The NFL "sacked" Michael Vick on Friday, by suspending him indefinitely. The suspension was announce shortly after his plea agreement was filed.
August 2007
As
expected, hours after learning that Michael Vick plead guilty in court papers
that he bankrolled gambling on dogfighting and helped kill some dogs, the NFL
indefinitely suspended Michael Vick without pay Friday.
In handing down his decision NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Vick's admitted
conduct was "not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible" and regardless
whether he personally placed bets, "your actions in funding the betting and your
association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player
contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the
most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player." Goodell also said the
Falcons could "assert any claims or remedies" to recover $22 million of Vick's
signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004.
Vick can try and paint a prettier picture all he wants in his “summary of
facts”, which he submitted on Friday. The summary included written statements
"While Mr. Vick is not personally charged with or responsible for committing all
of the acts alleged in the indictment, as with any conspiracy charge, he is
taking full responsibility for his actions and the actions of the others
involved," and "Mr. Vick apologizes for his poor judgment in associating himself
with those involved in dog fighting and realizes he should never have been
involved in this conduct," the statement said.
The NFL did the right thing by not buying the baloney that Vick only watched and
bankrolled the operation while not participating. The NFL was well within their
private association’s rights under the collective bargaining agreement to
suspend him indefinitely. We all know that Vick will one day return looking for
reinstatement, but I believe that Goodell will cross that bridge when he comes
to it. The “Commish” will probably want to wait and see what public sentiment is
toward the fallen star and how Vick’s rehabilitation progresses. My guess is
Vick will be away from football for 3 years and he will have to find work as a
thirty-year old outcast.
Vick will first have to navigate the on friendly waters of hoping his plea is
accepted, sentencing, and then the hard cold reality that he will be in a cell
for 12 to 18 months most likely. To Vick’s supporters, he had to take the deal
because the evidence was piling up quicker than ants to a picnic and it would
have been too damaging to Vick to go to trial and he knew he had to save his
“a_s.
Vick remains on the Falcons’ roster so they can follow NFL guidelines around
recovering the money under the league’s CBA. The team will not have to pay
Vick's $6 million base salary this season since he is on the suspended list.
However Vick still counts about $8.5 million against the team's salary cap for
this season. We will have to see if the Falcons can recover from the loss of
Vick, but I don’t believe Joey Harrington who flamed out in Detroit and Miami
will be the answer. It will be interesting to see the turnout and performance of
the Falcons on Monday Night football against Cincinnati at the Georgia Dome
after all of Vick’s court proceedings that morning.
Again, I ask "where do we go from here?" The NFL will continue to move forward
to their September 6th start date happily sans Vick, Vick will prepare himself
to face U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson on Monday morning, and the Falcons
will try to recoup their money from their fallen star.
Monday’s events should be interesting, because in the plea agreement, the
government committed to recommending a sentence on the low end of the federal
sentencing guideline range of a year to 18 months. However, the conspiracy
charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, and the judge is not bound
by any recommendation or by the guidelines. And that may be possible give that
Judge Hudson is known to be a tough sentencing judge and don’t forget he is a
dog lover too.
I can’t wait to see what Monday will bring in this summer’s biggest melodrama.
But remember the story won’t end with Vick’s plea or when the NFL season starts
on September 6th. There still will be the little matter of Vick being sentenced
probably in October or November, which will take a “bite” out of the NFL’s
schedule and one the league’s biggest former stars.
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Submitted by Lloyd Vance
