Michael Vick Endorses Anti-Dogfighting Bill

by JasonB on Jul 19, 2011 10:50 AM EDT in Philadelphia Eagles News

Michael Vick will announce his support for a new bill designed to fight dog and cock fighting in Washington today. The bill would make it illegal to even attend a dog or cockfight. Vick will be speaking on behalf of the Humane Society, who says the QB is one of the most effective voices against dogfighting.

"Vick was a role model for many young people, and he lost everything because of what he did to dogs. His story is the strongest possible example of why dog fighting is a dead end. Just as former drug addicts are able to reach people struggling with addiction, former dogfighters are some of the most effective voices against this crime."

I have no doubt that Vick's detractors will just ignore this like they have all the other work he's done to combat dogfighting and claim that it's all for show and he still deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison or something... But the reality is that the guy could not be doing more to atone for his past crimes and trying to prevent them from happening to anyone else.

And by the way, for those who do still insist on doubting his sincerity.... Remember that in the lockout the Eagles PR staff has no contact with Vick. They set up no events or speaking engagements on his behalf. Even without the Eagles support staff, he's continued his work on the behalf of the humane society and against dogfighting.

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yep. haters always gonna hate.

www.drcellphone.com

by Bleediots on Jul 19, 2011 11:00 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Personally, I'm more impressed

with the time Vick has spent speaking to prisoners. He’s gotten very little press for it, and indeed seems to be seeking little. But knowing just a speck about outreach to such men, I hazard to say he’ll change more lives doing that than anything else he’ll do the rest of his life.

Michael Vick has said in the past that landing in prison and his spectacular fall from grace was the best thing that happened to him. “There can be some good coming out of a prison stay, if you learn a new way to live and carry that forward into your life with your family and other people near to you.”

How did he feel when he was welcomed by the inmates, all of whom wanted to speak with him and get an autograph, even if it was on a paper cup? “It was humbling and at the same time a bit overwhelming. I want them to know we can all be instruments of change.”

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Bear Bryant

by NJBammer on Jul 19, 2011 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

There was an article in SI awhile ago

Just sayin’

But your point is well taken… very important indeed.

"I'm 95% sure that 100% of what he says is wrong."

by Ralf E Chubbs on Jul 19, 2011 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions

People still read that?

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Bear Bryant

by NJBammer on Jul 19, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Good for Vick

While many will forgive him for his transgressions, while others will never forgive him, I’ll forgive him as soon as he saves or positively changes more lives than those he took away. And it seems like he’s done that. Good for him.

Get Better, Not Bitter.

by BigBlueIntervention on Jul 19, 2011 11:22 AM EDT reply actions

Remember that in the lockout the Eagles PR staff has no contact with Vick.

Wow, I never thought about that.

Also, on an unrelated note, and with trying to stay as non-political as possible, wouldn’t you think there are more important bills and issues that the government should be working on besides dog fighting (with all due respect to dogs)?

"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins

"Yeah, I like to hit people"
-Brandon Graham

by immynimmy on Jul 19, 2011 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

They have plenty of time to vote on whatever bills they need to. There are nearly 500 people in the two houses of congress with full staffs. They’ve got all the time they need.

And frankly, it’s not as if they are doing anything else anyway. All the big issues just become pissing contests to try and score points. At least this is a law that both parties can get done without a lot of debate.

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by JasonB on Jul 19, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

And frankly, it’s not as if they are doing anything else anyway. All the big issues just become pissing contests to try and score points. At least this is a law that both parties can get done without a lot of debate.

Agreed.

"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins

"Yeah, I like to hit people"
-Brandon Graham

by immynimmy on Jul 19, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

gonna have to disagree with you on this one… kinda seems like a perfectly reasonable thing for the government to be working on.

by igglemethis on Jul 19, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Agree and disagree. Yes it does seem perfectly reasonable, but suprisingly it could be considered unconstitutional under the 10th amendment. It’s a state issue, not a federal one. I’d love to see this kind of ban passed by every state, but that doesn’t make it a federal issue. As far a having other issues on their plate, that couldn’t be more true. Today is the vote on “cap, cut, and balance” which should have been law a long time ago.

"If it bleeds, we can kill it" -Dutch
"Men are clinging to football on a level we aren't even aware of. For centuries, we ruled everything, and now, in the last ten minutes, there are all these incursions by women. It's our Alamo."
-Tony Kornheiser

by SGTSteve on Jul 19, 2011 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t really see how it is an exclusive state issue.

