6
Dec
2009
VIDEO: Michael Vick scores first TD in over 3 years
Definitely one of the biggest story lines for this weekend was Michael Vick‘s return to Atlanta. There were a lot of Vick jerseys in the crowd (obviously worn by non-dog owners), but nobody could have predicted that Vick – who had only 6 yards passing and 65 yards rushing heading into today – would explode for 2 TDs (1 rushing & 1 passing) in the Eagles 24-7 victory over the Falcons.
Here was Vick’s first TD of the game – and his first rushing score since October 15, 2006:
After the game, Vick – who finished with 48 yards passing and 17 yards rushing – had this to say:
I don’t know … this somehow just isn’t the “feel good” story of the year.
3
Sep
2009
VICK HITS THE SCENE WEEK THREE
Without getting into all the sticky details, Roger Godell and the NFL stated today that Michael Vick will be eligible to return to regular season play WEEK THREE.
The Eagles will host the Kansas City Chiefs–who seem extremely ripe for the picking.
Vick's last regular season game was on New Year's Eve 2006. His team at the time, the Falcons, lost 24-17 to the Eagles--his team of today.
3
Sep
2009
Thursday Round-Up: Vick eligible? Top-selling NFL jerseys; Romo’s new woman
America has spoken. Favre and Vick top jersey sales
Lots going on this week as we prepare for the final pre-season games, roster cuts, fantasy football drafts, and very soon, the start of the NFL season. Time to get fired up, folks!
Here is your Thursday Round-Up:
- Michael Vick likely to be eligible for Week 1, and is reportedly meeting with Roger Goodell today [NFL Fanhouse]. Wow, really? Goodell sure seems to be caving quickly on this one. Is our society’s tolerance for mistakes and capacity for forgiveness this great? Or do we just have a short memory when it comes to our “heroes”? Probably the latter, huh?
- Along those lines, CNBC put together a list of the top-selling jerseys in the NFL. Brett Favre is #1. Michael Vick is #4. Self respect did not make the list.
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Candice Crawford will now distract Romo from his football playing duties
The Detroit Lions won the Kevin O’Connell sweepstakes, signing him to back up Matt Stafford and Daunte Culpepper. [Yahoo!]
- In case you care, Peter King gives his 2009 NFL predictions, with projected records for each team, along with his playoff forecast. SPOILER ALERT! – he has the Bears vs Patriots in the Super Bowl. [SportsIllustrated]
- Tony Romo’s got a hot new squeeze, and it’s former miss Missouri Candace Crawford, who also happens to be the sister of teen hearthrob Chase Crawford. [US Weekly]. And I really couldn’t care less … just an excuse to post a picture of a hot chick.
UPDATE: The Winnepeg Sun says it was a rambling internet video post by Pacman that caused them to re-consider:
13
Aug
2009
Jailbird Michael Vick Lands with Eagles
Well, it’s happened. After months of speculation as to where – if anywhere – in the NFL Michael Vick would sign, the Philadelphia Eagles have inked the much-maligned QB to a 2-year deal. (Jay Glazer reports that the deal is actually one-year, $1.6 million contract with a $5.2 million team option for 2010)
As you know, Vick was convicted of running a dogfighting operation in August of 2007, serving 21 of a 23-month sentence in Leavenworth prison before having his NFL suspension conditionally lifted by commissioner Roger Goodell in July. And while Vick won’t be able to play in at least the first 4 regular season games this year, he can participate in pre-season practices & games for the Eagles starting immediately.
It was only a matter of time, I suppose. At the end of the day, the NFL is a business, and Vick is undeniably a special talent who will help fill seats and sell newspapers. But I don’t think anyone called him going to Philadelphia. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie just added a dangerous weapon for the already dangerous NFC Champions’ offense.
Vick will help back-up Donavan McNabb at QB, and you can definitely expect to see some Wildcat formations worked into the Eagles’ playbook. Andy Reid will devise new ways to get touches for Vick, which will create match-up nightmares for opposing defenses.
The Eagles also now become the team least likely to host “bring your dog to work day”. The NFC East just got a lot weirder, that’s for sure.
28
Jul
2009
Circus analysis
Where will Michael Vick end up? That’s the big question right now, I suppose.
Now that he’s back in action, every football fan (and executive) who denied a shred of interest in the player cannot help but daydream about Vick racing past defenders in their favorite team’s threads.
Tom Curran of NBC Sports believes that red, white, and blue (as in Buffalo) may be the best colors for Vick (along with Carolina and Tennessee). In fact, he’s analyzed the situation by taking a look at the geography of every team, the mental state of its owner, and the personna of its fanbase.
We live in a strange time. We abhor the circus, but we simultaneously need it. It’s really questionable if returning to the NFL, and that lifestyle, is even best for Michael Vick. We’ve heard promises that he’s changed, or changing, or will change–all of that is thrown aside when the marketing dollars are on the table.
We all need a second chance in life. It’s not a matter of rooting for or against Vick on that front. He’s been put under a microscope, and if you hate his dog-fighting past, than how can really root for 30% of any team’s roster? The NFL is littered with “issues,” and we, as fans, pick and choose what we find offensive or meaningful–very little sticks when our team is winning. For all the players who go out and get it done on the field without beating or cheating on their wives, shooting others (and themselves) in nightclubs, running down civilians with their cars, or bathing in banned substances–it’s the circus that gets the attention—–and that isn’t about to change. Good luck, Michael Vick.
