Tue August 21, 2007
From Mike Phelan
CNN
Why is it that a sports hero can get by with just about anything with practically a slap on the wrist compared to what anyone else would get having committed the same crime? I know the decision has yet to be announced but you can bet you know what it will be.
I certainly don’t call it racial discrimination, if anything it is status discrimination and race has nothing to do with it, it is all in who you are and who you know and that stinks big time.
(CNN) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is waiting to hear if he’ll ever play professional football again after agreeing to plead guilty and face prison in his federal dogfighting case.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank told the NFL Network Monday he could not speculate on Vick’s future as a Falcon, at least not until he has seen “a statement of facts” in the case.
Blank said he was “not really surprised” by news of the quarterback’s plea deal.
“From a personal standpoint, he’s doing the right thing,” Blank said. “That’s been my counsel to him some while ago, and publicly as well, to get this behind him as quickly as he can.”
The plea deal, Blank added, was “a step, and we’ll just deal with the facts as they become available.” Watch how Vick was left with no choice »
Vick’s attorneys had been negotiating with National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell’s office about Vick’s career with the Atlanta Falcons before he agreed to any deal, the sources said.
It’s unclear if a conversation ever happened but Vick’s attorney Billy Martin said his client “agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his action and the mistakes he has made.”
“Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter,” Martin said.
After Vick’s indictment last month, Goodell ordered the quarterback not to report to training camp until the league completed its own review of the case.
An NFL spokesman said that the league “is aware” of Vick’s plea agreement and is considering what, if any, sanctions they should impose on the 27-year-old. [Full Story]
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