Michael Vick Sticks it to the Falcons in the Back From Jail
It was just like old times for Michael Vick today as he won a court victory that stuck it to the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL. He was allowed to keep the majority of his bonuses despite the fact that he seems to have started breeching his contract within days or weeks of signing with the Falcons.
That will hurt the Falcons in the pocket book and in the line up for sometime to come, but Vick still miraculously hopes to do what’s right to get back in the NFL. Obviously, he wants to help out some other NFL team not the Falcons as he’s just skewering the Falcons and his old teammates many of whom have doggedly stood up for him as recently as a few weeks ago.
AP) Jailed quarterback Michael Vick can keep all but $3.75 million of the nearly $20 million in bonus money he received from the Atlanta Falcons following a ruling Monday by a federal judge.
The Falcons sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004-07.
A special master ruled in October the Falcons were entitled to recover the bonuses. The Falcons argued Vick used proceeds from a contract he signed in 2004 to finance his illicit activities.
But U.S. District Judge David Doty of Minneapolis ruled that recovery of most of the bonus money by the Falcons would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The agreement does not allow roster bonus money to be forfeited once it’s been earned, the judge wrote.
The NFL criticized Doty’s ruling. The league has suspended Vick indefinitely without pay.
“It makes no sense that an individual who willfully violates his contract is entitled to be paid tens of millions of dollars even though he is in jail and providing no services whatsoever to his employer,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement.
Vick’s personal attorney, Lawrence Woodward Jr., said Vick was happy with the ruling but understands there could be appeals.
“He’s grateful for some good news but he realizes he needs to keep doing all the right things to get back to playing football,” Woodward said.
This decision is bound to hurt Vick’s chances to get back into the NFL on good terms, as he has essentially taken this money and run. It will increase the power of the NFL players union in the short term, but in the long term the NFL and teams will look very skeptically at paying a big signing bonus for anyone. Long term agreements will be even more difficult for the NFL to consider.
Now, I have to say it. I do not agree with Michael Vick’s means, but he may have just done the NFL a favor by screwing the league and future big stars out of millions of dollars in signing bonuses. Maybe when future stars come up (with a lot less money) they will not face the same temptations that Michael Vick faced.
Let’s just hope that they will have a little more courage and currency in their moral bank accounts.
More on similar topics:
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- How to Buy Your Job Back from the NFL for $22 Million Vick has been temporarily suspended from the NFL, but what will it cost for him to play again? The opening bid might be $22 million. ...
- Falcons owner Shocked by Witness Statements – Expects Plea Deal tonight Falsons Owner Arthur Blank was shocked by the statements made by co-defendants in the Michael Vick Dog Fighting case. The written summary statements released earlier today...
- Call a Nurse, The Falcons Organization is Flat lining Some may claim that Michael Vick ‘only killed’ or ‘only tortured’ some dogs, and that dogs are lower than humans. I think that is a...
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2 Responses to “Michael Vick Sticks it to the Falcons in the Back From Jail”
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He earned it Peta so he keeps it just like american corporate raiders of enron, countrywide and other huge financial instituions. Where was the outcry them. Old hypocrites.
Actually you have it wrong on both points Destiny, but I do appreciate the comment.
First this is not PETA, you can tell because the domain name says sackvick.net and not peta.org. We have nothing to do with peta and disagree with a large number of their beliefs and tactics, which is why we set up our own site and didn’t join forces with them. We have in fact been critical of peta in regards to their treatment of Michael Vick (just one example http://www.sackvick.net/2007/12/19/peta-e-card-of-michael-vick/ )
There was a major outcry against the corporate raiders as well in case you missed it, along with the outcry for Worldcom and several other scandals.
But you do make a good point in that Michael Vick is just as corrupt as those scoundrels.
So you can shoot out names like Old hypocrites, but the truth is that you are just shooting your keyboard off, and that does not absolve Michael Vick of having screwed the Falcons. He signed a deal with them agreeing to take their money and proceeded to break that contract shortly.
It would appear that the players union prevailed with their contract negotiations so Michael Vick walks away with a fortune (that he enjoyed squandering by killing dogs and running an illegal gambling ring in his back yard).