New Feature: Commenter Post
Blogging December 18th. 2007, 2:56pm
What’s the best way for us to thank the folks who constantly email us links to quirky, cool, offbeat sports stories and keep our comments section lively and fun? Give them a post. So to reward these people, we’re going to try and give them one post a week to write about anything in 250 words or less. This week we’ve got Wes, aka bigpappawes. We actually meant to run this last week, as a tie-in to the whole Vick-jail thing, but with the whole server change and the Mitchell Report, we had to push it to this week. And yes, this is a photo of Leonard Little.
So when TBL offered me a guest post, I immediately started running through potential topics. I wanted to be funny, to elicit some LOL’s. If I did well enough, maybe even a ROFL. But nothing came to me. Then on Monday, Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in jail, 5 more than the maximum suggested by prosecution. Now this is by no means a defense for what Vick did. Dog-fighting is atrocious and add that to the perjury and marijuana issues and this sentence can be justified.
What cannot be justified is how this sentence compares to sentencing of other crimes. Most specifically (and Scott Van Pelt stole my thunder a little bit on Mike Tirico on Tuesday afternoon) the situation with Leonard Little. His run-ins with the law are well documented, but for those of you who are unfamiliar: while intoxicated and driving after his birthday in 1998, Leonard was in an accident that resulted in the death of a mother, Susan Gutweiler. His Blood Alcohol Content was at .19 after the accident. He served 90 days in jail, four years probation, and 1000 hours community service. After his probationary period ended in 2004, Little was again cited for drunk driving and speeding.
To sum: Michael Vick is going to serve 23 months in jail for his participation in dog fighting. Leonard Little killed a woman in a drunk driving incident and served 90 days.
God Bless America.
35 Responses to “New Feature: Commenter Post”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.

December 18th, 2007 at 3:04 PM
i can sum it up in two paragraphs:
vick commited multiple (if not dozens of) premeditated offenses compounded by possible perjury and drug violations before a hanging judge. the other was an accidental death commited where a judge is preciding in a beer town.
not arguing the merits, pros or cons of each sentence nor defending little in any way (frankly, 50 percent of his gross salary should be going to the gutweiler family). just explaining it.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:04 PM
well said.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:06 PM
Good job, Wes–finally: someone who used the Leonard Little argument correctly, and not using it as a defense for Michael Vick. I’m getting so tired of people saying because Leonard Little killed someone and got a paltry sentence, Vick should’ve gotten less of a sentence. I think most rational people would agree that the opposite is true–Vick’s sentence was well within the guidelines laid before the judge. It was Little that should’ve gotten a longer sentence. The fact that he got another DUI after that? That’s just icing on the cake. And yes, I really love simple HTML.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:11 PM
I don’t understand why you bring up his marijuana issues. I’m shocked that the media continues to report it as if it’s a real crime. All they wanted was an another way to smear Vick.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Excellent work. But no ROFL’s
December 18th, 2007 at 3:12 PM
As if another way is actually needed. Sigh.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:18 PM
jimmy speaks the truth. Accidents happen, premeditation counts for a lot. This is why manslaughter gets you a couple years, and Murder 1 is life.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:20 PM
Vick’s sentence fell within the federal sentencing guidelines. Truth be told, he likely would have come in at the low end had he not been so arrogant/stupid as to think he was going to lie to the feds about his role. And, you may or may not consider smoking pot to be a “real crime”, but the mere possession of a controlled substance violated the terms of his pretrial release. So, all and all, Ookie got what was coming to him.
Leonard Little, like thousands of others of DWI perpetrators, got off easy. He should still be idling in prison.
It’s an interesting argument, but ultimately not valid as the two are not related in the least bit.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:24 PM
You used your precious post to make a single point that someone else with a much bigger audience has already made. Well done.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:26 PM
Good point.
Also, TBL, how about giving a little more than 250 words? It seems like it would be rather hard to be able to form an actual opinion/argument under those restrictions.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:28 PM
Did the Gutweiler’s ever file a civil suit against Little?
Bottomless Chip’s – what else doesn’t qualify as a real crime?
