Michael Vick: What a fucking schmuck

I have blatantly co-opted this image from Deadspin.com. It is too hysterical for me not to share with our massive audience. If Deadspin protests, I shall remove.

It seems to me that sports pundits may be approaching this Michael Vick fiasco from the wrong direction. Everyone is (rightfully) ferociously upset about the dozens of tortured, killed, or soon to be euthanized animals. The apparent scale of this dog-fighting ring is frightening. Bleacher seats? Cross-state transportation? WTF? What I think may doom Michael Vick, even if he pleads out and gets a slap on the wrist, is the gambling ring associated with his [alleged] dog fighting operation. As all of Vick's supposed friends turn on him, you're telling me or two of them aren't going to talk about the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars that changed hands on a regular basis?

You could drop every charge against Vick, but if credible evidence is presented in a court of law that Vick was a ringleader or knowing participant in a large scale betting operation, he needs to be out of professional sports forever. Here's why: you cannot have professional athletes conducting personal, illegal, gambling rings, even if it involves a sport other than their own. Period. End of story. This rule is (I believe) posted in every clubhouse in the U.S. I don't care what the sport is. College football, professional baseball, dogfighting; illegal gambling is illegal gambling. You cannot tell me that if Vick was involved, the NFL was never discussed at any of these events. That's ridiculous. It's bad enough to place illegal bets, but to be the owner of the house, a ringleader, and/or an active participant in a bookie operation?

When push comes to shove, that may bother the NFL more than anything else.