Vick's judgment to be questioned
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Vick's judgment to be questioned
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
Whether Michael Vick had any connection to the early Friday morning shooting that allegedly occurred outside a Virginia Beach party celebrating his 30th birthday or not -- and apparently he didn't, according to a Virginia Beach police spokesman -- what may be of more consequence for the Eagles quarterback is his team's and the NFL's reaction to his apparent involvement in the incident.
As of now, both the Eagles and the league are in the process of gathering facts from the shooting that injured one of the co-defendents in Vick's dogfighting case, Quanis Phillips.
The Eagles released the following statement Friday afternoon: "We are aware of the incident that occurred in Virginia early this morning and are in the process of gathering all of the facts. Until then, we will not have any comment on this matter."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello responded in an e-mail that the league was "looking into" the matter "to determine the facts."
Vick, of course, was put on a short leash after his return to the NFL last July after he served 18 months in a federal prison for dogfighting crimes. At the time of his reinstatement, commissioner Roger Goodell said, "Needless to say, your margin for error is extremely limited."
Said Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie on the day the Eagles introduced the newly-signed Vick last August: "There is no room for error on Michael's part. There are no third chances and we know that. That's the thing, if this isn't fulfilled the way we expect it to be then that will be the end."
Vick has managed to avoid anything that could be labeled as erroneous since Goodell's warning. However, his judgment in regards to the location of his party, the number of invitees -- up to 300 people, according to various reports -- and his allegedly coming in contact with Phillips could come into question. Vick isn't supposed to associate with anyone from dogfighting circles, according to his probation.
As far as Vick's involvement in the shooting that left Phillips with a non-life-threatening leg wound, Virginia Beach police have "no information that [Vick] was involved in any way, shape or form," according to spokesman Adam Bernstein.
Vick's lawyer, Larry Woodward, told the Associated Press that Vick was not present at the Mexican restaurant where the festivities were held when the shooting occurred. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who was indentified at being at the party, told the Hampton Roads Daily Press that he and Vick had already left the party before the shooting.
"We were already gone by the time that stuff started happening, so I don't know what's going to go on with that or whatever, but we didn't have anything to do with it," White said.
Daily Press columnist David Squires wrote Friday on his blog, citing sources, that Vick and Phillips had an earlier argument about the possible smearing of the birthday cake on Vick's face. Squires wrote that Phillips had threatened to smash the cake in Vick's face.
He then cited another version of the story that said the cake smearing happened -- or was going to happen -- to Phillips. Nevertheless, the dispute eventually moved outside, according to Squires, where the shooting occurred. Bernstein said that the victim and any other witnesses to the shooting have been "uncooperative."
A message left with Vick's agent, Joel Segal, was not immediately returned.
Comments (58)
Regarding the headline of this piece: No sh*t? Just now we're saying this guy's judgement should be questioned?— MaC130- So if he's at the mall and a co-defendant comes up to him, his judgement is questioned? Are the co-defendants allowed to buy tickets to Eagles games? Yes, this proves it.... journalism is dead.— mlr710
- This just in from Father of the Year Andy Reid: "Mike Vick is a good kid..."— Dr. Michael
Comment removed.- this guy is a freakin loser. Get rid of him already.— denyll
Another re-tread of this story to create more controversy. Enough already, if you read the facts about the whole story, you will realize that he did nothing wrong, an idiot shows up at a party and starts trouble for past issues. These are the people he is trying to disassociate himself with, the Media creates this hatred, throwing out stories " Vick's Judgment to Be Questioned". Earlier, the headline was: "Vick of No Interest to Police in Shooting" So if that's the case, and Goodell, his Prob officer, decide it was not his fault, then what are you going to do? Retract the headline? Yo, media has the responsibility to also tell the truth and not just headline unsubstantiated opinions to draw hits on your blog.- Vick might have left before the incident, but maybe Ron Mexico was there at the Mexican restaurant when trouble started. Ive heard that guy is bad newz— peteike
- There's nothing wrong with having a birthday party at a Mexican restaurant and then leaving early. If Vick and this guy were involved in a conflict it's not likely that they Vick was "hanging" with him.— soulman386
- Comment removed.
