The Morning After on TSE - 7.24.2007
Let the shitstorm begin for former Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick. You would think the guy has enough kibble on his plate but yesterday, Der Kommissar Roger Goodell decided to add even more. Right after the quarterback's handlers announced that Vick would be taking a leave of absence from the team, the NFL commissioner made sure Vick knew that even if he decided to prematurely end his leave he would do best not to head to Falcons training camp. From SI.com:
Michael Vick was ordered by commissioner Roger Goodell
on Monday to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons' training camp until the league reviews the dogfighting charges against him.
"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.
For those of you who thought the NFL's new behavioral policy was bogus and only applied to B-team league underlings (see: West Virginia attendees) then this is the first dose of shut-the-hell-up juice for you. Michael Vick is the face of the Falcons and has been one of the league's faces since he came into the league in 2001. Now, he's not even allowed to go near his training camp, bared by the NFL. Goodell also ordered that the Falcons postpone any disciplinary action until they have seen through their investigation and handed down their own punishment. Which should be pretty severe, seeing as they've already suspended players for a year when they haven't even been arrested.
Not that Vick would want to even show up at the camp. So far the thing has been protested by adults children and, of course, dogs (most are on leashes and not thinking for themselves). You get the idea that Arthur Blank, the team owner, is going to have to do something to put these fires out because now it's getting ugly for the franchise, not just the franchise player.
Vick has been all quiet on the defense front since May (and who can blame him) but will have to make a public appearance on Thursday when he goes in for his arraignment in Virginia. It really seems like the the stars are lining up against Vick: he gets his case on the "
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