Michael+Vick+Period+2

> toc =Michael Vick=
 * Celebrity "sin"
 * Celebrity background
 * Backlash
 * Public perception
 * Repercussions
 * Aftermath (reintegration back into society?)
 * Sources: Magazine or Newspaper; Website and/or blog; Youtube video/interview; Personal interviews (minimum 2: expert and friend/family)
 * Notes/Recent findings (add to this AT LEast every time your group meets)
 * Letter assigned for conclusion
 * MLA Sources
 * Questions for Ms. Lewis

Celebrity "Sin"
In July 2007, Michael Vick was arrested, along with three other friends, for operating an illegal dogfighting ring based in Surry County, Virginia. The property was owned by Vick, who was later discovered as being in charge of the gambling aspect of the operation. It was reported that he had poured tens of thousands of dollars into the operation. The investigation started when a routine property inspection turned ugly. There were over 70 dogs, mostly pitbull terriers, that showed signs of physical harm. The ring, known locally as "Bad Newz Kennels", was later exposed by federal authorities. Vick, and his associates, all agreed to seperate plea bargains and were all sentenced to different amounts of time in jail, depending on the severity of their involvement. Due to growing media pressure, Vick issued several statements regarding his deep regret for his actions, and his lawyer argued that he came from a culture when dogfighting was encouraged and accepted among young men. Vick has stated that he was personally responsible for the death of 6-8 dogs, whether it be by hanging or drowning. On August 27th, the judge accepted Vick's guilty plea, and was sentenced to up to 5 years in prison, along with a fine of $250,000. However, after cooperating with authorities, Vick received a sentence of 23-months, with a 3-year probationary sentence. He also had to pay a $2500 fine.

Celebrity Background
Date of birth: June 26, 1980 ( 1980-06-26 ) (age 30) Place of birth: Newport News, Virginia Height: 6 ft 0 in Weight: 215 lbs 2001 NFL Draft Pick (1st Overall) Drafted by: Atlanta falcons Atlanta Falcons (2001–2006) Philadelphia Eagles (2009–present) College: Virginia Tech

Michael Vick played quarterback for Virginia Tech during his years as a college athlete. During his freshman year he placed third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which is an incredibly impressive feat as a freshman. He chose to leave VT his sophomore year and declared his eligibility for the NFL draft. He was drafted first overall to the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. He was the first African-American quarterback to get drafted first overall. As Vick became more and more famous for his rushing abilities he lead the falcons to two playoff seasons. With his newfound fame, he received millions of dollars in endorsement deals, and was also the cover athlete of Madden 2004. After several successful seasons in the NFL, he is now ranked third in rushing for quarterbacks of all time.

Backlash
Immediately after the incident, speculations began to arise about his future in the NFL. Once convicted, the NFL Commissioner suspended him indefinitely without pay until further notice. Now, obviously, he is back in the league after much debate and was only offered a $1.5 million contract, none of which was guaranteed. He spent 23 months in a federal prison with no pay whatsoever and was very fortunate to have his prison time reduced by 3 years for good behavior, which is uncommon. Also, he had to submit to random drug testing. During one of these tests, he tested positive for marijuana. Although no penalty was given, he had to agree to random drug testing until the league told him otherwise. Also, while waiting the NFL's verdict, Vick needed a job that was something other than football, as the wages were not guaranteed. A friend offered him a $20,000 per year construction job that Vick took because he had no other options. Vick also put $1 million into an account that would be used to help care for the abused dogs. Because of his time in prison with no pay and his lavish spending habits before being incarcerated, Vick filed for bankruptcy and had to sell two of his homes. Although there was much speculation about how involved Vick actually was in the operations, he received the harshest punishment because it was on his property.

**Public Perception**
People were absolutely disgusted when they discovered that Mike Vick was involved in dog fighting. No one ever expected that one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL would be running a dog-fighting operation in his own home. Following his arrest/conviction, several polls were released that showed that Vick was one of the most hated players in sports. Vick held this position (#1 Most Hated Athlete In Pro Sports) for two years ina row. But, even though he is hated by many, he still has a loyal fan-base that insists that Vick isn’t a terrible person because there were rumors that most of the dog fighting was controlled by his brother and his cousin. As one can tell, there are two viewpoints of Michael Vick's public perception.

Repercussions
As previously mentioned, Vick was incarcerated for 23 months with no pay. After, he was forced to find a steady job. When he was voted eligible by the NFL to reenter the league, the Eagles gave him a $1.6 million, one-year contract. He barely got any playing time and in 2010, with the departure of McNabb, he resigned for $5 million and was named starter. He has had arguably the best season of his career with multiple rushing touchdowns and had a game with 333 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. Critics have stated that Vick's fundamentals are improving and he is settling in as a throwing quarterback, as opposed to a rushing quarterback. = =

Aftermath
Mike Vick had a great comeback from this horrible incident a couple of years ago. He is now considered to be one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks in the 2010-2011 season. He has realized that he can't mess up like this again so now he is very focused on succeeding in football. Vick is looking forward for the future because his team is young and they have a great amount of talent. Overall, Vick has finally realized his potential of becoming one of the greatest NFL players at his position.

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Letter Assigned
We decided to give Michael Vick a "DK" for Dog-Killer. While this may seem quite harsh, it is the label that most people know him by. Even with the fantastic season he is having, the label still looms over his head and it is present in everyone's minds, fan or not. He received a huge amount of criticism for his actions and he has admitted several times they were immoral and he has put millions of dollars into funds for animal abuse organizations. But, as one can tell, it is very hard to overcome previous judgements that were laid out while he was in jail. But, as he continues to shock critics, many people are now finding Mike Vick to be a strong human being, with a lot to gain in his next few years in the NFL.