Vick sentenced

Micheal Jordan wore the number 23. So did Don Mattingly. Currently, LeBron James and David Beckham wear the legendary number. Now we have another athlete to wear those magically numerals around-Micheal Vick. No, he didn't change his jersey number, but he will wear the 23 months in prison he was sentenced to in federal court on Friday.

The Associated Press reports that the once mega NFL star reported for sentencing in a black and white prison suit and made more apologies to his family and to the court. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson responded to Vick's apologies by saying "you need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you." The 23 months he'll have to serve is in the mid-range of federal guidelines. The crime he plead guilty to, bankrolling a dog fighting ring and participating in the execution of poor fighting dogs, carries a maximum of five years in prison. The federal sentencing guidelines recommended a sentence of 12 to 18 months.

Outside the courthouse, animal rights protestors lined the sidewalk with pro-animal rights signs. "Dogs deserve justice" some chanted while others showed signs with photographs of dogs. Vick also agreed to pay in excess of $900,000 to care for the 54 pit bulls that were taken from his property.

The 23 months may just be the tip of the iceberg for Vick. He's scheduled to appear in court in April to face the state charges that were brought against him in this matter. With the time he was sentenced to today, plus the time away from football he's already served, plus the year long suspension he'll face once he's released from prison, assuming he gets more time on the state charges, it all equals out to a once promising, blossoming career gone down the tubes. We may never see Vick in a NFL uniform again, but hopefully, he can serve as a lesson to athletes, performers, anybody with too much money and too much time on their hands.