While an ESPN report claims Michael Vick’s pending guilty plea will not include any admission of participation in dog killings or gambling, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Matt Kempner had the pleasure of speaking with Vick’s estranged father.
Michael Boddie, in two sometimes tearful interviews with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week, said some time around 2001 his son staged dogfights in the garage of the family’s home in Newport News, Va. Boddie also said Vick kept fighting dogs in the family’s backyard, including injured ones ” “bit up, chewed up, exhausted” ” that the father nursed back to health.
Boddie, dismissed the idea that Vick’s longtime friends were the main instigators of the dogfighting operation.
“I wish people would stop sugarcoating it,” Boddie said. “This is Mike’s thing. And he knows it.”
He “likes it, and he has the capital to have a set up like that.”
Daniel Meachum, an attorney for Vick, said his client never mentioned situations described by Boddie, nor discussed Boddie in relation to dog activities. “It’s a disgrace Mr. Boddie, who chose for nearly 22 years not to be part of Mike’s life, would at this time seek to capitalize on his son’s current situation.”
Boddie said he and the Atlanta Falcons quarterback have had a volatile relationship for years and that his son has refused to speak with him directly for the last 2 1/2 half months. Boddie said he is speaking out because he’s been hurt by his son and wife’s failure over the years to correct what he considers inaccurate media reports that Vick grew up without his father present.
“I’ve been drug through the mud,” Boddie said.
He said he intends to write a damaging book about more of what he knows.
Boddie, 45, lives in a Duluth apartment that his son has paid the rent on for the last three years. Vick, who has a $130 million contract with the Falcons, also gives him a couple of hundred dollars every week or two, the father said.
Boddie wanted more. Two years ago, he said, he asked Vick for $1 million, spread out over 12 years, enough to keep him comfortable for the rest of his life. Vick declined, the father said. In recent weeks, Boddie asked Vick, through an assistant, for $700,000 to live on.
Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock is hoping the NFL and society will give Vick a second chance after he serves his time, adding “I also hope that our modern-day civil-rights leaders stake out a consistent position on compassion. We can’t demand it for Michael Vick and deny it to those we don’t like, especially when it comes to high-profile public figures such as Don Imus.”
Big Sexy fails to mention, naturally, that no one is denying Imus an opportunity to earn a living in his chosen trade (in fact, he’s said to be negotiating a new deal with ABC Radio). The broadcasting field, unlike professional football, isn’t monopolized.
That said, I can understand why Whitlock would hold out hope for the rehabilitation of Vick or Imus. After all, it’s not as though either have been convicted of wearing baggy pants.
One of my favorite aspects of the Vick case is people speculating about Vick playing in other leagues, including John Clayton (or Peter King, maybe, I can’t remember precisely), breathlessly stating that Vick would be “unstoppable” in the Arena League. Why stop there, relegate him to arena league 2, where he’d be “Christ-like”, perhaps.
He’d be awesome in that flag football league all of the guys on my softball team kept getting injured in.
I’d say something about my time being way to valuable to watch an AFL2 game. But I just composed the above item while watching the Oakland Raiders 2006 highlights video.
If it was one of those half-hour NFL Films team Year in Review specials, there was probably more than ample time to show each and every Raiders offensive touchdown, even in NFL Film-style super slo-mo.
I love how each of those videos has to put a positive spin on the season, no matter what the season looked like. That fake John Facenda dude has to intone lines worse than any I wrote in my advertorial journalism lows — “the Redskins’ journey forward into the past began with Brandon Lloyd moving the chains to set up John Hall…the ensuing kick would move the Redskins to within two scores with just five minutes remaining.” I can only imagine the Raiders one. Lots of Gwar-looking Raider fans in close-up, I hope.
“I’ve been drug through the mud,†Boddie said.
He said he intends to write a damaging book about more of what he knows.
I luv new words. I also intend to write a damaging book about what I know. We got a lot in common.
Can’t figure out how to email you this completely off topic (to this discussion) video, but you must watch it…DUI or no? I am not completely convinced from the vid, but the facts (passed out in his car in the middle of a busy intersection in the early evening, at least 25 miles from where he thought he was headed) say something else.
http://video.syndication.msn.com/v/Default.aspx?partner=en-ap&g=7f3e97cc-a7d6-4049-8616-d1bdebb1e995&f=FLPET
Please, Big Sexy needs to weigh both sides of the situation he has thrown out there. Imus said “Nappy headed hoes”(only african american are allowed to say this), while you justify Michael Vick in inhumanely slaughtering innocent dogs. My God! Can anyone make any sense? This is not a black divided by white, this is a God awful thing. The NFL is a privilidge. He should not be let back in to make millions. He screwed up, let it go. This man needs to be severely penalized!NOT BECAUSE HE IS BLACK!