Tag: Michael Vick dog fighting (Page 7 of 8)

      Marshawn Lynch’s momma ready to crack the whip

      February 25, 2009 /

      No matter how much money or fame a professional athlete makes, it still doesn’t allow them to escape the wrath of their mothers.

      Case in point, Marshawn Lynch’s momma is growing tired of her son’s recent behavior according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

      Marshawn Lynch“Somebody said his mom must have loosened the leash,” she said in an interview. “If I have to grab the leash back, I’ll do it. Whether you’re 22 or 52, I’ll do it.”

      She said Marshawn Lynch, 22, has had trouble adjusting to his new life, the one with the $10 million in guaranteed money from a six-year, $18.9 million contract he signed after being the 12th pick of the 2007 NFL draft.

      “It’s been a big culture change for him,” she said. “It’s a shock. It hasn’t really sunk in to Marshawn – the stardom and everything that goes with it. He doesn’t like the media attention. I told him at Cal, ‘You’re a role model now.’ ”

      Another close friend, who didn’t want to be identified, said, “He’s a good person, but he’s hanging around with the wrong people. He needs to grow up.”

      Marshawn seems like a good kid, but if the close friend is right and he’s hanging out with the wrong people, that’s not good.

      When the dog-fighting story became public early last year, reports surfaced that Michael Vick was hanging out with the wrong people. Not that Lynch and Vick are the same person or that Marshawn is fighting dogs in his spare time, but friends can often have an influence on your behavior. And I’m sure it’s hard for these athletes to make millions of dollars and try to convince their childhood friends that they’re still the same person but in the case of Lynch, he needs to forget about impressing his crew and start cleaning up his act.

      As Vick proved, all of the money and fame can be taken away in a heartbeat if you start getting mixed up in the wrong things off the gridiron.

      NFL

      Vick could move to halfway house soon

      January 31, 2009 /

      According to Michael Vick’s lawyer, the suspended NFL quarterback could move to a halfway house ‘any day’ now.

      Michael Vick“He’s in the process of being released to the halfway house,” attorney Paul Campsen told Judge Frank Santoro. “We expect it to occur any day.”

      But the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has not given Vick’s attorneys a specific date for the move, which Campsen said could occur with only “a day or so” notice.

      Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan., for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy. He is scheduled for release July 20 but could serve the last few months of his term at a halfway house in Newport News, his hometown.

      “We believe he is ultimately going to be reinstated by the NFL,” said another Vick bankruptcy attorney, Michael Blumenthal.

      NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has not said whether he will lift Vick’s suspension after his release. Vick once was the league’s highest-paid player before his indictment and guilty plea left both his finances and his reputation in tatters. He filed for bankruptcy protection in July, claiming assets of $16 million and liabilities of $20.4 million.

      Papers filed in his bankruptcy case show exceptionally poor management of Vick’s fortune, including lavish and often unexplained spending and an array of questionable investments. The case has been complicated by poor record keeping and Vick’s sketchy knowledge of where his money was going.

      Santoro said Vick’s finances could be “charitably described as in freefall” when he filed his bankruptcy petition.

      Vick’s freefall must be one of the biggest in celebrity history. Not only did this guy get locked up for running a dog fighting scandal in his backyard, but he also blew all of his money and now is bankrupt. Did he just think that money was going to fall out of the sky whenever he needed it? What a disaster.

      NFL

      Michael Vick a 49er? Don’t hold your breath.

      January 25, 2009 /

      With the 49ers set to interview former Falcons’ head coach Dan Reeves and former Atlanta offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, internet speculation revved up the possibility of San Fran reaching out to suspended quarterback Michael Vick once he gets out of federal prison.

      But Matt Maiocco’s of the Press Democrat.com mocks the idea in his latest blog entry:

      Michael VickPut all that together and it seems obvious to me that the 49ers have decided to acquire Vick when/if he is able to resume his career after serving his sentence, as well as any suspension Roger Goodell might impose.

      But that is not all I’ve learned in recent days:

      –The 49ers’ plan to go after Vick was actually Plan B. The first idea was to acquire Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss, and build a dome to replace Candlestick.

      This would’ve been the plan if Scott Linehan had just said yes to the 49ers’ offer to become offensive coordinator. Linehan was coordinator of a top-4 ranked Vikings offense for three consecutive seasons with Culpepper and Moss as his main weapons under the roof of the Metrodome. But when Linehan declined the 49ers’ offer, the 49ers had no other choice but to rip apart that plan and begin their planning to get Vick.

      –The 49ers will do whatever’s necessary to select Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Oher in the draft.

      Oher’s first year in college was 2005. That is the same season that Micheal Spurlock concluded his Ole Miss career. The 49ers signed Spurlock to a contract this week. Hel-LOOOO! I mean, can you even conceive a scenario in which the 49ers would sign Spurlock if it wasn’t already a done deal that they’d soon be getting Oher? All you have to do is connect the dots on this one. Oh, yeah, and Patrick Willis is already on the team. This one is just way too easy.

      –The 49ers plan to lure Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana out of retirement.

      Coach Mike Singletary hired Tom Rathman to join his staff as running backs coach. Singletary is being just a little too obvious about his intentions. Obviously, the best way to get Montana out of retirement is to hire a former teammate to the staff. You read it here first.

