Mike Vick's Friends Sure Can Snitch

Mike Vick has done everything in his power to deflect blame in the investigation of a dog-fighting ring on his Virginia property.

But his friends aren't being so helpful.

In a Sports Illustrated column today by Don Banks, Banks talks to a couple of Vick's friends and they aren't cooperating with Mike's claims that he had nothing to do with the dog-fighting taking place.

While the sources spoke on the condition that their names not be used due to their relationship with Vick, two of them said they were convinced the quarterback has been involved with the illegal dog-fighting ring that authorities believe they discovered last month while conducting a drug raid on a house Vick owns in Smithfield, Va. Authorities found nearly 70 dogs and various items associated with dog fighting. Vick has maintained that a cousin lives at the house and that he was unaware pit bulls were being kept on the premises.

"He knows what's going on in that house in Virginia,'' one source said. "There's not a doubt in my mind he's involved with it.'' The other source cited Vick's longtime "affinity'' for the dog-fighting subculture, and expressed certainty that Vick was aware of what was happening at the house.

It's been a very interesting couple of months for Vick, whose name keeps appearing in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. His friends continue to insist that he's not a "bad guy" but that he isn't willing to take direction from anybody and is being negatively influenced by his posse.

Of course, I don't think that Roger Goodell is getting the impression that Vick is a good guy. If Vick is found to have been involved with the dog-fighting ring, I get the feeling that much like Pacman Jones, Chris Henry and Tank Johnson before him, Vick is going to be missing a lot of playing time for the Falcons.

All of which is probably making the Falcons kick themselves for letting Matt Schaub go to Houston.