27
Jul
2009
Clinton Portis Will Haunt Your Dreams
There’s a lot of big stuff going on in NFL news today … namely that Michael Vick was reinstated by Roger Goodell and Plaxico Burress still looks like he’s heading to jail.
But when we saw this picture of Redskins RB Clinton Portis (above), it shook us to the core. Suddenly, all other news seemed trivial compared to the paralyzing, horriffic fear of having our brains eaten in our sleep by this blonde devil-creature. It’s all we could do to get out of the fetal position and crawl to the keyboard to make this post.
Clearly, there is only one way to handle this: don’t go to sleep. And if you see Portis on the street … KILL IT!!!
23
Jul
2009
Vick Freedom Tour includes strippers, Goodell, possible reinstatment?
It’s been an eventful week for our old friend, and recently released convict Michael Vick. The Big Lead reports Vick spent Monday night – his first night of freedom – hanging out with Allen Iverson in Virginia Beach. At a strip club. Of course, Vick flatly denies this rumor.
Meanwhile, ESPN tells us that Vick met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday to discuss his possible reinstatement. League sources say that Goodell is expected to grant a conditional reinstatement of Vick as early as next week! If this is true, it would mean Vick would be allowed to sign with an NFL team this season, attend training camp, and then would be suspended for the first 4 games of the regular season.
Well that didn’t take very long, did it? The guy has been out of prison for less than a week, and he’s already rolling out to the strip clubs, and on the verge of reinstatement. It’s like it’s 2005 all over again!
For their part, the league office says no decisions have been made, and Goodell is quoted as having said, “this is not about me”.
20
May
2009
Michael Vick Flies the Coop
Michael Vick is out of prison, and now has a lot of work to do in order to repair his image.
Former NFL QB and convicted dog murderer Michael Vick left Leavenworth Prison in Kansas early this morning, managing to evade the throngs of media waiting for him outside the jailhouse. Vick headed to his home in Hampton, VA, where he will finish serving out the last 2 months of his 23-month sentence under home confinement. He will also work a $10-an-hour construction job and remain under federal surveillance.
Vick’s PR machine is already full swing, trying to make a case to Roger Goodell that he is worthy of reinstatement. Oh, to be the soulless devils who make their living working on such a noble cause … I bet they sleep well at night.
Anyway, there’s TONS of coverage on this story out there this morning, so I figured I’d pass along a few links to some of the most interesting pieces we found:
- ESPN’s John Clayton speculates on the 5 teams Vick could end up with
- Falcons Owner Arthur Blank says Vick Needs To Get New Friends [NFL Fanhouse]
- Shutdown Corner examines 4 other NFL Athletes who may or may not be worse than Michael Vick. Jerramy Stevens, anyone?
- Humane Society to work with Vick after his release [Sports Illustrated] … let’s just hope they have the same common sense as PETA did.
- Is Vick seeking a deal for a post-prison reality show? [Reuters]
6
May
2009
Memo to Brett Favre: Dear God Make it Stop!
Word on the street is that Brett Favre is meeting with Vikings head coach Brad Childress this week about his possible return to the NFL. I’d rather jam my hand in a vice than discuss his 2nd un-retirement in as many seasons.
Question: has any single player in professional sports ever gone from his status as the most beloved player in the sport to the most annoying in such a short period of time? And if he goes to the Vikings, won’t he become public enemy #1 of Packers fans everywhere? And who first figured out how to milk a cow, and what were they thinking they were doing at the time?
Here are your Wednesday Morning Links:
- Brett Favre: America’s Biggest Drama Queen [Sharapova's Thigh]
- From Idol to Enemy [Milwaukee Journal Sentinal]
- Shutdown Corner has an awesome comparison chart of Brett Favre and Terrell Owens
- Tony Dungy visits Mike Vick in Prison [ESPN.com]
- Peter King is reporting (via Twitter) that Marvin Harrison will not play football again [Football Outsiders]. So wait, twitter counts as a legitimate news outlet now?!? Jeeeeeeezzzzzzz!
- Dallas Morning News says the Eagles and Giants are the best teams in the NFC
2
May
2009
PETA Denies Plans To Do Ads With Vick
Dogs everywhere are training to exact their revenge on Vick upon his release from prison
HOORAY for common sense! USA Today reports that PETA has denied that it has any plans to do public-service advertisements with Michael Vick after the disgraced quarterback is released from prison.
Yesterday’s reports that PETA was in discussions with Vick to be a spokesman for the group were refuted in a statement issued late Friday:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it withdrew any offer about doing the ads after a U.S. Department of Agriculture report on Vick’s dogfighting operation found “he enjoyed placing family pets in the ring with fighting pit bulls and that he laughed as dogs ripped each other apart,” according to Dan Shannon, the group’s assistant director of youth outreach and campaigns.
Whew. My head was starting to hurt from the stupidity of that idea. Then again, PETA doesn’t exactly have a sparkling reputation in the animal rights community, so it wouldn’t be an altogether surprising move on their part.
