Though it’s still not completely clear whether a demonstration in support of Eagles quarterback Mike Vick will proceed outside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, we’re currently hearing that it will be happening.
Yesterday, the president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP suggested that the demonstration won’t occur, if animal-rights groups won’t be protesting Vick’s return to the NFL.
J. Wyatt Mondeshire, president of the Philly chapter of the NAACP, estimated that there was a 30-percent chance the demonstration would go forward.
“He’s not being treated the same way, say, the Martha Stewart case was when she was convicted of a felony in the federal courts and she was allowed to return to her million-dollar lifestyle, go to her mansions, be on private jets, flown around the country, back on television endorsing products and so forth,” Mondeshire told LaVar Arrington and Chad Dukes of 106.7 The Fan in D.C.
“What we are concerned though is with the public atmosphere that’s been created around Michael Vick’s attempt to return to football. And when you hear about it, and when you see it, and when you move through the streets of Philadelphia, you hear a lot of African Americans saying why is Brother Vick being treated this way? Why can’t they just leave the brother to play his game, go on with his life, make his restitution, deal with the public engagement on the animal rights issues, and just be allowed to move on with his life?”
Meanwhile, we’re told that local news crews are flocking to the stadium, even though Tom Curran has learned that credential requests for the game were roughly equivalent to the number received for a regular-season contest — hardly the crush that might have been expected.
The venue undoubtedly will be packed with Eagles fans anxious for a glimpse of Vick and/or eager to voice their objection to his presence by booing. And Vick needs to be ready to hear the boos.
He might take some solace in the notion that boos tend to drown out cheers, making the actual volume of the verbal protest a bit misleading. Then there’s the possibility that the folks who are booing primarily are trying to send a message not to Vick but to the organization for taking on an unneeded distraction.
Bottom line? Vick needs to prepared to just ignore it.
After all, it could be worse — he could be wearing a Santa Claus suit.
Jesus, why wont the NAACP just go away? Comparing Michael Vick to Martha Stewart. What a bunch of racists p.o.s’s
Leave him alone to play his game? His game is fighting, torturing and killing dogs. I know this racist tool isn’t talking about the NFL.
If he was Michael Irvin he would hear the cheers
No need to protest. Screw the Animal Rights Groups. He is already an Eagle and there is nothing that they can do about it.
HAH – Funny he chooses Martha Stewart for the comparison. Unlike Vick, Martha was unable to return to her job because of her felonious status. What an idiot.
“He’s not being treated the same way, say, the Martha Stewart case was when she was convicted of a felony in the federal courts and she was allowed to return to her million-dollar lifestyle, go to her mansions, be on private jets, flown around the country, back on television endorsing products and so forth,” Mondeshire told LaVar Arrington and Chad Dukes of 106.7 The Fan in D.C.
Nor did they have the same history or commit the same crimes. Not even close.
As long as he doesn’t flip the bird to the fans for booing him, he should be ok.
I am very much pro-Vick getting a second chance in the NFL, but this quote pisses me off. This is the exact reason why real racism issues get shrugged off. Martha Stewart one time got a phone call and sold some stock, Michael Vick spent six years killing dogs. The two aren’t even comparable. And if they want him to just go do his job and move on, then why would they hold a pro-Vick rally? Let the man be!
Yeah because insider trading is the same as the sadistic torture of animals.
Such a lame comparison.
Besides, where’s the outcry for Matt Jones?
Oh yeah, it’s because he’s white. Hypocrites.
Hammy that is great, she was removed as CEO and forced to vacate her board seat. This guy is a total D-Bag. Oh wait she didn’t have 20M in debt she could not pay back. Why doesn’t the NAACP pay off Vick’s debt so he can continue to fly around on private jets with “Water” bottles sipping grey goose. That way he can continue keeping it real living the thug life.
“why is Brother Vick being treated this way?”
This is why the NAACP is completely irrelevant. What a race-baiting prick. Seriously?? You SERIOUSLY don’t know why “brother Vick” is being treated this way?
If it’s the position of the NAACP that an athlete shouldn’t be held to basic standards of human decency because he’s black, then their tax-exempt status should be revoked.
If some stock watch group wanted to protest and boo Martha Stewart then that is fine with me. She did the crime and that’s a situation she created. I doubt the NAAWP would take to the streets in opposition. Why does “Brother Vick” think he doesn’t have to be responsible for the public opinion he created for himself? An animal advocacy group is opposed to a player that held dogfights….that seems right to me. Does “Brother Vick” and the NAACP feel they should be immune to that response because he is black? Stuff like this actually promotes racism….I didn’t realize “Brother Vick” was so sensitive and perpetually a victim. Gimme a friggin break from this bullshiat!
Vick is a piece of $#!&. I like how you worked Santa into the piece, that was in 1968 enough already.
Has this Mondeshire dude been living under a rock?? Martha Stewart?? Like it’s been said before, Vick should be flipping burgers..
The NAACP is the biggest joke on the planet. How could you even compare what Vick did to what Martha Stewart did? Are these people really that ignorant as to think the two can stand side by side each other and appear comparable? If I was a black man, everytime one of these NAACP hacks, or Joker Jackson, or Al “Everything is Racism” Sharpton opened their mouths, I would say STFU!
Having lived in Philly for 4 years I can say that there is a strong possibility of a riot between the pro and anti Vick groups. I hope that the city of Philadelphia has plenty of crowd control on hand. They are most likely going to need it.
I want to start off by saying that I agree that Michael should be allowed to return to football without all the protests. He has served his time and paid his debt. However, I have no respect for a man who can bash McNabb (who should be THE role model for African American athletes) and throw a “pro-Vick rally”. As I said, I am not “anti-Vick” but I am far from “pro-Vick” as well.
