NFL tells Vick, Stay Out

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19878550/

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Michael Vick was ordered by commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp until the league reviews the dogfighting charges against him.

“While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy,” Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.

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From the Atlanta Constitution-Journal.

It lists his transgressions through the years.

What a waste of talent.

“While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence"

Duke's Lacrosse Hoax is the primary reason (I suspect) the foregoing statement was included in the Commissioner's interim decision. Some good, at least, has resulted from the trials of the last sixteen months.

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Originally Posted by 4decadedukie

“While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence"

Duke's Lacrosse Hoax is the primary reason (I suspect) the foregoing statement was included in the Commissioner's interim decision. Some good, at least, has resulted from the trials of the last sixteen months.

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I think that you're partly correct. Most folks are being very careful to let justice run its course, not to presume guilt, etc... Having said that, I saw an ESPN news feature where at least one fan assumes that the evidence is solid, without knowing it. Then there's the AJC "Vent," in which all the folks are coming out of the woodwork (see EarlJam's comments in another thread).

If the NFL didn't put that phrase in, it risks alienating and/or inflaming a sizable chunk of the Atlanta fan base, and the Falcons would receive more pressure than it already has. The NFL also doesn't want to give the NFL player's association any reason to challenge any decision.

The Falcons will have a press conference today at 4 PM.

Here's a link to today's AJC article (I didn't see this link on the Main Board):
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sp...ge_tab_newstab

Cheers,
Lavabe

I love this "guilt until we decide otherwise" attitude the NFL has.

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Originally Posted by Bluedawg

I love this "guilt until we decide otherwise" attitude the NFL has.

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I find incredible irony in this statement given your comments about Barry Bonds in the "mockery" thread.

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Originally Posted by Bluedawg

I love this "guilt until we decide otherwise" attitude the NFL has.

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Weird. Your positions on Barry Bonds vis a vis Michael Vick are peculiar (note - I am not saying they are contradictory). I mean at least Michael Vick was indicted.

Anyway, the NFL has every right to do what they did. They are a private institution, not the US government. If I had a Federal indictment against me, my employer would probably ask me to leave, and I may not be lucky enough to get paid while I sit it out. I imagine a lot of people are in similar positions.

Dude is at worst a dog killer/torturer, and at best a negligent landlord whose absenteeism with respect to private residential property that he owned facilitated illegal dog fighting (and it wasn't like the tenants were strangers). All he has to do is visit and say -- "y'all this ain't right. Cut it out or get out." He may not go to jail, or even be guilty of what's on the indictment. But what he facilitated by allowing/ignoring what happened at that house is certainly a firable offense by most employers who have a public reputation to uphold.

Mostly I feel for the folk at Virginia Tech. Since my niece just graduated from there two years ago, all of this is devastating. She rooted her http://www.dukebasketballreport.comh...ballreport.com off for Michael Vick and their team. The Marcus Vick stuff also affected her. She personally knew 8 dead victims of the shooting spree.

VaTech is a wonderful school and I'm proud that they are in the ACC. If there is anything us on DBR can do to balm their wounds -- even just with emails/posts/etc. Let's do it!!