Filed under: American Football | Tags: American Football, Andy Reid, Michael Vick, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles
The tough city of Philadelphia may just have gotten what could be seen as the winning lottery ticket to the Powerball mega millions jackpot or they could have invested it all with Bernie Madoff. While the pre-season games have just gotten underway for the National Football League and the pressure and expectations of the season have not quite set in, Andy Reid has done what many thought no organization would dare do; sign Michael Vick. Now, with the partial re-instatement by Commissioner Roger Goodell, Tony Dungy as an advisor, and an apologetic and reflective 60-minutes interview set for Sunday, the stage has been set for Vick to be either a huge hit or a public relations nightmare for both the Philadelphia Eagles as well as continuing to be for the NFL.
Worth the risk?
The upside is clear; Vick has only recently turned 29. The former number one draft pick out of Virginia Tech is a mobile Quarterback who plays very similarly to Eagles starting Quarterback Donovan McNabb but faster, younger and with a less strong arm. Two years ago Vick was the highest paid player in the NFL and top five in jersey sales. Although out of professional football for two years, he has spent the past two years working out and playing football in jail to keep somewhat sharp. In Atlanta he played in a West Coast Offense similar to that run by the Eagles, he could easily be utilized in a Wildcat offense given his rushing abilities, and under the terms of his re-instatement he is not expected to be playing in NFL games until week 6, just participating in everything else. In giving Vick a smooth, not rushed second chance, the Eagles, who are a playoff team with a great Quarterback, are basically giving Vick a season to get reacquainted with life in the NFL and learn the offense while also setting themselves up to have the best second string quarterback in the league and a possible replacement for McNabb. Should the gamble not pan out, in a football sense, the Eagles are also lucky as they have a solid backup QB in A.J. Feeley and have third year pro Kevin Kolb and rookie Adam DiMichele fighting for third string making Vick expendable should he have lost his skill.
The risk in this choice is also clear. Michael Vick has not played professionally for two years. That is a lot of time to not be playing at such a high level. It is also a lot of time out of the spotlight and lifestyle that can easily lead to unlawful behavior and an NFL PR nightmare like this offseason has shown. The spotlight this time will also not be the same as before. Vick will never live down the time he spent in jail or that he was convicted of officially conspiracy and running a dogfighting operation. Although his case was clearly making an example of him and should not, in my mind, have put him in jail for so long, if at all, the fact remains that he is a convicted felon. Henceforth it is just as likely for dogfighting to be brought up in some way in the media as what happened in the actual football game he may take part in. Should he fail miserably, it may also cause a distraction that a playoff will not want to have to deal with the entire season. The media and fans are brutal in the city that only shows brotherly love during championship parades. Andy Reid’s decisions may be further scrutinized and the team may suffer if this experiment fails. If that wasn’t enough to deter the Eagles, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will always be lurking; reminding them of what their player did to his dogs.
As a firm believer in giving second chances, it is great to see Vick back in the NFL. As a Giants fan, should he fail and the Eagles implode because of it, well I won’t be complaining. Should Vick succeed, well then Andy Reid, whose legendary status in Philadelphia might already be secure after ten years coaching the Eagles with seven of them involving the playoffs, five of which led to NFC championship games and one which led to a Super Bowl loss, might just be loved even more for having the balls to sign a three time pro-bowler. In a time of conservatism and low risk investments, it is nice to see a high risk, huge reward gamble in sports that doesn’t involve no-name Europeans and basketball.
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The 30-second timeout 
i agree – his celebrity definitely worked against him in regards to his punishment. i think goodell was harsh too, i mean he’s been in jail for 2 years already. what more do you want? nonetheless, he’s left the door open to allow him to play before week 6. i bet he does.
Comment by chrisutd07 August 14, 2009 @ 3:50 pmFREE VICK!!!
Comment by John F August 15, 2009 @ 6:37 am