      Singletary has not announced Shaun Hill will be the starter in 2009 for one very good reason. How can Hill be the starter with Montana on the team?

      Even though Maiocco has every right to mock the notion, the idea isn’t that far fetched. After all, Reeves did draft Vick in 2001 and the thought of Dan and Singletary teaming up to straighten Mikey out isn’t that bad of an idea.

      But if you remember correctly, Reeves and Vick didn’t necessarily end on the best of terms. They had a great working relationship up until midseason of 2003 when Reeves questioned whether or not Vick was being overly cautious with the fractured fibula he suffered in a preseason game that year. Reeves, presumably worried about losing his job, wanted Vick to play a hell of a lot sooner than Week 13, which was the first time Mike returned to the field after suffering the injury. But Vick kept proclaiming he wouldn’t be 100% if he had come back any sooner than that, so why force it? Reeves was eventually fired a week and a half later and we all know what happened to Vick.

      Not that the two couldn’t put that little squabble behind them (if they haven’t already) to work together again, but that’s just another thing to keep in mind if you want to buy the Vick-to-San Francisco rumors that have been circulating. Personally, I don’t think Singletary would take a shot on Vick. He wants players that will be dedicated on the field – not to their twisted hobbies off it.

      NFL

      Michael Vick…in a Bears uniform?

      January 7, 2009 /

      Carol Slezak of the Chicago Sun-Times likes the idea of the Bears possibly showing interest in Michael Vick once he gets done sporting an orange jumpsuit.

      Michael VickBefore his hidden life became public knowledge, Vick was the most exciting player in the NFL and one of its most popular players, as well. The former No. 1 overall pick is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and took the Falcons to the playoffs twice. And while he wasn’t a great passer, his running ability made him a constant threat. Defenses had to respect him, and they did.

      No, we don’t know what kind of shape he’ll be in after nearly two years in prison. But Vick always has been a remarkable athlete, and he’s only 28. Good quarterbacks are tough to develop and tough to find on the open market. The position has been a particular challenge for the Bears throughout franchise history. Not that I’m ruling Kyle Orton out of the picture, mind you. But Angelo has made his priorities clear. If nothing else, he wants to see competition at the position. Vick would do the trick.

      Let’s assume he will leave federal prison rehabilitated in every way. Let’s assume he has learned the serious nature of his crimes and is repentant. Let’s assume he is drug-free. Let’s assume that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reinstates him. Under these circumstances, is there any reason why the Bears shouldn’t be interested in him?

      When considering Vick’s future, let’s not pretend the NFL is filled with perfect citizens. For every all-around good guy like Mike Brown, there’s another Plaxico Burress or Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson waiting to be found out. Vick deserves a chance to resume his career. There will be strings attached, of course. Morals clauses and counseling sessions and whatever else the league or a team might ask for to cover its risk. But in all likelihood, Vick will get another chance somewhere. Why not here?

      Talent has never been the issue with Vick. But what Carol seems to forget is that Vick was a distraction before he was ever labeled a dog-fighter. He allegedly gave a woman the herp, he allegedly used a trick water bottle to hide marijuana, he gave the double-fingered salute to the Georgia Dome crowd…and then he was busted for killing innocent animals. (While traveling with Vick early in his career, one of his friends also stole a watch from an airport employee, which the Falcons successfully swept under the rug.)

      And that’s just his off-field accomplishments. Let’s not forget that he has trouble hitting receivers — which the Bears don’t have, by the way — on a consistent basis, often carries the ball like a loaf of bread and has been labeled an athlete that would rather rely more on his God-given talent than his brain.

      The Bears should pass; they’re better off with Kyle Orton. Unless prison has made him a new man (highly doubtful), than Vick’s more trouble than he’s worth for Chicago. I believe that everyone deserves a second chance, but Vick was well past his second chance when the dog-fighting story came to light.

      NFL

      Falcons’ Mike Smith wins NFL Coach of the Year

      January 4, 2009 /

      The Atlanta Falcons are owners of this season’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and now they’re the owners of the AP Coach of the Year as Mike Smith took home the honors on Sunday.

      Mike SmithAtlanta’s Smith edged Miami’s Sparano by one vote Sunday for The Associated Press 2008 NFL Coach of the Year award.

      Both coaches oversaw sensational turnarounds, leading their teams from last-place finishes in 2007 to playoff berths this year. Their achievements were reflected by the closeness of the balloting, with Smith getting 23½ votes and Sparano 22½ from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.

      After improving from 4-12 to 11-5 and making the NFC playoffs as a wild card, the Falcons fell 30-24 at Arizona on Saturday night. That should not detract from a memorable season that bodes well for the football future in Atlanta.

      “I think we have tried to establish that we’d be very systematic in how we did things, that we were going to have a plan,” said Smith, who helped guide quarterback Matt Ryan to the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

      Considering the Dolphins were 1-15 last year, Sparano was just as deserving. But what put Smith over the top was the job he did with a rookie quarterback and the fact that Atlanta’s problems last year were more nationally covered, from Michael Vick’s arrest for dog fighting, to Bobby Petrino’s escape to Arkansas.

      Some football purists are going to be steamed with Smith edging Sparano, but he was truly just as deserving. Both of these coaches were miracle workers this season and equally deserving of the award.

      NFL

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