What should Falcons, NFL do?

By Justin Albers
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- I know it is all anybody has talked about for the last two days, but it is such a huge story that I have to comment on it. I mean to read just how gruesome the alleged dog fighting was, it absolutely blows my mind.
The indictment says that Vick and his “buddies” held dog fighting rings; fighting the dogs very near to death. But this is what really gets you- the losing dogs were killed by means of electrocution, hanging, drowning, or gun shot.
This dog fighting took place in 2001, just before Michael Vick’s rookie season in the NFL. Why would a kid that is about to make millions of dollars start doing something cruel and unusual like this? Did he have something against dogs? I don’t understand how anybody could get entertainment out of this type of thing, it is completely disgusting.
I would like to say that the NFL should act immediately and suspend Vick, but that would be the wrong thing to do. What happens if he is found to be innocent in court? Roger Goodell needs to wait until the legal process takes its course, and then go crazy. If Pacman Jones gets suspended for the entire season when he has not yet been convicted with anything, then Vick should get several years for what he is up against right now. Not only was he fighting and killing dogs, he was also gambling, and he lied to the commissioner about his involvement in the matter. The NFL’s image has deteriorated steadily over the last several years, and this incident is going to hurt it even more.
Vick has left the Falcons in a very sticky situation. So many of the fans in Atlanta are upset by what has taken place that I don’t know how many people are going to show up for games next season. They can’t cut Vick because he ties up way too much of their salary cap and they would be left with hardly any money. They can’t trade him because nobody wants him. And he can’t play because he is going to be tied up with his court hearings most of the time. Joey Harrington is going to have to step in and start, and the Falcons will win seven or eight games and miss the playoffs. But football will take the back seat to what is going on with Vick, which is such a shame for the rest of the guys on the team. Vick was the whole reason anybody came to see this team play in the first place- and the only reason they ever played on prime time. The excitement he could provide was unlike any other; key word there being was.