Sports Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
FOOTBALL
FALCONS WANTED TO SUSPEND VICK FOUR GAMES
The Atlanta Falcons wanted to suspend Michael Vick. And considering the appalling allegations against their star quarterback, they may not want him back at all.
Under an edict from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Vick is barred from taking part in training camp while the league investigates a federal dogfighting indictmentagainstoneofits most prominent players.
The Falcons disclosed yesterday they wanted to give Vick a four-game suspension — the maximum a team can impose — until Goodell asked them to hold off. He wants to take a further look at the charges issued last week and can dole out stiffer penalties under a new personal conduct policy.
“This sort of behavior is really horrific,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in the team’s first public comment since Vick was indicted. “This is certainly not the player or the person that I knew the last six years.”
The Falcons said they considered all options — releasing Vick among them — and seemed to signal he will miss at least a fourth of the season even if Goodell doesn’t impose his own sanctions.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
JURY FINDS AGAINST WEIS IN LAWSUIT OVER GASTRIC BYPASS
A jury found against Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis on yesterday in his malpractice lawsuit against two doctors he claimed botched his care after he had gastric bypass surgery five years ago.
The jury deliberated for less than half a day before finding Massachusetts General Hospital surgeons Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin were not negligent.
Weis, 51, who won three Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, accused the surgeons of negligence, saying they allowed him to bleed internally for 30 hours before performing a second surgery to correct the complication.
Weis nearly died after the 2002 surgery. He testified that he still has numbness and pain in his feet and sometimes has to use a motorized cart.
Weis was stoic as the verdict was read and left the courtroom without comment. His lawyer, Michael Mone, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
“They and all of the staff down at the Mass. General wished Coach Weis well,” Dailey said.
