A few years ago, Michael Vick was the talk of the sports world.
Vick and the Atlanta Falcons had just upset the Green Bay Packers in the 2003 NFL Playoffs NFC Wild-Card Game.
Vick, then the youngest quarterback in the league at just 22, seemed on top of the world and destined for a bright future after outplaying the Packers’ future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre and leading Atlanta to a 27-7 win.
Fast forward a few years, and things have changed. Mainly, Vick has not been able to stay on the level that he played at in that game because of various nagging injuries (Madden Curse, anyone?).
But one thing has remained the same: Vick’s name is still in the news everyday, but for all the wrong reasons.
As everyone knows, Vick was involved in an illegal-dogfighting scandal where he was accused of killing some of his dogs. Monday, Vick made a statement admitting guilt and apologizing.
"I’m totally responsible, and those things just didn’t have to happen," Vick said. "I feel like we all make mistakes. It’s just I made a mistake in using bad judgment and making bad decisions. And you know, those things just can’t happen."
The NFL has already suspended Vick indefinitely, but the league has a strict personal conduct policy that suspends players who are simply associated with gambling, so Vick’s days in the league could be numbered.
Vick’s probationary sentencing has been set for Dec. 10. Looking back a few years, this never seemed possible. But Vick’s stunning downfall is complete as, one by one, his co-defendants, who were also involved in the Bad Newz Kennel dogfighting ring, told authorities that Vick was guilty of dogfighting so that they would receive lighter sentences.
Vick can possibly have a lessened sentence of between 12 and 18 months. But the judge involved in this case, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, is notorious for mercilessly throwing the book at criminals. Vick’s most severe jail term possible is five years, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Judge Hudson gives him the maximum sentence.
Before the recent news that surfaced in this case, I always assumed that Vick would get off because like every celebrity, his money would be able to take care of any legal problems, but it’s clear that Vick will have to spend time in jail.
So where does Vick go from here? It’s obvious that Vick is a multi-millionaire, so he is set for life even if he ends up in jail for the maximum term. Money is the least of his worries. But his reputation will never be able to recover, probably for the rest of his career.
