[Anhil8tor]

We'd always been confused about the total number of dogs removed from Mike Vick's property in April. Some reports had the number at 66 dogs; others said there were 54.

Based on a nugget buried in the latest ESPN.com item regarding the Vick saga is an indication that the correct number is 66 total dogs, and only 54 pit bulls.

Writes Elizabeth Merrill: "Approximately 12 other dogs were seized from the Vick residence. Some are believed to be beagles, and animal activists hope they are adoptable. It's unclear why Vick had them."

Here's why Vick had them, Liz -- they were practice dogs. Canines of weaker breeds intended for use in testing sessions. You know, the same testing sessions that 6-8 pit bulls failed that same month, prompting Vick and his cohorts to conclude that, if the pit bulls weren't able to fight, there was no point continuing to spending money feeding and caring for them. After all, Mike had committed to giving $10,000 to the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings; he needed to reduce that Alpo line on the 1915 Moonlight Road budget.

Thus, maybe some of those beagles were the dogs that exposed some of the 6-8 pit bulls as pussycats.

We apologize for being so frank about this, but we believe candor on the present topic is required so that folks don't lose sight of what this operation was all about. It had nothing to do with "loving" dogs; the dogs were the vehicles for Vick's "love" of watching two animals fight.

As one reader wrote on Friday after reading about Vick's insistence that he didn't game on dog fights: "Now I understand. Mike Vick didn't run a dog fighting operation and go to dog fights to gamble. Because he's not a gambler. It says it right on his plea agreement. He just went to see the dogs rip each other to shreds. Not for the excitement of winning or losing few bucks but for the blood, guts, gore, suffering, and death. So at least he's not a gambler, just a sadistic, sick mofo. I feel much better now. For a minute I thought he had some awful character flaw like gambling."

[BIRD33]

We'd always been confused about the total number of dogs removed from Mike Vick's property in April. Some reports had the number at 66 dogs; others said there were 54.

Based on a nugget buried in the latest ESPN.com item regarding the Vick saga is an indication that the correct number is 66 total dogs, and only 54 pit bulls.

Writes Elizabeth Merrill: "Approximately 12 other dogs were seized from the Vick residence. Some are believed to be beagles, and animal activists hope they are adoptable. It's unclear why Vick had them."

Here's why Vick had them, Liz -- they were practice dogs. Canines of weaker breeds intended for use in testing sessions. You know, the same testing sessions that 6-8 pit bulls failed that same month, prompting Vick and his cohorts to conclude that, if the pit bulls weren't able to fight, there was no point continuing to spending money feeding and caring for them. After all, Mike had committed to giving $10,000 to the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings; he needed to reduce that Alpo line on the 1915 Moonlight Road budget.

Thus, maybe some of those beagles were the dogs that exposed some of the 6-8 pit bulls as pussycats.

We apologize for being so frank about this, but we believe candor on the present topic is required so that folks don't lose sight of what this operation was all about. It had nothing to do with "loving" dogs; the dogs were the vehicles for Vick's "love" of watching two animals fight.

As one reader wrote on Friday after reading about Vick's insistence that he didn't game on dog fights: "Now I understand. Mike Vick didn't run a dog fighting operation and go to dog fights to gamble. Because he's not a gambler. It says it right on his plea agreement. He just went to see the dogs rip each other to shreds. Not for the excitement of winning or losing few bucks but for the blood, guts, gore, suffering, and death. So at least he's not a gambler, just a sadistic, sick mofo. I feel much better now. For a minute I thought he had some awful character flaw like gambling."

One of those dog's name was nugget.To soon.

[what?]

I pulled a pit off of my sister in law's dog this weekend. probably a 70-75 lb pit bull, chewing on a retriever that probably outweighed him by 15 lbs. I do not see the excitement of watching a dog fight.

[quint]

his press conference today was a joke.
if he gets a year, and sentencing isn't until december, that means at least 2 years out of the league, right?

[BIRD33]

I pulled a pit off of my sister in law's dog this weekend. probably a 70-75 lb pit bull, chewing on a retriever that probably outweighed him by 15 lbs. I do not see the excitement of watching a dog fight.

Thats why theres different weight classes.

[BIRD33]

his press conference today was a joke.
if he gets a year, and sentencing isn't until december, that means at least 2 years out of the league, right?

2010 he'll be playing in Mark Cubans new football league.By the way I called he'd find Jesus.

[WoolyGoat]

I have a pit bull, 45lbs...she's very sweet, even more so than Bird33.