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POSTED 1:06 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:12 p.m. EDT, July 9, 2007
VICK HANDLERS USED TO BRAG ABOUT "SECLUDED" PROPERTY
A source with knowledge of certain statements made in the past by members of Mike Vick's entourage tells us that Vick's handlers used to brag that the Falcons quarterback would never get in any trouble at bars or other places where NFL players find trouble (and/or vice-versa) because Vick spends most of his time in the offseason at a secluded property in rural Virginia where, among other things, he "mess[es] around with his 50 pit bulls."
Unless Vick owned another secluded property in rural Virginia, this information further contradicts Vick's "I never go there" claim, which was made on the heels of the disclosure in late April that more than 50 dogs had been removed from his Surry County home.
It also runs contrary to the media's inexplicable softening of Vick's position from "never" to "rarely."
While we're back on the topic, we'd forgotten that pictures on Vick's now-defunct K-9 Kennels web site showed dog cages that looked a lot like the row of pens behind the Surry County property. (Thanks to the reader who reminded us of that specific wrinkle.)
As we see it, then, there are three possible explanations:
1. Vick was operating a dog breeding and dog fighting operation out of the Surry County property, and claimed that he never went there as a knee-jerk reaction to the news that the place had been raided.
2. Vick was operating a dog breeding operation out of the Surry County property, and his family members and/or friends were secretly fighting the dogs without his knowledge.
3. Vick was operating a dog breeding operation out of some other location, and his family members and/or friends independently decided to breed dogs for the purpose of fighting them in Surry County, confident that Mike Vick would never show up unannounced and inspect the contents of the land, which included three black buildings that (if Vick built them) were installed for reasons completely unrelated to dog fighting and/or breeding.
Under the scientific principle established in the Fourteenth Century by Franciscan Friar William of Ockham, the simplest explanation is usually the most accurate one. In this specific case, the fact that a man who breeds pit bulls and who owns property in rural Virginia where pit bulls are being bred (and apparently more) knows that the pit bulls are being bred (and apparently more) makes much more sense than the notion that his family members were engaged in an elaborate ruse that could have blown up at any moment if Mike popped in for a visit.
Indeed, if Vick had no knowledge of or involvement in dog fighting and merely bred pit bulls because he loves them, the family members would have been risking his wrath if he were to find out that they had transformed his passion into a pastime that results in pain, mutilation, and (often) death.
So, to anyone out there who thinks we simply have it in for Vick, we ask you to set aside your own biases and apply common sense to the objective evidence.
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POSTED 3:32 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 3:57 p.m. EDT, July 8, 2007
VICK MIGHT BE SAFER IN JAIL?
With all the talk about whether Falcons quarterback Mike Vick will face federal charges as a result of the dog-fighting operation found on property he owns in Virginia, there's one key factor that has yet to be addressed.
What kind of a reaction will Vick receive on the football field, regardless of whether he gets indicted?
A source having contacts with many NFL players tells us that many NFL players are "incensed" by Vick's offseason misadventures, and that reality is prompting speculation as to whether Vick will face late hits, cheap shots, and/or other indignities between the white lines.
And what about his teammates? Will the linemen block as zealously for a guy who, at a minimum, was so oblivious to what his family members were doing that they were able to brazenly start and maintain a dog-fighting ring on his land? Sure, they'll all say the right things publicly, but there's no way of knowing what is going on in their heads, or whether one or more of them might in a key moment release his block a split-second early, putting the quarterback in greater jeopardy.
What of the officials? Will they look the other way if/when Vick is targeted for a little more roughness than what might be necessary?
Will the league office crack down with fines? Will the Falcons complain to the media if the league office doesn't?
Can we continue to ask questions without answering any of them? And while we're act it, exactly where is the beef?
Anyway, it's an interesting point to ponder as training camp approaches. Apart from any verbal abuse that he might get from fans (on the road or at home), we think there's a very real potential for this inherently physical game to take on a far more physical component when other players get a chance to take a shot at Mr. Vick.
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VICK'S LAWYER WAS PRESENT FOR SECOND SEARCH
One interesting fact regarding the Friday, July 6 search of Mike Vick's property by federal agents that has been generally overlooked by the national media (especially those segments of it who are intent on reporting that Vick has nothing to worry about) is that, according to Mary Kay Mallonee of WAVY-TV, Vick's lawyer was present on the property during the search activities.
Though the lawyer's presence isn't, standing alone, evidence that Vick is destined to be charged with any crime, why would the lawyer feel the need to monitor the activities if he has been told that Vick likely won't be indicted?
Really, does it make any sense that Vick would send his personal attorney to a property that he claims to have never visited if Vick truly has never been there?
Regardless of what it all means, we're surprised that larger media outlets haven't mentioned this fact, which was pointed out to us by a reader.
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