By Gary Gambino

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is in a lot of trouble. He faces up to six years in Federal prison and a sizable fine for facilitating dogfights, or officially, "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture".

I never have had any real use for either of the thuggish Vick brothers, alumni of Virginia Tech, an institution which was in the news earlier this year for an entirely different and eminently tragic reason.

What are we talking about here? Decorum prevents me from detailing the gruesomeness of the crimes alleged against Vick, but my buddy Dave Walker, a suburban Philadelphia veterinarian, opined, "Michael Vick? They should chop his [expletive] up and feed it to the dogs he abused. [Expletive] should never be allowed to play ball again and should do serious time if convicted of what he is accused."

Many scenarios are being discussed at the time of this writing. One is that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will suspend Vick, without pay, for at least a portion of the 2007 season. Goodell, however, apparently does not have the backbone to do this. After all, he suspended Pacman "Making It Rain" Jones for the upcoming season before he had even been arrested or charged with a crime. A Federal indictment on felony charges, in my mind, trumps ten run-ins with local police, but what do I know?

Another possibility is that Falcons owner Arthur Blank will give Vick a paid leave of absence from the team while the case against him plays out.

Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star and others echo these sentiments for the most part. This scenario, while seemingly a bit wimpy, potentially would have the support of the players' union.

But riddle me this, and forgive me if I've been watching too many "Law & Order" reruns lately: Everyone has been wailing about Vick's right of due process. Forget about Pacman's aforementioned lack of same, how about the dogs Vick fought and helped to kill in a most cruel manner? What about their due process? Not to sound like a PETA wacko, but the way we treat our pets separates us from, well, the animals. Most of us expect better.

There is a 95% conviction rate for Federal prosecutions, so Vick's chances of acquittal are just a bit less than his career completion percentage. One thing is for sure -- unlike NFL defenders, Vick won't be able to run away from this.