Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy that involved gambling and killing pit bulls.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick, who turned himself in Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit.

After Vick apologized to the court and his family, Hudson told him: "You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you."

"Yes, sir," Vick answered.

Vick acknowledged he used "poor judgment" and added, "I'm willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions."

Federal rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick's prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.

Before the hearing started, Michael Vick's brother, Marcus Vick, sat with his right arm around their mother, comforting her as she buried her head in her hands and wept.

Vick pleaded guilty in August, admitting he bankrolled the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation and helped kill six to eight dogs. He has been held at a jail in Warsaw, Va., since he voluntarily began serving his sentence.

In a plea agreement, he admitted bankrolling the dogfighting ring on his 15-acre property in rural southeastern Virginia and helping kill pit bulls that did not perform well in test fights. He also admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank called the sentencing "another step in his legal journey."

"This is a difficult day for Michael's family and for a lot of us, including many of our players and fans who have been emotionally invested in Michael over the years," Blank said.

"We sincerely hope that Michael will use this time to continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard."

At a news conference after pleading guilty last summer, Vick apologized to the NFL, the Falcons and youngsters who viewed him as a role model and vowed: "I will redeem myself."


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23 months. I guess they took a month off since he's been in jail for damn near a month already.  Well....that's the way the cookie crumbles.  Damn.  That's fucked up because not only is he broke, but his family is about to suffer because of his irresponsibility.  I hope he paid cash for his Mama's house. And even if he did that, I hope she can handle the bills, cause I'm sure that house is far from small.  And what's up with letting him out 3 months early for good behavior? What the fuck is 3 months? Wait a minute, I take that back.  When you're behind the walls for a long period of time, those 3 months will seem like 3 years.  Damn. Won't nobody be seeing Mike Vick before Summer 2009.  Now that is deep!