Vick Has Support of NFL Until Jersey Sales Slow Down

So, I don't know if anyone's told you this yet, but Michael Vick was indicted on charges of dogfighting. Nobody's covering this story anywhere, so I'm sure you're probably in shock right now, but I thought you had the right to know.

The weird thing is, I thought we'd heard from ESPN a week or so ago that all of the information was in, and Vick was not going to be indicted? Maybe next time something like this comes along, Chris Mortensen might want to try checking with federal sources rather than league sources before filing his story. I don't want to say Mortensen has become a shill for the NFL, but well, if it looks like a muppet and talks like a muppet...

To be fair, perhaps there was a breaking development between the time ESPN said Vick was in the clear and when the Feds made the decision to bring charges against the former Hokies QB. My sources* indicate that the Feds were unconvinced of Vick's involvement until they found this shaky, second-hand video in Vick's home which confirmed his interest in dog-fighting:



Right now all of the focus has been on the animal cruelty aspects of Vick's alleged organization of dog fights, which is understandable because they are salacious and will generate emotion and of course, viewers. But eventually, someone in the NFL front office is going to start paying attention to the illegal gambling part of these dog fighting sessions. Vick was allegedly gambling large sums of money on matches, and since odds on these fights weren't being offered by Vegas sportsbooks, it's fair to assume that Vick was also involved in underground gambling. If Vick became indebted to bookies, is it that far-fetched to assume that he might be allowed to cover his losses by shaving a few points off of Falcons games throughout the season? Honestly, Vick would be the perfect guy to target for such a ploy. Would anyone be suspicious at all if Vick were to overthrow a receiver or fumble the ball in a key situation? It happened all the time anyway- he might as well get paid for it.

While Vick may be able to skate on the federal charges, it may be the gambling that is his undoing. Just ask Art Schlicter. Or Pete Rose.


(*sources may be my imagination.)