I have several filters turned on to turn up news on Michael Vick.  I will admit that it is tedious and not terribly interesting.  I’m still outraged by his behavior, but I take no joy in watching his destruction.  I do see some light at the end of the tunnel if he can shy away from the drugs and the self destructive influences and re-build himself a better person.

That said, I’m not sure what to think of this rumor. that I found at Running Redskins: Michael Vick Talking?

The rumor and logic go like this.

Michael Vick is going to be sentenced in early December on Federal charges and might even plea in Virginia in November.

In either or both situations he might be able to get off easier if he makes like his posse and COOPERATES with the authorities.

It could go like this, “Hey Vick, all you have to do is give us the names of 5 other pro athletes that engaged in dog fighting or gambling on dog fighting or some other sick and twisted crap. You cooperate and we’ll cut your jail time down to 6 months.  In Paris years, that’s 3 months.”

It really depends on whether or not Michael Vick has the goods on a bigger fish than himself.

Now up until this point, Vick has not shown a great deal of sophistication at any turn in these proceedings.  However, there is definitely one lesson most people pick up on the street, and that is if you catch someone doing something wrong, you grab and hold that information just in case you need it some day.

What do you think?  Does Michael Vick have a Big Fish up his sleeve?

Michael Vick and his attorneys will be working to finish negotiations on a 2nd plea agreement that could be entered after Thanksgiving on November 27 about 2 weeks before Vick is supposed to be sentenced in Federal court.  This time the plea deal will be with the reluctant prosecutors in Virginia where Vick is charged with dog fighting and more.

This plea agreement will likely be targeted at again reducing the charges to something lesser that might enable Vick to play football again some day and keep him out of state prison.  This time around though prosecutors already have his guilty plea to use against him from federal charges.  There is no double jeopardy, but that does make it easy to use all that evidence against him.

Possibly more troubling for Michael Vick is the $22 million lawsuit against him from his former team the Atlanta Falcons.  They want their bonus back from him claiming that he breached his 10 year contract.  The Falcons and several banks are all lining up to get some of their money back from Mr. Vick.

Vick Lawyers Busy As Falcons Take Aim — Courant.com

For the first time in months, I have heard of a development in the Michael Vick case that is almost redeeming.  Let me preface this by stating that I am not affiliated with PETA and do not agree with many of their positions and especially not with some of their tactics.  Regardless, Michael Vick went to PETA for Animal sensitivity training according to an email I received from PETA yesterday.

Following news of his guilty plea, I contacted Michael Vick suggesting that he hear—for the first time in his life, he confirmed—about animal protection issues, learn how animals feel joy and pain and deserve respect, and receive specific instruction on what to say to young people whom he has influenced in the worst possible ways.
In mid-September, Michael Vick visited PETA’s headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, to meet with me privately. I told him that PETA advocates an end to all exploitation and needless violence based on prejudice, including the prejudice against other species, and that we believe that he should equip himself with information and materials in order to be able to live up to his responsibility to counsel children not to engage in cruelty to animals. He expressed his willingness to learn and his belief that everything in life happens for a reason, and he offered an apology to PETA and to “everyone” for “what I have done to dogs.” I also explained that even if he took our basic empathy course, our position that he should serve jail time and have a lifetime ban on contact with animals would nevertheless remain unchanged, and he accepted that.
Two weeks ago, Michael Vick returned to PETA to take the “Developing Empathy for Animals” course, an all-day seminar on “who animals are,” alternatives to cruelty, animal protection philosophy, and humane education, which PETA has now excerpted online. We believe that this course should be adopted by the NFL for all players to take in order to give them a chance to learn empathy, compassion, and nonviolence. Two days after the seminar, Vick came back to PETA’s office to take the course exam.
PETA’s course teaches the Golden Rule—treat others as you wish to be treated. Only time will tell whether Michael Vick has benefited from what he has learned, but he has pledged to use this knowledge to urge kids not to follow in his footsteps and to be kind to animals. Meanwhile, we are urging the NFL to take the important step of requiring that every player do what Michael Vick has done and take the course in order to help prevent future acts of violence against animals and to equip players with information about respecting animals that they can share with their young fans.
Although the Vick story served as the first glimpse for many people into the gory details of dogfighting, the abuses detailed in Vick’s indictment are as widespread as they are horrific. In the last year alone, PETA has responded to more than 14,000 calls and e-mail messages regarding other dogfighting and individual cruelty-to-animals cases. The crucial step now is to urge policymakers and law enforcement officers to treat all cases of dogfighting and cruelty to animals the same way that they handled Vick’s high-profile case. To that end, please join PETA and ask the NFL to require that all its players, some of whom have been involved in a series of cruelty-to-animals cases, attend PETA’s “Developing Empathy for Animals” course.
Thank you for helping us do all that we can to make the world a better place for animals.
Yours truly,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

Now, I do not think that it is entirely necessary for every player within the NFL to attend PETA empathy courses.  I do think it might be useful for the NFL commissioner to do so such that he can construct an in house course to provide to NFL players, like the sexual harassment or slips, trips and falls lectures that take place in many corporate atmospheres.

Regardless, from Michael Vick’s standpoint, I view this (not judging, just my view) as one of the more redeeming things that Vick has done to date.  The skeptic in me suspects that he is possibly grasping at straws trying to do anything he can to salvage his career, but one part of me, the guy that used to be a Michael Vick fan, the guy who taught his four year old about football watching Vick play, that guy wants this to be a step towards self improvement.

I still do not want to see Michael Vick play football again.  That desire is based on the actions that Vick took in the past, and has little to do with what he does now or in the future.  I would like to see Vick finally learn some life lessons that allow him to realize some potential that could do himself and the world something positive.  In that regard, I wish him all the success in the world, just not in the NFL.

Michael Vick go and reinvent yourself.  Your potential does not have to be tied to playing football  If you believe that the only thing that you are and can ever be is a football player, then you have bought  sycophantic lie that is probably more damaging than the destruction that you caused or allowed to happen.  It takes real courage to be the person you are as opposed to the person that everyone says you are, its the difference between being a leader and a follower.

Go figure out who you are and realize your potential.