Comments on: Vilma’s Comments on Dogfighting

By: Whome

Whome — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:39:23 +0000

I’m not here to condone it or accept it or anything like that. I’m just saying it’s been there. It’s been there for a while, the rules are as the rule go. [The Commonwealth of] Virginia says it’s a felony, hey it’s a felony. There’s nothing to argue there.

So Crack and Heroine are againist the law, does condone that?
How can a Pro football player say he is sitting on the fence about the fact his co-players are commiting felonies? Unreal!

By: wayne

wayne — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:32:06 +0000

Vilma has forever lost my respect, as both a dog lover and racing fan. Do you realize the pro dog fighters train their animals by putting “bait” ( other small dogs and other animals with their mouths taped shut) in the ring to be torn to pieces by the fighting dogs? They sometimes dognap pets from their neighbors to be used in this manner.

Don’t care how he tries to spin it, he showed a wanton disregard for the law and welfare of the dogs involved. He acknowledged the existance of the practice and condoned it. Enough for me.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:31:50 +0000

Vilma’s recent explination:
“I’m indifferent and it’s a matter of wanting to stay away from the whole Michael Vick situation, whether he is involved or not. I’m not saying anything about dogfighting or anyone who might be involved in it.”

By: Ferragamo

Ferragamo — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:40:08 +0000

It’s hard to make the analogy of street drag racing to illegal dog fighting. Bottomline is that it’s a person’s choice or free will to go out drag racing and risk killing themselves. These animals have absolutley no choice and are forced into fighting to the death in most cases. Also just because something like cock fighting or dog fighting is accepted in Latin and African American communities doesn’t make it right, if anything it sheds a negative light on them.
I grew up in the Bronx and Yonkers, where both dog and cock fighting take place, I knew it was wrong, nobody had to tell me, if your a decent human being you know it’s not right. Just because you grow up around it doesn’t make it OK. I think the whole culture excuse is lame, it’s not about culture it’s about right and wrong. I guess I just thought better of Vilma as a person.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:38:17 +0000

SackDance: While humans might be getting injured in street racing, they make a concious effort to participate in it, whereas in dogfighting, these animals are brutalized and forced to fight one another.

I see your point, though, and I am not going to rake vilma over the coals with this. His comments were idiotic, though. when will people learn to keep their trap shut?

By: Brandon "You're With Me"riwether

Brandon "You're With Me"riwether — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:23:42 +0000

Although it was a dumb comparison, lets still keep things in perspective…it’s not as if he was defending his OWN actions. Vilma came across as ignorant, but that doesn’t make him the villian – mike vick, and anyone else who is actually participating in this crap are the villians. And plus, who knows if he was just trying to not to slam a fellow player. I’m almost more dissapointed in Vilma for not having been smart enough to dodge this question than for the answer he gave.

By: SackDance99

SackDance99 — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:11:36 +0000

Dog fighting and cock fighting are events in African American and Latino urban communities. When culturally you live in an area where such events are commonplace, the legality of them usually has little impact. Street drag racing or drifting is also illegal, but is very common in all communities and I believe that if Vick were being investigated for promoting street racing, nobody would think it’s a big deal, which is ironic because human beings get injured or killed in these races, not animals. I like billvv’s bullfighting analogy. When the players, like Clinton Portis or Vilma, don’t seem particularly outraged by dogfighting or think that Vick is being unfairly singled out, it’s because culturally they just don’t find dog fighting to be a big deal. And, while I think it’s barbaric, I can’t blame the African American players for wondering why everyone is so upset about it.

By: The Pet Realty Network Blog » Is There One NFL Player That Will Speak Out Against Dog Fighting?

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:33:35 +0000

[...] his foot in his mouth by comparing dog fighting to horse racing and then saying according to the jetsblog.com that everyone has heard about dog fighting and whether they choose to participate is their [...]

By: Doctor K

Doctor K — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:16:56 +0000

Remember that the Professional athlete’s world is NOT our own, as unfair as that may seem. Their perspective on reality is always going to be skewed. Their own cultural backgrounds also play a huge part in this as their experience with what we believe to be morally wrong or against the social mores of the the times may not match. Not to say this as a defense or an excuse for their behavior but it is plain to see we will never understand their world.
Having said that I agree that Vilma should have just kept his mouth shut. Sometimes when our heroes speak on real matters in the real world, they usually disappoint. I am not surprised in the least at his response unfortunate as it may sound.

By: billvv

billvv — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:14:26 +0000

I think Jon was trying, and failing, to relate various groups being against contests using animals, and, while he might have chosen bullfighting, he chose horse racing. That was a weak reference at best. I’ve never even HEARD of protest groups against horse racing! He doesn’t seem to care about any of it, to his credit. Being so poorly informed, he just should have passed rather than take a stab at expressing an opinion.