Sources: Vick to get 4 game suspension

WHAT?! Seriously? Marshawn gets 3 for a misdemeanor and Vick only gets 4 after a lengthy prison term? As is well known on this site, I do believe Vick should be allowed his second chance, but I can't believe he will only get 4 games. This makes Goodell's "punishments" look even more capricious.

4 months ago silverstreak3k 31 comments 0 recs |

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4 GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS IT?!?!?!?!?!!?

That right there pretty much garantess that marshawn’s suspention gets reduced to one game after appeal.

The worst part of that would be the future ramifications on suspentions. If Vick only gets 4 games for what he did then everyone else who doesn’t get jail time just got whatever suspention they are handed reduced down to 1 or two games. Heck, by this standard, Pacman Jones should have only received a 2 game suspention and Marshawn shouldn’t have received one at all.

I think that anything less then a 10 game suspention is a slap in the face of every other player that has ever been suspended for his off feild actions while Goodell has been in charge.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 23, 2009 10:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you're wrong

It’s because of the jail term that he wasn’t suspended any longer. Vick actually paid a real debt to society, unlike many other players who, like MArshawn, have gotten no more than slaps on the wrist more their minor offenses. Now, Marshawn’s offense was less severe than Vick’s, but the point of the suspensions is also to deter a player from any further trouble. MArshawn is a second time offender in the eyes of the league, and while it isn’t a reason for the small length of the suspension, Vick was only a first time offender.
Finally, Vick is two years out of the game, and while the 4 game suspension will only give Vick more time to get in shape for the NFL, I do think it is fair considering the circumstance.

The Bills CAN win any game

by killascript on Jul 23, 2009 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you in a lot of ways on this, killascript.

I also think Goodell may be sending the message: If you want to come back to the NFL, it won’t be a piece of cake, but I’m not going to make it impossible on you. He’s giving teams a way of deciding on their own, rather than make the suspension so long it would be stupid for a team to sign him.

I also agree that, unlike most, he has paid a real debt to society.

"I know I'm a true receiver..." Roscoe Parrish, Buffalo Bills - May 2009
"In my heart, I know I'm funny." Lt Steven Hauk, Good Morning Vietnam - 1987

by thefourwinds on Jul 24, 2009 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now while I’m leaning towards agreeing with your argument, and while I certainly do agree that Vick did pay off his debt to society, I think that you are forgetting one very important thing: it is not a right to play in the NFL, it is a priviledge. By that I mean that simply because he has paid off his debt to society does not mean that he should get a lesser suspension from the NFL.

Here’s where this gets tricky. Should his two years in prison also count as two years where he was forcebly held from playing in the league? My answer is no. Not because I hold a grudge against him for what he did (full disclaimer, I think that what he did was absolutly horrible and discusting, but as I said before, he has paid his debt to society), but because I think that a 4 game suspension is not enough to pay off his debt to the NFL. In my mind he still has a debt to pay to the NFL, to the Atlanta Falcons, and more importantly, to the fans that believed in him. Simply giving him a 4 game suspension does not make that better in any way.

This is where I come back to saying that playing in the NFL is a priviledge. And Vick needs to earn back that priviledge. To me a 4 game suspension does not cut it because it does not suficiantly repair the harm that he did to the NFL. I would say that a half season (minimum) would not only be more appropriate for Vick’s situation, but also send a stronger message to other players that criminal conduct is simply unacceptable and that the punishment handed to you in the court system will not be held into account when re-aplying for availability to play in the NFL.

Now it is important to note that I do think that Vick should be alloowed to return to the NFL, and that I do hope to see him have success on the feild again. After all he was one of the most entertaining and physically talented players to ever play in the NFL. But that alone should not grant him the right to come back after such a short suspension when you take into consideration the harm that he has caused the NFL with his actions.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 24, 2009 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

agreed.....I would have given him 8-10 games

"I BET YOU IF WE PUT A 12 DOZEN GLAZE DONUTS AT THE OTHER END ON KICK RETURN JAIME DUKES WILL BE OUR NUM # 1 RETURNER …… HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES DUKE APPLE PIE PUNKEN EATER DWINKE SMASHER DING DONG FLABER" - abayarde

by Joe P. on Jul 24, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, Vick is essentially suspended four games, in addition to the two years he’s already been forced to miss.

by kaisertown on Jul 24, 2009 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he missed 2 years

CUZ HE WAS IN JAIL!!!! im sorry but he should be suspended at the least 8 games. felony >misdemeanor. i get your arguments, but saying his time in jail equals a 2 year suspension is flawed logic. it was impossible for him to play those two years, therefore the suspension was practically moot. that shouldnt count in my opinion.

