Dogs, Birds and Michael
Vick
After three years, a conviction for operating an interstate dogfighting
ring, a two-year prison term, and his descent into the role of Most
Hated Man in Professional Sports, Michael Vick is once again an active
professional athlete. The disgraced quarterback, who was conditionally
reinstated to the NFL earlier this month, has signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles.
So after weeks of false leads, from Mike Florio's Pro Football Talk and
other media outlets, about where Vick was headed He's at the airport
in Chicago! He was spotted in Foxboro! No, he's in Baltimore! he ended
up signing with a team with which he hadn't been previously linked. A
team that already has an All-Pro quarterback, isn't known for bringing
in players with rap sheets and is already operating in an environment in
which large chunks of its fan base hate team management.
Why did they do it? Amateur Eagles-ologists have speculated that coach
Andy Reid was motivated to give Vick a second chance by the recent
drug-related legal troubles of his two sons. The team, in Vick's
introductory press conference, stressed that they weren't minimizing
Vick's crimes but rather attempting to help him redeem himself. The
team's star quarterback, Donovan McNabb, was not only OK with the move,
but actually lobbied for it.
Reid and the Eagles brain trust have never been afraid to make moves
that aren't popular with the fans, something that has led to their
unpopularity, along with Philadelphia fans' ever-present
if-you-haven't-won-a-championship-you're-worthless attitude.
Nevertheless, the Eagles haven't played to an unsold seat in years and
have a season-ticket waiting list a mile long. I highly doubt the Vick
signing will hurt them at the box office.
Ever since talk began of Vick's reinstatement, I've taken the position
that if he shows genuine remorse about what he did, Vick should be
allowed back in the league. But, any team that signs him is going
to have to take the heat, whether from PETA, from dog-loving fans or
what-not. And that's certainly happened in Philadelphia in the wake of
Vick's signing.
On the airwaves of the city's two sports-radio stations the day after
the signing, fan after fan renounced their fandom, vowing to never again
attend another Eagles game. But fans say that all the time and rarely
stick to the pledge, whether it's over steroids, labor disputes or
anything else.
A similar reaction happened in the same city in 2006 when the team
across the parking lot, the Phillies, allowed pitcher Brett Myers to
make his scheduled start just hours after he was arrested in Boston for
assaulting his wife. I'm guessing virtually every fan that made that vow
was back on the bandwagon two years later when the team with Myers
playing a key role won the World Series.
Football and money-wise, Vick's signing is a low-risk, high-reward
situation for the team. If he causes any trouble, they can release him
with limited liability and with a huge club option for 2010, Vick will
be very highly motivated to both play hard and keep his nose clean.
The Eagles don't need to count on Vick to be their starting quarterback,
but can instead bring him along slowly, give him time to learn their
famously byzantine playbook, and eventually use him either as a backup
or in creative sets utilizing the popular "Wildcast" formation. Finally,
Vick gives them another offensive weapon, creating matchup problems for
opposing defenses.
I can certainly understand how fans, especially if they love dogs, would
object to Vick's presence in the league or on their team, and I don't
begrudge them for feeling that way. But if Vick, once he returns from a
four-to-six-week suspension, helps the Eagles win a game or two or
leads them on a significant postseason run I expect fan forgiveness to
come surprisingly quickly.
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