MIKE VICK IN BUFFALO.....WHAT???? No, not right now

[Marc in MontrÈal]

While I don't think Mike Vick is a Super Bowl caliber QB, he would solve our OL problems right away as he can make something out of nothing, and nothing is a lot of what you get with our current OL.

[PromoTheRobot]

This is true... An animal is an animal. I dont agree with or support dog fighting, but to say that Vick is a sociopathic killer is a bit much. People hunt animals for sport as well. Why devalue an animal's life because it is your food? People in China have long been connected with eating dogs.

Animals get eaten in the wild. That's nature. Humans eat meat. That is nature too. When a deer gets killed while hunting, it basically has one bad day. The rest of its life was spent living free. An animal living in a factory farm suffers every day of its life and is killed in a painful inhumane manner.

 

The problem with PETA is their actions turn people off to a real truth about animal suffering. There is nothing wrong with farming animals for food but the drive to do it cheaper and more efficiently has created animal torture chambers. If you find Vick's actions repulsive take the next step and buy meat that is raised humanely.

 

PTR

[Red]

I hate what Vick did and cant cheer for him.

 

However, I would be more irate because of the Bills FO.

 

It would be so obvious that this is a move by Russ Brandon to falsely spur ticket sales again one season, without the Bills committing too much green in the way of a leaner meaner front office or a head coach. They wouldnt have to pay for a 1st round QB either. Im not going to fall for it again. If they sign Vick and do not do anything else significant, I think it is very obvious they plan on milking everyone in Buffalo until the lease is up or Ralph dies.... when it is time to bolt for Toronto.

 

And doesn't that just infuriate you?

 

I was excited when I read this this morning. I thought that a real QB (who once was the poster boy of the NFL prior to his dog killing ring broke news) could really be an exciting thing.

 

I then went so far to think to myself: "hmm...Dungy as personal advisor for Vick...Jauron most likely gone after this season...Bills sign Vick...also will be looking for head coach...Dungy is "retired"...Bills may then hire Dungy!!!!!"

 

Ofcourse, then I came on here, and was slapped back to reality that with Brandon making the call, and him being a marketing guy, and being similar to the Owens contract, a Vick signing would be another ploy to sell seats. A strategy to sell more suites in Toronto.

 

But NOT a strategy with which to build a team.

 

I know that some will come on here and be staunch supporters of such a move. All that I can say is that time will tell. But if Owens signing for a 1-year deal is an indicator, and now the rumors will be flying about the Bills in the market for Vick, is this what we will be? A town with a marketing guy-turned-GM who sells the team like some circus, with a new gate attraction every year ("look at the 4 armed man! What a great WR he could be...")?

And if Modrak and Guy were to stay entrenched for another year, with no change in the front office, then a marketing ploy is all that it would be.

[rstencel]

i said it before. He comes to Buffalo, see ya.

 

+1

[jester43]

wilson, brandon and the other pinheads at obd have really hit a new low if they think the fans are going to fall for this ****. vick's not only a sociopath, he isn't even a good quarterback. for every game he wins with all his razzle-dazzle horseshit, he'll lose two by not being able to stand in the pocket and hit open receivers. the fans here will never accept him.

[Red]

And just a question to all in Bills nation, why, after Vick was released from prison, when asked about the Bills being interested in Vick, Brandon was so insistent that the Bills were not interested in him?

 

I understand not tipping your hand to your opponents, and they were probably not sure of what Vick they would be getting since he had not played football for like 3 seasons. Not to mention the bad PR with signing such a player recently released from prison. So I can understand the "poking" and proverbial "kicking of the tires" that may have been going on.

 

But with all of that being said, why was Brandon so sure that they were not interested, but then now we learn that the Bills were interested and may be indeed interested again?

[Marv's Neighbor]

Just when I was enjoying a Sunday without a BILLS loss, this news spoiled the day!

[Red]

wilson, brandon and the other pinheads at obd have really hit a new low if they think the fans are going to fall for this ****. vick's not only a sociopath, he isn't even a good quarterback. for every game he wins with all his razzle-dazzle horseshit, he'll lose two by not being able to stand in the pocket and hit open receivers. the fans here will never accept him.

 

 

yeah, and all that razzle-dazzle may work great in a dome, but out in the frigid confines of Buffalo, in late November and December, its not the best strategy for getting it done.

 

a Vick signing would really put the brakes on a Gruden or Schottenheimer signing, too.

 

I'm starting to see that Brandon at GM is a huge mistake. If the Owens signing is any indicator, he is thinking that signing the hottest "sizzle" every year is going to have fans crashing the gates at OBD, salivating at the newest sideshow (ok, maybe 40,000 will buy into this).

 

The issue with this approach is that it has nothing to do with an actual PLAN, a GOAL of how to build a team.

