2009 NFL Thread

[Dark Donnie]

The legal issues are resolved...he is out of

They're not over, he's still under house arrest. After that is when they will decide.

 

[BlackLantern]

I don't do 'benefit of the doubt' when it comes to any public figure....especially in this case, I don't understand why people would

call me a hardass, but the NFL should be harsher if a player is convicted of a felony

 

[Dark Donnie]

^^^I agree, the crimes he commited are terrible.

Not only dog fighting, kidnapping local neighborhood dogs and having them engage in these dog fights. Guy is a pretty sick individual.

 

[BlackLantern]

They're not over, he's still under house arrest. After that is when they will decide.

House arrest and Im not sure if there will be some sort of probation after that....the NFL wants to make sure all of it is completed before they even make a statement about it

 

[StorminNorman]

They're not over, he's still under house arrest. After that is when they will decide.

He has 2 months of House Arrest, but after that it's done. He would have served his time. It's not like there is still the possibility of him going back to jail or whatever.

I don't do 'benefit of the doubt' when it comes to any public figure....especially in this case, I don't understand why people would

Why not?

call me a hardass, but the NFL should be harsher if a player is convicted of a felony

I the NFL should do whats best for the NFL. In my opinion, I believe that means Vick plays.

^^^I agree, the crimes he commited are terrible.

Not only dog fighting, kidnapping local neighborhood dogs and having them engage in these dog fights. Guy is a pretty sick individual.

The dude has also served his debt to society.

 

[Dark Donnie]

The dude has also served his debt to society.

But, he still hasn't been penalized by the NFL

 

[StorminNorman]

But, he still hasn't been penalized by the NFL

He's been suspended from playing football for 2 years.

 

[Addendum]

I would rather have Michael Vick on my team, a man that served his debt to society, than Pac Man Jones.

I'd rather have neither

 

[Dark Donnie]

He's been suspended from playing football for 2 years.

He was in prison over that time, thats not really the same thing. I don't see Goddell as the type of guy that would allow him to have his suspension run concurrent with his jail sentence. They're seperate matters.

Plus Vick lied to him about his involvement.

 

[StorminNorman]

He was in prison over that time, thats not really the same thing.

Sure it is. A suspension is a suspension. Vick has been punished by the league. He has served 2 years of a suspension, a full year more than that of Pac Man Jones. He has lost millions of dollars.

Vick has served his debt to society and the League.

 

[Excel]

Vicks been the most seriously punished of all the Hammer victims, its time to let him back in.

 

[Dark Donnie]

Being suspended from the NFL when your serving a jail sentence at the same time isn't the same thing. He had no option of playing because he was in jail.

 

[Darthphere]

I think you're being ridiculous. Lets put it this way, if Michael Vick never served a day in prison, he probably would have been suspended for a year minimum anyway. Being in jail is being suspended. There is nothing else to debate here.

 

[Dark Donnie]

ESPN Power Rankings

2009 Power Rankings: Offseason
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (3) Steelers 12-4-0 With 20-of-22 starters returning, the Steelers could chase "dynasty" status. (JW) Draft

2 (9) Patriots 11-5-0 Until further notice, a team coached by Bill Belichick and quarterbacked by Tom Brady is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. (TG) Draft

3 (2) Giants 12-4-0 Top to bottom, not a lot of holes on this team. Can they replace Plaxico Burress' presence on the field? I think so. (MM)Draft

4 (11) Eagles 9-6-1 With the additions of Jeremy Maclin, Jason Peters and LeSean McCoy, this should be one of the top offenses. (MM) Draft

5 (5) Colts 12-4-0 Donald Brown should provide a nice boost. But without Tony Dungy and with two top assistants in limbo for at least awhile, do things stay stable? (PK) Draft

6 (6) Ravens 11-5-0 Second-year QB Joe Flacco looks great this offseason. As long as LB Ray Lewis keeps Baltimore's defense elite, this team will be a force once again. (JW) Draft

7 (12) Chargers 8-8-0 The Chargers became the dangerous team we all expected late in the season. This can be an elite team. (BW) Draft

8 (1) Titans 13-3-0 A deep team lost a defensive star and a defensive coordinator and has a tougher schedule, but should still be playoff-caliber. (PK) Draft

9 (13) Cardinals 9-7-0 The next challenge for the Cardinals is showing more consistency throughout the season, not just in the playoffs. (MS) Draft

10 (4) Panthers 12-4-0 They basically haven't done anything this offseason, but the Panthers have 21 starters back from a 12-4 season. (PY)) Draft

11 (7) Falcons 11-5-0 Tony Gonzalez elevates the offense. A little defense could make the Falcons complete. (PY) Draft

12 (15) Bears 9-7-0 The addition of Jay Cutler gives the Bears the early advantage in the NFC North. (KS) Draft

13 (14) Cowboys 9-7-0 I think the offense will be better off without T.O. Maybe this team will peak late in the season. (MM) Draft

14 (10) Vikings 10-6-0 Subject to change based on the Vikings' pursuit of Brett Favre. Without him, they have the same major question -- quarterback. (KS) Draft

15 (8) Dolphins 11-5-0 An encore performance will be difficult, but under-the-radar moves made them better on defense and on the offensive line. (TG) Draft

16 (19) Saints 8-8-0 If the defense can be just average, the Saints will be in the playoffs. (PY) Draft

17 (24) Packers 6-10-0 The 3-4 defense could take some time to perfect, but addressing the scheme was a must. (KS) Draft

18 (18) Texans 8-8-0 A popular pick as a breakout team, they'll need to improve defensively and handle unfamiliar expectations. (PK) Draft

19 (21) Redskins 8-8-0 How much impact will Albert Haynesworth have and how will Jason Campbell respond to an awkward offseason? (MM) Draft

