I’ve read through MODI’s opinions of the ESPN articles. I’m going to need you to elaborate please on what specifically are the error of my ways before I can give you a proper response.

http://sportsonmymind.com/category/featurearticles/modi-features/

Again, I respect your opinion but it is just that. I see no facts to support your argument and I believe he definitely would have taken it to court if he thought he would have won. He had millions riding on it. If he wins, he’s not going to prison and he’s not getting suspended. I don’t beleive Vick is being railroaded because he is black but I’m not saying its not a possibility. I can buy the argument that there is a problem with dogfighting and that he is the highest profile person out there and that getting him might send a message to those that are less profile. So I guess we both believe Poindexter but for different reasons.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges when you compare Vicks coverage to Goodell’s coverage. Vick was being charged with federal crimes and had a worldwide organization after him. Goodell wasn’t being charged with a crime and didn’t have any organization after him. What level of coverage do you think he should have received? Is there a level you would have been okay with? I don’t llke how spygate was handled but no crimes were committed here.

I don’t think Matt Jones is as recognizable as Vick or Patrick Kearney for that matter. If it was Manning, either one, he would be crucified by the media. Anyway thats my opinion, I don’t like the media when they slam all this negative journalism don our throats. I don’t always think its about race. I don’t think Vick or Pac or Tank was immediately suspended which is what you appear to be asking for. The recent Matt Jones stuff is still pretty recent. I haven’t been following it but I would expect at least a years suspension.

I think your opinion that ESPN is or was working with the FEDs is pretty strong. I don’t think you or anyone else can prove it. I simply think they are after ratings. I didn’t watch the Pac story. I don’t need to to know that his heart isnt where it needs to be.

Patrick, we’re going to have to agree that we have different opinions.

Vick was ultimately railroaded by the Commissioner and the Feds to sign on to that graphic, yet vague indictment BEFORE he officially plead guilty or attempt to take this to trial.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/articles/2007/07/24/nfl_orders_vick_out_of_training_camp/

It was a very publicized case, but the actions of Goddell were unprecedented and targeted…

Gerald Poindexter, who was the state attorney handling the case saw a double standard as well..

Poindexter said he was “absolutely floored” that federal officials got involved, and that he believes he and Sheriff Harold D. Brown handled the investigation properly.

“Apparently these people want it,” Poindexter said. “They want it, and I don’t believe they want it because of the serious criminal consequences involved. … They want it because Michael Vick may be involved.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2897066

Keep in mind, Vick had never been arrested before and a first time offender, but treated like he was Lawrence Phillips, Maurice Clarett, Rae Caruth and others…

And realist1, the ‘double standard’ rule does come into affect… the way the press perceived Goddell’s role in the Spygate situation and the slap on the wrist of Belicheck and also how he handled the Matt Jones case..

Matt Jones isn’t Michael Vick, but Jones is a millionaire, an NFL player and a starter for the 2008 Jaguars and is relatively known, but his situation was treated more cautiously by the legal system and the press.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3965961

People such as yourself discredit Vick’s abilities as a QB, but at the same time lift him to another status when it comes to a legal situation like this.

In March 2007, former Falcon defensive end, Patrick Kerney was involved in a situation, but the local and national media kept it under wraps.

Kerney is white and not as popular as Vick, but Kerney is making 6 or 7 million dollars a year and been to Pro Bowls and is well-known among Atlanta..and he is a NFL player… Where was Goddell here? Another example of an apparent racial double standard…

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/11299240/detail.html

Call WSB-TV in Atlanta or the AJC? This March 2007 case was never solved and just faded away…if that was Vick or Vince Young or McNabb or even Albert Haynesworth, it would not have just FADED AWAY…

ESPN push this Vick indictment, in my opinion, and colluded with the FBI..remember the Kelli Naqi interview that said Vick was a ‘pit bull dogfighter’?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2884063

ESPN was actively trying to influence an investigation with a criminal informant…

And tried to do the same thing with Pac Man Jones THIS YEAR, but he threatened to SUE ESPN and few days later, the person who accused Jones of arranging a hit BECAME PUBLIC and it was someone who was currently on trial for murder in Atlanta…

ESPN’s ‘hit’ job on Vick with that Kelli Naqi Outside The lines piece was instrumental in having the Feds come in and pursuing the indictment..

