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Michael Vick not barred from drinking

Michael Vick did not violate the terms of his probation nor the conditions of his NFL reinstatement when he drank an alcoholic beverage on the night after his first practice since being released from prison, an Eagles spokesman said yesterday.

Michael Vick did not violate the terms of his probation nor the conditions of his NFL reinstatement when he drank an alcoholic beverage on the night after his first practice since being released from prison, an Eagles spokesman said yesterday.

The day after Vick's return to the field, a report in the New York Post described the new Eagles quarterback "sipping on a Grey Goose [vodka] and pineapple juice" at the Riverbend Bar & Grill, a restaurant at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott.

On July 27, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell detailed the conditions of Vick's reinstatement in a letter.

He wrote that the former Atlanta Falcons player, who was incarcerated for 18 months on a dogfighting conviction, was "required to abide by the terms of the supervised release that were imposed on you by the court, which include not committing any further crime, limits on who you may associate with, prohibitions regarding drug and alcohol use, possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon, and forbidding you to own, possess, or be involved with the sale of any dog."

Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko wrote in an e-mail to The Inquirer that Vick was "not in conflict with terms of his probation or reinstatement with the NFL."

The Eagles did not refute or confirm the New York Post's story.

The reporter, Brian Costello, had no comment when reached yesterday.

Three people who were near Vick at the restaurant bar Aug. 15 said they saw him drink one cocktail. The three asked not to be identified.

After practice, Vick ran past a handful of reporters without answering a question. He has not formally spoken with the media since the Eagles introduced him 10 days ago.

Messages left with Vick's agent, Joel Segal, were not returned.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in an e-mail last night that "the reference [about the conditions of Vick's reinstatement] in our press release . . . was to the requirements laid out by the court. Matters under the NFL's policy are confidential."

Vick, meanwhile, continued his indoctrination as an Eagles quarterback yesterday.

He is permitted to play in the final two preseason games, and Goodell will make a decision on a regular-season return no later than Week 6. Coach Andy Reid has not announced if Vick will play Thursday at home in the third preseason game, even though the 29-year-old is eligible to take part in what would be his first game since Dec. 31, 2006.

"He'll announce it on Tuesday," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said yesterday.

"Michael is a day-to-day deal. . . . I think he was in decent shape coming in, as far as in general. But football shape - moving, cutting, lateral movement, throwing the football, moving while he's throwing the football - I think he's in pretty good shape."

If the Eagles plan to use Vick against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they may have to contend with their quarterback's appearing in bankruptcy court beforehand. According to an ESPN.com report, Vick is scheduled to fly to Newport News, Va., on Wednesday evening for a 9:30 a.m. hearing Thursday that is expected to last until the afternoon.

The team told the Web site that the court date would not affect Vick's "game status."

Since his first practice, Vick has had increasingly more repetitions under center and has looked more confident each day. The Eagles are expected to use Vick in a host of other ways, but he has practiced as a quarterback.

Yesterday, as he has after every practice, Vick stayed and worked on his throws with starter Donovan McNabb and backup Kevin Kolb under the guidance of Mornhinweg.

"How does Michael look in the offense? At quarterback? He looks pretty good," Mornhinweg said. "It was a fairly seamless transition, even though he hadn't played for two years, because of the terminology, it's very similar."

Vick also played in a version of the West Coast offense during his six seasons in Atlanta.

Kolb was back at practice for the second straight day after sitting out for two weeks with a sprained knee ligament. Reid has declared Kolb his No. 2 quarterback even though Vick is in camp.

"The last two games will be important for him," Mornhinweg said.

Said Kolb: "I'm pumped. I feel like I missed out on the last couple of weeks. This is my time. I feel pretty good, up to par, and I'm looking forward to getting as many reps as possible."

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