Obama praises Eagles for signing Vick

President Barack Obama called Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie to praise him and the team for giving Michael Vick a second chance, according to Peter King of SI.com.

"The president wanted to talk about two things, but the first was Michael,'' Lurie told King. "He said, 'So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance. He was ... passionate about it. He said it's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail. And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall.''

The other item Obama wanted to talk to Lurie about was his alternative energy plans for Lincoln Financial Field.

Some other links to pass along:

* SI.com's Don Banks says the MVP race is over, and Tom Brady is the winner.

I'm certain Michael Vick is going to garner his share of MVP votes, but while his is a one-of-a-kind story this year, it would be a travesty to overlook the historic nature of Tom Brady's season. No. 12 has been fantastic all season long.

...Brady's three touchdowns in Buffalo gave him an NFL-high 34 this season, against a league-low four interceptions. And he leads a New England offense that has scored at least 31 points every week during the course of its seven-game winning streak, without turning the ball over once. Let me repeat that: The Patriots have gone seven consecutive games, well over 400 plays, without a turnover. No disrespect to the season Vick is having, but at this point I know whose name will be on my MVP ballot.

* King said his Coach of the Year decision will likely come down to four candidates, including Andy Reid:

Takes a lot of guts to, first, jettison the quarterback you've had since you walked in the door and who still is an OK player; and two, to bench the guy you traded the starter for -- with the hope that your quarterback project can be The Man. We see how Michael Vick has responded.

King has the Eagles third in his Fine Fifteen and Vick No. 2 in his MVP race.

* FoxSports.com lists DeSean Jackson's runback against the Giants as the top NFL play of 2010.

* Earlier Monday, I posted Governor Ed Rendell's comments, which ripped the decision to postpone the Eagles-Vikings game. And Sunday night, I posted updated Eagles playoff scenarios.

You can follow Moving the Chains on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for even more Birds coverage, including app-exclusive videos and analysis. Get it here.