 

They will never win with this approach and with a marketing guy calling the shots of the football team.

[McBeane]

who's talking about persecuting him? Get your facts straight and quit making false accusations!

The decent people don't wanna root for a sociopath...it's not like we're trying to get him thrown back in prison (although that's a good place for him)...we just don't wanna see him making millions of dollars playing a game for our team..BIG DIFFERENCE!! Psychopaths don't deserve to make millions for playing a game

 

I don't see the justification for calling him a psychopath and sociopath. I mean he funded a dog fighting ring, he didn't go around killing and dismembering people. I think you are taking this overboard a little. By the sounds of it, you would be pissed if I killed that spider in my bathroom.

[Coach Tuesday]

Animals get eaten in the wild. That's nature. Humans eat meat. That is nature too. When a deer gets killed while hunting, it basically has one bad day. The rest of its life was spent living free. An animal living in a factory farm suffers every day of its life and is killed in a painful inhumane manner.

 

The problem with PETA is their actions turn people off to a real truth about animal suffering. There is nothing wrong with farming animals for food but the drive to do it cheaper and more efficiently has created animal torture chambers. If you find Vick's actions repulsive take the next step and buy meat that is raised humanely.

 

PTR

 

You do realize that the argument "it happens in nature" has never, ever, been a good excuse for ANYTHING, right? I mean, to the extent that the Enlightenment faced resistance (and still does in some parts of the Earth), that was one of the opposition's primary rallying cries. That, and, But the Bible says...

[loyal2dagame]

My God this is the most tilting argument ever. "I'm not defending Vick, but I'm defending Vick".

 

 

are there invisible words in my post? where did i say i was or was not defending vick?

 

way to TRY to put words in my mouth.........

[rstencel]

The world is full of animal lovers, especially folks who love dogs and feel that what Vick did is unforgivable. While I don't feel the same way myself personally, I understand why some folks would be up in arms over Vick possibly coming to Buffalo.

 

I wouldn't worry though, Vick is a Lousy QB and I honestly don't see the Bills having any interest in him, specially considering he hasn't even shown flashes of his former running capabilities which is all he ever had going for him to begin with because he sure wasn't a very good QB. Without Agle Crumpler, Vicks career would have tanked long ago and this is coming from someone who has followed Vick throughout his career.

 

Guys got all the talent in the world, but doesn't read and react to defenses well enough to play the QB position properly. Vick simply doesn't have it upstairs, at least in my opinion.

 

Its not just about the animals. He did several criminal acts previous to this act, including having sex and spreading a VD without telling his partner, and possession charges which mysteriously both disappeared.

 

It was more than just the horrible acts he did to the dogs. He ran a criminal organization which operated across state boarders, and bet on the acts. Either of those would have gotten him banned for life in Baseball which supposedly is more lax in its views than the NFL.

 

There is also the lying to both the owners and commissioners face about it after he was caught. The guy has had so many 2nd chances already, by getting so many minor crimes swept under the rug before the major one, and this was a major one. Much bigger than getting drunk and doing something stupid. This was planned, and a cover company was created to hide the acts. He had criminals on his payroll and was gambling with known criminals, and supporting other activities that may have been taking human lives indirectly with those actions.

 

So while he did do his time, the time he was given was awful light for the crimes committed, so I for one, will not spend a dime supporting any company that is supporting him in the sporting world. I think the standards should be higher for sports, as they are supposed to be role models. If he goes into the private corporate world or any other profession that doesn't have him as a role model, then fully support him getting himself back on his feet. But not professional sports in my opinion.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

And doesn't that just infuriate you?

 

I was excited when I read this this morning. I thought that a real QB (who once was the poster boy of the NFL prior to his dog killing ring broke news) could really be an exciting thing.

 

I then went so far to think to myself: "hmm...Dungy as personal advisor for Vick...Jauron most likely gone after this season...Bills sign Vick...also will be looking for head coach...Dungy is "retired"...Bills may then hire Dungy!!!!!"

 

Ofcourse, then I came on here, and was slapped back to reality that with Brandon making the call, and him being a marketing guy, and being similar to the Owens contract, a Vick signing would be another ploy to sell seats. A strategy to sell more suites in Toronto.

 

But NOT a strategy with which to build a team.

 

I know that some will come on here and be staunch supporters of such a move. All that I can say is that time will tell. But if Owens signing for a 1-year deal is an indicator, and now the rumors will be flying about the Bills in the market for Vick, is this what we will be? A town with a marketing guy-turned-GM who sells the team like some circus, with a new gate attraction every year ("look at the 4 armed man! What a great WR he could be...")?

And if Modrak and Guy were to stay entrenched for another year, with no change in the front office, then a marketing ploy is all that it would be.

