Vick meets with low-income youths near Atlanta

DECATUR, Ga. -- Michael Vick returned to the area that once celebrated his brilliant play on the football field, this time for the first of what he vows will be dozens of appearances around the country to urge low-income youths to avoid the tragic trail left by dogfighting.

Few got to hear Saturday's message, however.

Vick's visit to a suburban Atlanta community center was largely off limits to the very neighborhood it was supposed to be helping. In an agreement between Vick's handlers and the Humane Society of the United States, only 55 people and one media crew were allowed inside. An Associated Press reporter, videographer and photographer were among the media banished from the property by police.

Most people who live in the largely black neighborhood southeast of Atlanta were unaware of Vick's appearance. Several showed up after the former Falcons quarterback had already left in a black limousine.

"Not too many people knew he was going to be here," said Stan Sutton, who stopped by the New Life Community Center to pick up some clothes and wound up being one of the few invited inside to hear Vick speak. "There would have been a lot more people here than there are now. The whole Eastside would have been here."

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society, said the group wants to be transparent and reach as many people as possible with its anti-dogfighting message. But the tightly controlled appearance comes as Vick is trying to rehabilitate his image and ease his path back to the NFL.

The quarterback is apparently planning to do his first major interview since completing a 23-month prison sentence with the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes," which sent a three-person crew to film the event. The AP was barred from entering, and the windows were covered to prevent anyone from looking inside. Eventually, police were called, and all media were forced to stand on a sidewalk in front of the complex.

"It was a controlled environment for obvious reasons: Vick is so high profile," Pacelle said. "We're going to have plenty of opportunities in the future to have Michael to speak at community-based forums."

The Humane Society did not publicize the event, going along with the media plan laid out by Vick's handlers even if it meant missing the chance to make a real impact in a community where he is still revered for his brilliant play during six years with the Falcons.

"We're giving him an opportunity to plug into our community-based forums," Pacelle said. "But he obviously has his own set of individuals who are working with him and want to present things in the way they want."
A Vick representative said the quarterback would have no comment on the appearance.

Vick entered through a back door and spoke for about 12 minutes, Pacelle said. The small audience was moved by what it heard.
"He said he did wrong," 17-year-old Stanley Jones said. "Now he's trying to come up with a smarter way to help the whole community, for young people like us, to make a change."

Jones said he appreciated having Vick in an area plagued by drugs and violence.

"You usually don't see that in the 'hood. You don't see someone from the NFL," the teenager said. "When you see a big star like that, you don't have any choice but to respect them."

Jones held up a pamphlet that was given out by the Humane Society: "Dogfighting Hurts." But Vick's words had more of an impact.

"It seemed like it came from the heart," Jones said. "I heard him saying something about how he came from the same (sort of) neighborhood that we did. He said he had only one dream, and he messed up that whole dream."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has conditionally lifted Vick's ban from the league. He can participate in training camp and exhibition games, and would be eligible to return for the sixth week of the regular season if he has no further setbacks.

But Vick, the only quarterback ever to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, has yet to find a job. Most teams have said they have no intention of signing him, and he may be forced to go with the fledgling United Football League to demonstrate that he's still a useful player after missing the last two seasons.

"Where he goes to play football now is his decision," Goodell said Saturday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Vick didn't discuss his NFL ambitions at New Life Community Center, but it's clear he still has plenty of fans.

Asked whether Vick should get a second chance, Jones said, "I hope so. He didn't say anything about it, but I hope so."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jF1aDSSjrdi3LAeKuNRFAGagRN5AD99UTPGG0

 

Michael Vick, for what you did to these dogs, if you offered me $100,000 dollars for one min of air time on my site, I wouldn't give you the sweat off my B**ls dude :rolleyes:

 

being from new zealand i didnt know who m vick was until he became world news for dog fighting but he's turned out to be a real turn coat on the breed and i woulsdnt give him a cup of warm piss if he was dying of thirst - what a scum bag. Also, i question his motives as it appears that he is simply scrambling to reacquaint himself with the NFL.

 

Money Money Money Moooooney, Moooooooooooooney!

 

Yeah I am sure you would do the same if you were trying to get back in the NFL.

 

no i would do my lag and stick with the dogs. i dont fancy running round in tights wearing shoulder pads chasing a ball. sounds like you mite tho lol.

 

for 1 million dollars, i would where a pink one...lol

 

lol good point if i did id last 30 secs then spend the rest of the season in traction lol. vicks still an ass wipe tho he should have the balls to say i got caught did my lag now let me play and stop going on about dogs.