let the man live. he did nothing criminal here. if he did, lock him up, but if he didnt, leave him be. simple as that
Maybe Jeff Garcia is still available?— jamarder- If he has not told all of his thug friends from the violent past to stay far away from him, then yes, he did something wrong. He is putting on the public persona of "I've leaned my lesson, I'm reformed"...but he is still hanging out with the same old people. He has embarrassed Dungy, Goodell, and Lurie. Whether he committed a crime or not is irrelevant, he is guilty of using bad judgment and bad judgment in his case can no longer be overlooked.— Carlos2
- please get rid of this loser...— jmg7738
- Comment removed.
- Good riddance to the Wildcat...— TPMILLER
- Seems to me that if the terms of his probation require him to not associate with any of his old dog killing buddies, then he's in violation of his probation. If this guy's at his birthday party, I'd say they're still associating. This just goes to show you how "changed" Vick really is......throw a party of a size to get attention in VA Beach, and invite probation violations. Anyone that thought this guy could stay away from trouble was dreaming - he's yet another great example of a guy that got a shot to live millions of people's dream, and he chose to be a thug instead. He's a dirtbag, pure and simple. He's got to go.— kat20
- Why all the apology? The guy is still serving a suspended sentence and still on probation which bars him from associating with felons. If he associated with felons he is in trouble. Having a birthday bash for hundreds at a nightclub with Allen Iverson billed as an attraction is completely idiotic. Ron Mexico is too stupid and his judgment is too poor to take a snap for money.— jtj10
- Was the cake smear before or after their first dance as husband and wife?— bv2st
- "Vick, of course, was put on a short leash...". Great line!— Bob1
- When all else fails .., HATE ! Hate Vick, hate Kolb, hate McNabb ! Just hate baby ... it's a Philly thing !— Gringo4
- the judgment to be questioned belongs to andy reid. lurie went along with this whole dumb experiment against his wishes, and he made that public. that wasn't by accident. it was so he could have a way to distance himself from anything that might go wrong. if vick has anything to do with this, or if his ties to the former dogfighter blow up, this could end badly for andy too.— loutibbs
- Michael Vick's judgement coming into question? Who knew? Anyway, you have to love the Eagles and the NFL "gathering, determining all the facts". Isn't that another way of saying the NFL is now working on a way to make this story go away by all means necessary?— 76erfn
- So the idiot dog killer is still hanging with his posse.— Wise_Owl
- Scum in, time for scum out. Time has told.— autolykos
- Please get rid of this idiot. I want to root for my team again.
