Like it or not, Michael Vick is a Philadelphia Eagle. The 29 year-old former Atlanta superstar – a three time pro-bowler who at one point was the highest paid athlete in the NFL – was convicted in 2006 of dog fighting charges and sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. Vick served 18 months in prison and was held on home arrest for the remainder of his sentence. Under the guidance of future Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, Vick was granted partial reinstatement to the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell. All he needed was for a team to sign him, and the Eagles did just that – granting Vick a one year deal worth $1.6 million (none guaranteed).
The news broke Thursday night and immediately forced a Liberty-Bell-sized crack right down the center of the Philly faithful, and Eagles fans quickly lined up in one of two equally narrow-minded camps: The Anti-Vicks and The Vick-o-Philes.
But. . . before any real discussion about Michael Vick can take place, one has to consider exactly what he did to deserve federal sentencing.
Michael Vick committed heinous crimes against innocent animals. He tortured dogs so that they would become hyper-violent and kill one another in organized fights. He allowed people to gamble on these forced skirmishes and turned the dogs’ agony into spectacle to satisfy a depraved bloodthirst. Indeed he profited from death. And as if it couldn’t get worse, he tortured any animal deemed unfit for fighting. These helpless, abused dogs were electrocuted, hung, drowned or shot to death. These actions demonstrate both a sickening tolerance of violence and a complete disregard for the sanctity of life itself. None of that is forgotten…not by dog lovers, not by Eagles fans, not by Andy Reid or Jeffery Lurie, not by Tony Dungy, and, most importantly, not by Michael Vick.
At the Eagles press conference earlier today, Vick stated, “I was wrong for what I did. Everything that happened at that point in time in my life was wrong.” He then added, “For the life of me, to this day I can’t understand why I was involved in such pointless activity.” Are these the words of someone who is truly repentant for what he’s done? Or is this just Vick regurgitating lines that Tony Dungy forced down his throat? Skeptics will claim the latter, but that’s an insult to Dungy. Tony Dungy is not a stupid man. He is not one to be easily manipulated. And if he thought for one second that Vick was taking advantage of him in any way, he would cry “Rat” and refuse to perpetrate the charade any further.
But he didn’t do that.
Dungy stuck his neck out on the line for a young man in need of help. The cynics can say what they want, but Dungy has absolutely nothing to gain from Mike Vick, nothing but the satisfaction that he, as he has already claimed, is merely practicing his Christian ideals in his daily affairs. He is carrying a message of hope and forgiveness to a person in need. Faith without works is dead, and Dungy is keeping his faith alive by working with others. It just so happens that this particular “other” is the most vilified athlete of the 21st century. So regardless of your religious inclinations, you have to give props to Tony Dungy for being one of those rare few men who actually lives up to lofty rhetoric and, no matter how difficult it is, attempts to walk the walk.
Dungy’s influence on Vick is readily apparent. Two years ago Vick pulled one of the most moronic moves you could ever imagine - he tested positive for marijuana during his federal trial. Obviously he wasn’t connecting all the dots between action and consequence. But, afer 23 months of forced self-reflection and two months of one-on-ones with Dungy, Vick sounds a little more mature, “I think as long as you are willing to come back and do it the right way and do the right things and that you're committed, then I think you deserve it. But you only get one shot at a second chance, and I am conscious of that.” (Eagles press conference) These aren’t momentous words, but dare I suggest it sounds like the seeds of reform have been planted in his head? Whether or not he acts accordingly has yet to be seen.
And where will this act play out? That’s right. . .in Philadelphia, the blue collar bastion of Brotherly Love, where fans loves their mothers, their cheesesteaks, and, above all, their Philadelphia Eagles.
How are those fans reacting?
Anti-Vicks
The majority seem to be Anti-Vick, claiming Vick is subhuman and doesn’t deserve a place in the NFL. The radio shows on 610 WIP have been blowing up with phone calls by outraged fans who are appalled by the Eagles’ decision to sign the fallen superstar. The main argument is as follows: It’s a privilege to play in the NFL and Michael Vick gave up that privilege when he committed the pre-mediated murder of dogs, not once but continuously over a period of six years. Whether he’s been rehabilitated or not, these people believe Vick should toil in anonymity the rest of life, forever repenting his mistakes as he bags groceries at the local supermarket. When pressed further on the possibility of personal reinvention and second chances, the anti-Vicks are willing to concede a little, but only if he were to play for a different team. . .
