Wow.

My head is about to explode right now. I have just read this article on Fox Sports and I want to bawl my eyes out and punch something really hard... all at the same time. [edit: actually, I read the article last week and have been composing, rewriting and adding to this post ever since.]

V*ck (yes, a 4-letter word) may actually be released from prison as early as May, only to be "confined" within his own home. He would be on house arrest but hey, no worries! The good Newz for him is that funding and running a dogfighting ring doesn't require leaving the house. Lucky guy. So instead of the original halfway house plan, he'll be languishing in torment within his own "cozy" quarter-million-dollar, 3,500-square-foot crib, complete with awful, awful swimming pool. The reasoning for this? The halfway house is out of space!!!

The idea that this could all come about so soon was upsetting enough before I got to... the Comments section under the article itself. I am in complete and utter disbelief at the level of cruelty and ignorance displayed by many of the posters on the board there.

Soapbox time. I need to vent before I spontaneously combust.



Some of the comments that upset me the most were along the same lines as the following:

• V*ck did his time. Leave him alone. Actually, no. He didn't. Or hasn't. The whole point of the article is that he'll probably be released early. Nevermind the fact that the time he did serve was for his financial involvement in the operation. The punishment wasn't even for the torture and murder of animals.


• Everyone deserves a second chance. He's a great football player. Let him back into the NFL. If those corrupt CEO's that stole everyone's money can get away with their "golden parachutes" why can't V*ck play? Blah, blah, blah, ridiculous nonsensical crap... First of all, look around... who on earth is saying those CEO guys got what they deserved?! And I'll give you a shiny new nickel if you can find any one person in America who thinks they should be given back their previous jobs... ever! Do you think that if they did prison time (whatever amount is "fair") that once they're released people will be clamoring for them to be once again gainfully employed as CEO's at some Fortune 500 company? "H" no! MOST folks who come out of prison have a difficult time rebuilding their lives, starting over again and finding new jobs, especially in the white collar world. I have a very close friend who was, in a past life, an inmate. He worked very hard in school after being released and now has a very comfortable job in the corporate world. I am very proud of him and he deserves to be where he is. But V*ck doesn't have to be a star QB to be given a "second chance." Perhaps his second chance is mopping floors or salting French Fries or clipping hedges. Why does it have to be another round of fame and fortune in order to be considered a "second chance"???


• Other athletes have done far worse things and didn't get punished this harshly. How come Michael Phelps can get away with hitting the bong? Really? Really, you're going to compare the murder and torture of innocent creatures to smoking some weed? I'm not condoning what Phelps has done and neither is a lot of the media. The guy is being completely blasted for the indiscretion and besides, the incident is so fresh that we still don't know what's going to ultimately happen with Phelps' career, endorsements, etc., as the thing progresses. Also, does anyone remember a fella named Pete Rose? He got banned for life from baseball because he gambled. Gambled. Again, not condoning, but come on, people. There is no comparison here. AND DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED on the cretins commenting that athletes like A-Rod deserve being banned for steroids, however, V*ck is being unfairly treated. Hooooooooooooooly crap.


• He's just being made an example because he's famous. No one else gets punishment this harsh for dogfighting. Everyone's just picking on V*ck because he's high-profile. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! And are you sure about that? Have you been following the case of Jerry Southern? The DA says he could face a 350-year sentence Or the recent bust in North Carolina? Or any of the other dogfighting busts ever? Doubt it! This is likely the only one you've ever really heard about or paid attention to and that's because V*ck is, yes, famous. But that doesn't mean that other non-famous dogmen aren't routinely punished. Ed Faron (North Carolina) was sentenced to 8 to 10 months' prison time for 14 felony dogfighting counts. Compare to Vick's sentence of 23 months after pleading guilty to only 1 count of sponsoring fights, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years.

• They're just dogs. Okay, this type of comment doesn't even deserve a response. It's just total jackassery, to put it mildly.


• Calm down! It's not like he murdered someone or beat his wife. No, he beat the dogs entrusted to his charge and who had no choice in the matter. He murdered dogs who trusted him despite his cruelty.

• PETA. How many comments did I read that said things like "PETA sucks! Leave V*ck alone! Those nutcases over at PETA can shove it!" I'd like to know why anyone is even bringing PETA's name into this conversation? Did you happen to know that PETA called for the mass euthanasia of every single dog confiscated from this bust? Did you know that PETA thinks all pit bulls should be killed? Are you aware that PETA considers having a pet ("companion animal") tantamount to slavery?

• He should have to pay half of his future NFL salary to PETA. So they can use the money to call for the euthanasia of every other pit bull on the planet?

By the by, I was at a PetsMart during Christmas time getting Snuggles' picture taken with Santa. He (Snuggles) was wearing his V*ck Sucks t-shirt and a lady came up and said, "Oh, let me see his shirt... now what does that say? 'V*ck'? Who's that? What's that mean?" I said, "Michael V*ck? The football player that killed all those dogs?" Her response, "Oh... well, I don't follow football." Apparently you also don't follow the news and you also make your residence beneath a rock.