[Portis]Wait a second here. People keep dogs as companion animals? I didn't know that.[/Portis]
Portis changes his tune. Surprised?
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- Say something that gets sports fans upset and the fallout can be brutal. Say something that raises the ire of the animal rights lobby? That's a whole different league.
Clinton Portis has learned that lesson the hard way. The Washington Redskins running back spoke Tuesday of the searing criticism he has received since he made light of the dog fighting investigation involving Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
"A couple of weeks ago, when I made those comments, I didn't understand the seriousness behind it," Portis said. "I didn't know it would affect that many people, didn't think what I said was that offensive. But after doing research and seeing how serious people take this, I shouldn't have made the comments."
In the May 21 interview with WAVY-TV in Norfolk, Portis and teammate Chris Samuels ridiculed the fact that dog fighting is considered a crime. In the interview, Portis said of Vick: "It's his property; it's his dogs. If that's what he wants to do, do it."
Portis said he has since done his own ad hoc research on the subject and saw people crying over two humpback whales trapped in a river near San Francisco. He said he even wondered if he was being watched on a hidden camera when a woman sitting next to him at an airport spread a blanket and put down a bowl of water for her dog.
"I had no idea the love that people have for animals or didn't consider it when I made those comments," Portis said. "I'm not even a pets man. I've got a fish -- that's the easiest thing to keep up. I've never been into dogs, never dealt with dogs, don't like playing with dogs. But at the same time there's a lot of people who are crazy over pets."
Portis initially tried to calm the furor over his original remarks by issuing a statement that said he does not condone dog fighting. Samuels followed by saying he was wrong for joking about the subject. The Redskins, who received complaints as well, issued an apology on behalf of the players the next day.
By then, however, the damage had been done, and Portis had become a poster child for those unaware of the brutality of dog fighting.
Portis said Tuesday that he'll be more judicious before offering an opinion that might come back to dog him.
"From now on, I don't comment on nobody," Portis said. "My life is the only thing I can control."
Notes: Portis said the tendinitis that has flared recently in his knee is healing well. "Definitely, I'll be ready for training camp," he said. ... Cornerback Shawn Springs, the only major absentee from most of the Redskins voluntary offseason program, reported for meetings Tuesday but didn't make it on the field because he had to leave early to attend to his pregnant wife. Springs had been working out on his own in Arizona during an uncertain offseason in which he was the subject of trade rumors and rebuffed attempts to renegotiate his contract. Springs, 32, is scheduled to count a team-high $7.4 million against the salary cap this season.
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