NFL News - Michael Vick Bodog Bet

The Michael Vick pit bull fiasco continues. Now Bodog has a proposition bet about whether Vick stays with the Atlanta Falcons beyond this season.

This story started when a Virginia sheriff raided Vick's rural estate in Virginia. The property was being kept by Devon Boddie, a cousin of Michael Vick. The sheriff and his men found 65 dogs on the property, including 55 pit bulls. Many of the dogs appeared unfed and unkept.

Further investigation showed signs that the dogs might be used for dog fighting. Tools used primarily by dog fighters were found on the property. Next came an ESPN "Outside the Lines" report where an anonymous dog fight trainer claimed that Vick was one of the heavyweights of dog fighting, sometimes betting up to $30,000 or $40,000 on the outcome of a fight.

In the latest ESPN NFL news story, the recent revelations led the prosecutor to seek a deeper investigation, where they would dig around the property looking for the remains of dead dogs. The dead bodies would presumably show wounds consistent with dog fighting. But the local prosecutor and sheriff did not like the wording of the state-issued warrant, and so refused to serve the warrant until changes could be made.

How many games will the NFL suspend Michael Vick?

No Suspension - 5 to 6 odds
1-2 games - 3 to 2 odds
3-4 games - 10 to 11 odds
5-8 games - 5 to 2 odds
Any Other Amount - 7 to 2 odds

Will Michael Vick be with the Falcons at the start of the 2008 Regular Season?

Yes -250
No +170

WHAT A DISASTER!

The Falcons seem to be a cursed franchise. First, they traded Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers, thus robbing their team of an entire decade of Hall of Fame quarterback play. Then they traded for the 1st pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, giving away the rights to the 5th pick in the same draft. The Chargers promptly drafted Ladainian Tomlinson with that pick.

Tomlinson broke the all-time single season rushing touchdown record last season. Incidentally, he also won the 2006 Walter Payton Man of the Year award, given to the player who does the most charity and volunteer work in the community.

VICK AS A FALCON

Meanwhile, vick has been a mixed blessing for the Falcons. Though he has a solid winning record as a starter, Vick has never become the kind of passer the team hopes he would become. Vick's arm strength is among the top in the league, but his accuracy and throwing mechanics have never improved.

The team moved to the West Coast offense, which was probably never a good idea. Though some thought it was a good idea due to Vick's mobility, that style of play requires a passer with an accurate arm, so the Falcons offense has sputtered during the West Coast years. It was thought the addition of Bobby Petrino and a new offense might spark Vick's growth as a quarterback. The team even traded highly touted backup quarterback, Matt Schaub, to the Houston Texans in the offseason. This was supposed to be a sign of front office confidence in Vick, but off field issues appear to be clouding Vick's future with the team.

OFFICE POLITICS

Falcon's owner, Arthur Blank, is said to have told Coach Petrino to take the 2007 year to evaluate Michael Vick's future with the team. So Vick was already on thin ice due to simple on field playing issues.

With new NFL Commissioner Pat Goddell on patrol, any player getting in trouble with the law enforcement are getting suspended. Adam "Pacman" Jones has been suspended for a year, while Bengals 3rd receiver, Chris Henry, has been suspended for 8 games. It is hard to see Vick avoiding a suspension at this point, because Goddell doesn't tend to wait for a verdict to hand down a ruling.

Most experts I've heard tend to think Vick will get 2 to 4 games suspended, with them leaning towards 4 games. Keep that in mind while making this bet.

VICK IN '08?

As for Vick's return for the 2008 season, I think the underdog "no" bet is good value.

Moreso than most positions, teams don't want to have to wonder if their quarterback is going to be there to start. Donovan McNaab has been a model citizen in Philadelphia, but two season ending injuries in two years caused the Eagles to draft a young quarterback with their first pick in the draft this year. So I find it hard to believe a team is going to stick with a quarterback who might take himself off the field with his own illegal actions.

Unless the Falcons withstand the first month of the season without Vick, his days in Atlanta are numbered. I think Michael Vick needs to lead the Falcons to the playoffs next year to return for 2008. He needs to show he is growing into a quarterback, and not just a running threat. But with this ridiculous dog fighting hobby he seems to have, Vick has already put himself behind the eight ball for the 2007 season.

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NFL News - Michael Vick Bodog Bet