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Jul 24, 2009 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutly agree. Hence my above argument that his legal punishment should not be counted as a factor to his punishment in this league. He may have paid off his debt to society, but a 4 game suspension does not even begin to pay off his Debt to the Atlanta Falcons, the NFL or the fans.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 24, 2009 1:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hear ya. And I would have supported a longer suspension. Although I wouldn’t have really cared if he was reinstated without a suspension either. I get the point about a league suspension being seperate from the legal punishment, but the league suspension has to be related to what the court/jury decided. What if Vick would have served another two or three years in jail? Wouldn’t you be supportive of a quicker reinstatement? Or what if Vick had managed to dodge the legal system somehow? If Vick had avoided jailtime, wouldn’t you have wanted a suspension way longer than 8 games?

I’m not debating that he should have been suspended for a different amount of games, just that the two years of missed time, the lost money, the jail time, and everything else Vick has and will go through is at least a little bit of a factor. The guy is complete scum and I hope he gets blackballed and never touches a football in the NFL again, but I get why Goodell isn’t giving too long of a suspension.

by kaisertown on Jul 24, 2009 2:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

no i get it

and i have long said i hope vick gets his second chance. but, a year suspension would have been warranted. it would have been warranted whether he ducked the system or was in there for 10 years. this is only saying that once you get out of jail, your welcome to come back at a very small punishment imposed by the league. the league should take a stand, if it can suspend henry for 10 games, it should have for him. this isnt vick’s first go-round either. his flicking off the fans, the “weed-water bottle” incident.

also my main point is, ok so vick an ex-felon that has had run-ins with the league before and gets 4 games….ok. even if i accept that, how does that explain lynch’s punishment? consistency here is a problem. i just dont see how a felony is worth only one more game than a misdemeanor gun in a trunk…..thats my main problem.

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Jul 24, 2009 2:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i just dont see how a felony is worth only one more game than a misdemeanor gun in a trunk…..thats my main problem.

As MonStarr says below, he was suspended indefinitely, and I do believe he didn’t go to jail until sometime during or after the 07 season….and you have to let go of this idea that Lynch and vick’s troubles are related in any way. You are comparing a man who actually spent time in jail and away from the game to someone who has seen no sucj jail time or real punishment.

The Bills CAN win any game

by killascript on Jul 24, 2009 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point about the indefinite suspension. I looked it up and Vick missed 10 games before going to jail. Vick also voluntarily started serving his jail time in November, but wasn’t actually sentenced until December. In a league with no consequences for discipline, Vick almost could have played the entire 2007 season before going to jail.

by kaisertown on Jul 24, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok so ill give you the 10 games in 07

i didnt realize that. still 4 is less than i would expect. so going with my one year thing…..i would advocate a 6 game suspension this year. thats 16 games and more than fair i think.

and i think your wrong i should be able to compare the two. they are both crimes and were both punished by suspensions…i dont think theres that much difference besides the severity….which i argue makes it so vick should be punished more.

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Jul 24, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok I didn’t realise the 10 games missed in ’07. And that does make the 4 game suspention more rational. That being said, I still feel that he is geting off easy this year with a 4 game suspesion. Taking into consideration the 10 games prior to his jail time does warrant a lesser suspension after it.

I still feel that a 4 game suspension is letting him get off easy right now. I’d still feel better with an 8 game suspension, or a 6 gamer. 4 just seems too weak to me.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 24, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

this isnt vick’s first go-round either. his flicking off the fans, the "weed-water bottle" incident.

Good point. I totally forgot about that stuff. While not discipline worthy, the Ron Mexico thing was also awesome.

You can’t look at the jail time and the suspension as two seperate things though. I don’t think you can combine them and say that Vick was suspended for 36 games, but if didn’t spend two years in jail, then the suspension would have been much longer. So you can’t say that he was only suspended for four games, because he would have missed at least one entire season if he didn’t serve the jail time.

by kaisertown on Jul 24, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he was already suspended indefinitely

and he went to prison. i dont think a 4 game suspension is really necessary. i mean whats the 4 additional games going to teach him? im not sure if his time in prison has rehabilitated him or not but only time will tell with that.

by billsstein on Jul 24, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Goodell suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007....

So in reality, he’s already been suspended for 2 years & now add 4 games. Granted some jail time was thrown in there, how much more time do you want to give the guy? What else does he have to do to be allowed to continue with his life (football wise) to make people happy? He’ll continue to be persecuted by PETA and others. Tons of people get alot less punishment then Vick received for doing a whole lot more. I think Roger got it right this time.

P.S. I am a dog lover. But I’m a people lover 1st. I also eat meat & wear leather…..

