Vick's father makes headlines

For those that don't know, Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick took his mother's last name due to his biological father estranging he and his siblings. As I just read in an article, Vick's father is in the news, claiming that he told his son to cut it out with the dogfighting.

It was also made known in the article that Michael pays his father's rent and not long ago, his father asked Michael for $1,000,000 to hold him over for a while. Vick declined, so his father asked for $700,000, which was declined also.

I then read some comments claiming that what the father said must be true, since Vick plead guilty on a charge of conspiracy. But, it was also made known this past evening that Vick will not admit to actually killing the dogs or gambling on them. To what is he pleading guilty? Perhaps providing money for the operation and spectating some of the fights. We won't fully know until Monday, but that's my guess.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, unfortunately, with this plea agreement, we may never know the whole truth surrounding this case, but with Vick's biological father popping out of the clouds to make some headlines, I and perhaps some others can begin to see what Vick and others in similar shoes as he have to deal with. Make millions of dollars? Expect friends, family, acquaintences, and even those you thought were on non-speaking terms with you to suddenly make their presence known again in attempt to sway you to give them some money. What will they do with that money? Who's to say? They could state one thing and do another. It may be ignorant to just give people money, as Vick seemingly has done, but I'm hard-pressed to know what I'd do if I were in the same situation. If I and those I loved grew up poor and I suddenly struck gold in becoming a multi-million dollar celebrity, would I tell those that were/are close to me "no" if they asked, especially in knowing how rough and difficult their childhood and upbringing were? It's impossible for me to say. I'd like to say that I'd know better and that I'd be strong enough to tell them all know, but these are people that influenced me throughout my life and helped me become who I am today, so it'd be difficult at the same time, to refuse any of my earnings unto them.

Are we to believe Vick's father? I haven't the slightest idea. He doesn't seem to be the most credible of sources, but then again, neither do the already-convicted criminals who pled guilty before Vick in this case. They all have something to gain. The other three who pled guilty could lessen their punishment by "outing" Vick and his father has an opportunity to get back at his son for refusing to give him $700,000-$1,000,000. When it comes to such cases, everyone has something to gain and/or lose. The prosecution gained a guilty verdict with Vick's upcoming plea, but lose the opportunity to maximize the punishment. Vick and his defense team lessen the potential punishment (and time/money spent), but have to enter a guilty plea. In cases such as these, it's the public's guess, because all we truly have at our perusal are people's words. Those words can be true, fictional, or a combination of the two and through our judgment, we have to decide what to believe. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done and our biases and the media's portrayal of the case may weigh heavier into our conclusions that we initially may have liked.