78. Man's Best Friend

A professional football player was charged by government with breeding dogs to fight, providing the site the dog fights, gambling on the dog fights, killing dogs that were not good fighters. The , Roger Cheney, at first denied everything. He told media that he hoped his mother would not about any of this and, if she did, knew him well enough not to believe any the charges.

Unfortunately, all the people that worked him immediately confessed everything, hoping for reduced sentences. all pointed a finger at the quarterback.

The interviewed Cheney’s father, who said that he had his boy that dog-fighting was evil and he stop it. His son told him that it only some dogs—it wasn’t like he was destroying or elephants. “He told me that humane societies thousands of dogs a month, so what was big deal,” Cheney’s dad said.

Two weeks after initial charges were made, Cheney agreed to plead to several reduced charges, including animal cruelty. He be sentenced to five years in jail. Across nation, football fans and animal fans were equally at his admission. “Athletes are supposed to be model for our nation’s youth,” said some. “He more of an animal than any of his dogs,” said others. Few were surprised or saddened the National Football League suspended Cheney without pay an undisclosed term.