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 The indictment of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in U.S. District Court Tuesday night throws the NFL South team into a quandary leaving open many questions including; who will be the Falcons quarterback in 2007?
Currently Bodog.com is giving the Falcons a 50/1 shot at winning the Super Bowl but those odds are sure to come down before days end on Wednesday. Other major sportsbooks like Sportsbook.com have removed all futures odds involving the Falcons. While Vick could still be the quarterback, here at Point-Spreads.com we find the possibility questionable due to the leagues commitment to clear out trouble causing players, i.e. Tank Johnson and Pac-Man Jones. Vick has been under a cloud of suspicion since the alleged Dog Fighting issue cropped up in April after police raided a property he owns in Virginia. Vick was indicted with three others by a federal grand jury in Virginia for staging often-fatal dogfights since at least 2002 through their “Bad Newz Kennels” on Vick’s property in Surry County, Va. Vick is also charged with transporting dogs across state lines for fights. Conviction on the “Travel Act” laws carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine. Conviction on conducting an animal fighting venture can be punished by a one-year sentence, a $100,000 fine or both.
Currently there are three other quarterbacks in the Falcons camp , three year man Chris Redman, D.J. Shockley of Georgia and recently signed Joey Harrington. Of the three signal callers, Harrington has the most experience as a starter. It is not thought that either of the quarterbacks on the Falcons roster has near the capability or ability to carry the team into the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if the team makes a move to sign Duante Culpepper, released by the Dolphins on Tuesday. It is no secret the Jacksonville Jaguars might also be interested in acquiring Culpepper. The Falcons front office, obviously disturbed by Vick’s indictment offered a statement Tuesday evening from their headquarters. "This situation has been troubling to many people, including our fans, during the last few months. With today’s news, our club and team will continue to be tested as Michael works through the legal process toward a conclusion. We are disappointed that one of our players – and therefore the Falcons – is being presented to the public in a negative way, and we apologize to our fans and the community for that. Obviously, we are disturbed by today’s news from Virginia. However, we are prepared to deal with it, and we will do the right thing for our club as the legal process plays out. We have a season to prepare for and training camp opens next week. Our plan is to continue to do everything we can to support our players and coaches."
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