OT: My letter to Goodell re: Vick Dog Fighting

[BJ_McWild]

Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017


Dear Commissioner Goodell,

I have been a fan of the NFL ever since I was a young boy. I’ve always been passionate about the game, even naming my first-born son Brady as a tribute to the Patriots’ quarterback. I bonded with my own father by watching football and learning about the game, its history, and the great coaches and players that set a standard of dedication, persistence and commitment that inspired me as a boy.

As a fan of the league since childhood, and as an ‘NFL Dad’ who looks to NFL players and coaches as symbols of the potential greatness inherent in all men, I’m deeply troubled the reports of a large-scale dog fighting ring being run by Michael Vick. The idea of grown men breeding animals for the purpose of sadistic treatment like this is truly disturbing.

The NFL has a responsibility to fans and their families to ensure that NFL players, no matter how high their salaries or how large their celebrity, are held to high standards of ethical and moral behavior. Sadism and cruelty to animals like this can not be swept under the rug.

The NFL is not just a sport league. Football is part of the fabric of American life, and is interwoven into the families of millions of fans. Many NFL families have dogs or cats as pets, and treat them with all the love and care as their other family members.

My life-long relationship to the NFL means a lot to me, and it’s my sincere hope that the league will banish any player who participates in acts of animal cruelty. By standing up for animal rights, the league is standing up for its fans and the legacy of greatness and high character that fathers like me hope to share with our children and our grandchildren.

 

[Remix 6]

like i said last time. [profane, unprovoked personal insults removed. come on, remix!] plus theres no evidence yet to prove that Vick ran anything

they dont listen to a fan saying i dont like what he did. if they did..half NFL players would be gone

 

[primetime]

like i said last time. your a fking ******. they dont care about trolls like you.plus theres no evidence yet to prove that Vick ran anything

Whoa tiger. I agree with what he's saying; raising dogs and neglecting them and abusing them for dog-fighting is a lot worse than some marijuana here or there, and the NFL should mete out the same punishments for its superstars as it does for lesser players.

 

[Remix 6]

Whoa tiger. I agree with what he's saying; raising dogs and neglecting them and abusing them for dog-fighting is a lot worse than some marijuana here or there, and the NFL should mete out the same punishments for its superstars as it does for lesser players.

like i said. theres no evidence YET that proves Vick has done anything wrong.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

like i said last time. your a fking ******. they dont care about trolls like you.plus theres no evidence yet to prove that Vick ran anything

they dont listen to a fan saying i dont like what he did. if they did..half NFL players would be gone

The NFL doesn't care about what fans think about character issues? Are you kidding? If this were true, the NFL would not have "made an example" of Pacman Jones. The NFL is very much aware of the growing sense that there are too many delinquents among the ranks of NFL players, and has already suspended Jones for whom there is significantly less evidence that he ever commit a serious crime.

I think it's pretty obvious that the league is taking its PR quite seriously.

Maybe you'd feel that people in general listened to you more if you made the effort to speak coherently, and maybe even used grammar and punctuation.

 

[Remix 6]

The NFL doesn't care about what fans think about character issues? Are you kidding? If this were true, the NFL would not have "made an example" of Pacman Jones. The NFL is very much aware of the growing sense that there are too many delinquents among the ranks of NFL players, and has already suspended Jones for whom there is significantly less evidence that he ever commit a serious crime.

I think it's pretty obvious that the league is taking its PR quite seriously.

Maybe you'd feel that people in general listened to you more if you made the effort to speak coherently, and maybe even used grammar and punctuation.

NFL will take care of it without any fans complaining

 

[Pat_Nasty]

NFL will take care of it without any fans complaining

No. They won't. The NFL will take care of it if they fear that not doing so would hurt their bottom line. They will balance the loss of revenue suspending Vick would incur against the loss of revenue they think will result from fans being turned off by the growing perception that football players are thugs and criminals, and only if the latter is greater will they come down on Vick.

Now, considering the cruel and disgusting nature of the crime, and the growing mountain of evidence that Vick was heavily involved, I am confident that the league will eventually decide that its in their best interest to come down on Vick hard. Why?

In part because fans like BJ_McWild will make their opinions known.

 

[Michigan Dave]

Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017


Dear Commissioner Goodell,

I have been a fan of the NFL ever since I was a young boy. I’ve always been passionate about the game, even naming my first-born son Brady as a tribute to the Patriots’ quarterback. I bonded with my own father by watching football and learning about the game, its history, and the great coaches and players that set a standard of dedication, persistence and commitment that inspired me as a boy.

As a fan of the league since childhood, and as an ‘NFL Dad’ who looks to NFL players and coaches as symbols of the potential greatness inherent in all men, I’m deeply troubled the reports of a large-scale dog fighting ring being run by Michael Vick. The idea of grown men breeding animals for the purpose of sadistic treatment like this is truly disturbing.

The NFL has a responsibility to fans and their families to ensure that NFL players, no matter how high their salaries or how large their celebrity, are held to high standards of ethical and moral behavior. Sadism and cruelty to animals like this can not be swept under the rug.

The NFL is not just a sport league. Football is part of the fabric of American life, and is interwoven into the families of millions of fans. Many NFL families have dogs or cats as pets, and treat them with all the love and care as their other family members.

My life-long relationship to the NFL means a lot to me, and it’s my sincere hope that the league will banish any player who participates in acts of animal cruelty. By standing up for animal rights, the league is standing up for its fans and the legacy of greatness and high character that fathers like me hope to share with our children and our grandchildren.

Very well stated. I am 100% with you on this issue. Animal cruelty is one of my biggest "hot buttons" that get me good and pissed.

 

[BJ_McWild]

Very well stated. I am 100% with you on this issue. Animal cruelty is one of my biggest "hot buttons" that get me good and pissed.

Thanks Dave!!! Encourage everyone to write to the Commissioner so Vick doesn't skate because of his endorsements or whatever.

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

like i said last time. your a fking ******. they dont care about trolls like you.plus theres no evidence yet to prove that Vick ran anything

they dont listen to a fan saying i dont like what he did. if they did..half NFL players would be gone

Remix is a known vick lover and a dog hater.
I started a thread a while ago (http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=54661)

And of 1100 views, and 35 replies he is THE ONLY person that is adamantly against the majority. He goes on to make statements about the law which were refuted by many members.

His argument was that Vick did nothing illegal... yet after being educated he just shut his mouth.

Now he states that there is no evidence against Vick.
That's debatable but hard evidence will come out.
The Feds are involved now. They are gathering and making a case against Vick.
Animal activists are taking this one to the bank.
They can take a known rich scum bag to punish him and send a message to all animal abusers.

Remix do everyone a favor and stop with your contrarian view.
Because you either
1. love vick
2. fight dogs yourself or see nothing wrong with this atrocious act

look at the facts of the case the way a jury would:
the house was built by vick and contained kennels to house 60+ dogs
Feds have eyewitness accounts of Vick personally buying syringes and other dog supplies
at the end of the day, somebody has to finance this operation.
It's going to end up being Vick

The mere fact that you tear into people who suggest the act of dog fighting is wrong proves you have an agenda here and nobody wants to hear it

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2859561
AP news story about Vick's mis-haps.

 

[zippo59]

The NFL completely cares what the fans think. We are the customer. They are selling their product to us and if we didn't buy it they would survive. They have to make sure that the fans are happy so that we continue to follow the league, watch the games, buy the merchandise. Really the only power the average person haves in society is as a consumer.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

It's a well written letter, but -- "NFL players and coaches as symbols of the potential greatness inherent in all men" -- that's, well, a bit frightening.

I also bristle a bit at the notion of the NFL as keeper of players. The clubs perhaps, but not the NFL itself. Assuming (a big if) that Vick did anything here, it's a bit like blaming Vick's neighbors. Ultimately, there's not much the NFL can do about stuff like this.

 

[BJ_McWild]

It's a well written letter, but -- "NFL players and coaches as symbols of the potential greatness inherent in all men" -- that's, well, a bit frightening.

I also bristle a bit at the notion of the NFL as keeper of players. The clubs perhaps, but not the NFL itself. Assuming (a big if) that Vick did anything here, it's a bit like blaming Vick's neighbors. Ultimately, there's not much the NFL can do about stuff like this.

yeah, that line might be over the top, but you get the point. the NFL is about GREATNESS.

the NFL can say what is or isn't allowed by its players, and dole out consequences as it sees fit, straight up.

 

[the taildragger]

just wait til the pics of the abused animals start leaking out....there's no doubt this ring was jacked by Vick (indirectly or otherwise)....buys a damn ranch for his cousin and pretends not to know about that sick circus....may not have been "his ring" but it had to be his $$$. Doubt he'll go to jail but hopefully his NFL career is over (though with a guy of his stature I'm not holding my breath -- this isn't Pacman or Chris Henry we're talking about).

 

[Tunescribe]

Very well stated. I am 100% with you on this issue. Animal cruelty is one of my biggest "hot buttons" that get me good and pissed.

I'm exactly like you. Good letter, I couldn't have stated it any better myself. If Vick is proven to be behind that disgusting crime, I hope he pays dearly.

 

[Phokus]

vick is an *********, when i read about the drug investigators finding the dogs and 'blood all over the place' , that made me sick.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Would there be the same outcry if it was cats?

Just asking.

 

[Michigan Dave]

Would there be the same outcry if it was cats?

Just asking.

I would be equally pissed, yes.

 

[patsacolachick]

Would there be the same outcry if it was cats?

Just asking.

That made me laugh out loud
But yes, of course it would be the same for cats, or pigs or geese or bunnies...I mean pitting animals against one another and making them fight to the death is revolting to me and any other animal lover, the thought that people find this entertaining is so disturbing and frightening to me I really can't comprehend it.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Normally I'd agree with you - but it just so happens I'm kicking butt in my Fantasy Dog Fighting League, thanks in no small part to the prowess of Vick trained canines... so I'm going to let this one slide.