Vick didn’t have Billy Martin and actually was urged by the late Gene Upshaw to ‘lawyer up’, but ESPN tried to be the story..It didn’t quite work with Pac Man in regards to him arranging a hit, but it worked with Vick two years ago.

The Feds had Vick in a corner and were willing to tie him up in court (if he had gone to trial) for YEARS…so he made a decision to plea guilty to get back on the field as fast as he can… If Vick would have taken this to trial, he would have won, but at what cost? Vick took responsibility for everything, because it was his only option after Goddell decided to suspend him indefinitely prior to him pleading guilty and accepting a plea agreement.

I respect your opinion, but you gave a quote from Vick in an Atlanta newspaper where he says and I’m paraphrasing “I didn’t do it.” Okay. He said he didn’t do it so he must be telling the truth. If everyone who was ever accused of a crime and said they didn’t do it was in fact telling the truth, we would have empty prisons. I gave you my opinion but if you want proof then I’ll post a link to what Vick admitted to in court papers. You’ll find that he admitted to the killing of dogs amongst other things he initially denied.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=munson_lester&id=2993310

You stated that Andy Reid’s kids were convicted of drug dealing from Andy Reid’s home. The link you posted there actually says no charges have been filed at this time however I am aware that they (the kids) were charged later. I saw a news story here just yesterday were two young black men were pulled over for a violation (I don’t remember what it was) and the car was searched after determining that both men had outstanding warrants they found drugs that were in the shapes of Bart Simpson heads (I don’t remember the drug). Should I suspect their parents are drug dealers if the car belongs to one of their parents? No. I shouldn’t. That’s a big problem in our society. No one wants to be responsible for their own actions. I think you were some how trying the Reid story to support some kind of argument that Vick was guilty by association. Vick, before his admittal, was being named as a participant by his associates. Reid, to my knowledge, was never accused of participating in his son’s activites.

I did have a problem with the destroying of the spygate tapes. I think they should have been made public. I do think it was fishy, but it wasn’t illegal. Steroid possession, use, and distribution is illegal without proper license and authority. No, I don’t think the spygate tapes warrant a congressional hearing or a federal investigation. I’m tired of my taxpayer dollars getting wasted on this stuff when our economy is in a downward spiral. I don’t think Congress or the Feds should have been involved in the steroid issue either. I think its a matter for local authorities. Oh, I think Roger Clemens is a liar and a cheat as well.

I’m no fan of PETA. When I think of PETA I think of a bunch of crazy white women that love animals probably to the point of idolitry. So I guess I’m racist against my own kind and sexist too. I do not support PETA because I do not agree with their methods such as destroying the property of others. I am against cruelty to animals but you will never find me with a PETA membership.

I wan’t to go back to Vick for second. I did eventually apologize and said he was turning his life over to God. That’s all I want from anybody. I forgave him. Now when he gets out I think he should have the privilege to play football again and I think owners should have the right not to hire him if the choose not to.

What do you mean he lied over and over again?

Mr Realist1:

This is a quote from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on April 26, 2007: “I’m never there. I’m never at the house,” Vick said Friday in New York. “I left the house with my family members and my cousin. They just haven’t been doing the right thing. The issue will get resolved.

“It’s unfortunate I have to take the heat behind it. If I’m not there, I don’t know what’s going on. It’s a call for me to really tighten down on who I’m trying to take care of. When it all boils down, people will try to take advantage of you and leave you out to dry. Lesson learned for me.”

I have heard the comment that ‘he lied over and over again’, but based on what factual evidence? In that graphic indictment written by the U.S. Attorney of Eastern Virginia (who took the case only weeks after taking office) it was devoid of the basic tenants of when, where, how… The indictment failed to detail when the deaths of the dogs on the Surry County property happened… in the indictment it said ‘sometime in April 2007′..yet their were more accurate depictions of Vick choosing a dog in 2001…was Vick even present when dogs were killed? Keep in mind that during April 2007 he was attending Falcon mini-camps.

