If Michael Vick plea bargains, and its about the only thing he can do and still retain some hope of not being incarcerated into his 30s. More than likely, prosecutors will not only force him to own up to engaging in an illegal enterprise, engaging in it across state lines, disposing of dogs in a cruel and grisly manner, but ALSO (and here's the big one) GAMBLING on the outcome of the dogfights. ANY NFL player who gambles in any way, shape, or form is subject to a life-time ban imposed by the Commissioner and League office as per Personal Conduct Policy for NFL Players. If he keeps holding out with plea bargaining, prosecutors will probably use the depositions of his three friends who rolled on him to add racketeering charges since it was Vick who financed the enterprise "Bad Newz Kennelz" -- all that will do is add to the maximum jail time Vick will have to serve. So you see, Rick, there's about 50 ways things can go horribly bad for Vick and about one way it'll go right:
He plea bargains without prosecutors adding racketeering or gambling charges, spends 1 year in jail. Then he gets on the phone to Goodell (the man that Vick looked in the face and lied through his teeth to) and begs on his knees to keep the suspension down to 1 season after he's released. That way he'll be able to enter an NFL camp in 2009 at the age of 27 (if Atlanta lets him out of this contract--which would be the bad business but good PR move). And all that is if another team is willing to handle the protesters, the marching, the signs, the media, and the firestorm that will be caused by adding Vick to their roster then.