In the hours that followed the federal indictment of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick -- an alleged key player in a Virginia dogfighting operation -- the team's offices were flooded Wednesday with angry phone calls, an Atlanta radio station switched to an all-Vick-all-the-time format, and the national Humane Society's computer server crashed under a deluge of e-mails.
Vick, 27, and three others are accused of violating federal laws against staging dogfights, gambling and engaging in unlawful activities across state lines. According to the indictment, they ran Bad Newz Kennels out of a property the quarterback owns in Surry, Va., and executed pit bulls -- by methods such as hanging, drowning, electrocution, shooting and beating -- that didn't perform well as fighters.
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, characterized the response as "unbelievable," adding, "There's no happiness we're feeling about this, but we're pleased that the public is not tolerant of this, and that there's such enormous revulsion to this kind of conduct."
Vick, the former Virginia Tech star, said after authorities initially raided the property in April that he was rarely at the house and had no idea it had been used in a criminal enterprise. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The Vick case will be the most significant test yet for the NFL under Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has pledged a crackdown to make players and teams more accountable for off-field transgressions.
The league said in a statement that "all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts." In a separate statement, the Falcons said they "plan to do the right thing for our club as the legal process plays out."
But in at least in one recent instance, the league suspended a player before his case made it through court. Tennessee Titans defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones, suspended in April, had at least 10 run-ins with police in his first year in the league.
Vick and his alleged business partners -- Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va., Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta -- all were ordered Wednesday to appear for a bond hearing and then arraignment July 26. That's the same day the Falcons are scheduled to open training camp.
But reaction to Vick's indictment, and the graphic allegations of how the animals were treated, has been swift and severe -- from inside and outside pro football.