 

I am beyond sick of hearing about Vick, but I'm happy to see that he paired up with an organization that also has the motives (Greed, publicity, and a whole lotta dead dogs).

 

"Now he's trying to come up with a smarter way to help the whole community, for young people like us, to make a change."

[...]

I have to call BU775H!T on that.

"Come up with a smarter way to help the whole community" ... I have a smarter way for Vick to help the whole community, how about NOT working with the HSUS as a high-profile spokesperson and instead, telling the judge "It would be better for me to work at an animal shelter, cleaning up S**T in kennels and walking dogs every day for the next 20 years, and keeping my mouth shut than to work for the Humane Society and ride around in black limousines, with 'handlers' and 'P.R. People'." How about that?

They're going to roll him into every "underprivileged" community in the country, and he's going to give his "I was wrong" speech, and the HSUS will then accept donations from all attendees (and folks who couldn't attend) in said "underprivileged community" -as if they needed yet another thing to waste what little money they already have, on- "for the sake of the dogs, and our mission" and where do you think that money will go?

Exactly. NOWHERE, except into the pockets of the HSUS.

It won't go anywhere helpful, just like it never went anywhere helpful when they accepted donations to help rehabilitate his dogs after he got busted.

How about Vick let's the President of the Endangered Breed Association publically cain him, like they do in Singapore?

</rant>

 

Bravo, Bravo!!!!!! I'd also like to hook some cables up to his balls and zap him a few times. Maybe make him see what it feels like. Or maybe hold his head under water for a little while. Dumb ass. He's a moron.

 

Good man Marty. I wouldn't sell out for a scum bag like him either.

 

Ho Hummmmmm

 

The problem with him not doing the public appearances, speeches, and etc is he will not be back in the nfl otherwise. but in the end its about money, publicity. there are ATLEAST 3 players in the nfl that are starters/superbowl players who have killed a person and they didnt go threw nearly as much public stuff as vick is going threw. i think the stallworth guy(cleveland browns) who killed some one drunk got like 5 days in jail, and probably some AA classes.

 

Funny, why is all this such a big deal still? I mean the guy did his time and then some (public service is one of his conditions of parole so why do you all give 2 sh*ts about it, it's not like he has a choice in the matter, I'm pretty sure it was part of his sentencing) yet everyone and their mother just don't want to let go of the mans nut sack! I guess we all need a finger to point at someone. He lost more than anyone who has ever been involved in the game, let the man do his thing and GET OFF HIS NUTS! As far as him working with the HSUS, lets face it, the man wants to play ball, call him scum bag, call him turn-coat, call him what ever you want to, but the fact of the matter is, if that is what he has to do to play pro ball and start making money again than of course thats what he is going to do and any one of yous (regardless of the crap you spew on here) would do the same damn thing. I don't even like the guy or his previous team, I'm only defending him because some people need to get a friggin life and let the man do his thing! Last I checked THIS IS STILL A FREE COUNTRY (or so they tell me) I realize he has brough alot of heat down on our beloveded dogs in the publics eyes, however so has alot of people many on here idolize!

 

yea as for a nfl player he was one of the most entertaining players to watch. just wait until the season starts, people will be going to stadiums hes at just to picket sign out side of it about the dog fighting, people will be dressing up like dogs, and etc. its not going to stop, and thats sad.

i wish a convicted rapist, child molestor or murders who get out of jail would get as much coverage as him, for the rest of his life he will be known for what he did and will have to deal with it, but with celebrity status he wont ever be able to have peace.

 

The thing is though that this whole publicity spiel doesn't mean a thing to this guy or am I the only one that thinks that way? All he wants is to be the big stud again with money coming out of his ears and he tries to do so at any cost.
This man couldn't give a crap less about any dog or animal for that matter, doesn't have a bit of backbone and I am certain that the only reason he might regret what he did is that he lost a few big pay cheques in the process. There is not a bit of sincerity in all his public service work because of who he is and HSUS putting him in the big lime light in the process doesn't help either. There is a reason that these meetings are happening behind closed doors because he wouldn't be able to put up with the heat put on him by some of the more passionate people about dogs in the audience if it was open door. This whole thing is a farce if I ever seen one and just one big publicity stunt.

 

^^^^^^Fully agree inbear, He isn't sorry he did it, he is sorry that he got caught and lost all that money, and doing the public speaking thing for the HSUS is like making a convicted child molester talk to kindergarners. Makes no sence, but he will do it because that is what it will take for him to play ball again and in the end money talks, especially if you don't have morals to begin with. :rolleyes: