Ron Mexico's on a shorter leash

Far from being over, this is just the beginning:

Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a possible prison term.

I wonder if he'll really serve any prison time. I sure hope so; he certainly deserves it. He also deserves to have his career go down the tubes. What's the NFL going to do now about the situation? They can't stick their heads in the sand anymore and make lame excuses. Something tells me that Roger Goodell will really stick it to Vick. He has to!

"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding the charges pending against him," lead defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement. "Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made. Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

After reading that, Chanuck commented, "What about all the dogs that were hurt?" No kidding. Those poor animals.

Martin's announcement came as a grand jury that could add new charges met in private. Prosecutors had said that a superseding indictment was in the works, but Vick's plea most likely means he will not face additional charges.

You have to wonder how bad those new charges could have been in order for him to plead out. I don't even want to know.

I hope Joey Harrington has a career year, just to piss Vick off and make him even more irrelevant. (Because even if Vick spent some time in prison and was suspended from the NFL for a while, you just know the Bengals or Raiders would want him. He'd fit right in with the rest of the felons.)

ESPN is interviewing Ray Buchanan, Vick's former teammate. This guy is unbelievable! He's upset that "they're" making an example out of Vick, and complained that Vick is a superstar who's done so much for the NFL and city of Atlanta, and shouldn't be treated this way. Buchanan says itt's basically just a "he said/she said thing" with the co-defendants turning against him; Vick was hung out to dry. According to Buchanan, Vick was blindsided when he went in front of Goodell and didn't know what to do. Vick learned his lesson. Buchanan, who claims to know the history of dogfighting, explained that Virginia has been allowing dogfighting for 40 years down in that area and questioned why they'd go after someone now. It's a conspiracy! That was one illuminating interview; I'm so glad Ray Buchanan was there to explain it all.

What takes the cake are the delusional fans in Atlanta. Not all of them, mind you, just people like this (in response to the AJC's query, "Can Michael Vick redeem himself?"):

By jimmy:
mike doesn’t have to do a thing. sometime over the next few months it will all come out that this was one big set-up and then all of you so called fans will be sorry that you don’t have mike as your qb.

Sorry, Jimmy, I don't think he would have pled guilty if it was "one big set-up." Keep playing though!

By yes he can:
Yes, he can. I will not change the way I view Vick. It is not like those things was done to humans. I think he should donate money to PETA buy them however many pitbills they said he killed. Lose his so call friends and family. Move forward with his life doing positive things. There are people out there that has done worst and have moved on to be better and positive people.

Where to start? Buy PETA a bunch of "pitbills?" I don't think that's what they're after. Learning how to treat animals properly is the point. Just because they're animals and not humans doesn't mean anything; if he treats animals that way, he'll likely treat humans that way too.

By Alicia:
I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN about dogs over Vick. You will see that game time when you see empty seats. Thats is my opinion and I am sticking to it. I do not give a f**k. He will still play even after serving time. Sorry that disappoints you. I believe people make mistakes as I am sure you dumb azzes have. I don’t give a damn and there is nothing you can say.

She must be a joy at parties, assuming she's ever invited to any. Sadly, this heartless attitude is typical of a lot of Falcons fans. I can only hope she is extremely disappointed in the outcome of Vick's career.

Here's one sane voice:

By Shawn:
You guys that keep saying it’s no biggie because he didn’t kill a human being need to wake up. IT’S THE LAW! Kidnapping doesn’t result in death, neither does bank robbery, but they are LAWS that you have to live by. To do what he did to those dogs with the hanging, drowning, and electrocution shows nothing but a sociopath and I’m glad he’s going to go to prison and maybe get the help he needs.

(photo courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via The Sports Pulse)