Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are protesting outside the National Football League offices on Park Avenue in New York City today, demanding that commissioner Roger Goodell suspend Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. PETA spokesman Dan Shannon talked to ESPN reporter Kelly Naqi, saying, "You can look at commissioner Goodell's history with players like Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones and see he hasn't shied away form handing down suspensions or penalties for guys who are just alleged to be involved in off-field activities. We think that the strength of the indictment against him, the 18 pages of charges that go into graphic detail, the four witnesses who are willing to take the stand against him, It all adds up to ... a pretty damning case against him. We think that's enough for the NFL to go on." When Naqi asked whether Vick should get a break because he's a first-time offender, Shannon noted that the indictment suggests Vick has been involved in multiple acts of dog fighting and cruelty to animals spanning several years, adding, "there's nothing first time about that." Shannon also said PETA doesn't see today's protest as a one-time event, and that the organization will demonstrate outside Falcons training camp next week. If Falcons owner Arthur Blank wants to know how big a thorn in his side PETA could become, he should talk to someone in the fur industry. PETA could make the Falcons' training camp a very unpleasant place.
Source: Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports