KANSAS CITY, Mo. [bar] The woman who paid $7,400 on eBay for 22 Michael Vick football cards, chewed up and slobbered on by two Missouri dogs, acknowledges she hadn't heard of the star player before he was indicted for dogfighting.
But Laura Norton-Dye, 40, of Cape Girardeau, wanted to send the message that local animal shelters need help - and she challenged Vick to donate money himself.
Norton-Dye, who outbid 30 others, lives in the town where the auction originated and has requested the money be donated to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri and to Safe Harbor, a local animal sanctuary.
The success of the auction created a craze of more than 25 other postings this week offering torn-up cards featuring the disgraced NFL superstar.
But so far, the original post from Rochelle Steffen, of Cape Girardeau, has been the only auction to attract droves of bidders.
Steffen gave Monte, her 6-year-old Weimaraner, and Roxie, her Great Dane puppy, every Vick card she owned to destroy. The cards, worth $1 to $10 apiece, were crumpled, crimped, chewed, torn and generally in a sorry state. Some even had corners missing.
Poll: Vick shouldn't return to the NFL
WASHINGTON [bar] Michael Vick should not be allowed to play in the NFL again, most pro football fans said in a poll.
In addition, a majority of fans want him to serve prison time, according to the Gallup Poll released Wednesday. Few would want to him to play for their favorite team if he returns.
According to the survey, 58 percent said he should not be allowed to play in the NFL. Only 22 percent said they would want the team they root for to try to acquire him should he return. In addition, 35 percent said they believe he should serve a long prison sentence, 51 percent favored a short one, and 12 percent said they believe he should not serve any time.
Cardinals
longest-tenured player released
TEMPE, Ariz. [bar] Punter Scott Player, Arizona's longest-tenured veteran in both seasons and games played, was released by the team Wednesday.
The 37-year-old Player appeared in 140 games in nine seasons with the Cardinals. He has punted 714 times for 30,752 yards and a 43.1-yard average. Player was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2000 season, his third with the team.
Player will be replaced by Mike Barr, picked up on a waiver claim Tuesday. Barr was released Monday by Pittsburgh. The 28-year-old Barr has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game.
