Readers defending Vick and other surprising views

	Some readers have compared dog-fighting to mixed martial arts, disregarding the dogs' lack of choice in the matter. AP
	MAILBAG Dr. Z will answer select user questions each week in his NFL mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Andrew is on his walkabout somewhere on the Coast, so this week's batch has been handled by a gentleman named Paul F. Paul used to be an instructor at the Gates of Hell Spa & Health Club in the California desert near Barstow. He observed that my weekly batch of Hallmark lovenotes and softballs was turning me into a human jellyfish and he, for one, was going to put a stop to it.

My workload was doubled. Rippers who had been hibernating during the cooler months have been let out of their caves and their ranks show a remarkable growth in numbers and vehemence toward your faithful narrator. Consequently I am now walking straighter and with a firmer step, constantly looking behind me. I am a better person for it. I will begin this extra-long opus with a report from the Rip Gang.

Arthur of Danville, Va., writes, "I'm disgusted with you, Dr. Z. The way you've handled the whole Vick dog fighting thing has been shameful." Wild accusations without facts to back them up, passing judgment without evidence, all the signs of a Gestapo mentality have been laid on my doorstep. Dear Arthur: I didn't write what I wrote without anything to go on. I'm convinced he's involved in it. He's a big bettor, probably a breeder as well. I heard enough to lead me to sound off the way I did. If the facts prove me wrong, I'll write an apology.

Here comes a good one: "Look, I agree with you on your dog fighting views. However, quit bashing MMA [Mixed Martial Arts]." He goes on to offer the justification I've read a few times -- safer than boxing, definitely safer than football, safer than darts when practiced by felons (no, just kidding about the last one). But our man Jim is not kidding when he says, "You are typical of all media. You just write your opinions with no basis in fact whatsoever." I resent that. Waddya mean, all media? Peter King doesn't do that. Neither does Don Banks.

OK, Jim, you're mad. I'll give you reason to be madder. I quizzed myself and said, "Try to guess where this guy is from?" My first answer, "Dallas!" Guess what. Bingo!

And for rebuttal, I offer C.B. from the peaceful community of Las Vegas. "So dog fighting is worse than Ultimate Fighting because dogs don't have a choice? That's a sick excuse to justify human beings beating the hell out of each other, Dr. Z. I don't foresee any time soon when a dog will be able to speak up and say he'd rather not fight ... but even more disgusting is human beings doing it. And please, just because dogs use teeth and humans use fists doesn't change the fact that the goal is to physically punish, maim and possibly murder the opponent. As long as cavemen like you cite the 'choice' we have to watch it or not, we'll continue to regress into an even more violent society."

Well, we've heard both sides of it, united in only regard ... both of them think I'm a creep. Well, C.B., I'm on your side, but unless I start pumping iron in print, I'm a caveman, huh? I think the fact that I chose to ridicule this ultimate fighting thing, even though it was the lead story in Sports Illustrated, my employer, showed what I thought of it. But I guess that wasn't enough for you. And here's something you might not know. I interviewed one of the dogs. I asked him, "What's it really like?"

He said, "Ruff!"