 

 

To me this smacks of "Simpsons Monorail" type stuff. Can't sell Russ P.T. Barnum Brandon short though, cuz he'll get the lemmings to buy into most anything.

[Mr. WEO]

Guess Ralph only does one mercy hiring per year.

 

But speaking of TO---anyone catch his line yeaterday?

 

0 catches...but 0 drops---that's better than week 3!!

[Red]

Its not just about the animals. He did several criminal acts previous to this act, including having sex and spreading a VD without telling his partner, and possession charges which mysteriously both disappeared.

 

It was more than just the horrible acts he did to the dogs. He ran a criminal organization which operated across state boarders, and bet on the acts. Either of those would have gotten him banned for life in Baseball which supposedly is more lax in its views than the NFL.

 

There is also the lying to both the owners and commissioners face about it after he was caught. The guy has had so many 2nd chances already, by getting so many minor crimes swept under the rug before the major one, and this was a major one. Much bigger than getting drunk and doing something stupid. This was planned, and a cover company was created to hide the acts. He had criminals on his payroll and was gambling with known criminals, and supporting other activities that may have been taking human lives indirectly with those actions.

 

So while he did do his time, the time he was given was awful light for the crimes committed, so I for one, will not spend a dime supporting any company that is supporting him in the sporting world. I think the standards should be higher for sports, as they are supposed to be role models. If he goes into the private corporate world or any other profession that doesn't have him as a role model, then fully support him getting himself back on his feet. But not professional sports in my opinion.

 

Well, put.

 

And wasn't he supposed to stay suspended longer? I thought it was amazing as how the NFL seemed to gradually reduce his suspension and punishment by allowing him to be signed, then allowing him to practice, then...at just about the same time McNabb goes down..wouldn't you know who suddenly gets clearance to play...none other than the Godfather himself, Michael Vick.

 

There was a tremendously researched and backed story out of Seattle the week before the Bills played the Buccaneers about their TE-Jeramy Stevens. I apologize for not having the link, but it talked at length about his history of rape, drunk driving, and violence and how they all seem to be erased, no matter where he goes, no matter what state they occur in.

 

Look at Marshawn Lynch. He was so drunk that not only hit a woman, but he then fled the scene. "Pacman" Jones. Chris Henry. The list goes on, and on, and on...

 

There clearly is a certain gutter mentality with alot of players these days. Clearly, there have always been character issues with athletes in sports. But those tended to be smaller, centralized characters rather than a general lack of a moral compass as evidenced by so many professional athletes of our modern era.

 

And before you start parading Baseball as an example, let us not forget that it should be forever tarnished for its blatant use and abuse of anabolic steroids in destroying such an American original. Cheating with performance enhancing drugs is just as criminal as rape, drunk driving, etc. Baseball still has not made right IMO.

 

I was, in fact, surprised to see the NFL allow WR Plaxico Burress to be punished like they did. But who are we kidding? That was about Nanny-State, liberal, NY Mayor Bloomberg getting his face time by making an exemplary case over guns.

 

I applaud Goddell for being the first Commissioner in any major sport to actually step up and start enforcing some sort of personal conduct policy. At some level, if allowed to go unchecked, this unruly and dangerous behavior will at some point affect the bottom line.

 

But it is somewhat depressing to see how low sports have become. Principles such as the joy of the game, teamwork, and competition have been replaced with win at all costs, no matter who gets hurt along the way.

 

It's all about the money.

[Red]

To me this smacks of "Simpsons Monorail" type stuff. Can't sell Russ P.T. Barnum Brandon short though, cuz he'll get the lemmings to buy into most anything.

 

True.

 

Which I don't understand. Is it perhaps that the generation has changed, and the younger generation now working cares less for fielding a winner than the previous one? The culture of "15 minutes of fame" is more enamored with HAVING a professional franchise than fielding a winner?

 

Or perhaps the way in which today's fan makes his/ her money is easier than the older, manufacturing generation of old?

 

Working in a plush, white collar office is sure different than busting your a$$ every day in a sweat shop factory as my Dad used to do. I surmise that it may tend to make one appreciate money more.

 

Just a theory...

 

On a side note, I do like the Russ "PT Barnum" Brandon tag.

[rstencel]

Well, put.

 

And wasn't he supposed to stay suspended longer? I thought it was amazing as how the NFL seemed to gradually reduce his suspension and punishment by allowing him to be signed, then allowing him to practice, then...at just about the same time McNabb goes down..wouldn't you know who suddenly gets clearance to play...none other than the Godfather himself, Michael Vick.

 

There was a tremendously researched and backed story out of Seattle the week before the Bills played the Buccaneers about their TE-Jeramy Stevens. I apologize for not having the link, but it talked at length about his history of rape, drunk driving, and violence and how they all seem to be erased, no matter where he goes, no matter what state they occur in.

