In a Friday interview with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, during which Eagles quarterback Mike Vick came across as mature, calm, and confident, Vick talked about advice that he gave to receiver Plaxico Burress as the star of Super Bowl XLII prepared to head to prison.
"I just told Plaxico, 'You almost feel like you're walking around with a black cloud over your head every day,'" Vick said. "'The best thing to do -- you know, because we were wrong -- is to just get it over with. It's hard leaving your family, it's hard leaving your loved ones and that was the toughest thing for me. Nobody wants to go in prison.' And my heart goes out to him and his family, because I know what they're going through."
(The interview didn't address the similarity in the length of the prison terms Vick and Burress endured, despite engaging in grossly dissimilar behavior. Burress committed horrendous judgment on one evening and injured only himself; Vick's misdeeds covered a six-year period, and involved intense cruelty to animals, about which it seems most football fans gradually have become desensitized.)
Vick also revisited statements from a recent CBS interview, during which he said he assumed he'd return to the NFL as a starting quarterback.
Vick said he doesn't expect to be the starter in Philadelphia, and that he realized after arriving that he's yet not ready to be the every-down quarterback again. He called his prior mindset "wishful thinking."
Vick characterized signing with the Eagles as "the best situation for me." Still, there's an implied sense of frustration that comes through when Vick talks about running the Wildcat package in Philly -- even though he recently called himself the "Wildcat Originator."
"I like to drop back and throw the football . . . . That's when I make the plays that I'm able to make, you know whether it's with my arm or with my legs," Vick said. "And that's when things happen naturally. Now when I come in the game it's almost like I'm either coming in as a decoy or I'm coming in you know to run the Wildcat. . . . I think it's more effective when you're out there full time."
But while Vick wants to be the full-time guy again, he says that the timetable is "to be determined."
"It may be next year, it may be two years from now. Who knows? It may be three years from now."
All that said, we detected a sense of muted impatience. Vick is accepting his current situation (after all, it's a lot better than where he was last year at this time), but he clearly wants more.
When and if he gets it will depend largely on what he does with the limited opportunities he gets, starting on Sunday against the Chiefs.
Vick on Burress, and on playing quarterback again
Posted by Mike Florio on September 26, 2009 7:18 AM ET
I wonder if he gave Plax advice on the "in's & out's" of prison dating?
(The interview didn't address the similarity in the length of the prison terms Vick and Burress endured, despite engaging in grossly dissimilar behavior. Burress committed horrendous judgment on one evening and injured only himself; Vick's misdeeds covered a six-year period, and involved intense cruelty to animals, about which it seems most football fans gradually have become desensitized.)
--Youre such a baby. Nobody is desensitized to what Vick did. We all know what he did and the majority of us understand how cruel it was. The problem is youre comparing Bananas to Tangerines. Even if I trierd to compare what these two knuckleheads did I would screw up and leave a giant hole in my argument(or leg.) In Two years youre going to be whining about how everyone has become "Desensitized" to the fact that Plax fired off a round in a crowded club, the bullet almost hit a security guard, and could have killed someone. What everyone fails to realize is even the government didnt really care about the dog fighting. Vick spent 2 years in the can because of illegal interstate gambling. Its the equivalent of the feds kicking in the door of an underground high stakes poker ring. I got news for you the Feds arent going to break up my $20 poker games anytimes soon. They saw a high profile case with endless possibilities. The DA used the image of dogs swinging from nooses to bolster its case within the court of public opinion and it quickly became an open and shut case. Plax was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had he shot himself on a catlle ranch in Montana he would have already served his 3 months and would be wearing a Redskins helmet right now. BUT he didnt, he fired off a round at night in a city that already has a reputation for gun related crimes. I am %100 2nd amendment rights, but with those rights become a huge responsibility and Plax exhibited zero responsibilty. He's lucky that bullet didnt go astray an into a sleeping childs room. As a society we look at the end result and make a judgement from there rather than the act itself. Just because Plax only hurt himself doesnt mean he didnt act absurdily negligent with a firearm. Do we decide to give repeat drunk drivers a 2 month sentence everytime they wrap their car around a telephoone pole and only injure themselves? NO. Just as if he were to get hammered and drive home, Plaxico endangered everyone in that clubs life that night and for that he needs to be punished. Why isnt anybody talking about how lucky he is to not get the 3 years mandatory? Everybody knows the rules and the laws and when you break those rules theyre are consequences. Some parents spank theyre children and others give a time-out. Plax is getting some good ole' corporal punishment right now. This is the reason I dont carry a firearm illegally...I DONT WANT TO GO TO JAIL FOR 3 YEARS. Grow up and act like the 32 year old married father of 2 that you are.
