>From the WSJ today: Vick Faces Indictment July 18, 2007 1:02 p.m.
In an offseason marked by a crackdown on bad player behavior off the field, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick may be the latest to face penalties. Mr. Vick was indicted for charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation that led to death for canines that entered the ring and for those not ready to fight. (The Smoking Gun published the grisly indictment.) Several columnists urge NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Mr. Vick. "If Goodell is truly the new sheriff in town, and wants to be consistent, and at the same time let every player in the league know he plays no favorites, then how can he not take action against Vick?" New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers asks. "Because he boosts TV ratings? Because he's one of the most exciting players in the league? He can't go soft because Vick is a marquee player." Mr. Myers, however, adds that according to his unnamed sources, the commish won't suspend Mr. Vick based solely on the indictment. MSNBC's Michael Ventre says Mr. Goodell has carved out for himself, with the approval of the players association, a justice system that doesn't require waiting for the criminal-justice system to act. And the NFL will want to distance themselves from the QB, Mr. Ventre writes: "Whatever the evidence, the coming weeks and months will feature a gusher of bad publicity involving Vick, the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL. Details about the investigation will leak. More people will come forward about the extent of the despicable pastime allegedly perpetrated on Vick's land. When the general public starts to hear gory tidbits about the savagery that was allegedly condoned by the Falcons' quarterback, he will be persona non grata in society, let alone the NFL." But Philadelphia Daily News columnist Rich Hofmann urges patience. "For Goodell, there is no danger in acting too slowly here," Mr. Hofmann writes. "If people want to be disgusted by Vick and the allegations, it is their right. If people want to condemn the commissioner for allowing this kind of accused miscreant to play in his league, so be it. But what is the alternative, and how would you square it with anybody's sense of justice? After all, even a hanging judge waits for a conviction before ordering the rope." Whatever the league does, the Falcons are free to cut Mr. Vick, a move MSNBC's Mike Celizic urges. But as Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon notes, the team had been planning to build around Mr. Vick, even letting their backup go. The whole episode reinforces for San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Nick Canepa that the Chargers made the right call in trading the No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft to the Falcons -- who picked Mr. Vick -- and instead selecting at No. 5 "a nice fellow, a tailback named LaDainian Tomlinson, who has scored 111 touchdowns and thrown for six more since that fateful day." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ColdFusion 8 beta â Build next generation applications today. Free beta download on Labs http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/entitlement/index.cfm?e=labs_adobecf8_beta Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:238586 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