I do understand the need for the NAACP in our society. While it isn’t as needed as it was twenty or thirty years ago, there is still a lot of racism in this world. But to make this an issue of race is ridiculous at best and reverse racism at worst. Mr. Mondeshire isn’t doing the African-American community any favors. Throughout his career, Mr. McNabb has taken more abuse and more unfair statements, judgements, and boos than most any human could stand. Still, he acts like a total gentlemen and a role model. To bash him is more insane then sticking up for Vick.
J. Wyatt Mondeshire is a pathetic tool.
He thinks people don’t like Vick because he’s black??
Boggles the mind. There are no words to describe that kind of head-up-his-assedness.
just read from assiocated press that vick is going to start tonight
Missed the Martha Stewart comparison when I skimmed this.
But yeah, nearly identical crimes……….
This schmuck is an embarassment to the NAACP and the city of Philadelphia.
“He’s not being treated the same way, say, the Martha Stewart case was when she was convicted of a felony in the federal courts and she was allowed to return to her million-dollar lifestyle, go to her mansions, be on private jets, flown around the country, back on television endorsing products and so forth”
WTF does this idiot call playing QB in the NFL then? Vick isn’t exactly working at Wal-Mart is he. So how exactly is poor Mike Vick being mistreated then? I guess he must mean that he is being mistreated because companies no longer wish to have an animal torturer endorse their products. Those racists!
These guys are both dumber than a box of hammers.
Since when did Vick’s transgressions become a race issue? Will Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton be there too?
I hardly see the reasoning comparing Michael Vick to Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart is SELF employed. Michael Vick is an EMPLOYEE. The difference is immeasurable. This whole notion of staging a rally because Vick is not being treated fairly…Are we not able to gather in protest or celebration peacefully to show our support or common beliefs? This Mondeshire and individuals who share that type of view do nothing but promote the exact feelings they are fighting against. I guess there always has to be a mouthpiece for all injustices against persons of color? Sooo tired, can’t keep going, blah bla bl. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Florio-please quit wasting your enjoyable and entertaining talent on this specific topic.
Haha. Mike Vick was just compared to Martha Stewart. Keep reaching, buddy. Why doesn’t the NAACP mention that Vick served 21 months compared to Donte Stallworth’s 23 days? Oh yeah, Stallworth is black and Stewart is white. So, by default, Stewart is the better comparison.
Martha Stewart went back to her lifestyle because she didn’t piss away her fortune.
Don’t hate on Martha for managing her money.
martha stewart and michael vick commited the ultimate crime,they were asked by the feds if they did what they were accused of,and both lied to get away with their crimes.lieing to the feds just makes them more pissed off,they hate being lied to.
as far as this idiot minister goes,martha stewart did not piss all her money away on shit that had no value.whereas mr. vick just squandered his money away.before going to prison martha stewart had a booming company under her aegis
what did vick have?a dog kennel???
yeah,i can see all the racism in this.
Hey, Bro, Martha Stewart is a sleaze but she never killed no dogs. Got it Dawg?
Once again, I feel like I’m in the movie Being John Malcovich, except its now Being Mike Vick.
Vick Vick. Vick? Ah, Vick Vick. Vick!
Thats pretty much what comes out of Florio and Gang’s mouths of late. That or “Wow” one liners.
Vick = Martha Stewart???????
That dude must be smoking some of Ron Mexico’s stash!
I just hope Vick doesn’t get injured before the Redskins game. I have a feeling Brian Orakpo and Haynesworth wouldn’t mind smashing his scrawny a$$!!!!!
What gets me is the fact that this scumbag never served a day of time for the actual dog fighting charges against him in VA. He went to federal prison on Gambling ring charges. He never served a day for the actual dogfighting.
Not one day.
The advocates of his return never seem to mention or recognize that fact. The guy not only got a free pass from the NFL (counting his suspension while he was actually serving time and not available nor eligible to pay is pure crap) but he got off literally Scott free on the Virginia charges. That’s so galling it’s breathtaking.
Now we have people advocating for this dirtbag and using the warped logic that “he’s served his time why can’t they just leave Brother Vick alone and let him get on with his life?” Bah! How about he has to suffer the same societal consequences every other convicted felon does (who’s not independently wealthy). His second chance comes via his freedom from incarceration, that’s the only thing he has a right to or deserves. Playing in the NFL and getting payed millions to do it is a privelege, not a right.
WTF are you guys commenting martha stewart for ? this is a football site last i checked
I’m all for Vick getting back to his life. People really should just leave him alone. He’s paid a hefty price for what he’s done and will continue to pay for years to come. He is deeply in debt, owes tons of community service and cannot contributr to society if he isn’t allowed to go back to work. Would there be this sort of uproar if he was one of the many perverted congressman? Mike – hang in there!!
Animal rights people who can’t leave him alone are worthless . . .
All that comments like the ones made by J. Wyatt Mondeshire do is convince me that “racial conspiracy” is the new Satanic Panic for this decade. The word racism is used so liberally now I simply cannot take the term seriously. Great to see the NAACP taking it back to the 30′s with this bullshit. Like Jesse Jackson, they’ll do anything to keep their own self-serving bigotry relevant. As it may be true that repeating the same lie enough times may make it accepted as truth, repeating the word “conspiracy” over and over will simply convince people you are an idiot, nutter or both.
“Brother Vick”
???
Ahh, right. He’s a man of the cloth. We should all be ashamed for being angry at him.
Seriously, though, when these guys cry the racial wolf card so many times, all it does is make us numb and all the more likely to turn a blind eye when REAL racism occurs.
There is no other race on earth that keeps itself down like the black race.
If they’re not killing themselves on the streets, they’re playing the race card and using it as a crutch.
It’s high time to throw the crutches away and start walking on their own.