You detected?? What are you some type of human lie detector and body language expert? Sometimes a twinkle in his eye is just a twinkle in his eye.
I think it is not really a story that someone wants to get back to their old job. I will bet you that Jeff George would like to come back as a starter. Or that Mike Mularky would like to be head coach again or that Terry Bradshaw would like to come back from the grave to be alive.
Wow... A backup who wants more!!
Stop the presses and clear the front page, cause this is definitely breaking news!!
What's next? Tarvaris wants to lead the Vikings??
"Burress committed horrendous judgment on one evening and injured only himself"
Do we know that he only did this on one evening? It seems more than likely that this was a way of life for Burress... That he took his gun with him whenever he went out for the night.
Burress' stupidity and negligence could have just as easily caused (although unintentionally) the death or injury of innocent people.
Vick also advised Plex to take relax that it wont hurt as much
The way these players are going soon Paul Crew will be the owner of an expansion team
"Vick's misdeeds covered a six-year period, and involved intense cruelty to animals, about which it seems most football fans gradually have become desensitized."
I wouldn't say most fans have become desensitized. I think we're just mature enough to not keep complaining about the same issue over and over as if our voice makes any difference whatsoever. It doesn't.
I beleive the "fans" would have been fine if Vick was banished from football. I t was all the media whores that trumpeted his possible return. You need people like Vick, we do not.
If all was good in the world and league you idiots would be out of jobs. If it bleeds it leads, a pretty pathetic mantra to hang your careers on.
Still like your columns, for the most part.
Some other things people have become "desensitized" to:
Murders
Suicide Bombings
Hit and Runs
DUIs
Torture
The Deaths of US Soldiers
Political Scandal
Exploitation
It's not that people have become desensitized, it's that people don't tend to waste their time thinking about things that don't directly affect them. It's human nature. Do you care about the numerous people that were murdered in Prince George's County, MD this year? No. Are you shocked when someone is murdered in PGC? No. You can call it being desensitized if you want, but unless someone you know was murdered there, or you are travelling in that area, you're not going to care. People know what he did was bad, they just don't feel the need to voice their disgust everytime they get the chance, because who really wants to be stressed out by a guy they don't know and who has no affect on them? Do you think people in the US would care about Al Quaida if there was no threat of them targeting Americans? No. Don't judge other people just because they don't act the same or fall in line with your way of thinking.
And yea, I'm sure Plax is going to be raped in prison when he is serving his time away from any other inmates. The only thing going up his ass will be the material of his undergarments.
"Vick's misdeeds covered a six-year period, and involved intense cruelty to animals, about which it seems most football fans gradually have become desensitized"
God you are a douche, Florio. Get over it. Vick went to prison, and now he's out. Plax got screwed, and is going to prison for the same time. But you know what? THAT'S THEIR PUNISHMENT, and they've got to take it, and us "desensitized" football fans realize that Vick has paid his dues, and so will Plax, and the day that their sentence is finished there's no need to piss and moan anymore about it.
Just think how much more brain-power you would have if you pushed the anti-Vick, anti-Favre, anti-"desensitized football fans" bullshit out and let something.... hell.... ANYTHING... back in its place.
Both sentences amount to basically stupidity taxes. Plax for being stupid enough to carry a concealed gun in NYC despite having a lawyer for a wife and Vick for lying to federal prosecutors when he could have admitted to the whole dog ring and most likely escaped with a slap on the wrist since there are few statutes with any teeth that penalize dog fighting.
Screw both of those Aholes
"Vick for lying to federal prosecutors when he could have admitted to the whole dog ring and most likely escaped with a slap on the wrist since there are few statutes with any teeth that penalize dog fighting. "
Vick went to prison for illegal interstate gambling.
I totally agree Florio on the Vick subject, not on Plax. If you continue to read what people post on this subject with Vick you are correct that what he did is minimized due to people wanting to see him on the field again. That he got a standing ovation in Philly that night just proves your point about the desensitization of the extent & the length of the crimes
"Vick's misdeeds covered a six-year period, and involved intense cruelty to animals".
