Missing the Point on Vick
PITTSBURGH -- Now that I've had time to read the GQ Michael Vick article, while loitering endlessly about the tarmac on a USAirways regional jet, I'm surprised.
Missing the Point on Vick
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH -- Now that I've had time to read the GQ Michael Vick article, while loitering endlessly about the tarmac on a USAirways regional jet, I'm surprised.
Surprised that the fuss, as far as I can tell from Twitter and a few emails, is about the part where Vick said he initially didn't want to come to the Eagles, where he would be the third quarterback in that 2009 season, that he thought Cincinnati and Buffalo might be better options.
In some quarters, this is being taken as Roger Goodell taking a Pro Bowl quarterback away from the poor Bengals or Bills. I think that's silly.
First, as Vick said in the statement he was forced to release today, he never said in the story that Goodell insisted he sign with the Eagles. If you recall the situation in '09, Vick's primary advisor was Tony Dungy, who had a relationship with Andy Reid he might not have had with a lot of other coaches. Other key advice came from agent Joel Segal, who also is pretty close to Eagles management. Also, Vick was not a hot commodity, coming out of prison. There was talk he might have to play in the UFL to get another NFL opportunity.
"I did speak with many people, but the decision to sign in Philadelphia was based on my discussions with my agent, my family, and with coach Reid," Vick's statement today said. "After those discussions, it became clear to me that this was the place I wanted to play ... The commissioner never told me to sign or not sign with particular teams."
The NFL also released a statement, from spokesman Greg Aiello: "Michael Vick's decision on where to play to put himself in the best position to succeeed was entirely his own. Commissioner Goodell obviously met and spoke to Michael and his representatives as part of his decision on whether to reinstate Michael and on what terms. But the commissioner would never steer players to or away from particular teams and did not do so in this case."
OK, now that's settled, on to the real reason I'm surprised. It's because this piece in GQ is not a story about whether Vick could have ended up with the Bengals or the Bills. It's a story about how blacks and whites interpret the Vick saga differently -- a topic I have addressed, as well -- and beyond that, how Vick's public contrition might not be the entire scope of his complicated feelings about the dogfighting conviction that landed him in federal prison.
That's way more interesting to me than who might have had a hand in what decision two years ago. Especially since I still say, any team that wanted Michael Vick could've had him after the '09 season for any kind of decent offer, like, a third-round draft pick, whether the Eagles are willing to admit that now or not.
If you've ever been to any of those inner city rec centers where Vick often speaks, the vibe is not "let's listen to this man explain to us why he hurt those dogs." Vick doesn't spend a lot of time on that. The centers are usually packed to the rafters with people who've come to celebrate Vick as a beacon of hope for them -- a black man the whites sent to prison, whose money was taken away, but who has persevered and triumphed. Frankly, that's the storyline that netted Vick the Eagles' Ed Block Courage Award, voted by his (mostly black) teammates) in '09, that white folks were so upset about.
What Will Leitch, the author of the GQ piece, gets at better than anyone else has so far is how this might also be ithe storyline Vick believes, more or less, and not so much the one about how he had to be shown the error of his ways and taught a painful lesson.
I'm willing to bet we have not seen the end of the exploring of this topic, as Vick prepares to lead the new-look Eagles onto centerstage in the NFL of 2011. And hey, if we're going to have a controversy, let's have a controversy over stuff that matters, not over "what ifs."