Dogfighting is brutal, but there isn’t a smoking gun directly linking Vick to this. No You tube video of him directing a dog fight or telling someone to kill a dog..none of that…

Vick didn’t deny he had friends and acquaintances that he had trusted were doing things, but he didn’t live in Virginia on a daily basis…he lived in Atlanta most of the time…

The Feds were determined to snare Vick and didn’t care if they had all the facts or even the basic facts such as whether he was there on that Virginia property when dogs died.

And in this case, it was the first time in a generation that the Feds had taken a dogfighting case. The other time, in 2001, the case was thrown out, due to faulty search warrants.

The property was in his name, but is guilt by association valid in this case..?

Andy Reid’s kids were convicted of drug trafficking inside his home… how do we know whether Andy Reid was an active participant? BOTH SONS LIVED IN REID’S HOUSE, but Commissioner Goddell didn’t take Reid off the field…there was no push by the media to have Reid taken off the field..

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2751912

Or what about Spygate? You say you detest lying, but on the surface Goddell destroying those tapes look fishy and was worthy of some sort of federal investigation…don’t you think?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3246788

Michael Vick had bad friends and despite that he had managed to stay out of trouble and had not been arrested until that 2007 event. Vick may be brash, cocky and should have acted sooner to get bad people away from him, but he should be afforded the same presumption of ‘innocent before proven guilty’…

Many sports journalists already had a contempt for Vick because of his style of play so that appears to be an undercurrent and a bridge to believe that he is guilty of whatever the Feds say he did…

Realist 1: the dogs that were taken off that Surry County property were portrayed as fighting dogs in April 2007, but court reports MONTHS later said the dogs were adoptable and none had any injuries…

http://www.wkrg.com/local/article/vicks_dogs_adoptable/5600/

Who’s lying or being misleading now? The Humane Society and PETA were advocating killing these dogs back in April 2007 and throughout the summer, but court reports about the CONDITION OF THE DOGS CONTRADICTED THEM..

If they were lying about that, WHAT ELSE WERE THEY LYING ABOUT?

To me, just like Barry Bonds, the Feds tried to RAILROAD both Vick and Bonds …Bonds who is older took it more seriously and lawyered up and that’s what Vick should have done.

Once this case became a circus and the Court of Public Opinion became the Rule of Law, the media mob was relentless and the facts and the truth become irrelevant..

I got curious so I looked up some census numbers. What I found was that 66% of the U.S. population is white, 15% is hispanic, and 13% is black. So as anyone can see most whites probably did not grow up with or around blacks. Why would we understand each others cultures? Going back to the Bible we are told to “Love thy neighbor”. It doesn’t say thy white neighbor or thy black neighbor it simply says neighbor.

One thing I noticed here is I didn’t see any (that I can recall) criticism for one’s own race. Can we all agree that racism or racial bias or ignorance is not one-sided? I didn’t come across any suggestions on how to make things better. For all of you that are waiting for some magic or miracle to happen and all of us white folk won’t be racist (I’m sure you’ve got my color down) its not going to happen all at once and over night. I don’t expect all black people to change all at once and over night either. Its going to be, always has been, and always will be a heart by heart process. I’ll work on mine regardless (not if) you work on yours.

