Clinton Portis strongly backed Michael Vick in the dog fight scandal, saying Vick has the right to do whatever he wants to do with the beasts. Portis made the comments during an interview with WAVY TV. A gasp was heard from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Joe Gibbs was treated for clinched orifices. The annual Washington Redskins Beach Blitz in Virginia Beach, VA, is the team’s marketing program to buff its image with its fans while extracting a little money on the side. The farthest thing on the team’s mind was to get stuck in the Michael Vick dog fighting tar pit. The property raided by police, and recently sold by Vick, is in nearby Surry County. Portis, who runs with abandon through sticky situations, apparently speaks that way, too. The interview with Portis is on the WAVY web site, but it did not load as I wrote this piece. Here is how Joe Bryant of FootballGuys.com reported the interview in an email to his subscribers:
“Said Portis, ‘I don’t know if he was fighting dogs or not but it’s his property, it’s his dog. If that’s what he wants to do, do it. You know? What people do behind close doors… “The reporter interjected, ‘But that’s a felony. It’s a crime.’ “Portis didn’t seem fazed, ‘That can’t be too bad of a crime. ‘You want to hunt down Michael Vick over fighting some dogs. I think people should mind their business. ‘You take somebody that’s doing positive in the community. You take a positive role model and put them behind bars for no reason, you know. Over a dog fight?’ “When asked if Portis thought it was prevalent in the NFL or NBA Portis said, ‘It’s prevalent in life. I’m from Laurel, Mississippi. I know a lot of backroads that’s got a dog fight if you want to go see it, you know?’ “
Chris Samuels, who hails from Alabama, seemed surprised by Portis’ comments. He said that we need to see how this shakes out and if anyone is convicted. A corroborating story may be found on the Covering The Redskins blog. The Humane Society of the U.S., in a May 3, 2007 letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, wrote “We believe that the current situation involving Michael Vick is indicative of a larger subculture within the NFL of dog fighting and other forms of violence against animals.” The Society labelled dog fighting an underground criminal industry and called on Goodell to join them in crafting a zero-tolerance policy for NFL players and staff for animal cruelty. This being Washington, and the Vick story so widely spread, a politician was sure to jump in. U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos (D) urged the commissioner to act “swiftly and forcefully” if Vick is found to have been involved in dog fighting. Lantos is from California, not Virginia, not Georgia. Portis, a genuine good guy, could have shown more discretion in defending Vick by pointing out that no charges have been filed against Vick and that the full facts have yet to emerge, rather than stating that Vick has a privacy right to break the law because he owns the dogs. By so doing, he reinforced the Humane Society’s contention of a dog fighting subculture among NFL players. Please tell me Portis has no dog in this fight. 5/21/07 UPDATE: Clinton Portis released the following statement that appeared on ExtremeSkins.com, the official fan forum of The Washington Redskins.
“In the recent interview I gave concerning dog fighting, I want to make it clear I do not take part in dog fighting or condone dog fighting in any manner.”
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