20 (17) Jets 9-7-0 Rex Ryan's defense is shaping up to be entertaining, but their QB situation and receiver corps are enormous question marks. (TG) Draft

21 (23) Bills 7-9-0 The Terrell Owens signing has escalated the excitement level in Buffalo, but the O-line is a huge question mark. (TG) Draft

22 (28) Seahawks 4-12-0 Waiting to see how Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Patrick Kerney hold up through training camp. (MS) Draft

23 (27) Bengals 4-11-1 With QB Carson Palmer (elbow) returning and a sneaky good defense, the Bengals have sleeper potential. (JW) Draft

24 (25) Jaguars 5-11-0 If the top two draft picks are solid and the offensive line is healthy, the running game can key improvement. (PK) Draft

25 (22) Broncos 8-8-0 The Broncos have to show they can win with Kyle Orton and with a rebuilding defense. (BW) Draft

26 (20) 49ers 7-9-0 Shaun Hill's 7-3 record as the 49ers' starter gives him the edge in QB competition.(MS) Draft

27 (16) Buccaneers 9-7-0 New coach Raheem Morris takes over a team with one huge question: Who's the QB? (PY) Draft

28 (29) Browns 4-12-0 The first year under coach Eric Mangini could be a rough one, especially if he cannot settle on a QB. (JW) Draft

29 (30) Chiefs 2-14-0 The Chiefs have improved in some areas but there are still a lot of questions about this team. (BW) Draft

30 (26) Raiders 5-11-0 It's all about whether the youngsters can turn the corner in Oakland. (BW) Draft

31 (31) Rams 2-14-0 Rams need time to develop talent after roster purge made them among NFL's youngest almost overnight. (MS) Draft

32 (32) Lions 0-16-0 The Lions made progress this offseason but had nowhere to go but up. (KS) Draft

 

[BlackLantern]

this all started in the off season, by time the season started he was in jail if im not mistaken....did the NFL officially suspend him??

 

[Dark Donnie]

I think you're being ridiculous. Lets put it this way, if Michael Vick never served a day in prison, he probably would have been suspended for a year minimum anyway.Being in jail is being suspended. There is nothing else to debate here.

Well I don't agree the two are hand and hand.


I guess we'll see in two months

 

[Excel]

I got some time today; Ill do breakout player picks in a bit.

Btw GREAT to see Tom out there throwing.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

I think you're being ridiculous. Lets put it this way, if Michael Vick never served a day in prison, he probably would have been suspended for a year minimum anyway. Being in jail is being suspended. There is nothing else to debate here.

QFT.

Trying to penalize the guy even more is just cruel. Again, put yourself in his shoes. If you slaughtered a couple of animals (which, again, I detest, as an animal lover), and you served your time in prison, wouldn't you say, "Look, I've paid my debt, let my life return to normal"? I'd guarantee 99.99% of us wouldn't say, "I deserve that, I'll go work at McDonald's for another year.

It's pretty ignorant not to empathize with a human being. Sure, what he did is disgusting, but he's still human. He's paid his dues, he's giving back to society what he can. Let it go.

 

[Cmill216]

Solid early rankings. I'd put the Giants at 2, and move the Falcons up a bit.

 

[Cmill216]

I think you're being ridiculous. Lets put it this way, if Michael Vick never served a day in prison, he probably would have been suspended for a year minimum anyway. Being in jail is being suspended. There is nothing else to debate here.

You also have to look at the crime. This isn't something he's going to fall into again, unlike the cokeheads and DUI dummies of the world. So there should be no fear of repeated behavior.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

Solid early rankings. I'd put the Giants at 2, and move the Falcons up a bit.

Falcs and Vikes, easily. They're my "early picks" for the NFC Championship Game.

 

[BlackLantern]

QFT.

Trying to penalize the guy even more is just cruel. Again, put yourself in his shoes. If you slaughtered a couple of animals (which, again, I detest, as an animal lover), and you served your time in prison, wouldn't you say, "Look, I've paid my debt, let my life return to normal"? I'd guarantee 99.99% of us wouldn't say, "I deserve that, I'll go work at McDonald's for another year.

It's pretty ignorant not to empathize with a human being. Sure, what he did is disgusting, but he's still human. He's paid his dues, he's giving back to society what he can. Let it go.

crimes that heinous are never truly paid for....he's been punished as much as the legal system can attest for....

I wouldn't say anything because I have the good sense to know that in our society today, serving prison time will always mark you....Im not saying he can't earn a living, but he shouldn't be in the NFL....he can rock a red Tshirt at Target and stock shelves, if its good enough for other Americans, its good enough for a convict

 

[Excel]

Pats are clear #1 with Steelers 2. Phily, Minnesota, and Atlanta round out my top 5.

 

[BlackLantern]

as for breakout players....back when the Falcons drafted Matt Ryan, when everyone was mad or dogging the Falcons for it, I was firmly behind the pick and felt that Matt Ryan was exactly what that team needed....so Ill just pick one breakout player for this season

 

[Cunning Stunts]

crimes that heinous are never truly paid for....he's been punished as much as the legal system can attest for....

I wouldn't say anything because I have the good sense to know that in our society today, serving prison time will always mark you....Im not saying he can't earn a living, but he shouldn't be in the NFL....he can rock a red Tshirt at Target and stock shelves, if its good enough for other Americans, its good enough for a convict

I disagree. Justice shouldn't be served to ruin someone's life, justice should be served to punish those who did something wrong. He served his punishment according to our laws, and while I do think he got off a tad easy, I don't think it's the NFL's place to punish him any more than suspending him for having trouble with the law. The NFL isn't the law, and I don't think they have the right to act as if they do, especially since what he did doesn't directly affect the NFL.