If you want a fair-minded discussion then be fair about the faults of the side you support. Don’t assume that every time a white person criticizes an athlete that is black that its because of the difference in color. I won’t assume thats never the case. It happens and it happens both ways. I do notice more black athletes with troubles in the media than I do white athletes with troubles. I don’t know if I agree or disagree that a black athlete would be treated differently by the media than a white athlete who committed the same offense. Thats something I will look for now. I have equal disgust for those with a blatent disregard for others, the law, and God. When it comes to Vick my problem with him is he lied over and over again. I have a strong disdain for lying. If a white man did the same thing and handled it the same way as Vick I’d feel the same way. I don’t expect everyone to handle it the way I do though. That would be ignorant of me. My problem with Bonds is pretty much the same thing. Please notice I didn’t reference their play. I don’t think Vick was a good quarterback. I’ve heard various arguments as to why he wasn’t more successful and I still don’t think he was a good quarterback. I think Bonds is the greatest baseball player of all time even though he took steroids IMO. As far as who wins MVPs, its all subjective. What I care about is who is the MVP of the finals. Brett Farve was one of my favorite players to watch although I didn’t like how he handled his last few years or so. I think Dan Marino is one of the most over-rated QBs of all time. I think Moon was great. I believe Derek Jeter didn’t take steroids. I don’t think Greg Maddux took steroids and being that he is not a power pitcher and pitched in the steroid era what he accomplished has been amazing. I don’t think white stars have more of a say than black stars as far as what happens with the team. Professional sports is a business and the green supercedes black and white.

Oh and I’m from Dallas. I absolutley think T.O. was a team cancer. I think he had a history of being one. There were players in the locker room that supported him and there were players in the locker room that didn’t support him. It was actually more divided by the side of the ball the players played on nonetheless, it was divided. He was the dividing factor so I will call him a team cancer. Thats my opinion. Having said that, the biggest problem with this team is GM Jones. In the 90s we stockpiled picks and now we trade multiple picks for one player. Jimmy gave him the blueprint and he doesn’t use it. I’m not sold on Tony Romo. He turns the ball over too much. He holds on to the ball too long and that tells me he doesn’t have the smarts for the position. Dirk is over-rated. I can find a 6’7″ guy to play where he plays. I want my 7 footer to be able to play down low. He can’t. He’s slower than most and doesn’t have the defensive skills I want. His game is worse, not better in big games. Again these are my opinions. Enough about sports. When all is said and done none of us are getting into heaven based upon our sports knowledge or opinions. The comments here have been more about race.

I want to address the “thug” issue. I’ve used it in reference to blacks and I’ve used it in reference to whites. I have never, before now, heard that “thug” is the new n*****. I’m sure there could be some that mean it that way. I certainly didn’t. A racist is always going to find a new word if you take his current word. I simply mean it as someone that disgusts me because of their actions, not their color. I’m not going to let any of you define it for me. I just gave you my definition. I’m not going to give “thug” or any other word that power. If you do, thats your choice. But I feel that if I start now by letting you define it for me than at some point you will define all my words for me. Are you going to let me define your words? I didn’t think so. Its more about intent isn’t it? I’m going to address N***** now. I don’t use it and I don’t care too but make no mistake. It will never go away until it is eliminated from all mouths. If you are black and you use it then please don’t tell whites they cant use it. Isn’t this all about equality and fairness? How is it fair if ony certain people can do it? I’m not concerned if you think you have a right to because of your history. It makes no sense to whites why you would use a word with such a negative meaning towards your culture. It seems like a small compromise to me to have to never hear that word again. The bottom line is this. If we all wait for the other side to change completely to our expectations before we make any changes to our behavior than nothing is going to ever change. I learned this in marriage counseling and I have found it to be an absolute truth.

So why are you here in this forum? You want to point fingers? You want to pretend your color (black or white) has no responsibility for the racial tension in our world? If your answer is yes then I close with this paraphrased quote “Stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution” -Bruce Willis in Die Hard

I hope I don’t come off as a Falcons-hater. I’m not. I probably go back farther than most folks who can find their way to the Dome nowadays. I go back to the days of William Andrews and Steve Bartkowski and Alfred Jenkins. I remember the Grits Blitz. As a Steeler fan and Cowboy hater, I rooted like heck for the Falcons to beat Dallas. I rooted for Minnesota and the Rams too.

The team, to me, never really capitalized on the style that worked best. Power running, deep passing and aggressive defense. We saw lots of that last year with Michael Turner and Roddy White. The defense still has a ways to go. They’re still a little too light in the ass for my tastes. Aside from Grady Jackson, there wasn’t a real bone crusher up front. The have to get bigger and nastier up front…and the rest will take care of itself.

