blacksaint

Embattled QB's future hangs in the balance

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
By Mike Triplett

After learning that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will plead guilty on federal conspiracy charges for his involvement in a dogfighting ring, several Saints agreed that it was a sad and unfortunate situation.

But there wasn't a great deal of sympathy for Vick.

"I think the whole thing is sick and twisted, first of all -- and I just think it's a shame," linebacker Scott Fujita said. "If any good comes out of it, I hope it brings to light this whole dogfighting thing, which I had never heard much about. But apparently it's a pretty big problem.

"Hopefully it opens people's eyes to it, and they can crack down on it. But the whole thing is just sick."

Saints Coach Sean Payton said it is a "privilege to be in this league," and it's pretty clear what kind of personal conduct the league demands from its players, coaches and employees.

"Obviously it's disappointing for all those involved and disappointing for the league. Certainly for Atlanta, it's a tough deal," Payton said.

Saints defensive tackle Antwan Lake, who played with the Falcons from 2004 to 2005, said Vick was "a cool guy" who kept to himself and wasn't as arrogant as people made him out to be.

"It's sad to see something like that," Lake said. "He's a guy that had good talent and was a good person on the field. It's sad to see his career in jeopardy, but at the same time you have to take responsibility for the things you do.

"When you come into this league, you have to disown some things. When you live in glass houses like we do, people will see the things you do, and one day they'll probably come to light."

The players who spoke about Vick agreed that if he serves his time and tries to make amends, he likely will get another chance to play in the NFL.

"Once he has paid the price, once he has suffered the consequences, then I'm sure there would be a second chance there for him," quarterback Drew Brees said. "I don't know how long that's going to be. But I think once you suffer the consequences, hopefully you can be able to wipe the slate and move on with your life."

Said Fujita: "It depends on how long he's locked up. If they're saying three years, I think it would be tough to come back from that. But he's such a good athlete and competitive as hell. I've always respected him a lot as a player, especially after last year. He ran all over us in the second game. . . . But this thing is (a different story)."

Fujita said he hasn't completely been on board with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's policy of disciplining players before they are convicted of any crimes in other cases of player misconduct around the league.

"I never like the idea of one guy's discretion being everything," Fujita said.

But now that Vick has agreed to plead guilty in federal court, he said, "Now it kind of changes the whole thing."

saint4life
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hagan714

Hang him above a pit of his own dogs and see how he likes it.