Michael Vick Pleads Guilty

"First, I want to apologize for all the things that I have done and I have allowed to happen. I want to personally apologize to Commissioner Goodell, Arthur Blank, Coach Bobby Petrino, and my Atlanta Falcons teammates, for I was not honest and forthright in our discussions."

"I was shamed and totally disappointed in myself, to say the least. I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts. What I did was very immature, so that means I need to grow up."
- Michael Vick's comments in Richmond, Virginia after he entered a guilty plea to the federal indictment for dogfighting and gambling charges

Read Michael Vick's 22 page plea agreement and statement of facts here.

Vick will be sentenced on December 10, 2007.

plez sez: i've written about this whole Vick Affair ad nauseum: here and here. i've been holding out hope that he was set up and his friends had gotten him caught up in some foolishness. well, i'm pretty sure that this is the final chapter of this sad and tragic affair.

apologies aside... this is probably the biggest downfall of an athlete of this stature since mike tyson went to jail for rape. granted, mike tyson was head-and-shoulders above michael vick in his chosen vocation, but vick enjoyed unprecedented popularity as the face of the atlanta falcons and an nfl icon. it appears that the falcons are going to ask for a substantial portion (more than $20 million) of the signing bonus that vick received in 2004. and there's no telling when he'll be able to suit up again and earn a living as a professional football player.

because of his immature acts, vick says that he "needs to grow up." immature acts are licking your finger and sticking it in your sister's ear, farting in someone's face, burping without covering your mouth! running an interstate dogfighting ring and funding a gambling operation is not immature... it's illegal!

personally, i don't think vick gets it... he's been pilloried in the press for the past 3 months about these dogfighting allegations, he has never stood up and defended himself in the court of public opinion, he denied all involvement, and then pleads guilty to being the ringleader of the operation, all of his "friends" turned on him... and when it's all said and done, he (who by his own admission is not a good public speaker) decides to address THE WORLD without any notes or prepared statement so that he can show some contrition (seems to be a bit late for that!).

he is not getting very good legal advice nor public relations advice. at this point, i feel a little sorry for the guy, because although he was blessed with myth-like athletic ability, he obviously isn't very smart, he doesn't have any credible support network, the falcons are preparing to take every dime he has left (before they cut him), and he is quickly turning into the biggest "has been" in sports history.

this brother needs a mulligan like nobody's business!