of what the legal outcome of this case is, Vick has made it abundantly clear to anyone who's been following this story not just that he couldn't care less about animal abuse, but that he doesn't even see why it's a problem.

This Michael Vick dogfighting scandal is just not going away, and now that Clinton Portis has decided to shove his oar in, things are starting to get really heated. In an effort to help the well-intentioned folks in the NFL's upper echelons deal with the PR fallout from the whole nasty business, we've sent them a letter offering free animal-sensitivity training to any football players who need it. You can read that letter here, and I'll leave you with a little picture that an ex-colleague of mine sent in of the jeep she drives around in near Vick's old hometown in Virginia. You're a brave girl, Misty.

Ladell Betts: Badass

I'm no football expert, and this isn't exactly a sports blog, but I thought I'd start off the day with three great reasons why Ladell Betts should start instead of Clinton Portis as the Washington Redskins Running Back this year:

1. Ladell Betts doesn't have a chronic shoulder injury.
2. Ladell Betts knows how to follow his blockers.
3. Ladell Betts doesn't frickin' come out on national television and defend animal abuse.

For those of you who haven't heard about that last part yet, here's what Portis said to reporters about the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal:

"I think people should mind their business, you know. I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, his dog, if that's what he wants to do, do it. … It can't be too bad of a crime. There's a lot of stuff that's crimes, you know. It's killers on the loose over here and you want to hunt down Michael Vick over fighting some dogs."

Clinton Portis: Joker

Clinton, buddy, I stuck by you through your lousy, injury-ridden season last year, but I think this may be the end of the road for us. There's a great article about the story on Fox Sports, which you can check out here. And you can watch a little bit more about what dogfighting is all about here. I'm thinking Portis should be made to review that video while the rest of the team is watching game tape next year.

Vick drops the ball

You've probably heard by now about the alleged dogfighting ring that was uncovered in a raid on Michael Vick's property last week. Vick has been vigorously denying any involvement in the operation, and I really, really want to believe him, because he genuinely is a fantastic quarterback. Unfortunately, the man's versatility in the pocket is at best dubious proof of his innocence in this case, and things are looking even more bleak for the Falcons QB after Deadspin reported on another apparent link between Vick and the property. According to info published on Deadspin:

"A Web site associated with a Michael Vick company, MV7, LLC, professes to be in the business of breeding pit bulls and other dogs as pets not for fighting. VicksK9Kennels.com states that, "We do not promote, support or raise dogs for fighting and will not knowingly sell, give, or trade any dog that may be used for fighting." The property Vick owns in Virginia where dozens of dogs were confiscated last week in a dog-fighting investigation is listed as the address for the Web site and the company, 1915 Moonlight Road, Smithfield, Va."

Um, yeah. We're still calling on the Falcons to suspend Vick until this has been cleared up, and to release him from the team if animals on his property are found to have been neglected or used for fighting. For my own part, unless he is able to absolve himself completely of all this, I will not be selecting Michael Vick for my fantasy football team this year. It's called tough love, Michael.

See Also:

Deadspin
USA Today