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by JasonB on Jul 19, 2011 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
Not among the powers granted by the constitution, therefore given to the states to govern. But we’ve ignored this kind of thing for about 100 years or so.

by SGTSteve on Jul 19, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

That whole refusal to end slavery thing sort of forced the issue.

AR should have to wear a Flava Flav necklace until he learns how to manage a fucking clock.
I am the proud target of temper tantrums.

by KByars on Jul 19, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Uber rec

Flaming yawn

by Toddzila on Jul 19, 2011 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Hence the 14th amendment

by SGTSteve on Jul 20, 2011 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Lets try not to

get too political here, SGTSteve. ;) (with the CCB vote, ya know, don’t wanna get an entire thread off topic)

"On the flip side, though, Bleeding Green Nation cites a PFF study that says Jackson dropped the highest percentage of catchable passes (19.67 percent) of any receiver in the league last year. I think he also dropped that punt at the end of the last Giants game. But then he picked it back up."

by Mike757 on Jul 19, 2011 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Agree, I just can’t help it sometimes

by SGTSteve on Jul 19, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Awesome

I’m surprised these laws aren’t already on the books…

Call me a hater if you want, but one thing that still kind of disappoints me is that every time I hear a clip of Vick talking about being reformed, the message is “look at how much I lost because of dogfighting” instead of “what I did was immoral and wrong”. He’s still spreading a positive message, and I’m glad he’s out there talking about it, but I think it’s one of the reasons that some people can’t forgive him… he always sounds like dogfighting just wasn’t worth the price he paid.

by igglemethis on Jul 19, 2011 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

I don’t agree. He says that what he did was wrong all the time. It’s mostly other people who say “look at what he lost.”

That’s the case with the quote in this story. That’s not from him, it’s from the humane society.

And further, i think if he’s talking to kids it’s important to stress consequences. You can tell a kid something is wrong until you are blue in the face and they still probably won’t understand it until they see consequences. So if he is out there telling kids “look at what I lost” I think that’s probably calculated because kids will respond to it.

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by JasonB on Jul 19, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Yep, your last point is completely fair.

I’m sure he has said that he was wrong (ESPN interview where he said he was disgusted by his actions, for example), and I personally have forgiven the guy enough to root for him every week, but it’s still been enough of a trend (at least in major media outlets) that I have noticed it before now… and I don’t think that it’s helping his image.

by igglemethis on Jul 19, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

No FORGIVENESS

Dogs or no dogs, convict or not, I don’t care if he was even a model citizen: Vick gets no props from me until he wins a Super Bowl for the Eagles.

Whoever you are, when I log off, you cease to exist.
Yours truly,
H.R.H Emperor Iggy of the Internet, forever to be known as the InterEmperor.

by IggleGreen on Jul 19, 2011 12:08 PM EDT reply actions

Well that seems a bit irrational.

"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins

"Yeah, I like to hit people"
-Brandon Graham

by immynimmy on Jul 19, 2011 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

YEA! And Fuck the Dawkins guy too! No SuperBowl, No Respect!

If you dont like Big Red, then F#%@ You!
-Ricky Bobby

by GreenInBaltimore on Jul 19, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

McNabb?

Fuck THAT guy!

"I'm 95% sure that 100% of what he says is wrong."

by Ralf E Chubbs on Jul 19, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

You’re not a good troll.

RIP Jim Johnson, best ever.
"To catch theme is my real test, to train them is my cause."

by Imp on Jul 19, 2011 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Aww c'mon Imp.

I’m tryin’ my best. I think I can grow into the role. Just give me a chance to start.

Whoever you are, when I log off, you cease to exist.
Yours truly,
H.R.H Emperor Iggy of the Internet, forever to be known as the InterEmperor.

by IggleGreen on Jul 19, 2011 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve always been hesitant to embrace Vick after what he did, and frankly a big part of that is the fact that I don’t expect a 30-year-old star athlete to fundamentally change his character (I never thought he was a great person to begin with). I figured the meetings with Dungy were all PR and image rehab, and beneath the surface he was still the same old irresponsible moron he was in Atlanta. That said, I have been coming around on him over the past year or so, and not because he’s played good football. This is a pretty gutsy thing for him to do because it shows him legitimately doing something to oppose dogfighting, rather than just saying, “oh I don’t do that any more.” And he’s continuing to do this stuff after his image and career have recovered to their former status. So, he deserves big props for this. I feel like every day I like Michael Vick a little more, or at the very least hate him a little less.

by Rujasu on Jul 19, 2011 1:05 PM EDT reply actions