Monday, July 12, 2010

I'm no Michael Vick fan; but, ...


from what I’ve seen about his run in with a co-defendant a couple of weeks ago, he’s getting a raw deal in the media.

Vick spent some time in prison for various crimes related to dog fighting.  He got out and played as a back-up quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles last year.  They signed him to an about $5 million deal for the upcoming season.

Vick held a birthday party for himself a week or so ago in Virginia where he grew up.  I’m not sure if it was a charity event, or a money-maker for him.  Towards the end of the evening, one of the people convicted with him showed up.  There was apparently a confrontation and Vick left.  The co-defendant was shot by someone, who he won’t identify.  The police have said that Vick isn’t a suspect.

Vick’s parole requires that he have no contact with the co-defendant.  The NFL doesn’t have “conditions” as such on his re-instatement; but, it has him on an “extremely tight leash” (perhaps an unfortunate description).

As part of the aftermath, the parole authorities in Pennsylvania have not let him leave the state, resulting in him being a no-show at two events he had committed to.  He’s now under investigation by the parole people and the NFL and getting flack from the media.

My thought is that unless and until it is found that he initiated the contact with the co-defendant, everyone needs to shut up.

6 comments:

Big Mark 243 said...

Normally I would agree completely. But he should have known that at the kind of public event his party had become the likelyhood of his co-defendant appearing was high. It isn't like Newport, Va is a big town with a lot to do.

It reflects the lack of good judgement that he seems to use. I won't say that the media or the law is any harder on him than anyone else. What I do think is that he is a less sympathetic figure because on the surface he doesn't seem to get it. In fact, the case calls to mind Ray Lewis at a Super Bowl in Miami. He claimed not to have known who shot the gun that killed someone even though he was in the vehicle.

Ray got off and would eventually give his life over to God. Not that M. Vick needs to make such a transformation but he does need to think and carry himself in better company.

Dave said...

Ray Lewis was just down the road here in Atlanta; but, I get your point.

I can't quite accept that Vick can't have a public event even if his buddy might show, up and indeed did. If, as it appears, Vick left, then he did what he is supposed to do.

I'm thinking that he's trying to "get it." It may well be a slow process which might be accelerated by better choice in friends, hanger ons and events.

Posol'stvo the Medved said...

When Vick was released from prison, I was all about him getting a second chance. But at the time, I told the people who were lambasting me for not wanting him hung out to dry that he would get little to no "benefit of the doubt" on any future discrepancies.

So now it's a year later, and he did a dumb dumb thing. And I am, true to my word, cutting him less slack than I might cut others.

Anonymous said...

I think he's being treated about like the system treats every ex-con: abysmally.

j said...

OK folks - It is real simple. How many parties have you been to where a gun fight broke out. Not hard to avoid. Vic is an idiot and should not have been allowed back in the NFL.

The Curmudgeon said...

Dave... I think I may be with you on this one, oddly enough.

Vick is not supposed to have contact with his co-defendants. One shows up at an event Vick is hosting. The confrontation, presumably, results when Vick tells co-defendant to hit the dusty trail. Co-defendant says he's not going.

And -- for a wonder -- Vick leaves.

That sounds like he's complying with the terms of his probation to me.

Co-defendant gets shot by someone else five minutes later. How is Vick on the hook for that?

The problem people are having is that people hardly ever got shot at parties... at least the kinds that I go too and, I'm guessing, also not at the parties your other commenters attend.

But... does that mean Vick has forfeited his second chance? Not to me either.