December 18th, 2007 at 3:31 PM
Probably why it is better to stick to immature humor
December 18th, 2007 at 3:32 PM
@roethlis – Jaywalking
December 18th, 2007 at 3:44 PM
@roethlishotdog: Best name ever. Just noticed it.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:54 PM
Prostitution, any drug usage, and (braces for shitstorm) being a monster with your private property-dogs
December 18th, 2007 at 3:55 PM
With Little’s second DUI, it went to court and his black magic attorney Scott Rosenbloom (who also defended Marshall Faulk in his baby momma case) got him off on a not guilty verdict from the jury.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:06 PM
bottomless…agree. there are much better things to spend taxpayer money on than prosecuting a guy for running a dog fighting ring and drug usage (not saying they shouldnt spend money to fight those things, just saying the money would be better put towards education and healthcare, things that have a much larger impact on everyone).
December 18th, 2007 at 4:08 PM
Vick suffered public humiliation, and extreme monetary loss that no one in the history of dog fighting, or football, have ever had to endure. Yes the the penalty was within the guidelines, but the man has already paid a significant price, and he could do good for the world fighting against the dog fighting world, and doing public service than he will behind bars.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:18 PM
What price is that? “Public humiliation,” brought on entirely by himself? Or his “monetary loss,” also brought on entirely by himself? Or is it both?
December 18th, 2007 at 4:18 PM
Nick Papageorgio, Rothleshotdog is as unoriginal as Nick Papageorgio.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:20 PM
If you *F* with the Feds, you get *F*ckd. Period. Just ask Martha.
If this wasn’t federal, Ron Mexico wouldn’t be doing 23 months.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:21 PM
Tim Tebow would have broken out of the clink by now.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:22 PM
@Bottomless Chips – I read your “Free Vick” piece on your site just to kind of get an idea where your thinking on this is and I thought your argument was good. I disagree with it but it was well laid out.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:26 PM
right with you H8r
December 18th, 2007 at 4:30 PM
Thanks, YYSA.
I had a dog when I was younger, and in no way recommend doing any of what Vick did. (For the record. FWIW.)
December 18th, 2007 at 4:32 PM
@ Mike NYC
All I am saying is that he has already paid a large price, and can still be a productive member of society. Jail is meant to rehabilitate. I don’t think he will be killing dogs any time soon as it is now. What is the purpose of sending him to jail? I agree with Warrick Dunn, George Foreman, Hank Aaron, and the mayor of Atlanta. He can do more good out of jail than in it.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:35 PM
You are correct, sir.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:35 PM
Die eagles Die you are probably right that Vick would benefit society out of jail but in doing so you send a bad message to other people that fight dogs. The Court needs to be fair and just to all people and can not give different treatment based on someones wealth or place in society
December 18th, 2007 at 4:38 PM
Wrong. Imprisonment is a legal penalty. If he rehabilitates as well, even better.
And he can do all the good in the world, once he’s out.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:53 PM
Why would he want to do any good when he gets out? I would expect him to be bitter about the world, and not care for any of those people that didn’t care about him before he went away, like his father that wants to write a tell all book.
I understand the “do the crime, pay the time” theory, but he is paying more than anyone ever has, or will, relating to dog fighting, and I don’t think he is the biggest player in the industry. Plus, he has an outstanding community service record, better than many of those in the dog fighting world. Vick is being made an example, which I guess sends a message, but I think it is the wrong one.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:58 PM
Which is why it was so stupid for him to do this crap. He had so much to lose and he knew that so I don’t feel bad for him
December 18th, 2007 at 5:42 PM
h8r/irishmafia: not sure who else wrote about this, I guess I missed it…and it was intended to run last Wednesday, seeing it now its a little dated
TBL: I’m glad I didn’t overreact and come banging on your door when I saw you out buying shots and flirting with that other guest-poster yesterday…
does anyone else find that picture a little disturbing?
December 18th, 2007 at 5:48 PM
As PETA likes to yell at us all when we walk across their ridiculous rallies, a animal life is just as valuable as a human. In this case, a mother doesn’t even own up to the same amount of value as a cockatoo.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:16 PM
it’s actually my real name, but whatev
December 18th, 2007 at 10:39 PM
ROFL