Vick Ordered Not to Report to Camp

[spacecrime]

According to PFT, I believe, the ONLY clause in his contract for the Falcons getting money back is if he's "in default", which he WOULD be for missing the first day of camp due to his court date. My question earlier was whether or not the Commissioner forcing the hand actually gets in the way, legally, of the "default" status, thereby getting in the way of the Falcs getting the cash back.

There is no way the Falcons can get money back because Vick missed the first day of camp to go to court.

 

[Pats726]

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback."....Hmmmm I guess teh Commish has changed his mind...remember his earlier statements?? The ones about no suspension until AFTER the courts and the legal process was finished?? Just wish he had started here and shown backbone from the start.

 

[Bella*chick]

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback."....Hmmmm I guess teh Commish has changed his mind...remember his earlier statements?? The ones about no suspension until AFTER the courts and the legal process was finished?? Just wish he had started here and shown backbone from the start.

Some of it is surely due to the pressure, the demonstrations, etc. Which in a way makes me feel good because it says that an outraged public response (of which I was a part) is having some say in bringing this scum down.

 

[Fixit]

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback."....Hmmmm I guess teh Commish has changed his mind...remember his earlier statements?? The ones about no suspension until AFTER the courts and the legal process was finished?? Just wish he had started here and shown backbone from the start.

Vick's not suspended.

Anywho, this story is fantastic, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

 

[Pats726]

Some of it is surely due to the pressure, the demonstrations, etc. Which in a way makes me feel good because it says that an outraged public response (of which I was a part) is having some say in bringing this scum down.

I agree...but I think the Commish would have looked better if he had left all options open from teh start. Frankly, I think he wished to keep arms length from it and was doing his best to have Blank and others find a way for him to go bye-bye...the leave of abscence. That having failed, he HAD to act...and my thinking is there is no Vick sideshow this year. Suspension from the start of this might have been in order considering the breadth of the indictment and the seriousness of it...pending the court outcome.

 

[Pujo]

Vick must have a provision in his contract for missing camp due to a court summons. What if he was on a jury? Obviously being federally indicted is different from being on a jury, but the point is that there are probably valid excuses for missing camp, and a court order is likely to be one of those reasons.

 

[Pats726]

Vick's not suspended.

No..but PFT is talking about the position Vick is going to be in...He needs to cooperate with the Commish now..and if he does, anything he says CAN be used against him in court..if he remains quiet and does NOT cooperate, then he WILL get suspended. I think all of this is a later option. I really think they wanted to have Vick take a leave..but for whatever reason..did NOT happen..mostly I bet that Vick refused that..was NOT cooperating and going away easily. The Commish did NOT wish to get involved..wanted Blank to do something..and they MAY..but he also MAY NOT. basically, Vick needs to be OFF the field..either by suspension, leave of abscence..GONE!! And then let teh courts take it from there...they also think Vick COULD work a deal OUT with the league so that he could have a chance of returning...but it seems that many in the league feel that he is done!!!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Vick must have a provision in his contract for missing camp due to a court summons. What if he was on a jury? Obviously being federally indicted is different from being on a jury, but the point is that there are probably valid excuses for missing camp, and a court order is likely to be one of those reasons.

Why? Jury duty is a civil responsibility for which you either make alternative arrangements or your employer excuses you. This summons is for criminal behavior. Unless he was excused in writing under the terms of his contract, which Blank was apparently not willing to do, he would have been in default of his contract on Thursday. The Falcons apparently have a clause in all their player contracts that stipulates any default entitles them to seek appropriate remedy. It constitutes grounds to void the contract and seek repayment of a portion of the signing bonus money.

The downside for Blank, who is reluctant to pay him another $6M to take a paid leave as well, was that in the interim his dead cap would accelerate and the club would face a 15M hit next season. Yet Pastabelli claim Blank is so incensed he was contemplating cutting him on Thursday over the weekend until cooler heads in his organization prevailed. There will be plenty of opportunity to move on Vick down the road and likely from a position it will be a lot more difficult for Mike to grieve. What everyone but Mike wants for now is him to just go away from a football standpoint. I'm sure the league and Blank are hoping his high powered criminal defense team will convince him that's in his best interest. When he is eventually convicted or pled out or suspended from the league, Blank will have his default in hand.

 

[Pujo]

Generally legal contracts have language which excuses the parties from conduct required by a court order, like if he was ordered to testify in an unrelated case. I have no idea about Vick's contract specifically, though.

 

[Pats726]

All of this MAY change as the Falcons have a 4 PM new conference...so they MAY indeed do something. stay tuned to ESPN who I AM SURE will be cobering that live.

 

[patriot lifer]

PFT reports that a lot of nfl execs believe that Vick will never play in the league again . Thoughts??

 

[MoLewisrocks]

All of this MAY change as the Falcons have a 4 PM new conference...so they MAY indeed do something. stay tuned to ESPN who I AM SURE will be cobering that live.

I can't change per the Commissioner unless Vick agrees to a LOA. But the PC has been scheduled since yesterday morning. Apparently Blank was intending to do the 4 game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, but that would not have done him any good since Vick would have had to have been allowed to practice. Goodell stepped in because he's the only one, short of cutting Vick, who can preclude him from practicing without a grievance being filed.

Today's PC is reportedly to in part announce that the new HC will designate Harrington as his 2007 starter because he doesn't want to play musical QB's with Vick in pre season if he does manage to get back in camp at some point and he wants the team to let it go and move on.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Generally legal contracts have language which excuses the parties from conduct required by a court order, like if he was ordered to testify in an unrelated case. I have no idea about Vick's contract specifically, though.

