FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Michael Vick looked as though he didn't have a care in the world when he emerged from the Atlanta Falcons' locker room. He took a seat on the metal bleachers and broke into a slight grin when he looked up at the horde of reporters and camera crews, who had him pinned in from all sides.
"How y'all doing?" he asked.
Then things turned serious. Wearing a T-shirt that said "Pay The Price," the NFL's greatest running quarterback quickly made it clear he wouldn't be talking about his ties to an alleged dog-fighting ring. This was Vick in full scramble mode, attempting to elude the sordid case much as he might attempt to escape a 300-pound defensive end.
"I know y'all are here to talk about the ongoing investigation back home in Virginia," he said after the first practice of a mandatory three-day minicamp. "As of right now, that situation is still under investigation. My attorney has advised me not to talk about the situation right now. That's the best thing."
He took eight questions in just under 3½ minutes, two of which appeared to be planted by the Falcons public relations department. Team broadcaster David Archer jumped in to ask Vick about the upcoming season and how excited he was to be calling audibles in new coach Bobby Petrino's system.
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| Like he dodges on-coming defenders on the field, Michael Vick evades questions on Dog Gate. (US Presswire) |
He did vow to change his ways, saying he is mindful of how he's viewed by fans. When asked for specifics, Vick replied, "You'll have to wait and see. Just don't plan on talking about me anymore unless it's about football."
The only other time he deviated from the "I can't talk about that" script came when someone queried him on his meeting with team owner Arthur Blank, who said he's worried that Vick's latest troubles could bring a suspension from the NFL.
"We had a great conversation," Vick said. "He told me some things, and he was pretty bold in saying exactly what he needed to say. I heard him out clearly. I know he means business."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has vowed to crack down on misbehaving players, already met with Vick and could suspend him if it's shown that the quarterback knew about dozens of mistreated dogs allegedly used for fighting. There's also the chance of criminal charges; dog fighting is a felony in Virginia.
The animals were found at a home owned by Vick in Surry County, Va. He denied any wrongdoing during the NFL Draft, saying a cousin lived at the house and he rarely went there. Vick insisted that he didn't know that a large kennel on the property might be involved in a criminal activity.
Looking to cut ties with the notorious home, Vick quickly sold it.
The Daily Press of Newport News, Va., reported that he put the two-story brick house on the market Wednesday and it sold the same day. John Brooks, an agent with Long & Foster, told the newspaper Friday that Vick was asking $350,000 for the property -- less than half its assessed value of $747,000. Brooks would not reveal the sale price.
Detroit Foley's 
