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According to Philadelphia Eagles players, the most courageous man on the team in 2009 was one who started the year serving time in prison for an act of extreme cowardice. Today, the Eagles announced that Michael Vick was the 2009 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, an honor given to a player who shows courage in the face of adversity. Vick's teammates voted for the award, thus demonstrating how tone-deaf and out-of-touch NFL players are with reality. ... According to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation Web site: The Ed Block Courage Award recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and...

Call it a Hail Mary pass that sailed out of bounds. The National Football League, represented by Covington & Burling and Faegre & Benson, claimed in an appeal to the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that Minneapolis federal District Court Judge David Doty had shown bias against the league in his appointed role resolving labor disputes between the league and the players. In particular the NFL asserted that the 79-year-old judge abused his authority when he overturned an arbitrator's decision and let quarterback Michael Vick keep a $20 million bonus paid by the Atlanta Falcons. It also pointed to...

Beloved cartoonist Berkeley Breathed had an unusual inspiration for his latest children's book, "Flawed Dogs." No it wasn't one of the Santa Barbaran's many rescued pit bulls, but it was one of Michael Vick's infamous dogs who was set to be put down. "The book happened because I came across both a picture and a quote at about the same time -- a picture of one of Michael Vick's fight dogs. It was set to be put down, but a shelter in Utah decided to take the dog and a few others at the same time and try to rehabilitate...

Talk radio virtuoso Rush Limbaugh is distasteful to the NFL as part owner of a football team. Barack Obama’s boss, unrepentant Nazi collaborator, George Soros apparently, meets the NFL’s “very high standard”. Barbarian Michael Vick who superintended a dog fighting ring, tortured and executed dogs, including family pets, has been embraced by the same league. Limbaugh, who is guilty of being an forthright conservative, but has never served prison time, nor abetted the dispatch of credulous Jews to death camps, fails to meet the benchmarks for integrity set by the NFL.

About 30 animal rights protesters gathered outside the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday, waving signs decrying dogfighting in response to Michael Vick's arrival with the Philadelphia Eagles and drawing mostly praise from Raiders fans entering the stadium. Oakland has been the happy ending for many of the animals rescued from Vick's dogfighting and gambling operation in Virginia. Ten of the dogs in Vick's pit bull collection -- the ones that could be saved and rehabilitated -- found new lives in San Francisco's East Bay, fostered and treated by the group BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls). On Sunday,...

Media Bias: Not long after pro football welcomed a convicted felon back on the playing field, Rush Limbaugh is dropped for his opinions from a group seeking to buy an NFL franchise. Won't someone throw a flag? When even Keith Olbermann says back off, you know the politically correct critics of the conservative icon and megaradio talk host's proposed part ownership of the St. Louis Rams are guilty of piling on. The prospect of the leading conservative voice in America participating in the purchase of a football team sent the liberal elites into cardiac arrest and into a frenzied campaign...

NEW YORK — Michael Vick is back with Nike more than two years after the company severed ties over the quarterback's involvement in a dogfighting ring. The managing director of the agency that represents Vick announced the deal Wednesday while participating on a panel at the Sports Sponsorship Symposium. Michael Principe of BEST referred questions to Vick's agent, Joel Segal, who did not return calls from The Associated Press. Segal told SportsBusiness Journal that Vick will wear Nike shoes, gear and apparel, but would not reveal the terms of the agreement "Mike has had a great relationship with Nike and...

Five sacks of dog food for every sack? A heap of chow for each kapow? Today, Main Line Animal Rescue, in an ad in the Washington Post, has put a pledge behind its distaste for Michael Vick, the convicted Bad Newz Kennels conspirator. Each time the Eagles new gadget guy / backup quarterback is tackled during the Oct. 26 away game against the Redskins, five bags of dog food will be donated to a D.C. animal shelter...

