NFL: National Felons League

If this is any judge the NFL has a long way to go to gain control of their league again: Skins Portis, Samuels ridicule dog fighting as crime

Washington Redskins players Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels defended Michael Vick on Monday by ridiculing the notion that dog fighting is considered a crime.

In an interview with WAVY-TV, Portis said that if the Atlanta Falcons quarterback is charged and convicted of being involved in a dog fighting operation, then authorities would be "putting him behind bars for no reason."

"I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not," Portis said. "But it's his property; it's his dogs. If that's what he wants to do, do it."

Portis said dog fighting is a "prevalent" part of life.

Portis, a native of Laurel, Mississippi, added: "I know a lot of back roads that got a dog fight if you want to go see it. But they're not bothering those people because those people are not big names. I'm sure there's some police got some dogs that are fighting them, some judges got dogs and everything else."

"Politicians," added Samuels, who found it hard to keep from giggling while Portis was talking.

"Presidents," added Portis with a laugh.

Vick has been under investigation since April 25 when police conducting a drug investigation raided the house owned by the quarterback in rural Surry County and found dozens of dogs. They also found items associated with dog fighting, including a "pry bar" used to pry apart a dog's jaws. No charges have been filed.

Dog fighting is a felony in Virginia, but Portis said that if Vick is charged and convicted, "Then I think he got cheated. ... You're putting him behind bars for no reason -- over a dog fight."

"Haven't you seen Animal Planet?" Samuels added with a giggle.

These guys sicken me.

I have seen the results when these sociopaths who fight dogs get hold of a stray or steal people's pets to use as "practice" for their animals. It is a felony for a damn good reason.

Now, I do not know if Michael Vick had any personal knowledge of what was going on on his property or not, but if the law requires penalties to be assessed to a landowner on whose land such activities take place, so be it. However, the crass attitude displayed by Portis and Samuels seems to indicate that dog fighting is accepted as part of their "culture," so it becomes harder for Vick to claim he had no idea what was going on.

If the "culture" of the NFL is to condone such behavior I for one want to have nothing to do with the league.