Sports Scandals

Sports Law Blog week 3 Tammy Kennedy





Poor Michael Vick, I have been watching his reality show “The Michael Vick Project” on cable this season and I really feel sorry for this guy. When I first heard about Vick and his indictment I was shocked. My first thought was “why would a successful NFL player spend his time fighting dogs?” But after watching the show I understood, somewhat. This is what this man did before he became the NFL superstar. His childhood was not the best. Vick and his family and friends spent their youth like a lot of inner city boys fighting dogs for a hustle. I personally think dog fighting is ridiculous and brutal to say the least.

Obviously Vick needed to grow up. He was still doing things after becoming a multi-millionaire that he was doing when he was poor. He definitely did not need to continue hustling for a few bucks. "Vick, a standout at Virginia Tech who was the first player chosen in the 2001 NFL draft, is one of pro football's highest-profile and highest paid players. In 2004, he signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons."(CNN.com, 2007) I think a lot of these guys entering professional sports need personal development classes. Just like they need to learn how to manage their money they need to learn how to manage a millionaire lifestyle. The people around him didn’t know any better.

He appears to have grown up. He proposed to the mother of his children, he spends time talking to other kids about his mistakes and he seems to have matured. He also appears to be very remorseful. Overall he is a lucky man. He has been given a second chance. "Vick's problems would seem to be plentiful now that he has gone from a person of interest in local and federal investigations to one of four men charged in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va., with conspiracy to commit interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture. On the Travel Act portion of the conspiracy charges, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The dog fighting charges carry a possible sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine or both." (Sports Illustrated, 2007) I think and hope that he has learned his lesson and I wish him and his family well. This childhood pastime could have cost him his life and his livelihood.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/07/17/dohrmann.vick/index.html Sports Illustrated Shocking Charges

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/17/vick/index.html NFL Star Indicted over Dog Fighting