The Quick Plummet and Hard Landing of Michael Vick

Never saw it coming

The rest is just the denouement, the final resolution of the story. The climax came yesterday. Michael Vick did a deal and will say 'guilty' when the judge asks him for his plea on Monday. The whole world it seemed has been on edge since Friday when Michael was due by 9am ET to announce whether he would accept a plea deal offered by federal prosecutors in his dogfighting case.

Michael came from Newport News where there were a lot of bad influences and not much of a father to guide him. Michael was born 26 June 1980. He picked up football and by 1996 was a star under the tutelage of former World Football League Tommy Reamon, the same who had mentored cousin Aaron Brooks (Wahoowa!) into the University of Virginia (Wahoowa!) and then the NFL. He left high school for Virginia Tech. That was 1998.

His first season as the starter he played mad ball and was on the cover of ESPN the Magazine. That was 1999. He brought the Hokies back 21 points to take the lead before losing to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship. That was 2000.

The next season his Hokie team finished 11-1 and stomped Clemson in the Gator Bowl, he was MVP. He left school, was the number one overall pick in the NFL draft and by the end of that season was starting in Atlanta. That was 2001.

The next season, his first as the starter, he led his team to a 9-6-1 record and into the playoffs where they won a game at Lambeau Field before losing to the Eagles. Michael went to the Pro Bowl. That was 2002.

The next year he was on the cover of Madden 2004. He broke the fibula in his right leg in a preseason game and missed 11 games. That was 2003.

The next season he led the Falcons to an 11-5 record and the NFC Championship game. They lost to the Eagles on the coldest day of my life. In December Michael signed a 10-year 130 million dollar contract with 37 million dollars in signing bonus and then went to the Pro Bowl. That was 2004.

The next season Michael again went to the Pro Bowl and had the highest per-rush average of any player with 100 or more carries. A woman sued him, claiming Michael failed to tell her he had genital herpes and consequently gave them to her and that he took treatment under the name Ron Mexico to remain anonymous. Subsequently the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all prohibited the sale of any number seven jersey customized with the name Mexico or Ron Mexico. That was 2005.

The next season the Falcons were 7-9 and Michael showed his middle finger to the home crowd after a loss to the Saints. That was 2006.

The next year was this year, 2007 the year of the pig.

Michael's coach was fired. His former coach's father had called Michael a coach killer and his former coach had then opined on national radio that maybe a college gig was better than all this NFL hubbub (all op. cit.). Michael was then stopped in an airport because the false bottom in the water bottle he was carrying smelled like marijuana probably the kind of marijuana that is known as 'the kind.' That was January.

Michael's backup, a promising and rising third year quarterback named Matt Schaub (Wahoowa!) is traded to the Houston Texans. Evidence pointed to Matt working well within the west coasty offense the former coach that had just been fired deployed but Michael's contract was so large that they kept the guy that couldn't run the coach's offense (Michael) then traded the guy that could (Matt) and then fired the coach that ran the offense that the guy they kept (Michael) couldn't run but who wanted to keep the guy that could (Matt) before they traded him to keep the guy that couldn't (Michael). That was March.

A drug investigation led to the discovery of dogfighting evidence including 60 dogs and tools to pry apart dogs' jaws on property owned by Michael near Newport News. That was April.

Michael told his new coach, the Falcons owner and the league commissioner that he had nothing to do with all that, that it was some cousins on they own (op. cit.). That was May.

Michael was indicted racketeering, illegal gambling and animal cruelty charges, all federal charges. The NFL commissioner forbade Michael from attending Falcons training camp. One of his best friends and a co-defendant in the case changed his plea from not guilty to guilty and pledged to testify against Michael. That was July.

Michael's other two friends and co-defendants agreed to plea bargains admitted guilt and pledged to testify against Michael, the alleged financier of the Bad Newz Kennels operation. That was less than two weeks ago.

Michael was given a deadline to accept or deny a plea deal, with the threat of new indictments looming if he did not accept it. That was last week.

Michael negotiated over the weekend and finally accepted a plea arrangement. That agreement will send him to jail for a year or more. That was Monday.

The NFL hasn't decided what to do but they will be soon. That was yesterday.

Michael will stand before the judge and deliver his guilty plea and receive a sentencing date. That is next Monday (op. cit.).

The Falcons open the regular season on the road against the Vikings. That is 9 September. Michael will not be there.

Michael Vick is 27.



Falcons season records from here. Most of the history of Michael Vick from Mark Maske's excellent piece here and Michael Vick's Wikipedia entry here.

Michael Vick: Getty Images file photo from here.