He's not being asked to appear in an unrelated case, though. If he were he would still require that written permission to be excused from a mandatory attendance situation per the Falcons contrat language, but it would like be granted unless of course he was being called repeatedly in part because of his associations.

I doubt there are many contracts in existence anywhere that preclude an employer voiding them in the event the employee is required to appear in court because he was arrested or indicted or even suspended say by the governing authority in his trade (for instance a lawyer or doctor or CPA whose privilidges to practice were suspended by a governing authority like a licensing board pending further investigation into his conduct...).

 

[Pujo]

He's not being asked to appear in an unrelated case, though. If he were he would still require that written permission to be excused from a mandatory attendance situation per the Falcons contrat language, but it would like be granted unless of course he was being called repeatedly in part because of his associations.

I doubt there are many contracts in existence anywhere that preclude an employer voiding them in the event the employee is required to appear in court because he was arrested or indicted or even suspended say by the governing authority in his trade (for instance a lawyer or doctor or CPA whose privilidges to practice were suspended by a governing authority like a licensing board pending further investigation into his conduct...).

I get that, but none of it is "the point". Most contracts have language that reads... "unless required law or court order". If Vick's is along those lines, ANY court order would excuse him from appearing, whether it's his fault or not. Of course there will be other sections of his contract that bar specific conduct on his part, and the team is likely to be covered by those, but the "default" provision will likely not be activated assuming Vick has the standard language.

 

[Pats726]

I can't change per the Commissioner unless Vick agrees to a LOA. But the PC has been scheduled since yesterday morning. Apparently Blank was intending to do the 4 game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, but that would not have done him any good since Vick would have had to have been allowed to practice. Goodell stepped in because he's the only one, short of cutting Vick, who can preclude him from practicing without a grievance being filed.

Today's PC is reportedly to in part announce that the new HC will designate Harrington as his 2007 starter because he doesn't want to play musical QB's with Vick in pre season if he does manage to get back in camp at some point and he wants the team to let it go and move on.

That makes sense to move on as I think it very small...minute possibility that Vick is playing this year. I am sure there are all kinds of dealings going on in the background..

 

[stinkypete]

R.I.P. Michael Vick's career (2001-2007). This guy won't get a sniff anywhere given Goodell's stance on turds, scumbags and felons.

 

[patriot lifer]

R.I.P. Michael Vick's career (2001-2007). This guy won't get a sniff anywhere given Goodell's stance on turds, scumbags and felons.

after the conferences this afternoon, it looks like arthur blank doesn't want him playing for the falcons

 

[Bella*chick]

I hope his career is over. But this is only just beginning.

This has been some offseason.

 

[spacecrime]

Tom Jackson on NFL LIve recommended everyone read the entire indictment, all 19 pages. I was so surprised that Jackson said something that made sense, I did.

http://cdn.sfgate.com/c/acrobat/2007/07/19/sfchronicle_via_ajc_vick0717.pdf

Not gruesome or anything, but pretty damning.

Those guys on TV last month whose voices were disguised weren't just guys rolling on Vick. They evidently were undercover agents, because the indictment is full of very detailed information, with dates and names and names of dogs in different fights, which dogs won, how much was bet, etc, etc. Pges of it.

I can see why Blank is distancing himself from Vick. Nothing good can come of this for Vick. The best he can hope for is to get acquitted on some kind of technicality. But the Feds are better than local police at this.

After listening to Blank this afternoon, I figured Vick would never play in a Falcon uniform again. After reading the indictment, I don't think he will ever play football again. Him and his brother Marcus, what wastes of talent.

Indictment is worth reading. It's double-spaced and a very quick read. It even explained a term that I didn't understand. One of the pieces of gear found on Vick's property was a "rape stand" which held females still for breeding. Generally, female dogs that can be impregnated go into heat, and don't need to be held down. But these dogs are very aggressive, and the female dogs they want to breed are so aggressive they will not submit to a male dog, and have to be tied down. The things you learn while reading federal indictments...

 

[Pats726]

Tom Jackson on NFL LIve recommended everyone read the entire indictment, all 19 pages. I was so surprised that Jackson said something that made sense, I did.

http://cdn.sfgate.com/c/acrobat/2007/07/19/sfchronicle_via_ajc_vick0717.pdf

Not gruesome or anything, but pretty damning.

Those guys on TV last month whose voices were disguised weren't just guys rolling on Vick. They evidently were undercover agents, because the indictment is full of very detailed information, with dates and names and names of dogs in different fights, which dogs won, how much was bet, etc, etc. Pges of it.

I can see why Blank is distancing himself from Vick. Nothing good can come of this for Vick. The best he can hope for is to get acquitted on some kind of technicality. But the Feds are better than local police at this.

After listening to Blank this afternoon, I figured Vick would never play in a Falcon uniform again. After reading the indictment, I don't think he will ever play football again. Him and his brother Marcus, what wastes of talent.

Indictment is worth reading. It's double-spaced and a very quick read. It even explained a term that I didn't understand. One of the pieces of gear found on Vick's property was a "rape stand" which held females still for breeding. Generally, female dogs that can be impregnated go into heat, and don't need to be held down. But these dogs are very aggressive, and the female dogs they want to breed are so aggressive they will not submit to a male dog, and have to be tied down. The things you learn while reading federal indictments...

I agree...Bob Ryan had a great column a few days ago on this..about how damning the indictment was and he thought that somehow he would not play this year...I agree..but I think his career might be gone now. And totally agree...wasted talent..