Union argues Vick should keep $20 million bonus despite plea

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michael Vick should be allowed to keep nearly $20 million in bonus money even though his NFL career is on hold for his role in a dogfighting operation, a lawyer for the players union argued Friday.

The NFL Players Association asked a federal judge to overturn a special master's decision that Vick should forfeit the bonus money because of his guilty plea. The former Atlanta Falcons star faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 10.

Dogfighting wasn't the issue at Friday's hearing. Instead, the arguments turned on interpretations of the NFL collective bargaining agreement.

Union attorney Jeffrey Kessler argued that Vick's "roster bonus" should be treated the same as a "performance bonus," which can't be forfeited under the collective bargaining agreement.

But Gregg Levy, representing the NFL, said the roster bonus should be treated like a "signing bonus allocation," which could be forfeited.

District Judge David Doty, who has handled cases involving the collective bargaining agreement for nearly 20 years, compared interpreting the relevant section of the agreement to "alchemy" but didn't indicate how or when he might rule.

Outside the courtroom, players union chief Gene Upshaw said the union wasn't defending Vick's actions by pursuing the case.

"This is not about Michael Vick. This is not about dogfighting. This is about interpretation of the contract and what it means," he said.

Special master Stephen B. Burbank ruled last month that the Falcons were entitled to recover $19.97 million in bonuses paid from 2004 through this year. The Falcons argued that Vick used proceeds from a $130 million contract he signed in 2004 to finance his illicit activities.

Any money recovered would be credited to Atlanta's future salary cap.

Separately, two of Vick's co-defendants were sentenced Friday in Virginia to 18 months and 21 months in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges. Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace each had faced the same maximum penalty that Vick faces.

Vick's troubles started after authorities in Surry County, Va., raided his property and seized dozens of dogs and equipment associated with dogfighting. He eventually admitted bankrolling the operation and participating in the killing of eight dogs.