Posted on 10/18/2009 5:31:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
About 30 animal rights protesters gathered outside the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday, waving signs decrying dogfighting in response to Michael Vick's arrival with the Philadelphia Eagles and drawing mostly praise from Raiders fans entering the stadium.
Oakland has been the happy ending for many of the animals rescued from Vick's dogfighting and gambling operation in Virginia. Ten of the dogs in Vick's pit bull collection -- the ones that could be saved and rehabilitated -- found new lives in San Francisco's East Bay, fostered and treated by the group BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls).
On Sunday, a plane circled the Coliseum, trailing a banner that read "Dog Fighter Go Home! BAD RAP.org" and sign-carrying activists from groups such as In Defense of Animals carried signs that read, "NFL ADD DOGFIGHTING TO YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT."
California animal rights groups had pinpointed this game between the Eagles (3-1) and Raiders (1-4). Last week, representatives from BAD RAP offered Vick an opportunity to visit his former dogs in a setting that would not violate terms of his probation agreement. Vick declined.
The Eagles' controversial quarterback/receiver remained in the visiting locker room throughout the pregame warm-ups, and Philadelphia officials said he did not see or hear the commotion around him, or in the sky above.
Pit bull owner and rescuer Megan Collison, 38, drove four hours south from Albion, Calif. to denounce Vick. "I feel very strongly. I have a pit bull at home and she was abused," Collison said.
She and other protesters withstood some heckling and arguments. Gary Marshall of Turlock angrily debated the seriousness of Vick's crimes with Collison. "What Vick did was mild compared to child molestation," Marshall told her.
Jeff Blagg, 42, from the East Bay city of Martinez, stood in support of the Vick protestors and barked over and over to gain attention outside the stadium. "I am a dog owner!" he said loudly, adding that he is angry to see Vick in Oakland wearing an NFL uniform, even after serving time in federal prison.
"No. He got back too soon," Blagg said. "It bothers me that he's in the NFL, period. That's what bothers me. It doesn't matter where he plays. He's playing too soon."
In the always boisterous Raiders' pregame parking lot, a lone Vick supporter wore an Atlanta Falcons jersey for his guy.
"It's been a little hostile, but it's not too bad," said Charles Wright, 44, a burly tow truck operator from Oakland. "Maybe if the Raiders win a few more games, it wouldn't matter, you know?"
Wright chose a Falcons' Vick jersey, "because I wanted to get the original jersey; this is like a throwback now. So I'm wearing my throwback today."
Why did Wright feel compelled to show his support for an athlete so many people despise? "It's like this: sooner or later you're going to have to forgive the guy anyway," he said. "So you might as well get it out of your system and let him play ball."
On the field, Vick's first action came midway through the first quarter, when he lined up wide as a receiver but lost four yards on a reverse. Kirk Morrison's tackle led to a smattering of dog-barking sounds from fans at the Coliseum, which did not sell out in time to avoid a local television blackout.
I was never a big fan of Vick, mainly because I recall he had troubles way back when he was at Virginia Tech.
I do think he should be left alone now. He has paid the price for his transgressions and now should be given the chance to go straight.
Live and let live is an alien concept to certain segments of our society.
They never forgive.
To me it’s they who are soulless.
I don’t care who they are. If they protest Vic, I am on their side. Now if we can get them to protest Chet99.
It is not up to me to forgive Vick.
the only good thing to come out of this is that the Humane society has made ...after very careful consideration and meetings...a deal with Vick, the NFL Leadership & Organization and former coach, Dungey who has been working with Vick.
The deal is that vick will work in the inner city with youth to fight against dogfighting. It is not a simple Photo op, show up, a quick talk and he is gone. The deal is very specific, detailed and quite some time committment.
The main reason the Humane society agreed to this was that they are having a big problem with inner city youth and dogfighting and had no one who could reach out to minority youth that had ‘street cred” and could connect to them. Hoping to stem the tide of this awful problem, they agreed to the Deal with Vick.
I believe this is very important as those who abuse animals as youth very very often go on to abuse or kill humans later on.
LOL! Yeah, whassup with all dem dawg stories....?
BS! He hasn't answered at all for the hundreds of peoples pets who met a horrible death so his dogs could have something to kill between fights.
The very nature of what he was doing created a market for other low lifes to steal people's pets and sell them to him for "practice".
Screw him! I'm hoping someone breaks his neck. (Much like he did to the dog he swung into the ground by it's back legs.)
It’s OK to let a divisive figure like Vick back into the NFL, but we can’t let Limbaugh into the NFL as an owner.... because he’s “divisive”.
I’m neutral on Vick, but not on the moral buffet that the NFL regularly dines at.(pick and choose)
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