Case Study: Michael Vick’s Dog Fighting Scandal Alaina Nunn and Amanda Gianni
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Case Study: Michael Vick’s Dog Fighting Scandal
Alaina Nunn and Amanda Gianni SCOM 460 December 10, 2012 The Abstract Michael Vick is a professional football player in the National Football League. Just as his career was beginning with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick started a dog fighting operation on his property in Virginia with three other men. In 2007, he was charged in the federal court for conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and for sponsoring a dog in an animal fighting venture. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison, in addition to three years of probation from buying, selling or owning dogs. In 2009, after serving his time in jail, he was reinstated to the NFL and has played for the Philadelphia Eagles ever since. Table of Contents 1. Case Study ......................................................................................................................... Page 4 1.1 Michael Vick and his early football career 1.2 The Dog Fighting Scandal 1.3 The Investigation 1.4 Indictments and Sentencing 1.5 Jail Time 1.6 Back to the NFL 1.7 Public Response 2. Discussion Questions ........................................................................................................ Page 8 3. Response ........................................................................................................................... Page 9 3.1 Critical Issue #1 3.2 Critical Issue #2 3.3 Critical Issue #3 3.4 Evaluation 4. Appendix ......................................................................................................................... Page 11 4.1 Timeline of Vick's life post-scandal 5. References ....................................................................................................................... Page 15
Michael Vick is a professional football player who currently plays in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was born in Newport News, Virginia and grew up in a rough neighborhood surrounded by drugs and gang activity. After high school, he went to Virginia Tech on a football scholarship. After redshirting his freshman year, he led the team to an undefeated season and a spot in the Sugar Bowl. He was also voted the Big East player of the year and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. After his sophomore year, he left Virginia Tech to play in the NFL. In 2001, Vick was the number one draft pick and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons to be their starting quarterback. Throughout his time in Atlanta, the Falcons became title contenders and Vick turned into the franchise quarterback they hoped he would. In 2004 Vick signed a ten year, $130 million contract with the Falcons and by 2006 he was the highest paid player in the NFL.
When he was 21, Vick and his three associates, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor began a dogfighting operation named “Bad Newz Kennels” at a property in Surry County, VA owned by Vick. Vick became a registered dog breeder, bought dogs, and set up the property for a dog fighting venture. The men built a fence along the side of the property so their activities couldn’t be seen. They also buried car axles with heavy chains, which were used to secure fighting dogs. Vick and his associates tested the dogs in fights, then shot, electrocuted or hung dogs who did not perform well. It later became known that they hung three dogs, drowned three more dogs and killed another dog by slamming it to the ground until its neck broke. They would host fights at the property and transported the dogs to other states to participate in fights. The gambling purses would most often be thousands of dollars. The dogs that lost fights were killed. The Investigation On April 25, 2007 Virginia state officials arrested Michael Vick’s cousin, Davon Boddie, on drug charges. Boddie had previously listed Vick’s home in Surry County, Virginia as his own address and while authorities were searching the premises they found evidence of animal cruelty and dog fighting. Having probable cause for suspected animal cruelty and dog fighting, a second search warrant was obtained. By furthering the investigation, police discovered roughly 54 dogs, most being pit bulls that were malnourished and had excessive scarring and injuries. This section of the property resembled the typical arrangement for dog fighting, including a bloody fighting area and animal training and breeding equipment. This included a “rape stand” used to restrain aggressive females during breeding, a “break stick” for prying open dogs’ mouths during fights, treadmills for conditioning dogs, paperwork that documented the fighting, and performance-enhancing drugs used to increase to increase fighting potential and stamina of the dogs. That June, a witness reported to federal investigators that the remains of fighting dogs were buried on Vick’s property. Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture obtained a search warrant and found the bodies of approximately seven dogs in two mass graves, leading investigators to continue the investigation at the federal level. When questioned by state authorities, Vick denied any responsibility for or knowledge of the dog fighting ring and equipment. He instead blamed his family members and friends that were living on the property, which he claimed he had never been even been to. Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels, both NFL football players, defended Vick and in addition attempted to downplay the situation, averring that viewing dog fighting as a crime was “ridiculous”. Indictment and Sentencing On July 17, 2007 a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted Vick and his three cohorts, Purnell Peace, Quanis Philiips and Tony Taylor on the charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and for sponsoring a dog in an animal-fighting venture. Because of the “interstate commerce” element, the federal court assumed jurisdiction over this case, which would otherwise be handled by the state. Vick and his associates pled guilty to the charges and Vick was immediately suspended from the NFL without pay in attempts to disassociate the organization from his crimes. Vick went on to admit to funding the dog-fighting ring, gambling, having knowledge of four dogs killed by his cohorts and to consenting to the hanging and drowning of six or so dogs that did not perform well. However, he repeatedly made up various excuses to minimize his responsibility and claimed that he did not actually gamble but instead placed side bets. He also vehemently denied taking part in the actual killings of the dogs, which he maintained when a Surry County grand jury brought additional charges against him, including promoting dog fighting for amusement and unlawfully torturing and killing dogs. After being questioned and completing a polygraph test it was determined that Vick was lying. He then admitted to killing two dogs by dropping them for their hanging. His extreme lack of honesty had a major effect on not only public opinion but also on his sentencing. The deliberate lies Vick told federal investigators about his role in killing the dogs in addition to testing positive for marijuana led the prosecutor to recommend a sentence of 12-18 months. On December 10, 2007 U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced Vick to 23 months in prison, as well as three years of probation from buying, selling or owning dogs, a fine of $5,000 and the requirement to participate in a drug and alcohol treatment program. Jail Time Vick began his sentence at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia in November of 2007. He was then transferred in January to Leavenworth, a federal prison in Kansas in order to complete a drug-rehab program that he was told could reduce his sentence. He found out a month later that he had not been admitted to the program. While in jail, Vick was still under contract with the Atlanta Falcons, who were looking to trade his rights. They chose to not pick Vick during the 2008 draft, dimming Vick’s hopes to return to his team once he completed his sentence. After serving 18 months, Vick was released early from Leavenworth for good behavior in May of 2008. Back to the NFL In July of 2009 Vick was semi-reinstated to the NFL under the following conditions: He could participate in preseason practices, workouts and meetings as well as play in the last two preseason games assuming that a team signed him. He would not be able to play in games during the season until he was fully reinstated. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell maintained that he would not reinstate Vick until he showed repentance for his illegal actions and dedicated himself to rebuilding his reputation, life and career. He claimed this was not punishment but instead was an opportunity for Vick to gradually transition back into the NFL. Vick affirmed his remorse and dedication to improving his character, stating: "I fully understand that playing football in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given. As you can imagine, the last two years have given me time to re-evaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward.” Many teams were forthright about not wanting Vick to play for them. These included the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the New York Jets and Vick’s former team, the Atlanta Falcons. His prospects for contracts and endorsement deals were extremely minimal compared to his former 10-year, $130 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons before his indictment. Fortunately for his career, Vick was offered and accepted a position as an offensive player for the Philadelphia Eagles. The offer included a one-year deal for $1.6 million with an option of a second-year deal for $5.25 million with the potential of $3 million in incentives. Philadelphia Eagles team president Joe Banner and the Eagles players held many discussions about the addition of Vick to their team before the deal was signed to ensure a mutual consensus. Joe Banner and Eagles players, including quarterback Donovan McNabb, maintained that Vick was remorseful for his actions, had undergone a personal transformation and deserved a second chance in the NFL. In the following season of 2010 Vick became the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Public Response Proceeding the hiring of Vick, the Eagles made a statement regarding their decision of hiring Vick, “We (Philadelphia Eagles) remain fully committed in putting the highest quality product on the field and delivering wins to Eagles fans.” There was a mixed reaction from the City of Philadelphia in regards to the signing of Michael Vick. The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society were disappointed in the Eagle’s decision, but knew that protesting was not going to change anything. Instead, they wanted Vick to donate a large portion of his salary to groups that save animals lives. The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took a different view and protested the hiring of Vick. In regards to Eagles fans themselves, most of the reaction was positive. They care about their team and care about what Andy Reid (head coach) can