In an unexpected move, Michael Vick might not be feeling venom outside of Lincoln Financial Field Thursday night but rather he will be feeling some puppy love as supporters planned to march the night that the controversial QB returns to the NFL. The Philadelphia Chapter of the NAACP, the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and other Philly-area civil rights groups were planning a “massive demonstration” outside of the Eagles preseason game against Jacksonville -- the game where Vick is expected to make his Eagles’ debut

In Texas this week former Colts NFL coach Tony Dungy talked about faith and Michael Vick's return to the NFL. Dungy who visited Vick while he was in prison on the dog fighting conviction asked Vick: "I asked Michael, 'Where was the Lord in all of this?' because I wanted to know about his personal faith in Jesus."

Eagles meet with animal rights groups ESPN.com news services PHILADELPHIA -- Animal rights groups and the Philadelphia Eagles are looking at ways they can join forces to combat dogfighting. The team drew criticism after hiring convicted dogfighting ringleader Michael Vick. He wasn't in attendance at Monday's meeting. Tom Hickey, chairman and founder of DogPAC, said he believes the upshot of the meeting was that the Eagles have a responsibility to battle dogfighting because they have employed Vick. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Hickey spearheaded a petition last week demanding the Eagles match Vick's salary in donations to local dog shelters...

So Michael Vick is an Eagle now. That’s ok with me. I’m a Giants fan. Or I was a Giants fan, when I could stand to follow pro football. For a long time now, I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch more than a few games a season. These days, I feel nearly as out-of-place at a Super Bowl party as I would at an Oscar party. Here in the DC area, the Redskins religion has begun its sacramental advent count-down to opening Sunday. I wish I could share the excitement. Part of the problem is that I’m...

Here is video of Fox News' Megyn Kelly going ballistic during a segment discussing Michael Vick's public plea for forgiveness in a 60 Minutes interview last night, and his return to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. Kelly does not believe he should be given a second chance in the NFL. As she discussed the topic with panelists, she got increasingly upset as what Vick did was described as a "mistake." That's when she went ballistic, saying: "How can do you condone giving anybody that shows that side of his character a second chance."Kelly clearly believes Donte Stallworth's manslaughter conviction...

Here is the complete video of the Michael Vick interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes which aired tonight. The video contains the entire 60 Minutes program for August 16, 2009. But the Vick interview is up first in it's entirety following the opening introduction to the program. Vick talks about how he ever got into dog-fighting, how he feels about it now, and where he goes from here. . . . (Watch Complete Video)

Here is a video clip from tonight's interview to air on CBS News 60 Minutes with NFL Quarterback Michael Vick, who has signed to play with the Philadelphia Eagles after leaving prison a few weeks ago. James Brown interviewed Vick and asked him "What About the Dogs?" He was asking why he beat, shot, and electrocuted dogs in a dog-fighting operation that landed the former Atlanta Falcons Quarterback in prison. Vick responded "It was wrong, J.B., it was wrong." . . . . (Watch Video)

The most talked abut and controversial sports story surrounds the signing of Michael Vick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Before I weigh in, I should disclose a few things. First, Vick was a favorite of mine in fantasy football. That's because his out of this world talent made him the perfect, potentially, fantasy football player. There was nothing more exciting in fantasy football than watching Michael Vick when he was on your team. Also, I am not especially an animal lover. I don't have any pets and I never have had any pets. (as I say, I have enough trouble taking...

ESPN just reports that Michael Vick signed 2 year contract with PHiladelphia Eagles.

Just heard on ESPN that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick to a 2 year contract!

Michael Vick(notes) is back in the NFL, landing a job with the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick’s agent, Joel Segal, confirmed Thursday that the sides had a deal.

"60 Minutes" just announced that Michael Vick will sit down for his first interview since admitting to dogfighting and serving time in prison for the crime. The interview is not being done by one of the "60 Minutes" regulars, but rather by CBS Sports NFL TODAY anchor James Brown. The segment will also include interviews with Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the U.S., and Tony Dungy, the former NFL coach who will be a special adviser to Vick. The former Atlanta Falcon's quarterback was released from federal custody last month and was given a conditional reinstatement to...