Aaron Maybe?

by MonStarr_716 on Jul 24, 2009 7:14 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

The NFL suspension during his time in jail is

irrelevant. Even if Goodell had lifted the suspension while he was in jail, he still couldn’t have played.

by Joe P. on Jul 24, 2009 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

However, the fact that he actually served time in jail is NOT an irrelevant matter IMO in how Goodell should make his decision. Should Vick be prevented from even having an opportunity to make a living at what he does any more than he already has?

Notice right now that I’m NOT saying Vick should be handed another starting QB job. But that is different from literally preventing him from even having the opportunity to earn a spot on a team. A longer suspension would make it a killer for any team to even consider giving him a shot.

If you don’t like Vick, don’t root for him, don’t buy his merchandise, whatever. But I think to forcibly prevent him from having the opportunity to earn a spot on a team is way beyond what is necessary, and simply sounds like childish revenge mentality by the people who propose it.

"I know I'm a true receiver..." Roscoe Parrish, Buffalo Bills - May 2009
"In my heart, I know I'm funny." Lt Steven Hauk, Good Morning Vietnam - 1987

by thefourwinds on Jul 24, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

for seven years Vick

woke up every day, funded, and participated in a federal felony. Let that soak in for awhile………….I really don’t care if Vick gets a shot to play this year or not.

by Joe P. on Jul 24, 2009 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you Joe.

I really think that this is a case where the punishment did not fit the crime. That is to say that he got off easy. How many times do we hear about regular guys getting 5 to 10 for the same crimes that Vick commited? 2 years was a joke for what he did, had it been you or me we would have easily served a sentance that was 3 times as long.

Vick got off easy because he’s an NFL player/celebrity.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 24, 2009 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How many times do we hear about regular guys getting 5 to 10 for the same crimes that Vick commited?

Uhh, never? I haven’t heard about too many dogfighting rings and the punishments received!!!

Talk about a joke sentence, go look at Leonard Little back in the day, or Donte Stallworth this year.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Jul 24, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you K

How about T. Henry? O.J.? J. Lewis? The list goes on & on, & on.

The facts are Vick was already suspended for darn near a full season prior to going to jail, Now he’s got 4 more games (a month) until he can play again. Can somebody seriously tell me how much longer he should be suspended for?

Aaron Maybe?

by MonStarr_716 on Jul 25, 2009 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It might just be that the punishments for animal cruelty are harsher in Canada then the US. Becuase if Vick was caught doing that up here it would have been 5 to 10.

But i will entirely agree Leonard Little’s and Donte Stallworth’s sentances were joke. I mean seriously, you divre drunk, you kill someone and you spend 27 days in prison for it? What the he** was that?!?!?1

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 25, 2009 4:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I mean seriously, you divre drunk, you kill someone and you spend 27 days in prison for it? What the he** was that?!?!?1

I can’t beleive that either – if I were the family i’d be so upset at that.

It’s pretty unbeleivable actually – very unfortunate

I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying

by J2 on Jul 27, 2009 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I never said he should be banned for life

But I think to forcibly prevent him from having the opportunity to earn a spot on a team is way beyond what is necessary, and simply sounds like childish revenge mentality by the people who propose it.

But I don’t think that making him wait a year to play is over the top. He should use that time to prove he is a changed person. Work with an animal charity. Do some good.

by Joe P. on Jul 24, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe from your perspecitive it’s irrelevant, but in a legal sense it isn’t. What’s the difference between being suspended and then going to jail or being suspended and suffering an injury? You can’t suspend somebody and then say, well you broke you leg and can’t play anyways so the suspension won’t start until your healthy.

Ask your self if you would suspend Vick for the same amount of time if he had accepted some sort of deal where he would rat on people to avoid jail time, served the year or two that he did, or spent 10 years in jail. I don’t think we should consider every game that Vick missed in jail to equal being suspended for one game, but the jail time has to be some kind of factor.

by kaisertown on Jul 24, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why does it have to be a factor ?

Lets say Goodell lifted the suspension a month after Vick went to jail. Does that mean he would miss any less games? Once he was put in jail, what the NFL did to him over that time was irrelevant. I had no effect on his ability to play football.

by Joe P. on Jul 24, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

EG-FREAKNG-SACTLY

joe and i have gone over vick before when we didnt agree…..so its good to see us agree on vick for once. but seriously how can you count them together? it was IMPOSSIBLE for him to play those two years…..the suspension was moot….there might as well not been one.

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Jul 24, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed that the jail time does have a factor in this. But what I’m saying is that has too smal of a factor in the final equasion. Vick may have paid off his dept to society, but the damage he caused the NFL and the Falcons was almost irreperable. The fact that the Falcons are a good team now is nothing short of miracle work on the part of the their GM and how quickly he rebuilt the team.

I say that Vick still has a big dept to repay to the NFL.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jul 24, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs