Some names come to mind...

Jeff George
June Jones
Chris Chandler
Zeke Bratkowski, no, wait, Steve Bartkowski

From Senator Byrd's speech yesterday on the Senate floor:The speech is on youtube. The Washington Post's article on the speech said this:Have the Falcons fired Vick yet? They better do something soon. IMHO.

NFL, Falcons could ask Vick to focus energies in court
By Len Pasquarelli and Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com

Updated: July 20, 2007, 3:21 PM ET
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ATLANTA -- In what has quickly evolved into a collaborative effort that includes input of officials from the NFL, NFL Players Association and Atlanta Falcons, embattled quarterback Michael Vick could be urged to take a voluntary leave of absence to focus his energy on the legal challenges from a federal dogfighting indictment confronting him, sources said.


There are, however, two critical components that must be resolved: Falcons owner Arthur Blank must be on board with a plan that has generated considerable discussion at the league level the past two days. And Vick, who might be reluctant to accept even a paid hiatus from the game, might have to be convinced that the leave could be his best option.


Blank and the Falcons might also be considering other options.


Under the leave-of-absence scenario, and given the projected timeline of any trial that could ensue from the federal indictments brought against the quarterback Tuesday, all parties would enter into the agreement, if it is consummated, with the expectation that Vick would probably miss the entire 2007 season.


While the concept of a leave has been broached conceptually to associates and advisors of Vick, it has not yet been formally presented to the Falcons' star. Vick, 27, could be briefed about the possibility of a paid leave of absence as early as Friday. He would likely be granted time to consider the suggestion, which would almost certainly have to be communicated by Blank, with a decision not coming until early next week.


It has become clear, as high-level discussions have progressed, that all the parties involved in the talks are desperately seeking a resolution to a potential public relations disaster before the Falcons begin training camp Thursday. A league source acknowledged Thursday that "something one way or the other is going to have to happen ... by the start of training camp."


As incentive for Vick to consider a leave, the union is hopeful that Blank will offer to guarantee the player's $6 million base salary for 2007. That could be a sticking point in negotiations. No one will try to bully Vick into accepting the leave, but he might be reminded that while the league and Falcons are inclined for now to allow due process to play out in the courts, that stance is not an unalterable one, and unfolding events could possibly change the approach of Blank and commissioner Roger Goodell.

Sources said that NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw spoke directly with Vick late Thursday. A union official did not divulge details of the conversation but Upshaw was expected to counsel Vick on the wisdom on a paid leave of absence.


Multiple sources at various levels of the ongoing discussions acknowledged that a consensus was beginning to galvanize that nobody, including Vick, will benefit by the quarterback playing the 2007 season under a cloud of suspicion and burden of the federal indictment. In the indictment, Vick is alleged to have conspired in an illegal dogfighting venture conducted on property he owns in Surry County, Va.


Intensive talks continued Thursday with Goodell, Blank, Falcons team president and general manager Rich McKay and Upshaw. They discussed the various options available to them, and those discussions are expected to continue Friday.


If convicted on all counts, Vick could face a prison sentence of six years.


Neither Vick nor his attorney or agent could be reached for comment Thursday night. Blank also was unavailable for comment, and a Falcons spokesman referred to the owner's statement released earlier Thursday in which he expressed that "we are working diligently on exploring our options."


"The commissioner is concerned about the seriousness of the charges, and he wants to make sure Vick focuses on putting up the most appropriate defense," a source said. "Vick has to be convinced that it is in his best interests to take a leave of absence ... I think it's fair to say nobody's really comfortable with him playing under these circumstances."

Even a close Vick associate acknowledged early Friday that is the case.


Said the associate: "There's been a lot of stuff going on the last day or so, but the one thing that keeps getting clearer and clearer is that they don't want [Vick] around. The Falcons, the league, they know it's a mess and it's only going to get uglier if camp starts and he's on the field. If he's not [present for camp], at least there's a little bit of 'out of sight, out of mind,' you know? It removes the source of distraction. Otherwise, it's just [untenable]."


A leave of absence would at least temporarily address several possible dilemmas for the Falcons, including how to handle Vick's contract if he does not report to camp on time. And it would enable the franchise, even if Vick doesn't play in 2007, to retain his contractual rights. Vick is scheduled for a bond hearing and his arraignment hearing Thursday, the same day the Falcons hold their initial camp practice under first-year coach Bobby Petrino.


Without an excused absence, Vick could technically be in default of his contract if he does not report to camp on time, perhaps providing the Falcons the right to attempt to recover bonus money already paid to him. There are default provisions, described by one source with close knowledge of Vick's contract as "very tight language," written into the lucrative 10-year extension he signed in December 2004. Vick advisors spent time Thursday discussing the potential default ramifications with NFLPA officials.


Members of the NFL management council, the labor arm of the league, earlier this week began closely reviewing Vick's contract to see what options might be available to Blank and the Falcons if they try to recover any bonus payments.