- Please Eagles, just cut all ties with this LOSER.— jibberjabber
- carlos2 you hit the nail on the head. but it is more than judgment Vick may have violated the terms of his parole. If he has then he must go. I think the Eagles should be commended for giving this guy a second chance. I hope we can find forgiveness for a lot of things. But Vick has to be serious and this just doesn't sound like someone who is happy for a second (or third or fourth) chance. Sounds like same old Vick. Bad Newz.— notch44
- Carlos2--you said it best! I believe the saying is a Leopard can't change its spots. He is narcisstic, so by nature he does not feel his actions are improper. I always knew something would occur that would show the lowlife he is in reality. If you want to rehab someone, it is not done by giving them a million dollar salary. They need to start at the bottom and work their way up. Let him mow the lawn at the Linc.— simplyamazed
- Eagles and NFL gave Mike Vick a 2nd chance. Holding a big party, in his old stomping grounds is likely something his mentor Tony Dungy would have questioned as "stupid". Vick did something "stupid" and some one ended up shot. No Vick in VA Beach, no Birthday party in public--no incident and no problem. Vick is too old for a nanny, but he needs one. Time for Eagles to cut him loose. NFL can decide for itself.— Smashmouth
- I cannot believe that neither the reporter nor the Inquirer editors know how to properly spell the word "judgment."— corpo
- Just another cake-smearing gone bad.— MG44
- Where are Father of the Year ANdy Reid and Tony Dungheap now?— Dr. Michael
- For you folks that blame Vick for being associated with this incident. I guess that means everyone in Philly is a thug just because you live in the city. Vick wasn't even at the party when this happened. Sheesh, you have me defending the guy and I don't even like him.— PhillyFanSouth
- Last year I disowned my team The Philadelphia Eagles even though we have season tickets for over 25 years. Michael Vick needs to go. I do not care where away from my beloved Eagles. Mcnabb is gone so lets make it a two for Mr. Lurie, mrs. Lurie, Mr. banner and Mr. Roseman and please, Mr. Reid, let o of this man now, please or it will affect the 2010 season,enough said.— badbirdz
- gee, Vick in trouble? Reid Banner Lurie Dungy: great judges of character. pffft. Can we trade this ownership/management team to Cincinnati? idiots.— raoool
- Ron Mexico still has not learned his lesson.— badbirdz
- You can take the boy out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the boy.- Confucius.— hititwheretheyaint
- Sometimes you can't get out from under negative percerpetions no matter what. Remember that when you're minding your own business and an incident happens near you and you have to take heat for it - regardless of your past.— GodivaMD
- Where it counts most, Vick is a non-factor. If the Eagles want to pay $5 mil for a guy that's gonna play maybe 50 plays all year, they're dopes.— micken
- Comment removed.
Some people just don't get it! Ever wonder why today's youth, for the most part, are heading in the wrong direction. Seems our leadership tend to ignore major transgression; murder (people/animals), abuse of women, drug abuse. Maybe I don't get it!!— EZG1- this is the end of the mike conVick experiment-book it..bye bye-punk..wolf.— wolf 4
- Vick is scum. I still cant believe he is a member of my beloved Eagles team.— force10
- tombrookshire: It's racial, sad to say. For some reason African Americans feel like verbal attacks on Vick are a slight againt ALL African Americans, when they are not. They are verbal attacks against a man who showed no remorse for fantastic crulety, commiting felonies (across state lines), covering up, and then feigning remorse to revitalize his football career. Were the great Dr. Martin Luther King alive today, he would have nothing but condemnation for Vick, for Dr. King was a man of the highest character and preached such everyday of his illustrious life. People want to defend "their own",but objectivity and the truth are inherent. What people want to claim is "Big deal, he killed some dogs". That is not the issue, it is the MANNER in which he did, the cover up, and the illegal industry in which he took prt in. If a person kills another via a gunshot, it is murder. If a person kills another through torture and brutality, it is not only murder, but mental illness as well. If Vick had merely shot these dogs it would have been one thing, he electrocuted them, drowned them, and slammed their heads against concrete..clearly the man has some issues "upstairs". THESE are the facts that get glossed over and why Vick is so reviled. For if you can devalue one lifeform, you can devalue any..including your fellow human beings.— flyerdog
- flyerdog-amen brother amen..wolf.— wolf 4
- @flyerdog - you have the post of the week, without question. It is amazing how much influence the NFL has, the way they manipulatively attempted to convince everyone that this guy was a reformed man. At this point, the NFL is as guilty as Vick is.— 76erfn
- Courage.— al personal foul
- flyerdog: Cosign to your well thought out reasoning! Well Said!— EZG1
