Life isn’t looking too good for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick these days. Vick, who has repeatedly professed his innocence on federal dogfighting charges, is now the last man standing of the four men indicted last month — the other three have agreed to plea bargains.
Of course, Vick was professing his innocence before his co-defendants copped plea bargains. And Vick reportedly has a plea bargain offer on the table and has until Friday of this week to make up his mind. In a clear sign that Vick is between a rock and a hard place, the outstanding indictment against him includes a superseding indictment that would add at least two more charges if he doesn’t sign on to the plea agreement.
Basically, the federal government is telling Vick to take the plea bargain or face the prospect of additional charges being filed against him. And with his three other co-defendants now turning against him (and presumedly prepared to testify against him), Vick is down the proverbial creek without a paddle.
This story is playing out not only with the dogfighting charges but with claims of racism as well. Vick was, at one time, the golden boy of the NFL — the elusive black quarterback that would finally shatter the NFL cliche that if you have a perennial Super Bowl contender, the team is being lead by a white quarterback. But in his short NFL career, Vick never lived up to the hype. Yes, he was a dynamic and exciting player, but he made more happen on the field with his legs rather than with his throwing arm.
Despite his lack of immediate and unqualified success on the the field, Vick was also a popular conduit for marketing to NFL fans. And let’s face it — he’s handsome, and cocky, and a bit outspoken. But the companies he endorsed have all pulled or suspended their deals. You can’t even buy a Vick jersey these days. His trading cards have even been pulled from circulation.
It’s a sad downfall for a man that many NFL people consider bighearted and generous to a fault. But with several incidents in the past year, including flipping the bird at fans after a game, and the infamous water bottle incident, more than a few NFL observers are wondering how Vick could be so dumb.