do with Vick to win ball games. Some fans even made t-shirts that read “the football community of Philadelphia welcomes Michael Vick with open arms.” Fans also noted that while they do not condone Vick’s actions, they aren’t going to stop liking the Eagles because of one player. They believe that he served his time and that he deserves a second chance. Just as some fans have a positive reaction to the hiring of Vick, some did not approve of the Eagles decision. They did not buy his remorse act and think that since he was unemployed and bankrupt, he was just doing what he needed to do to get hired and they do not want him to play for their team. A fan website for the Philadelphia Eagles stated “Sack Vick and boycott the Eagles and the NFL.” Some fans were so upset by the hiring of Vick that they felt that they could no longer root for them. Some even went as far as to give up their season tickets. After Vick was released from prison, the Humane Society of America approached him to endorse them. They thought that they could use Vick’s celebrity to further their agenda of promoting against dog fighting and animal abuse. This is the only non-profit work that Vick has done regarding animal rights. If he were to do more work with animal rights organizations, then his credibility might be questioned. Since he was caught in a dog-fighting scandal, people might perceive his acts as not genuine and think that he is only doing it for publicity and isn’t sincere about the work. Discussion Questions
Response
Discussion: When Vick was hired to play for Philadelphia, the deal was met with mixed emotions from the Philadelphia community. Many fans did not approve with what Vick did and did not want him as a representative of their city. In addition, Vick’s actions were not widely viewed as genuine and public opinion was that he was just going through the motions to be able to play football again. Because of this, we recommend establishing a strong community relations program to rebuild the support and trust of the Philadelphia community. In 2010, Vick established a football camp in Hampton, VA where young players would come to develop their skills. The camp ran in the summers of 2010 and 2011 but has since shut down. Our recommendation is that Vick re-open, and re-vamp this camp, but move it to the Philadelphia area. Vick has attributed his legal troubles to growing up in a dangerous area and around violence and gang activity. These problems also persist in Philadelphia. Inner-city Philadelphia has a high murder and crime rate and is a place with prevalent poverty. Because of this, many athletes would could go to college might be discouraged by the price tag or lack the motivation to try to attain a goal they do not believe is possible. This camp will be an invitation-only camp for high school football players who have the talent and ability to obtain a college football scholarship. The idea is to find top talent that may lack the motivation to continue with their football careers because they do not believe they can do it. Through great coaching and a mentorship program with Vick himself, this camp will prove to these athletes that they have what it takes to go on to college and have a successful career. We do not want this camp to just have Vick’s name on it. He will be one of the coaches on the field every day, and develop a strong mentor-mentee relationship with each of the players that will continue even after the camp concludes. In regards to Vick’s other nonprofit work, we suggest that he focus on at risk youth, specifically ones in inner city Philadelphia. These tactics will take the attention off of the scandal and refocus it on football and helping children who come from a similar background to Vick.
Discussion: Since there was a lot of negativity surrounding the scandal, we think that it is important that Michael Vick refocus his attention back to his football career. Throughout his short career as an Eagle, Michael Vick has had impressive statistics and awards. In the 2010 season, Vick led the Eagles to win the NFC East, thus clinching a playoff spot. That same year he was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl and was named Comeback Player of the Year. On an individual level, Vick set career highs in passing yards, passing percentage, QB rating, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns. He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2010 and featured on ESPN The Magazine NFL Preview in 2011. As part of our public relations strategy, we want to keep getting him placements in sports and fitness magazines to place an emphasis in his personal career achievements and all he has done for the Philadelphia Eagles organization.
Discussion: Before the scandal, Vick had deals with, Nike, EA Sports, Coca-Cola, Powerade, Kraft, Rawlings, Hasbro and AirTran. In 2011, Vick reinstated his deal with Nike and has endorsements with lesser known companies such as, Unequal Technologies, a company that produces football pads. In 2012, he also launched a clothing line called V7 to be sold at Modell’s with proceeds going to the Boys and Girls club of Philadelphia. Our strategy to gain back Vick’s endorsements focuses around the theme of how Vick transformed his life. Here is a guy who had a troubled childhood, got involved with something he shouldn’t have, paid for his actions, and now has turned his life around and is playing football again. It’s arguably the best redemption story sports has ever seen and we believe this angle will be attractive to many of these companies. Vick is still playing football in a major city and will have a big enough draw for companies to consider him to represent their company.