Some people just cannot wait for dog killer Michael Vick to return to professional football. The only thing this inter-species sadist deserves is universal derision. Let’s recap exactly why this former Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded guilty to running a dog-fighting ring, earning him 18 months in federal prison and house arrest until July 20. Vick helped kill eight dogs and injure dozens of others. According to his federal court filings, “Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of [co-defendants Purnell] Peace, [Quanis] Phillips and himself, Vick.” Other legal papers detail Vick’s...

There's Michael Vick, former starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, cruel torturer of helpless animals, and sometime promoter of dogfights. Vick personifies the modern comeback story in sports. His horrific acts of barbaric cruelty visited upon dogs in his kennel, as well as his part ownership of a statewide ring of dogfighting venues, led to his conviction in 2007 on several counts of participating in illegal dogfighting activities and supplying money for the gambling operation. He was sentenced to 23 months and was released in May of this year. After his arrest, Vick held what has become the obligatory mea...

NEW YORK – Michael Vick has been conditionally reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Vick can participate without delay in preseason practices, workouts and meetings and can play in the final two preseason games — if he can find a team that will sign him.

Michael Vick was released from federal custody Monday, with the sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation in Virginia expiring after he was imprisoned in Leavenworth, Kan., then on home confinement in Hampton, Va. There still is no indication, however, about whether he'll be reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell suspended Vick indefinitely prior to the 2007 season, and has not given a timetable for ruling on Vick's possible reinstatement. Goodell has said in recent months that he would not begin the decision-making process until after Vick's legal case concluded. He has said that Vick must demonstrate genuine...

Disgraced NFL star Michael Vick is scheduled to be released from federal prison soon, and many expect his release to come either overnight or sometime tomorrow. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is being deliberately vague about the timing of Vick's release, ESPN reports, because of concerns over his security. He'll serve the remainder of his sentence at home due to lack of space in a halfway house.

Jailed NFL Superstar Looks to Rehab Image After Dog-Fighting Rap NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Michael Vick is in talks to become the new spokesman for PETA. Yes, you read that correctly. The disgraced one-time NFL superstar serving prison time for funding an illegal dog-fighting ring is primed to do public-service ads for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals upon his release later this month. According to three people with knowledge of the matter, the proposed endorsement is part of a comprehensive PR scheme aimed at rehabilitating the quarterback's image and gaining him readmission to the league that banned him...

The Supreme Court agreed today to take up an unusual free-speech case to decide whether the government can make it a crime to sell or own videos portraying dog fighting or other acts of animal cruelty. All 50 states have laws against animal cruelty, and a decade ago, Congress made it illegal to sell or possess photos or videos of animals being maimed, mutilated, tortured, wounded or killed. The aim was to combat an underground trade in videos that showed dogs fighting or mauling other animals. The law included exceptions for depictions with serious religious, scientific or artistic value. Last...

Next time you hire a new contractor for your construction project, make sure to check the IDs of those employees who will be brought on board. If you see the name “Michael Vick,” don’t be surprised. According to a report last week from the Associated Press, suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick will join a construction company in Newport News, VA after finishing up his prison sentence. From multi-million dollar a year quarterback to $10 an hour construction worker, Vick will attempt to climb out of financial bankruptcy and shake the position of social pariah after his stunning fall from grace...

The day he went to jail, Michael Vick bought a $99,000 Mercedes. He cashed four checks that totaled $24,900. He gave $28,000 to the mother of his oldest child. He paid a public relations firm $23,000 and gave a friend $16,000. Altogether on Nov. 19, 2007, Vick spent $201,840. But for the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, the day was most remarkable for how it ended: behind bars, beginning what would be a nearly two-year sentence in a notorious dogfighting case. The day’s spending, in fact, was but a small part of the $18.2 million that flew out of Vick’s hands...

The witness said Vick and co-defendants Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips "thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to Bad Newz Kennels injure or kill the other dogs."

Five Atlanta Falcons players have been fined a total of $47,500 by the NFL for uniform violations that stemmed from demonstrations of their support for banished quarterback Michael Vick during the team's loss to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 10. Several hours before the game, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in an illegal dogfighting ring that was centered on property he owned in Virginia. Cornerbacks DeAngelo Hall and Chris Houston, wide receiver Roddy White and tight end Alge Crumpler each were fined $10,000. Wide receiver Joe Horn was fined $7,500. It is not...

