Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Michael Vick

Excuse me, but I found this guy's words a little refreshing.

He was speaking in Richmond, Virginia. But it felt like he was standing half the world away from the White House. I saw no notes or teleprompters. The dude just stood up, spoke up, and sat down.
For most of my life, I've been a football player, not a public speaker, so, you know, I really don't know, you know, how to say what I really want to say.

You know, I understand it's - it's important or not important, you know, as far as what you say but how you say things. So, you know, I take this opportunity just to speak from the heart.

First, I want to apologize, you know, for all the things that - that I've done and that I have allowed to happen. I want to personally apologize to commissioner Goodell, Arthur Blank, coach Bobby Petrino, my Atlanta Falcons teammates, you know, for our - for our previous discussions that we had. And I was not honest and forthright in our discussions, and, you know, I was ashamed and totally disappointed in myself to say the least.

I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts and, you know, what I did was, what I did was very immature so that means I need to grow up.

I totally ask for forgiveness and understanding as I move forward to bettering Michael Vick the person, not the football player.

I take full responsibility for my actions. For one second will I sit right here - not for one second will I sit right here and point the finger and try to blame anybody else for my actions or what I've done.

I'm totally responsible, and those things just didn't have to happen. 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, you know, just can't happen.

Dog fighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it.

I'm upset with myself, and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God. And I think that's the right thing to do as of right now.

Like I said, for this - for this entire situation I never pointed the finger at anybody else, I accepted responsibility for my actions of what I did and now I have to pay the consequences for it. But in a sense, I think it will help, you know, me as a person. I got a lot to think about in the next year or so.

I offer my deepest apologies to everybody out in there in the world who was affected by this whole situation. And if I'm more disappointed with myself than anything it's because of all the young people, young kids that I've let down, who look at Michael Vick as a role model. And to have to go through this and put myself in this situation, you know, I hope that every young kid out there in the world watching this interview right now who's been following the case will use me as an example to using better judgment and making better decisions.

Once again, I offer my deepest apologies to everyone. And I will redeem myself. I have to.

So I got a lot of down time, a lot of time to think about my actions and what I've done and how to make Michael Vick a better person.

Thank you.
I have been a great fan of dogs all my life. I have never followed football. However, I now anticipate taking an interest in a year or so.

8 comments:

  1. Good grief Vigil. You and Brian Baird might have something in common. You are both easily influenced by the dog and pony shows (no pun intended).

    Vick is only remorseful because he got caught He found Jesus because that is what two out of three guys who get caught do. It looks good for the parole board and the sentencing judge.

    The fact is had he not been caught he would still be killing and torturing dogs. He is a scumbag who belongs in prison and I hope the judge sends him there.

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  2. I'm sure he will be sent up, Mike, and it's right he goes to the slammer. Not my point.

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  3. First of all, I feel sorry for Michael. Before you get upset, he was wrong. He was very very wrong, but not to the point where his whole life should be ruined. His NFL career is over, and now they want to place him in jail for 5 years or so. That is extreme, and over a dog? Yes, what he did to those dogs is horrible. But think about it, we kill how many babies a year in abortion? We killed how many people in the aftermath of Katrina? We killed how many people in Iraq? What do we have to say about that? It is excusable of course, because we make it excusable. We kill thousand of Americans, born and unborn a day, and we still have our careers, our freedom, and our life. America is a hypocrite.

    Also, dog fighting was a misdemeanor up until 3 month before Vick was busted. Don't you think the government was investigating him at the time they decided to up the crime to a felony? Does this not seem like a trap? He is one of the four only black quarterbacks in the NFL. Don't you think good ol' America, the same America that killed thousands of blacks from New Orleans and the same America that has six boys locked up in a Louisiana jail facing 15+ years in prison for a school fight involving a white student (Jena Six), the same America whose prison population is about 80% black, knew this when they decided to arrest him, and ruin his career and place him in prison...in good ol' Georgia!

    How many white NFL players get into trouble, but it is brushed off, and played down? This isn't only a case of the dogs; this is a case of good ol' America getting rid of someone that frankly they didn't want there anyway! They won fair and square though. They sat and they waited and they watched, and then they finally got what they wanted, the little black quarterback boy out!

    Again, he was wrong, he should be punished. But the punishment is way too harsh for the crime, and we know it. If we took the case out of the media, and let the courts handle it, then it would have never blown up to be this big, or harsh.

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  4. Somehow, I don't think this post is really about football. Or dogs.

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  5. CW is pulling the race card? I am so tired of that sad old whine. It fills us all with a lazy despair. While it is true Vick killed "only a dog" that is what we are talking about. It is true he didn't kill a child; he killed a dog. Who cares that three months before it was a misdemeanor. It was changed to a felony because it is a serious problem in this country. I hope he never again plays football, baseball, basketball, or footsie. I would be happy if he went to the joint, did his time, lost Jesus again (which he will) and disappeared into that good night. I care less if he is black or white. He broke the law and needs to be punished. As to America "killing" thousands of blacks in New Orleans. Give me a break!!!

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  6. Dog & cockfighting fighting are unorganized and unsanctioned sports. They represent torture of primates on a retail scale. However, factory slaughter of animals for foods represents the same on a wholesale scale. Read Of Dog Fights and Men by Ben Crair.

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  7. I'm with indicted plagiarist. Let's treat all animals with respect. It's their planet, too.

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  8. I agree most wholeheartedly with MD and Indicted P. We need to respect and protect the animals of this earth, not exploit them.

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