T.O.: Added suspension for Vick would be ‘ridiculous’

[Forkboy]

Terrell Owens spoke with the media Sunday following the Bills’ second day of training camp. You can watch the complete video of his press conference right here.

Besides fitting in with his new team, Owens sounded off on Michael Vick’s situation.

“I think it’s unfortunate,” Owens said. “I think the way the commissioner has handled it, I think it’s unfair to Michael Vick. I think he’s done the time for what he’s done. I don’t think it’s really fair for him to be suspended four more games. That’s almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground. I think a lot of guys around the league need to speak up. I think the players union needs to step in because the guy’s already suffered so much. To add a four-game suspension on a two-year prison sentence, that’s ridiculous.”

Owens went on to say that Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL.

“He should (be able to return),” Owens said. “Why shouldn’t he? There was a number of guys around the league that have done far more worse things than that and gotten second chances, so I don’t see why he shouldn’t.”

Would Owens ever want to be a teammate with Vick?

“Well, why not?,” Owens said. “Again, Michael Vick is a guy that really hasn’t had any character issues besides that that he got a prison sentence for, so why not?”

http://blogs.nfl.com/category/training-camp/

[cboy4]

1. There's no telling how he truly feels about anything and what's simply show

for the reality series crew following him around.

[madinmaryland]

2. Those handful of years in Frisco really fucked TO up.

:shrug:

[Auggie]

4. Don't bait me -- T.O. was born fucked up

[madinmaryland]

5. I'm not baiting you, but that's what happened!

Anyone who taunt the Cowboys on their own field is a bit fucked up, thanks to the York Family.

[Auggie]

9. I don't see the connection to his behavior and the York's ownership...

nor the connection to the 49ers. The guy just has a screw loose. He played for many storied organizations and coaches (Philly, Dallas, Reid, Parcells) and none could straighten him out. And it's not just authority -- the guy hasn't shown much respect for teammates either.

[flvegan]

3. Considering his ridiculous prison sentence

why bother at all? Matter of fact, I think he should be part of the Super Bowl Halftime Show this year. A Michael Vick Pageant where we can all hail his return to football.

[litlady]

6. I disagree...

T.O. is quite annoying, but as far as I know he has never done something as horrible as what Vick did. No surprise he would stand up for a fellow player though.

I wonder if professional sports will ever be like the real world?! If I had gotten a felony conviction for ANY crime I would never work in my field again. Yet these players can kill and then come back to lucrative contracts? Not at all fair. Some may say that he has done the time for his crime, but is that the reality of any other workplace? I can't think of a great many fields that would allow someone to come back to work after such a crime (or most serious crimes in general).

I can think of few convictions of NFL players as disgusting as Vick's, so I disagree with T.O. that many players have done worse things. My own opinion is that athletes or celebrities that commit serious crimes need to start actually paying for their actions.

[Forkboy]

7. It's pretty fucked up, and a self-inflicted wound to any sport that does this.

Which is essentially all of them. Talent and money override the laws in this, and probably most other, societies.

[Iggo]

8. Vick should call TO and tell him...

...please please PLEASE don't help me!

:rofl:

[Zavulon]

10. T.O. is an idiot.

Even if you separate his crime and jail sentence from the league entirely and say that Vick paid the price for that, he still lied to the Falcons' owner and the NFL commish himself when he was being investigated. That alone is worth four games.

I don't separate the crime from the league. He broke personal conduct rules, period. Playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and I think a four-game suspension is extremely light. I would have made it a year, myself.

[rocktivity]

13. DING DING DING! Zavulon, you're our grand prize winner!

...Playing in the NFL is a privilege, not a right...

Where does ANY pro athlete get off thinking that their league owes him something, and that anything they do is okay as long as he's bringing in fans and money? Vick clearly cannot handle fame, fortune, and personal accountability--I think that bringing him back into the NFL amounts to enabling him. It's time for the leagues to draw a line. I'd like to see an outright ban, but at minimum, Vick should have to miss an entire season. It's not the NFL's fault that he missed the previous season because he was in jail!

:headbang:
rocktivity

[Zavulon]

15. The argument I really love is

"Michael Vick has a right to make a living."

So do I, but not necessarily anywhere I want. Otherwise, I could march into the lobby of Microsoft HQ and demand to be hired because, damn it, I have a right to make a living.

The "right to make a living" argument is a blessing in that anyone who uses it can be immediately identified as an idiot. You never have to give such a person the benefit of the doubt; the person is a moron, a dolt, no smarter than your dumbest pet.

[joeybee12]

14. TO is an idiot?

That's news to me! :crazy:

[TZ]

11. Wait...

this statement is COMPLETELY WRONG...Well, why not?,” Owens said. “Again, Michael Vick is a guy that really hasn’t had any character issues besides that that he got a prison sentence for, so why not?”

Before the dogfighting he had ALOT of problems including getting busted for having marijuana at an airport. Lets also not forget that he lied his head off to the comissioner about the dogfighting (which totally wrecks his "I didn't know it was a bad thing" excuse).
No, TO, Vick had all sorts of problems besides the disgusting dog fighting.

[Iggo]

12. Two words: Ron Mexico.