 

Look at Marshawn Lynch. He was so drunk that not only hit a woman, but he then fled the scene. "Pacman" Jones. Chris Henry. The list goes on, and on, and on...

 

There clearly is a certain gutter mentality with alot of players these days. Clearly, there have always been character issues with athletes in sports. But those tended to be smaller, centralized characters rather than a general lack of a moral compass as evidenced by so many professional athletes of our modern era.

 

And before you start parading Baseball as an example, let us not forget that it should be forever tarnished for its blatant use and abuse of anabolic steroids in destroying such an American original. Cheating with performance enhancing drugs is just as criminal as rape, drunk driving, etc. Baseball still has not made right IMO.

 

I was, in fact, surprised to see the NFL allow WR Plaxico Burress to be punished like they did. But who are we kidding? That was about Nanny-State, liberal, NY Mayor Bloomberg getting his face time by making an exemplary case over guns.

 

I applaud Goddell for being the first Commissioner in any major sport to actually step up and start enforcing some sort of personal conduct policy. At some level, if allowed to go unchecked, this unruly and dangerous behavior will at some point affect the bottom line.

 

But it is somewhat depressing to see how low sports have become. Principles such as the joy of the game, teamwork, and competition have been replaced with win at all costs, no matter who gets hurt along the way.

 

It's all about the money.

 

! wasn't trying to mention baseball in a good light, only to say that even they would have probably suspended him for life, as his crimes were worse than Johny Baseballs (aka Pete Rose), and he was. Lets not forget how widespread steroid use was in football in the 70's though, so if was prevalent there, probably was in most other sports to some degree.

[Red]

I don't see the justification for calling him a psychopath and sociopath. I mean he funded a dog fighting ring, he didn't go around killing and dismembering people. I think you are taking this overboard a little. By the sounds of it, you would be pissed if I killed that spider in my bathroom.

 

There are psychological studies that have demonstrated a connection between people who disregard the life of an animal and inflict torture upon said animal tend to lean on the side of a psychopath and sociopath.

 

Though I agree with your point that ultimately, people are more important in the grand scheme of things, I would have to steadfastly disagree that all he did was "fund a dog fighting ring"; as if it was some minor occurrence equivalent to, say, killing a spider.

 

Dog fighting, rooster fighting, gambling...last time I checked, these were all illegal activities.

[Red]

! wasn't trying to mention baseball in a good light, only to say that even they would have probably suspended him for life, as his crimes were worse than Johny Baseballs (aka Pete Rose), and he was. Lets not forget how widespread steroid use was in football in the 70's though, so if was prevalent there, probably was in most other sports to some degree.

 

Still is prevalent.

 

How is it that in the 1980's, perhaps 1 player ("The Fridge" Perry), weighed in over 300lbs, and now it is unheard of for an offensive lineman or interior defensive lineman to weigh less than 300 lbs?

 

Linebackers, running backs, and even wide receivers who look like bodybuilding Mr. Universe's?!?

 

Go back and look at the videos of games from 15 years ago, and look at the physiques of the players. Compared to now, they are sprouts.

 

Now, the ignorant will say that training has improved, nutrition has improved, etc, etc, etc.

 

All baloney! There have been a total of "0" (read: zero) revolutionary advances in training, nutrition, etc that would cause such a dramatic overall average shift in both the playing weights and physiques of NFL players.

 

As someone who is schooled, degreed, and certified in athletic training, these physiques are clearly unsustainable without heavy dosages of human growth hormone, anabolic steroids, and the like.

 

You at that training camp picture of Pozluzny from this year. I don't care how much weight training you do. Your mandible (jaw bone), forehead, and nose don't grow from lifting weights. Those are telltale signs of anabolic steroid abuse.

 

The NFL touts sports strongest drug test, and I do believe that players pay it respect. But the drug test occurs in season. What you can see, is that the players circumvent this by juicing in the offseason, then tapering off during the year. Read the books out there. It may have been one of Canseco's, but he talks at length about HGH and its healing properties for an athlete. Now looking back, I believe that it was written by a former steroid dealer/ "trainer".

 

Why is everyone so blind to it all?

[aussiew]

So....does everyone let child molesters live quietly in their neighborhoods after they "have done their time"? Just "doing the time" doesn't necessarily change one's character and belief that what they did wasn't really wrong. And most experts agree that these people can't be healed.

 

MV isn't remorseful because he now believes what he did was morally and ethically wrong. He is remorseful because that's what he needs to do to get back into football. He didn't simply "make a mistake" and then pay for it - this is part of his upbringing, his early environment and his personality.

 

Yes - It is all about the money. Sadly, character and sportsmanship are quickly becoming a distant memory.

 

I don't want him in a Bills Uniform.