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Saturday, March 6, 2010

Vick to receive "courage award" in Baltimore

Talk about a turnaround.

Less than a year out of prison for running a brutal dog fighting ring, Michael Vick will accept an NFL award for courage, sportsmanship and inspiration. 

Vick is scheduled to appear in Baltimore for the 32nd annual Ed Block Courage Awards dinner Tuesday.

Organizers have boosted security and axed the traditional pre-ceremony player/fan mingling and autograph sessions, after it was learned Vick would attend and animal welfare activists said they would be there too with protest signs in hand.

The Philadelphia Eagles players voted unanimously last December to select Vick as their team's recipient. The award is given to one player on each of the 32 NFL teams each year.

The Block Award is named for a former team trainer of the Baltimore Colts, who worked for years to help abused children.

Michael Markarian, chief operating officer of the Humane Society of the United States, is expected to accompany Vick to the event. HSUS enlisted Vick to help with its campaign to prevent young people from getting involved with dog fighting.
 
Posted by Amy Worden @ 2:58 PM  Permalink | 12 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:31 PM, 03/06/2010
    Michael Vick is probably the least deserving recipient of the award that anyone could imagine. According to the PSPCA, as replorted on KYW Radio, SPCA authorities say dogfighting in Philadelphia has gone up dramatically over the past year and the authorities cite a Michael Vick factor. The number of animal fighting investigations, the vast majority of them dogfighting, has gone up from 237 in 2008 to over 800 last year - three to four times more. George Bengal, director of investigations for the SPCA, says some of the owner offenders have been drawn to the sport by an idol. "Michael Vick in my view definitely enters into the equation. A lot of the younger generation looks up to him as an idol and they idolize him and try to mimic the things he had done, which is not good." Bengal doesn't discount Vick's public service work since his release from prison and the upside is the notoriety of the case has prompted the public to be more vigilant and report more suspicious activity leading to the discovery of more dogfighting operations. Shame on Vick, shame on the Eagles, and shame on HSUS for promoting this sociopath as a role model.
    — MaureenKoplow
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:03 PM, 03/06/2010
    If this doesn't turn your stomach I don't know what will. What an absolute disgrace. The Eagles as an orginization and the players on the team just keep giving me more reasons to abhor them. Sad after having season tickets for 30+ years. Let's go Fightins!
    — Tudelum
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:21 PM, 03/06/2010
    Just to add some salt to the wound...Guess who the Broncos picked for their winner of the Ed Brock Courage award? Here's a clue, It was someone who was deserving and worthy and hasn't mutilated and murdered dogs? He wears #20. I find it hard to believe that Convick was voted this award unanimously. Not one player on the Eagles dis-agreed with his selection? Smells fishy.
    — Tudelum
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:17 PM, 03/06/2010
    Get over yourselves and your fake outrage. All of those whining and pouting couldn't tell you the Eagles selected last year without googling it up, they could care less.
    — mlr710
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:40 PM, 03/06/2010
    Like mlr719 says, Get over yourselves. Besides, this award was decided weeks ago, if I'm not mistaken. Spare us the holier-than-thou.
    — Hiding Behind My Keyboard
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:43 AM, 03/07/2010
    Anyone can see that this was a "given" for the Eagles players to give this award to the dog killer. It solidifies Reid's decision to put a dog killer on the roster. I wouldn't be surprised if there was not one vote for Vick, but that the Eagles management named Vick the winner. I also wouldn't be surprised if this didn't trickle down from Goodell - hire a dog killer, give him a courage award and make me look good. It is horrible and unbelievable that people are still not as outraged as me by this human refuse that calls himself reformed. And while you and I struggle finanancially every day of our lives, this piece of garbage is making millions. The Eagles are not worthy of any fan base or any respect. They belong in the gutter, along with the dog killer.
    — dogmom32404
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:57 AM, 03/07/2010
    mlr710 & hiding behind your ignorance. get over YOURSELVES. why is it fake outrage.it's real. it doesnt matter who won last year. were talking about a punk like vick getting an award that he doesnt deserve..
    — phillysportsnut
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:37 AM, 03/07/2010
    $20.01 that TuffCustomer isn't a tough customer! Giving this award to Vick is akin to giving the Nobel Peace Prize to George W. Bush. You don't give courage awards to people who train animals to kill or who kill animals and you don't give peace awards to people who start unjust wars.
    — philasportsfan
  • Comment removed.


12 comments
About Amy Worden
Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here.
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