Vick is a self entitled POS just like Lindsay Blowhan. He should be thankful the NHL even gave him a look. Ungrateful d-dag.— PinkGargoyle
geez. pet lovers and thier crazy emotional ties to the animals they love more then people. oh and some racism too. wonderful.- with that said, as someone who has studied criminology and psyhcology, just like some think Vick is a criminal and will always be one, well Andy Reid also has a "one-track" mind when it comes to certain football philosphies...after watching him coach for 9 years I realized he would NEVER win the SB. no team taht throws it as much as him as EVER won one. he does it too much to the point of insanity and it is pathetic and is why he gets outcoached in EVERY big postseason game. I am more annoyed at Reid then anything Vick did. Reid should be put in jail for passing too much. Its pissed me off countless times and ruined millions of eagles fans joy. He is a criminal and shoould be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
- Hundreds of thousands of animals in the USA are currently kept in worse conditions and treated more cruelly than anything Michael Vick's dogs ever experienced. But those animals aren't dogs, they're dinner, so nobody cares.
The hatred of Michael Vick is not based on any moral logic. It is based on emotion. People feel an emotional bond with dogs that they do not feel for pigs and cows and chickens. I think people should consider this as they label Michael Vick while biting into a hamburger.
— bc3030 - The article was about how stupid Vick is and how he still hasn't learned how to keep his mouth shut. He threw Goodell under the bus.— ej610
- thats brilliant "spider rico", maybe if you actually looked up the numbers of those seasons you would see that NO RAN THE BALL 44%...56/44..with a three headed attack..much more then Reid runs the ball...and the packers ran 43%....57/43...again RAN IT MORE THEN REID DOES. Reid AVERAGES 59/41 or 60/40 and goes up to like 80/20 in a playoff game every year and loses. seriously do some research.
- Your biggest argument against Reid he has not won the super bowl so don't give me regular season stats because he has had regular season sucess you can't deny. In the Super bowl, the Saints ran 57 plays and 39 of them were passes which is 68%. The Packers ran 52 plays and 39 of them were passes which is 75%!!! You should probably try to learn what you are saying in instead of just mishmashing everything. I own you buddy. Bow down.
- I was disgusted by what Vick did. Legally, he has served his time (for running an illegal gambling operation - not dogfighting). That does not mean I have to support the Eagles or the NFL bringing him back right out of prison. I have not gone to a game, bought an NFL product or watched an Eagles game since. As a consumer, that is my right.
I hope he has changed. However, this interview makes me question the sincerity of his reform. Where you live and how you are raised has an influence on your behavior but there have been plenty of people who grew up in these communities and chose to do the right thing. He knew it was illegal and chose to run the dogfighting operation and hide it. That has nothing to do with his race or anything else.
Maybe Bernie Madoff grew up in a culture where your wealth and status was all that mattered. Does that justify stealing billions in his Ponzi scheme? He broke the law and is being punished. If by some failure in the justice system he is released and gets a job at the local 7-11, I will no longer give them my business.— JPCase - The issue was not who Vick did or did not sign with or even if he was told to sign or advised by Dungy where to sign except for a matter of "collusion". But for Philly fans or rest of the football world the issue remains an issue of who cares and be great-full for the chance to get back and sign with a team.
For Vick to mention this issue sounds like he is not happy in Philly and wants out. No coach is going to coddle Vick and give him preferential treatment like he had in ATL.
As for the lifestyle and dogfighting issue and not his fault is false and should not even been brought up. Simply because it only opens old wounds to bleed again. He should have never gone there. Many players lived in projects and seen many killed by drive bys in their neighborhoods but they never grew up to do anything illegal. Many NFL players have told their stories. Vick is not the only player to come from the projects. But they have turned their life around once in the NFL and have not turned to a life of crime.Instead many are mentors to young people in the neighborhoods. Vicks problem is unlike other players coming out of the projects is that he was able to spend 5-7 years in the NFL doing criminal activity.
Coming back Vick had all the support he needed in the NFL and among retired players but now he is showing he is ungrateful for that support and decided to whin about those in the public that do not support him.— RRynalds - What little bitter jealous bettys. There are commenters made that he's in the NFL. They're just mad the man makes more money than they ever will...get over your own circumstance and apply yourself and maybe one day you will have a talent that will be worth $16 mil a year. Until then stop worrying about the next man that does have the ability to do it.— cancer36
