Yesterday Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his participation in dogfighting, a “sport” in which dogs were forced to fight each other and were (sometimes violently) killed when they didn’t perform to expectations. Vick has been suspended indefinitely by the National Football League.
Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones has had a string of problems with the police, most notably a February 2007 brawl in a Las Vegas strip club that ended up with three people being shot, one paralyzed from the waist down. For that offense, he was recently sentenced to one year of probation, anger management, and 200 hours of community service. Jones was also suspended by the NFL — for one year. To occupy his time during the suspension, he dabbled in professional wrestling.
In 2000, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was involved in a brawl outside a Super Bowl party in Atlanta in which two men were stabbed and killed. Originally indicted with two others for murder and aggravated assault, Lewis pled down to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice and received one year of probation. The NFL fined Lewis $250,000, but never suspended him. He also didn’t get to go to Disneyland for being MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. Lewis was, however, featured on the cover of the video game Madden NFL 2005, and currently endorses the Under Armour brand of sports gear.
The moral of the story? You make the call.
(Hat Tip: The Bennington Banner)
UPDATE: Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post questions America’s priorities.
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Are you saying you think that the punishment is too severe for Michael Vick? The article you link certainly seems to. I couldn’t disagree more.
If your point is that we are NORMALLY much too lenient with celebrities, then I absolutely agree. I don’t know the specifics of the other cases you mention, but I do know the specifics of the Michael Vick case and feel sick to my stomach every time I am reminded of what he did to those dogs.
Celebrities shouldn’t be let off the hook period. I’m pleased that one finally wasn’t.