Vick suspended indefinitely

Only hours after Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick entered a guilty plea to federal charges of conspiracy, the NFL suspended him indefinitely. The suspension is expected to last for a period beyond Vick’s prison time. Vick’s lawyers submitted Vick’s plea in writng Friday morning. He is expected to appear at the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, Monday to formally enter his guilty plea. Sentencing will take place some months from now. Federal prosecutors are expected to recomment 12 to 18 months inprisonment as part of the plea agreement. Vick was the last of four defendants to to reach a plea agreement with the authorities. Vick’s statement is reported to acknowledge: his participation in a criminal conspiracy in a dog fighting ring; that he bankrolled the operation and covered the gambling debts of the operators, who called themselves the Bad Newz Kennels. In the letter to Vick advising him of his suspension, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote that Vick’s conduct was “not only illegal, but cruel and reprehensible.” The commissioner’s letter said that Vick’s participation in gambling violated the Personal Conduct Guidelines of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and was detrimental to the NFL. Goodell released Vick’s team, the Atlanta Falcons, to take action to recover a portion of Vick’s signing bonus. The commissioner earlier prohibited the team from taking any action to this point.