The real issue with Vicks behavior was his treatment of non-violent animals. The ones he intensely tortured & slowly killed due to their refusal to fight. Vick had enough $$$ to have Vet's put these dogs down humanely & instead displayed serial killer behavior in his treatment of these animals. This is what everyone continues to ignore, not want to discuss, just gloss over with the gambling or dog fighting issues.
Plax is/was a idiot that believes the rules are for everyone but him. He was above all authority, able to make his own rules. Even though he is dumb, he is one lucky guy because if that bullet had hit that security guard & killed him, Plax would be staying in Rikers & not going to the minimum security facility he's going to now. Most guys like Burress that refuse to understand the laws are for everyone end up in jail at a much earlier age then he is now. Mike Vick is an evil poor excuse for a human being that was sadistically cruel to defenseless creatures. Plax is a fool that thinks he's special. That is in where the difference lies.
But nobody remembers the key crimes involved in these two cases. Vick was not in prison for killing dogs -- he was in prison for running an illegal gambling operation and associated other crimes. Burress is not in prison for shooting himself -- he is in prison for carrying an illegal, unregistered gun around the city.
junk yard dog......amen to that.
What happened to the concept of paying your debt to society? Vick WENT to prison. He served his sentence...correct?
Get over it already.
I think Vick is a creep and a lowbrow criminal (haha, thanks Vox). However, I cannot wait to see how Andy uses him and if he helps the birds. Then, next year when the Eagles get a 1 or a 2 for him (and then draft a guy like Matt friggin McCoy).
Both were/are seperated from the general population due to celebrity status. In minimum security prison likely playing x-box and watching tv most of the day.
Smoking Gun Court Documents
Summary and Info about Dogs, Court Document
This case has brought to the forefront the sordid underground practice of dog fighting in the US but Vick's supporters believe he has been demonized well beyond the crime committed. Under federal law, dogfighting was a misdemeanor when investigators searched Vick's property on April 25th. 8 days later, President Bush signed a bill that made it a felony. Under the old federal law, dogfighting carried a maximum prison sentence of 1 year per animal. The new law raised that to a maximum of 3 years in prison. Under Virginia law, participating in dogfights is a felony punishable by as many as 5 years in prison. When interstate gambling, drugs or dogfighting laws are involved, the federal government has a very strong interest in investigating and will typically involve state agencies in their investigation.
Vick was sentenced on 1 indictment with a prison sentence of 23 months with a supervised release for 3 years along with a $5,000 fine.
CONSPIRACY TO TRAVEL IN
INTERSTATE COMMERCE IN AID
OF UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES AND
TO SPONSOR A DOG IN AN
ANIMAL FIGHTING VENTURE
Vick faced separate state charges in Surry County, VA. Local authorities eventually dropped these charges to a fine(?). Several rumors accuse local officials of delaying the investigation and misplacing evidence due to Vick's celebrity status. The local prosecutor dragged his feet in executing a search warrant because "he didn't like the wording in the warrant."
Humane Society offers a $5,000 reward for information thats leads to an arrest and conviction for anyone involved in dogfighting.
Reward info here.
The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act represented an effort to make stiffer penalties for dogfighters. Signed into law in May 2007, the Act made dogfighting a felony under federal law and instituted maximum penalties of a $250,000 fine and three-year imprisonment.
Penalties also exist for merely being present at a dogfight/cockfight.
Watched most of the interview and most of the questions related to football. It is easy for him to be "mature, calm, and confident" when questions relate to football. He is itching to be the main guy again, even with his horrible play he would be an upgrade for a few teams.
Still waiting for someone to get in his face. Eagles go to San Diego in week 10, a date I am watching.
As of last week no one from the NFL, Eagles, or Vick's handlers has spoken to the groups who rescued and are caring for the dogs that were confiscated from his property. Vick had to give $928,000 to them on his way to prison, might think he would be curious to see how they are. Of, course that is assuming he cares.
Bounty on Vick
"All that said, we detected a sense of muted impatience."
Are Florios ULTRA KEEN mind reading powers technology, mutant, or magically sourced?
*roll eyes*
You don't like Mike Vick and will go to unrealistic lengths and use gargantuan-sized reaches to criticize his every action, comment, and now even his thoughts.
Save any dogs lately, Florio?