Why blame Vick for lieing?

[Matt McGuire]

I just don't understand this logic for blaming him about lying to Roger Goddell or Arthur Blank.

Put yourself in his situation, and yes lets say you fighted/gambled/torturend dogs. I would never do something like this, and I hope my audience never has either. But it is a hypothetical so look at this with an open mind.

Vick's only out was to lie. If he tells Goddell what he did, then his career is over anyway. Same for Arthur Blank. What does telling the truth do for Vick? He still isn't getting his career back. Goddell isn't going to campaign for Vick just because he told him the truth.

Goddell has to turn on Vick's trust (assuming if we were Vick and told the truth about the whole situtation) for the league's image sake. "protecting the shield."

Don't blame Vick for lieing. He had to. He had to take the most remote chance he had. He would have been a moron if he told the truth. He is a moron for what he did in the first place, but don't blame him for lying.

Also, as much as I dislike Vick, I will say this. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Hate that thug culture that revolves around violence, guns, gangs, "getting rich", fighting dogs, and treating women as if they were their dogs. I don't say drugs, because drugs are a part of the rock culture too

[Matt McGuire]

Also, I have no idea how to spell lying (or lieing) and I really don't care right now lol so someone spellcheck me.

[Walter]

I definitely see what you're saying. Someone in his position had no choice but to lie. Not a big deal from an ethical standpoint, as far as I'm concerned, especially when compared to the crimes Vick committed.

The big deal about lying (correct spelling), however is the fact that Vick violated the NFL's personal conduct policy by lying to Roger Goodell. That's yet more ammo for the new commissioner to use against the dog-killer.

[Mark]

He lied, yes. But still, he should had never engaged in dog fighting! He lied to at least save his career for a few more months, but he probably had many sleepless nights because he knew it was only a matter of time before they had a solid case against him. Like somebody said on ESPN, he made his own bed and now he has to lay in it.

[Matt McGuire]

I definitely see what you're saying. Someone in his position had no choice but to lie. Not a big deal from an ethical standpoint, as far as I'm concerned, especially when compared to the crimes Vick committed.

The big deal about lying (correct spelling), however is the fact that Vick violated the NFL's personal conduct policy by lying to Roger Goodell. That's yet more ammo for the new commissioner to use against the dog-killer.

Well, if that is why Vick gets suspended (because he lied) in viloation of the personal conduct policy, that is BS.

Goddell shouldn't have the power to blackmail members of the NFLPA into telling him the truth.

In fact, I don't see ANY good about Goddell in terms of talking to players like Pac Man or Vick. He isn't gonna change them. Goddell is gonna punish those morons regardless, nothing good will come out of it.

Look at Pac Man, he is an idiot appearing on those wrestling shows. He is just a piece of human trash. Goddell talking to him did nothing. You can't parent a 25 year old man.

[Walter]

Well, it's not WHY Vick's going to get suspended, but if Roger Goodell wants to build a case for banning Vick for life, he can use this as ammunition.

Still, it's part of the policy.

But you're right - it doesn't seem to do the players any good.

What would have happened if Vick told Goodell what he really did? What he be suspended for the year after getting out of prison? What do you think?

[Egg]

Even though I don't support Vick in any way and hope they throw the book at him, I'm trying to imagine a scenario where telling Goodell the truth would have worked out, but I'm not seeing it.

At the time the two spoke, Vick wasn't sure how he would be responding to the allegations. Obviously it would have been incredibly stupid to tell Goodell the truth and then plead not-guilty. Even with a guilty plea, telling Goodell would've been a bad idea, because it would have crippled Vick's ability to plea-bargain.


In the end, it doesn't matter if he lied, because what he did was far worse. If I were in the commissioner's shoes, I'd institute a lifetime ban. If I were the Falcons, I'd attempt to recover all or at least the majority of his signing bonus. It should be fairly easy, because he clearly breached the contract.

[Matt McGuire]

In the end, it doesn't matter if he lied, because what he did was far worse. If I were in the commissioner's shoes, I'd institute a lifetime ban. If I were the Falcons, I'd attempt to recover all or at least the majority of his signing bonus. It should be fairly easy, because he clearly breached the contract.

Great points there Egg....I realized it doesn't matter if he lied...I just get ticked when I hear people say on tv that "Vick lied to Goddell" and then they never discuss why he should have told the truth...because telling the truth obviously is stupid.

I also think, now that I really think about it, that Goddell is out of line in talking with Vick at the draft. He knows what Vick will say to him. There is no point in talking to him. He can talk to him before he gives him his sentence, then they could have a more trustworthy conversation because Vick has no reason to lie, and if he lies then about what he did, then Goddell could come down hard on him for lieing, because he has no pressure to tell the truth. Vick could trust Goddell more in this scenario.

I will start new fun thread.