Michael Vick's In The Doghouse

There seems to be a news update almost daily about Michael Vick's involvement in a dog fighting ring. I've been focusing on baseball updates, but with the way this story is picking up steam, I wanted to address this issue.

First of all, Vick is an idiot for involving himself in this legal activity. Any athlete that puts their reputation and sports life on the line to be a part of something illegal just doesn't get it. Why would you risk fame and fortune for this? What does he possibly gain from doing it? Those are only answers that these athletes can provide, unfortunately.

Not only is dog fighting a very vicious, inhumane part of society, but so is everyone involved in the process of making it happen. Nobody will deny the fact that any athlete that does something like that deserves to be punished. The problem is that in this day and age, celebrities and athletes get far more free passes than the common citizen does. Not only is this a terrible precedent for society as a whole, but it's especially a terrible example for the children that look up to these athletes. These children see their favorite athlete doing something illegal and possibly think it's OK to do it, and they also see these athletes get away with lots of it and think that they won't be held accountable for it either. We can only hope that Michael Vick is not only punished by the law, but will also face a lengthy suspension from the NFL.

Fantasy Impact: This story, as it has grown, is undoubted increasing the chances that Michael Vick will be investigated and punished by the NFL. I have to think his playing status for the start of the season is now in question, and his future with the Falcons could be too depending on the depth of his involvement. I'm sure owner Arthur Blank has been elated by the financial impact that Vick has made on the Falcons, but there's no doubt that he's fallen short of expectations on the football field. The new coaching staff has no ties to him, although by trading Matt Schaub earlier this offseason, they lack a quality in-house alternative. There's nothing definitive to be said about him right now, but dynasty and keeper league owners should give a lot of thought to seeing what they can salvage from his value in a trade before this situation gets any worse.