another reason to hate the falcons

It's just the way that it is. New Orleans Saints' fans hate the Atlanta Falcons. I don't use the "hate" word lightly. We hate them.

Any respect that I had for Michael Vick as a talented quarterback has been completely drowned out. He was indicted late last week for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. Apparently, Vick and his cronies ran a fighting ring "where losing dogs were often killed in the ring or executed by hanging, drowning or electrocution," according to NPR.

Dog fighting is a felony in 48 states, and if you're like me and naive to the popularity and history of this disgusting practice, then you might be shocked to know how "trendy" it has become. Although its beginnings can be traced back to the Romans in 43 A.D., it's sounds like almost a status symbol now.

Vick faces $350,000 in fines and six years in prison if convicted of the charges. The dogs don't fare quite that well. All of the dogs that survive the ring are eventually killed because they are conditioned to be aggressive to other dogs. They're anti-social and probably very scary. And it's not their fault.

According to one of the news reports I read, "Officers reportedly found equipment associated with dogfighting, blood stains on the walls of a room and a bloodstained carpet stashed on the property. They reportedly removed more than 60 dogs from the property."

The more I read about this, the more disturbed I get. I cannot imagine anyone finding dog fighting fun. It's inhumane, and Vick deserves to be knocked down from whatever pedestal Nike, the NFL team owners and fans have put him on.