Vick will not admit to killing dogs or gambling on dog fights

[Pistons < Spurs]

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will not admit to killing dogs or gambling on dog fights, as detailed in his indictment, when he enters a guilty plea in a Richmond, Va., federal court Monday, a source close to the case has told ESPN. Instead, the one count of conspiracy that Vick will plead to will admit guilt to the charge of interstate commerce for the purpose of dogfighting.

Vick will admit that he was present when dogs were killed, but will maintain that he did not personally kill any of the dogs.

The allegations of killing dogs and gambling were part of the picture painted by Vick's three co-defendants, all of whom have pleaded guilty.

The source told ESPN that Vick's defense team met with federal attorneys Thursday afternoon to determine the "summary of facts" to which Vick will plead. But the source says Vick maintains that he never killed dogs and never gambled on a dog fight.

Vick, 27, is scheduled to enter his plea agreement Monday and could face up to five years in prison.

Vick's co-defendants said Vick provided virtually all the gambling and operating funds for the Bad Newz Kennels enterprise. Two of them also said Vick participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2989037

[florige]

That won't fly being as though the rest of his friends already pleaded guilty for the gambling and the dog fighting. I just quoted the ESPN Analyst. :spin

[K-State Spur]

Well, since the details of the plea bargain have not been released, we don't really know what will fly and what will not.

But you would think if he is pleading guilty to all charges - full allocution would be a necessity.

[kskonn]

well it makes since, because the gambling would get him suspended for life from the NFL, and well Killing dogs would pretty much ruin his career. So perhaps he will take a heavy sentence in order to not get a conviction on the stuff that would ruin his career for good.

[K-State Spur]

if you read the plea bargain, he actually does admit to both gambling and being involved in killing of the dogs.

the misinformation leak yesterday is going to make this be like the barry bonds situation. and i mean that in this aspect:

people still claim that there is no proof that bonds' used roids - - - even though he admitted that he did to a grand jury.

people will claim that there is no proof Vick gambled or participated in killing the dogs - - - even though he signed a plea bargain in which it states that he did.

[duncan228]

Vick was suspended w/out pay.

Nike also dropped him but I don't have that link at the moment. I'll catch up.

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=070825&cat=sports&st=sportsd8r812r80&src=ap

[Hoover]

Vick was suspended w/out pay.

Nike also dropped him but I don't have that link at the moment. I'll catch up.



Here's one of many articles on the topic:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/falcons/2007-08-24-vick-nike_N.htm

And need I say it? Vick sucks.

[Obstructed_View]

Even if any of that were accurate, the NFL isn't stupid enough to buy the logic that somehow bankrolling a criminal gambling enterprise is okay becaue at least he wasn't making side bets on the fights.

[kskonn]

so are they going to bring the lifetime banned from the NFL??? The players code of conduct says they should.

[K-State Spur]

Even if any of that were accurate, the NFL isn't stupid enough to buy the logic that somehow bankrolling a criminal gambling enterprise is okay becaue at least he wasn't making side bets on the fights.

Even if he didn't take the winnings, it's still gambling - he was just betting his 10,000 (for example) against 0 from the other player. He still had 10,000 (hypothetically) at stake on the match - even if he couldn't expand his money.

Besides, it's not winning money from gamblers that has the commishioners of professional sports terribly worried, it's the possibility of losing money (and eventually falling into debt) to them that scares them to death.