Vick given a 23 month sentence. Plus 3 years of probation. Breaking.

Michael Vick's woes continue. Banks are lining up to sue him for unpaid loans. See links posted below.

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorOctober 8, 2007Des Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- Campaigning in Iowa over the weekend, pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama attempted to moderate his views on abortion and abstinence education. However, he made it clear he has no interest in limiting or reducing abortions and his pro-abstinence stance is tempered by his backing of sexual education.Speaking in the northeast town of New Hampton late Friday, Obama responded to a question in a forum from a Denver resident in the first primary state for a family reunion.The questioner asked Obama to reconcile how society gets upset at someone like Michael...

After long search, football star finds Jesus “hangin’ out” in courthouse restroom Michael Vick trades up! RICHMOND, VA – They say all dogs go to heaven. Well, after punching more than his share of canine tickets to paradise, Michael Vick seems to have finally found a little salvation for himself. After pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges last month, the world heard Michael Vick proclaim his newfound faith in Christ. “I found Jesus,” Vick told reporters outside the courthouse. “And turned my life over to God.” What most people don’t know is that Vick had actually been looking for Jesus...

Michael, Michael, Michael. I bet you never got hit playing football like you've been sacked by the media. The anger, outrage, humiliation and piling on has lasted for weeks. I'm sure it stung when Sen. Robert Byrd shouted repeatedly how barbaric and sadistic you were from the Senate floor. Then CNN's Nancy Grace labeled you a murderer - ouch. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called your conduct "cruel and reprehensible." I can't even repeat what many animal rights activists have said, but I'm sure you got the message. We love our puppies. So you lost a 10-year, $130-million contract, and got...

Michael Cook | Friday, 31 August 2007 The crimes of Michael Vick When dogs die in Virginia, there's a media frenzy. When patients die in New Orleans, there's silence. NFL quarterback Michael Vick faces 12 to 18 months in jail and the ruin of his brilliant career with the Atlanta Falcons -- for killing six or eight pit bulls and running a dogfighting operation in Virginia. "Barbaric". "Reprehensible". "Odious". The media was outraged. Even a remorseful Michael Vick sniffled that it was "a terrible thing". The leading animal rights groups, the Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment...

NEW YORK -- Whoopi Goldberg started her stint on ABC's "The View" Tuesday by coming to the defense of convicted felon Michael Vick. Just 15 minutes into the show she brought up Vick's conviction on dogfighting charges. "You know from his background this is not an unusual thing for where he comes from," said Goldberg. "There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country." Co-host Joy Behar seemed shocked at Goldberg's statements. "How about dog torture and dog murdering," Behar asked.

Taxpayers spared hit from Michael Vick's dogfighting misdeeds BY CHRISTIAN REDDAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERSaturday, September 1st 2007, 7:41 PM John Goodwin, the deputy manager for animal cruelty issues for The Humane Society of the United States, says that another negative fallout from dogfighting cases is that "the taxpayer gets hit" with the costs of housing and caring for the animals."That's one more cost of the (Michael) Vick case and these cases," says Goodwin. "These animal-control centers are municipal buildings funded by the government, so the taxpayer gets hit as a result."In the case of Vick, the disgraced Atlanta Falcons...

While the controversy surrounding Michael Vick continues to attract those who want to place blame on anyone and/or anything other than Michael Vick, a few stark realities present themselves all of which have an element of moral relativism. The sad fact of the matter is this; “thuggery” has seeped into every avenue of the American culture and our society is accepting it. That “thuggery” has been accepted in professional sports is a given. From the NBA to the NFL, the counter-culture, urban bad-boy image has been accepted as “cool.” One need only look at the offenses that professional athletes are...

A Boston judge sentences a man to probation and home confinement after his admission that he abducted and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy. A Nebraska judge sentences a convicted sex offender to probation and electronic monitoring because she fears for the mentally impaired man"s safety in prison. A Vermont judge sentences a child molester to 60 days in jail in order to facilitate his prompt treatment. Justice is hardly blind, if only because it is meted out by the colossal imperfection known as the human. And judges are as human as the person who comes to your home to fix...