Matt Ryan teamed with Mike Mularkey to give the Falcons more than a fighting chance in most games. To my knowledge, this has never been done before. Ryan’s not necessarily a genius or better than other players who preceded him. He simply had the smallest learning curve of any rookie to ever play the game. ”

TELL IT.

Matt Ryan teamed with Mike Mularkey to give the Falcons more than a fighting chance in most games. To my knowledge, this has never been done before. Ryan’s not necessarily a genius or better than other players who preceded him. He simply had the smallest learning curve of any rookie to ever play the game.

The national media may not have amplified this aspect of his success because it undermined their driving narrative. As an aside, I think the Falcons had many, many reasons to believe the acquisition of Peerless Price would work out. He was essentially coming home (UT is about 3 feet from ATL) and he was playing on a fast surface with a dynamic running game. Say what you want about Warrick Dunn, but he was durable, he ran between the tackles and he could block his ass off.

TJ Duckett sucks and he’s a one trick pony. Dunn, on the other hand, is a back who served as a great complement to what MV7 was doing. The Falcons just needed a tougher short yardage back…and a speed receiver to complement Finneran and Crumpler.

The play calling, the formations and much of what they did wasn’t wise (to be kind), but the team was capable of doing many things well.

What I find weird about Falcon fans is that the team has had a mediocre to shitty defense for 40 years (with very few exceptions) and everyone harps on and on and on and on and on about the offense. Top 10 in defense 8 times since 1966; TWICE SINCE 1978 — and people wanna talk about Vick and Wide Receivers and Running Backs. No, no, no. The Atlanta Falcons suck because they do not have a defense.

Anyway, when MV7 gets out of the clink, he should do very well after he burns off some rust. I hope he does very well wherever he goes.

I agree with most of what you said.

In regards to Mr. Blank, he inherited Michael Vick and one of the first things that he did was to (1) sign scatback Warrick Dunn and (2) fire Dan Reeves shortly thereafter…and of course (3) hired former Tampa Bay GM Rich McKay

Vick was a miracle worker, but those two moves hurt Vick’s progress as a QB and undermined the Falcons chances of winning a SuperBowl.

Blank had expressed in earlier interviews that he was always a fan of the old San Francisco 49ers and Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense and sure enough he tried to ram it down Vick’s throat via Greg Knapp. Even though Vick maintained a winning record as a NFL starter, McKay kept making poor personnel decisions in terms of surrounding Vick with comparable talent. The Falcons managment team could not bring themselves to draft someone such as a Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin or a Calvin Johnson or give Duckett, the 250 lb RB more than five carries a game.

Vick took the blame of any Falcon failures on the field in the same way he took all the blame off the field.

I felt Blank and McKay tried to push Vick out with the hiring of Bobby Petrino. Keep in mind throughout Petrino’s 20 year college coaching year, he had NEVER recruited an African-American QB. One year he drafted Michael Bush, but converted him into a RB when he attended Louisville.

There was an underground movement (in my opinion) by McKay/Blank to have Matt Schaub be the eventual QB for Petrino in 2007, and the overhyping of the Miami TSA incident in which Vick supposedly had hidden marijuana in a water bottle was really one of the first outward efforts by management to make Vick look bad and push him out the door. The tests turned out to be NEGATIVE, but Vick took a beating locally and nationally and McKay had called a press conference BEFORE the tests were completed and were floating a FOUR GAME SUSPENSION for Vick..so this is when I felt the organization was trying to push Vick out somehow…

When the tests came back negative in January 2007, the Falcons had no choice but to trade Matt Schaub (eventually to the Texans) who was a restricted free agent and wanted to test the free agent market the following year.

To me it wasn’t exclusively about the dogs, but an existing movement (prior to the dogfighting allegations) by the local/national media to brand Vick as someone who can’t win as a dual threat QB and seen more as a cancer or one-man team…

What is Skip’s definition of a ‘thug’?

I would like to have known his views on race in general. Skip was born in the early 1950′s Oklahoma and when he graduated from high school it was during the time of the Mexico City Olympic Games, Mohammed Ali and when colleges began integrating and universities such as Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky started to actively accept and recruit African-Americans.