George Foreman, Hank Aaron, Asked Judge for Leniency Before Vick's Sentencing

For U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, actions speak louder than words, I guess. Prior to his sentencing on Monday, Michael Vick, from the inside of a jail cell, wrote the judge a five-page letter asking for leniency:

"Your Honor, I am not the bad person or the beast I've been made out to be. I have been talked about and ridiculed on a day to day basis by people who really don't know Michael Vick the human being," Vick wrote.

"This has been painful because my son watches the news and can understand what's going on with his father," he wrote, adding that his daughter asked him on a regular basis when he would be home to play games with her, "but I have no answer."

Ron Mexico sure sounds contrite when you read his words, but given Hudson's history of not cutting soon-to-be inmates any slack on their sentences, this can't come as a surprise. In addition to Vick's plea, Hudson also received letters from Hank Aaron and George Foreman (no word on if the letter came attached to the new S525). Hey, maybe all the last-second support persuaded Hudson to only make it a 23-month sentence.

Vick also wrote that he takes "full responsibility" for his actions, and is "ashamed" that his "actions hurt animals and allowed animals to be hurt and killed." Well, in taking full responsibility, Mr. Mexico will have to spend nearly two years in the can. It's awful to think that he'll be away from his three kids for that long, but nobody forced him to kill those puppies.