The Michael Vick dogfighting scandal is morphing into a broader NFL dogfighting scandal, as other NFL players also appear to be involved in this very weird pastime. But as animal-rights groups get more aggressive in their accusations and demands, the whole scene is getting stranger. And the closer you look, the more you see the deep conflicts in core values that fracture our society. among PETA's prohibitions, is the use of animal skins. The ball, as in football, is an inflated leather object endearingly called the "pigskin." Why does PETA oppose existing NFL conduct policy, and not football itself? J.C....

Last week Hall disclosed here that, beyond "Us Weekly," her main news source is the New York Times. Two days earlier, Hall had defended CNN's "God's Warriors" by suggesting that Christian and Jewish groups could be the next to turn violent. Today comes further evidence of Hall's liberal leanings. The MSNBC newsperson has spoken openly of her participation in events on behalf of the National Organization for Women. The admission arose on today's "Morning Joe" at 6:09 A.M. EDT. Host Joe Scarborough, discussing the Michael Vick case, suggested that whereas there has been tremendous media focus on the dogfighting charges,...

Who's Killed More Animals? Vick Case Ignites Battle Over Animal Rights PETA Defends Euthanasia for Sick, Dying Pets: 'A Tragic Kindness' By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES Aug. 27, 2007 The fur is flying in an increasingly acrimonious fight over animal rights between two nonprofit groups after revelations that NFL star Michael Vick ran a dogfighting ring. The Center for Consumer Freedom took a full-page ad in The New York Times today, citing the Vick case and accusing rival organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) of hypocrisy and animal euthanasia. "Who's Killed More Animals," the ad asked  Michael...

Now that Michael Vick is going to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge related to the dog fighting allegations against him, he is likely to be suspended from the National Football League, possibly for life. He and his co-defendants (who have already pleaded guilty) should rest assured, however, that a multitude of job opportunities await them that will make extensive use of their unique talents. As reported by the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/24/AR2007082402081.html?hpid=topnews), In or about April 2007, PEACE, PHILLIPS, VICK, and two others “rolled” or “tested” additional “Bad Newz Kennels” dogs by putting the dogs through fighting sessions at 1915...

The crash you heard last week was the fall to earth of Michael Vick, who, in one off-season, went from NFL superstar to object of near-universal scorn. Vick’s indefinite suspension following an admission of crimes related to dog fighting was well deserved, albeit tardy. In a perfect world, it would prompt reflection that all people might be created equal in the eyes of God, but not in the spotlight of celebrity.

Michael Vick was always something of an Allen Iverson for Atlanta. Without him, the team is terrible, and with him, the team can never be great. He’s a wonderful athlete who dominates little more than the highlight reel. Truth be told, I seriously doubt the Falcons would have ever succeeded with Vick at the helm. As far as I’m concerned, the dog-fighting scandal was one of the best things that could have happened to the Falcons. They had to get rid of him somehow, even if they didn’t want to accept it. Michael Vick had a special appeal with the...

There have been some celebrities defending the dog killings by Michael Vick. However, none of the defenses of Vick are as bizarre as those put forward by Lawrence O'Donnell in his Huffington Post blog, What's Wrong with Killing Dogs? What's wrong with what Michael Vick did? I have no inclination to do what he did with dogs, but I have no comprehension of what all the fuss is about. Most people who are upset about killing dogs or letting them attack each other have at some point in their lives caught a fish, which is as extreme a form of...

Warning! Graphic Images Repeated from two weeks ago because of Vick taking the plea deal Liberals Demand Tough New Laws to Protect All Animals … Buy Only Animals by Ricky Acuchillador Gee, all segments total, self-righteous liberal America were outraged by Michael Vick’s admittance of guilt for interstate trafficking of fighting dogs, which included hanging eight, and ripping others alive limb by limb. How about asking them what they think of unborn Humans?Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, along with Suzie Drempt, executive vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, appeared on the Glitzer Hoof program...