Vick playing football at prison

[DJT]

In letters to Blank, jailed Vick says he's staying in shape

When they choose sides for football games in the yard at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., Michael Vick is the popular pick.

Twice for the same game, it seems.

In an interview with the New York Daily News, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Vick is playing ball in prison to keep his body in shape, his arm limber and to pass the time.

"Apparently, there was a prison football team and he played quarterback for both sides," Blank told the Daily News in Monday's editions.

The suspended Falcons quarterback is serving a 23-month prison term at Leavenworth's minimum security satellite prison camp after pleading guilty last August to a federal dogfighting conspiracy. Vick, who was sentenced in December, is projected to be released in July 2009.

Blank, who signed Vick to a 10-year, $130 million contract in 2004, has been communicating with Vick through letters, which Vick initiated. The quarterback has written that he is making 12 cents an hour washing pots and pans and playing a lot of football.

"He's written me a couple of times," Blank told the Daily News. "I've written him back, he's stayed in touch."

Blank also said Kevin Winston, the Falcons' senior director of player development, has visited Vick on several occasion. Blank told the newspaper he has no such plans, although it's evident he still has a soft spot for his exiled quarterback.

"I just try to be supportive and as understanding as I can be," Blank told the Daily News. "He talks about the process he is going through and what he has learned, the lessons of life, how he's going to come out a different person.

"He's sorry he has affected so many people in a negative way -- the league, our club, our fans. He feels awful about that. The letters sound quite sincere to me. From a mental standpoint, he sounds good."

Vick will go to trial on state dogfighting charges in Virginia on June 27.

I like to hear this. He's staying in shape, throwing the football around, but more importantly learning a lesson and feeling remorse for letting so many people down.

Like I have been this whole situation, i'm behind Vick 100%.

 

[kdogg]

Yeah I read about this earlier, this eliminates the people saying "he won't be in football shape when he's released.

 

[.loggie]

this is good to hear. my dumbass friend thought he'd come back to the NFL at a different position

 

[DC4]

I like Vick, but what he did was wrong and plus..On espn they said that when he first returns the mmight try him at kick/punt returner..vick does have speed but he will fumble 50% of the time most qb's can't take that many hits so I think he will play some qb..prolly a back up tho..

 

[traves]

I wonder if this whole dog fighting thing was something he liked doing or if he kinda started with it but got caught in too far either way it was wrong.
But I think Vick may have learned from this? Either way he is still young and when he comes back a team will always be willing to sign a guy of his ability to a contract, and dude will still be explosive somewhat and young kind of too.

 

[bulls12]

I wonder if this whole dog fighting thing was something he liked doing or if he kinda started with it but got caught in too far either way it was wrong.
But I think Vick may have learned from this? Either way he is still young and when he comes back a team will always be willing to sign a guy of his ability to a contract, and dude will still be explosive somewhat and young kind of too.

Yeah I think it must have just been a wrong place, wrong time kind of deal.

When and if he comes back to the NFL, he won't put up great numbers, but I'm assuming the Falcons might still want him depending on which quarterback will be leading the offense in the 2009-10 season.

 

[monster]

Dude im going to be butchered on this site, but that dog fighting thing, well, i don't see it as a huge enough deal to ban him from the leauge. I think taht Kobe did or was accused of doing was much much much more of an impact...same thing with what Jordan got accused of (he so didn't do it LOL, 3 paternity tests) and ya

but w/e

 

[bulls12]

Dude im going to be butchered on this site, but that dog fighting thing, well, i don't see it as a huge enough deal to ban him from the leauge. I think taht Kobe did or was accused of doing was much much much more of an impact...same thing with what Jordan got accused of (he so didn't do it LOL, 3 paternity tests) and ya

but w/e

well I agree, he doesn't deserve to be banned for the league. as I see it, he seems to have begun learning his lesson and he probably now knows that he ought to stop going about things the way he has since he entered the NFL.

 

[Gtown81]

If you guys were the dogs, i'm sure you'd want Vick banned for life

 

[monster]

I think dogs should serve us instead of us serving dogs

 

[DJT]

If you guys were the dogs, i'm sure you'd want Vick banned for life

That maybe true.....but we aren't dogs....nor will we ever be.

And I still support Vick.

 

[Gtown81]

That maybe true.....but we aren't dogs....nor will we ever be.

And I still support Vick.

I respect your descision to support Vick, but I still find it wrong what he did

 

[DJT]

So do I, but I am 100% sure everyone here has done something that they regret.

 

[AirForceFlash_3]

I'm glad Vick is staying in football shape and I can't wait to see him get out with his lesson learned. As for the whole dog fighting thing, I won't comment on it. I talked about it WAY too much when it happened.

 

[DJT]

Report: Vick not playing organized football in Kansas prison

Michael Vick might be tossing a football around in prison, but according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it's far from organized.

In an interview with the New York Daily News on Monday, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Vick is playing ball in prison to keep his body in shape, his arm limber and to pass the time.

"Apparently, there was a prison football team and he played quarterback for both sides," Blank told the Daily News.

However, federal prison officials told the Journal-Constitution that Vick did not arrive at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary Camp in time to participate in the facility's football season.

When told of Blank's account of Vick's football activity at the prison, a spokesman for Leavenworth sounded "incredulous," according to the Journal-Constitution.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kevin Johnson told the newspaper.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons told the Journal-Constitution, however, that Vick might be throwing a football in his free time.

"It's not unheard of for inmates to toss around a football," spokesperson Tracy Billingsley told the newspaper. "But there just are no games until the fall."

She also clarified to the newspaper that the inmates play only flag football at the facility.

Vick is serving a 23-month prison term after pleading guilty last August to a federal dogfighting conspiracy. Vick, who was sentenced in December, is projected to be released in July 2009.

Blank, through a spokesperson, declined to be interviewed by the Journal-Constitution.

Huh...guess he isn't playing football, just throws around a football. But he'll play when fall comes.