Christien Louviere

Since my last post, Michael Vick worked out a deal with the FBI. Like I said earlier, the FBI doesn’t accuse unless they know they’re going to win; so I knew whether in court or on paper he would be found guilty.

I’m still hearing the ignorant cries of racism. I have to learn to let it go because it will always be an issue. Moreover, I’m hearing people (that once said wait until he’s found guilty) now say, “Oh, well they threatened his life, so he had to sign the paper.” Mike Vick put his own life in jeopardy. It’s hard for me to feel sorry for the guy because I know he’s had people telling him since his early days at Virginia Tech to change his crowd. He didn’t listen. As I said before, he’s a product of his environment. His whole life, due to his athletic abilities, people have told him yes to everything. Why would he not think he’s invincible? I’m still not sure he gets it. So, I’m torn on how to feel.

Now, here is the real issue that seems to get missed in all of this. The dog fighting is terrible, but, honestly, it’s what the FBI uses to garner public support for their mission by having pressure applied to the defendant(s). The real case the FBI, and the NFL, are concerned with are the gambling rings involved that lead to organized crime and racketeering. Make no mistake about it…this is what they’re after. The NFL is concerned for its brand, and the FBI with public chaos; but they both stem from the same underground activities that were taking place. The NFL is scared to death that Vick and his cohorts will name a bevy of other athletes that will do irreplaceable damage to them. It would take a great deal because the NFL is by far the biggest moneymaker in this country. The dog fighting is absolutely terrible, and I don’t think any living thing deserves that kind of treatment; but it’s not the real issue the Feds are concerned with here. In 30 seconds of fighting, your salary and mine will be wagered on one fight. It’s an extraordinary amount of cash that goes down here, and it leads to extraordinary amount of crime.

Take the NBA referee Tim Donaghy and his illegal point-shaving gambling scheme. The FBI is just as concerned with this as they are with Vick. The NBA and FBI are going to go after the same things here. They will not get the same public outrage because no cruelty was involved. The average fan thinks it’s terrible, but they move on from their day. They don’t send in refs jersey’s to dog kennels to be used for cleaning.

When all is said and done, Vick won’t get what he deserves as far as time in prison. However, he will get everything he deserves for the rest of his life. As much as he had before, he will have just as much gone. He has sacrificed literally hundreds of millions of dollars. The Atlanta Falcons WILL go after every penny of that contract. Nike will likely follow suit. I don’t think he realizes how deep he is in right now. And if that weren’t bad enough, his reputation is gone. The intangibles that make him a good man are ruined. It takes forever to build and one thing to bring it down.