Vick’s comeback from this hit to his career and reputation can be evaluated by the following elements: the amount of non-profit organizations he becomes involved in and how much money and sponsoring he is able to gain for those organizations, how many sports-related media placements he obtains, the number of endorsements he gains and/or regains, how many games he wins and whether or not he is able to continue playing in the NFL, how many players attend the football camp he sponsors and how many of those players go on to play college or professional football, and most of all public opinion on the authenticity and sincerity of his corrective actions, repentance and transformation. Appendix Timeline of Vick's life post-scandal 
2008: Vick is released from prison. He lost all of his endorsements, is unemployed, bankrupt and suffering from major damage to his reputation. We begin our public relations campaign to aid Michael Vick in the following objectives: 1. Improve his credibility with the public through various community relations efforts. 2. Refocus public attention to Vick’s football career. 3. Gain back sponsorships and endorsements that he lost while in prison. The Humane Society of America approaches Vick to endorse them and to help promote anti-dog fighting and anti-animal abuse agendas.
2009: Vick is semi-reinstated to the NFL. He makes this public statement: "I fully understand that playing football in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given. As you can imagine, the last two years have given me time to re-evaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward.” Vick accepts an offer as an offensive player for the Philadelphia Eagles. Time to refocus on football.
There are mixed reactions from the city of Philadelphia but lost Eagles fans respond positively. 2010: Vick is the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Football is in the forefront: Vick sets career highs in passing yards, passing percentages, quarterback rating, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns. He leads his team in winning the NFC East. Vick is selected to the NFL Pro Bowl and is the Comeback Player of the Year. Vick is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
He begins a youth football camp in Hampton, VA. 2011: Vick’s endorsement with Nike is reinstated.
Vick gains an endorsement with Unequal Technologies. Vick has a feature article in ESPN The Magazine NFL Preview. 2012: Vick launches his clothing line V7 with proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia. Sample Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2012 Michael Vick Brings Football Camp to Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (December 9, 2012) - Michael Vick has created a football camp for inner-city kids in Philadelphia. The camp is set to open in June 2013. Vick ran a football camp in his home state of Virginia in the summers of 2010 and 2011 but has since shut down. As many people know, Vick was involved in a dog fighting scandal in 2007. He attributed his legal trouble to the environment that he grew up in. Vick is originally from Newport News, VA, an area known for its gang trouble and violence. Through his football camp, Vick wants to help inner-city kids, who grew up in an area similar to him, make the right choices in life. “The purpose of my football camp is to teach kids about football and to make good choices for the rest of their lives,” said Michael Vick, founder and owner of the camp. “I know what it is like to grow up in an area like Philadelphia. It’s hard and the odds are against you. I know that I have made bad choices in my life, but I want to give these kids a chance and help them to not make the same mistakes that I have.” The camp will be invite only for high school players who have the talent and ability to obtain a college football scholarship. Vick wants to find kids in Philadelphia who may lack motivation to continue with their football careers because they don’t believe that they can do it. Through great coaching and a mentor program with Vick himself, this camp will prove to these athletes that they have what it takes to go on to college and have a successful career. For more information on the Michael Vick Camp, please contact 123-456-7890. References (2011). Animal Fighting Case Study: Michael Vick. Animal Legal Defense Fund. Retrieved from: http://aldf.org/article.php?id=928 Hoye, S. (2012, September 18). 'Match made in heaven': Michael vick helps park get a second chance. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/18/us/michael-vick- aztecs/index.html?iref=allsearch Kruse, M. (2009, May 21). Michael Vick’s redemption will be the “mother of all PR battles”.
Maske, M. (2007, July 18). Falcon’s Vick Indicted in Dogfighting Case. The Washington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701393.html Murtha, T. (2009, August 18). Vick’s PR campaign is the pits. Retrieved from
Newcomb, A. (2012, October 3). Michael Vick Has a New Dog. ABC News. Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/10/michael-vick-has-a-new-dog/ Sabre. (2011, April 11). The redemption of Michael Vick. Retrieved from http://www.holmesreport.com/casestudy-info/10113/The-Redemption-of-Michael- Vick.aspx Vick, M. (2012). The official site of michael vick. Retrieved from: http://www.michaelvick.com/ Directory: uploads uploads -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 uploads -> Department of science and humanities department of mathematics part-a questions and answers uploads -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? uploads -> For want of a nail uploads -> Ownership Models There are two different types of ownership models uploads -> Police Militarization uploads -> City of rising star regular meting thursday, july 14, 2016 uploads -> Township of winfield uploads -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 uploads -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program What We Want Now! Download 48.37 Kb. Share with your friends:
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