
So many angles this morning. So much unfocused chatter. So much senseless blathering from Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg in their first hour about how Roger Goodell cannot suspend Vick. Whatever. Star-fuckers. More on that in a minute.
Start with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mark Bradley juxtaposing Vick's career with the Falcons with dates of some of the alleged misdeeds in the indictment. And in wondering just how heated this issue is in Atlanta, do note that the paper has, as of this morning, still suspended comments on the story.
Linger for a moment on the disingenuosness of the NFL's initial statement on Vick's indictment. Dis. in. gen. u. ous. The money shot in the NFL's statement:
"We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."
What. the. fuck? As Matt Mosely points out in Hashmarks' most recent entry, no one much recalls Goodell being all worried about due process with, say, Pacman Jones. If THAT's the way the NFL is going to play this, then, well, hypocrite is as hypocrite does. And if they try some "repeat offense" line of excuse-making to avoid making a decision, that's not going to really make sense either. Goodell in essence suspended Pacman Jones for repeatedly embarrassing the league. Never been convicted of anything. Just generally embarrassing as an employee. Vick recently embarrassed the league with water bottle secret compartment thing. Now the dog thing. Seems repeat to me. And, before you point out Vick wasn't charged on the water bottle thing, Pacman wasn't charged following a few of his celebrated arrests.
Which leads me to this (thanks for the heads up from Peter Edmiston and Ron Tillery on Sports 560 WHBQ in Memphis) from Jason Cole at Yahoo Sports, who has some quotes from unnamed sources in the commish's office that make sense:
"Where (Vick) is in the most trouble is that he lied to the commissioner," a league source said. "He told (Goodell) in April that he didn't know anything about this. The commissioner gave (Vick) every chance to come clean, be straight about what was going on. Instead, he just kept denying it."
And there it is. That meeting was in April. And according to the indictment, that was the same month that Vick was himself executing animals. It's not like any of this was ancient history.
To protect the NFL brand, Goodell has to act. The league is bigger than its individuals. If the league punts, other than showing Goodell to be a supreme hypocrite, it will open up an unreal and overwhelmingly noisy circus at every Falcons game this season and the publicity will be awful and will always be the lead over the game (or equally paramount with the game). There's no need for that. Suspend him under the same conduct policy that the others were suspended under. The NFL through Goodell has already hinted it can do just that. So do it. (Gary Myers in the Daily News all over it with this line: "Vick certainly fits the description of putting at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL - one of the criteria for discipline in Goodell's new personal conduct policy - even he is found not guilty.")
I am guessing infinite + one words will be spoken and spilled on this in the coming months (years). The discussion is unspooling in the Swamp here. Drop by with a thought or two.