- I pulled for Jeff Garcia when he was here, in fact I would have chosen him over McNabb but those days are over and why bring him back. I seriously doubt he can do what he did before. How long ago was that 5 years? As for Vick, the problem with too many young guys these days is the culture that they are living in. They feel like they have to live their lives a certain way...and often they end up making horrible decisions because they are living based on the culture and not of their own true self. At a certain point it is too late for them to make decisions based upon who they really are and what they may or may not want to do. I think for Michael Vick, this is the point he has reached. I'm not making excuses for him although I do support second chances but there are simply too many young people who live by their "culture" as opposed to their "true self" and who they are. They are obviously being swallowed up by a twisted culture which no one can really compete with as an individual. Yes people want to party and have fun but damn there are too many others out there who just want to crash it all. Look at all the people that it happens to, time after time again. So why does it happen, for me this is as good a response as any.— BCRock
- Flyerdog,you made some great points,as a black man, I will say that I agree with much of what you stated. I know that as you stated there are many African Americans who do feel as if they have been slighted based upon what happens to others of the race. As such there are people who take advantage of that knowledge...consider O.J. Simpson who thrived on the feelings and attitudes of many minorities winning their support because he too was a black man. Now I bring this point up because it is crucial to understanding the attitudes of a race of people. Way back in the day (if you know what I mean) there were many innocent black men who were lynched based upon their race. White people came looking for them and black people protected them believing their "true" innocense. So to make a long story short much of that self association is possibly based upon those ideals. Unfortunately now there are people taking advantage of that to benefit themselves and others fall for it as a result. Personally I have a brain and I and many others like me do think for themselves, even though there are many in society who do not recognize that fact. I will add only this there are certain mentalities evident in every race that takes advantage of the way circumstances have evolved. There is also such a thing called white male privelege and how that has also evolved into ventures such as Enron, Halliburton, Wall Street and I could go on just as I could with African Americans...too many people supporting every move (good or bad) of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson....I only want people to understand there is a historical reason for everything under the sun. Nothing just happens, it all evolves and it is what it is. I only thank God I am usually smart enough not to base things on race alone.I'm sorry I made this seem political because I am not a political person and this is a sports site. I understand that but can I get an amen today. Great job, Flyerdog!— BCRock
- What's that saying again about taking a certain person out of the ghetto.....?— Doc Rob
- Michael Vick is innocent until proven traded.— mackwheaton
- I have to agree, Vick needs to go??? Trade him or even release him and bring back Jeff Garcia, to back up Kolb??? Vick could never run this WCO, just like Donovan couldn't??? Time to send Mr. Newport News packing???— mikey48
- I've only seen one post that states the obvious, if this "q" was at the party, the probation officer had to give old "q" permission to be there, I highly doubt that was given. That's a parole violation! Now let's get to the "lying" part, good ol Roddy White says "we left before that stuff happened". Read the story, somehow either q or vick got something attempted to smash in someones face, so CLEARLY, white's like lets get outta here but we can't let this stand, so a constituent takes care of the job. How could the Eagles FO allow this "party" to happen???????? I fully blame Andy Reid and Howie, who traded a classy guy and allowed this scum to stay.— Onlineps2beast
Whether management likes it or not, his presence continues to reflect poorly on the Eagles. Whether management cares this time, remains to be seen.- TrueValues, he did do something wrong. Part of his probation is that he has no contact with Phillips. Well, he obviously was hanging out with Phillips, so that is a clear violation of his probation. Therefore, you can't say he did nothing wrong, because that is false. No surprise here, Vick apologists want to give him every benefit of the doubt. I have no idea why, he is not a good QB.— allen_jones
- we still need him, Kolb will be out by 4th game...with this o-line..you wish we still had Vick— phillyfanyo
- This is seriously distressing. Someone picks a beef with Vick, he leaves and get out of the situation. Now he lacks judgment. This individual could have shown up anywhere. Vick did not throw the party, he was the guess of honor. Just like Macho was the guess of honor at Club Blakelys' in Chesapeake, VA a month or so ago. The issue here is that this guy Phillips decided to crash the party. Vick did not fight, he left the Party. Besides not being in VA Beach what else do you want from the man ?— 7of300
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Birds' Eye View is the Inquirer's blog covering all things Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.
Jeff McLane
Inquirer Staff Writer
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