NFL Denies Reports of Vick Suspension

POSTED BY Kenneth England, 13 August 2007

The NFL denied reports yesterday that Goodell was ready to hand down a year-long suspension for Mike Vick, as had been reported on Yahoo. Vick had been told not to report to training camp, but so far no other sentence has been handed down. The commissioners’ office is reported now to still be in a fact-finding mode and has not yet made any decision concerning further disciplinary actions regarding the embattled Quarterback. Analysts, however, are still predicting a suspension in the next two weeks, despite the NFL’s statement.

Regardless of the decision, Vick’s chances of getting back on the field this year are absolutely zero. He should not want to come back, nor will any good lawyer advise him to do so. The legal battle in front of him is far more crucial (or should be more crucial) to him right now than getting under center on Sunday. Not only does this dire situation he has found himself in demand his undivided attention, the public relation press would be overwhelmingly negative should he get back on the field any time soon. The general public would see this as a sign of not taking the charges seriously and that would be damning in the public eye.

From the Falcon’s point of view, having Vick would not only be a distraction but a logistical nightmare. Odds of Vick not being convicted are very slim, as federal indictments rarely result in a not-guilty verdict (many analysts giving it about a 3 percent chance of occurring.) From a pure football standpoint, the Falcons know it’s time to move ahead and put Vick behind them, even if they haven’t said it yet. For Vick, it is time to forget about football and put his mind squarely on his legal struggle.