August 24th, 2007 
Matt Loede 
Posted in 
Michael Vick’s father says he urged his son to quit dogfighting years ago. Michael Boddie told the Atlanta “Journal-Constitution,” that he also urged his famous son to put the property he used for the fights in friend’s names to avoid being implicated for dogfighting. The Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback is scheduled to be in court Monday where he will reportedly plead guilty to charges relating to an illegal dogfighting ring.
Boddie also says that Vick began staging dogfights sometime around 2001 in the garage of the family’s Virginia home, and that Vick kept the fighting dogs in the home’s backyard. The quarterback’s father also dismissed reports that Vick has been led astray by friends, saying, quote, “I wish people would stop sugarcoating it. This is Mike’s thing, and he knows it.” Boddie, who admits that he and his famous son have had a strained relationship, says he hasn’t been contacted by federal investigators about the dogfighting charges. One of Vick’s attorney’s called it a disgrace that Boddie has, quote, “chosen at this time to capitalize on his son’s current situation.”
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