The 2004 extension has long been advertised as a 10-year, $130 million contract. In reality, because the final season of the contract voided as soon as Vick reached minimum playing-time thresholds, it is a nine-year deal worth about $118 million. Vick has banked more than $40 million, but $37 million of that was in bonuses -- an initial signing bonus of $7.5 million and then subsequent roster bonuses of $22.5 million and $7 million. But for salary-cap purposes, the Falcons exercised an option to convert the roster bonuses into signing bonuses.


That might seem incidental because Vick got all the money coming to him anyway. But if the Falcons attempt at some point to force Vick into paying back part of the bonus money, how the conversions are interpreted might be a point of contention. A ruling in a grievance case involving former Denver first-round wide receiver Ashley Lelie last year made it more difficult for teams to seek repayment of option or roster bonuses.


Atlanta officials might contend that the two most recent bonuses paid Vick, totaling $29.5 million, were converted to signing bonuses, and that they should be permitted to pursue a prorated share of that money. The Vick camp would likely counter that, while the money was paid as signing bonuses, it was actually earned as roster bonuses.


But any contentiousness, and a possible arbitration hearing, could be avoided if Vick accepts a proposal for a leave of absence, one in which all parties agree he will miss camp.


"It would certainly give everyone some much-needed breathing room," said one league source late Thursday night. "People could get on with their business."


Make no mistake, for both the Falcons and the NFL, there is clearly a business component attached to the Vick case.


The league faces a backlash, not only from animal-rights groups but from others, as well. And in the statement Blank released Thursday, he noted his responsibility to his sponsors. The team recently entered into an agreement with Russell Athletic in which the apparel maker will pay $1 million to $2 million annually to sponsor the Falcons' training camp. It could be a camp disrupted by protests if Vick attends.


In another Vick-related matter, the quarterback's camp has begun interviewing candidates to beef up his legal defense team in the event he goes to trial. Vick's longtime personal attorney, Lawrence Woodward, is expected to remain part of the defense team, but advisors have urged that the Falcons' star to consider adding counsel with experience in federal courts.


The Vick camp has solicited recommendations and is believed to have interviewed at least one prominent defender from the prestigious Washington, D.C., firm of Wilmer Hale.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. Television reporter Chris Mortensen covers the NFL for ESPN.

I hope he is tried, convicted, and sentenced.

To 42 years.

Calculated in DOG YEARS

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I am sure that there are many here who understand the nature of a dog when it comes to man. A dog is more forgiving than any person you will ever know. They will stick with you through the worst without a thought. Their desire to please you is often without limit. I am not a PETA sort of person, but feel that what a canine seeks from us is sometimes not what some of us ask of them. If Vick is even remotely connected to what he is accused of, he is a barbarian. To use their desire to please for some purpose other than the guarding companionship they give freely, is an abuse of their physiological makeup. To kill one for perceived worthlessness is a lack of understanding about what loyalty really is. If a man cannot see it in the simple terms of a canine, he may never recognize it in a fellow human. I believe that a dog without a human who admires his nature is better off dead because that is the thing he desires most.

I feel that Vick is maybe someone who tried to groom status in a culture that has little regard for the finer qualities of a dog. If so, I hope he is made to pay for such a lack of understanding of what it means to be master. The whole dog fighting thing is a disgrace of what humans are supposed to be.

Good news! http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/27/michael.vick/index.html

Vick the dick..I don't think even Al Davis or Jerry Jones would sign him. Who wants this garbage, errr...baggage.
CFL?

i guess the scruples of the NFL are a lot lower than i thought

pitiful, just pitiful

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1989 300ce smoke silver / brazil, in a constant state of flux ~~~

I dont understand all this hate towards micheal vick. There are people in the nfl who have killed people and are still playing and hes not getting al this public rage ie dante stallworth. Yes he did something horrible and has payed for it by serving jail time. I like both dogs and people equally but I also believe that he deserves a second chance. Killing a person is a greater crime than killing dogs. PETA and people who are still on him for it need to get realistic. Murdering someone is a much greater offense than funding a dog fighting ring. Also where micheal vick comes, dog fighting happens. The NFL made the right decision in the situation

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d810699fa/Players-roundtable-Michael-Vick

flame suit on

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

I don't see why the NFL would need to punish him beyond the jail sentence he already received. If there are teams that want to risk the public relations debacle he most likely will be, that's up to them. His crime had nothing to do with his profession, so why would he not be able to play?

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

It doesnt and many people out there cant warp their head around that fact but instead they focus on the dog fighting.....

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

The NFL is a brand. One of the key jobs at the home office . . . protect the brand.

his character has been revealed, who would want someone like that as a team leader?

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

Cleveland Browns?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Obivously Roger Goodelll doesnt think so and is giving him a chance afterall he has served his time

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)