So, last night I got a text from DMoe telling me that Michael Vick has signed a 2-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wow.
That was my response.
As a Philly native, my first thought was how this was going to fare with the passionate fan base in the City of Brotherly Love. I know when it comes to sports, "brotherly love" is last thing that comes to mind when talking about Philly fans. We booed Donovan McNabb before he even got dirt on his jersey, and we hated T.O. - who compared to Vick is probably considered a saint by now.
I'm sure there will be protests from animal rights groups, and many won't be happy about this decision. But, I for one, have no problem with it. Actually, I'm a little excited about it. Considering our back-up QB's are hurt and/or ineffective, I think it was a pretty smart move. And our current QB isn't getting any younger.
Everyone knows as a Syracuse alum, I have nothing but love for Donovan McNabb. I've always supported him, and he doesn't get the props he deserves. To many, he's only as good as his last game - which makes me crazy about Philly fans and his perception in the NFL in general. We love him when he plays well, and want to trade his ass when he doesn't. Now we have 2 black quarterbacks...and some say Vick is now a threat to Donovan. Last night, Ant called it "black on black QB violence" on his Facebook status - which gave me a lil chuckle. But can they co-exist? This is what DNabb had to say:
Donovan lobbied to get him. And it's not like Vick will take his spot...at least not right away anyway. He can practice with the team and I think he can play in pre-season games. He's eligible to be fully reinstated by Week 6, so the NFL isn't giving him an easy pass to just jump right back in. He'll probably sit the bench a bit til he gets his legs back. At 29 years old, he's still young enough to be a danger on offense, and depending on how his practices and conditioning go, he may be able to make a serious contribution - or none at all.
It's too early to tell, but it should be exciting to watch. He will get jeered and booed, no doubt. Philly fans may not like it. PETA I'm sure hates that Philly signed him. But somebody was going to pick him up eventually, so I don't see why he can't make his way back through a team that could use another athletic option in the quarterback position.
I'm an animal lover. And people have a right to be upset. But he served nearly 2 years of prison time, and Donte Stallworth KILLED a PERSON while drunk driving...and didn't see that much jail time. He served 24 days of a 30 day sentence for killing a HUMAN BEING. Umm....??? huh?
If Stallworth can get off that easy, we can give Michael Vick a second chance. You don't have to like it, but he paid his debt to society. He has a right to earn a living. He's a football player, not a keeper at the damn zoo where animals will be in danger. For all we know, he's learned his lesson, is truly sorry for what he did, and he may go on to do good deeds both on and off the field.
And you know how Philly fans are. If he starts winning games for the Eagles, they'll love him...and forget all about the dogfighting convictions...at least until the next game.
-b
GO GREEN!