They say send him to Cincinnati where 10 players were arrested 11 different incidents in 2006. The say send him to Dallas where they have a history of protecting players like Michael Irving, who once stabbed a teammate in the neck with a pair of scissors, and Adam Jones, who was responsible for the gunshot wound that paralyzed a nightclub bouncer. They say send him to Minnesota, where he can attend team sex parties on cruise ships staffed with prostitutes. The anti-Vicks say Mike Vick belongs with criminals on a criminal team, not with the highly-vaunted Eagles organization.
Ultimately what these fans are saying is that no matter how many urban youth programs Vick leads along with the Humane Society – raising awareness about animal cruelty and the negative consequences of dog fighting – they will always see him as nothing more than a dog killer, and, more importantly, that the Eagles, by signing Mike Vick, are inadvertently condoning animal cruelty. Invoking such a linear argument is lazy, and, because it’s based on emotion, doesn’t actually make sense. Let me illustrate how simplistic that argument actually is:
Josh Hamilton smoked crack. The Texas Rangers signed Josh Hamilton. Therefore the Texas Rangers condone smoking crack.
C’mon Philly, you’re smarter than that.
Vick-O-Philes
All that said, the people lining up in defense of Michael Vick are equally lazy and perhaps even more misguided the anti-Vicks. The Vick-O-Philes call in to 610 WIP and say how happy they are to have Mike Vick in green and black. These fans think only in terms of football, as if Michael Vick’s ability to score TDs somehow nullifies his reprehensible past. They remember a player who was voted to the pro-bowl three times, a player who averaged 8.45 yards per carry (NFL record), and a player that rushed for 1,039 yards in 2006, the most by a QB in a single season in NFL history. These fans see Vick as that one final piece - the final beguiling threat - that will somehow complete the Eagles explosive offensive juggernaut and propel them past the NFC Championship Game to another shot at Super Bowl glory. And yes, if they were to win that Super Bowl, these depraved fans would wipe the slate clean and act as Mike Vick had never so much as petted a dog. That, Eagles fans, is atrocious.
But, and this is a big but, the Vick-O-Philes do NOT seem to realize that Vick hasn’t played football since 2006, and, by his own admission, isn’t in “football shape”. He isn’t actually eligible to play yet and the earliest the Eagles could see him in uniform is week 6 (October 18th).
And once he’s in uniform, where will he play?
Quertarback? Kevin Kolb was injured in training camp, but Andy Reid has already gone on record to say that Vick won’t be playing QB. So where does he fit? He certainly won’t line up at TE and fill in for the injured Cornelius Ingram. He’s not a lineman or a long snapper or linebacker. At best, Vick will join the team midseason as a wildcat threat - a million dollar decoy that Marty and Big Red will utilize to confuse any and all opposing defenses. Point being, Vick offers no immediate gain and yet he brings with him an inordinate amount of baggage. Why invite this lighting rod of controversy into the locker room, especially now, especially this season when you’ve lost two of your most influential leaders – B-Dawk and Jim Johnson – two guys whose absence has left a harrowing void in the Eagles inner-sanctum?
So Why?
It’s impossible to know, really, but I think it comes down to two bottom-line answers, one purely business related and one personal.
The NFL is a business, and players are reminded of that all the time. Eagles players are very aware of it – just look at what happened to Lito, B-Dawk, Trot, Hugh Douglas and Sheldon Brown to name a few. In terms of investments, the Eagles are getting one of the most phenomenal athletic specimens of the last decade for the pro-rated cost of a special teams player. Imagine paying Barry Sanders less than Koy Detmer.
From a personal angle, Andy Reid needs to believe in second chances. His family history demands of it him. And like Dungy, Reid is a religious man who uses his role as an NFL coach as an instrument of ministry. He doesn’t recite bible verses at press conferences, but he holds himself to a standard that he believes reflects his ideal. Whether or not that’s appropriate is another discussion entirely. The simple fact here is that Reid sees the potential good Vick can do for their community of Philadelphia, not as a football player, but as an advocate. Vick has the potential to connect with urban youth in a way that few other players can, as his story is singularly horrific. And if Vick fails to live up to that role as advocate, you can bet your ass the Andy Reid will be the first to kick the villain-athlete back out on the street. Say what you will, but Andy Reid is not a moron, and he certainly doesn’t pull punches.
Get to the point, man. . .
In sum, the Eagles are taking a big risk on Vick. They are inviting an unnecessary maelstrom of negativity on themselves, and they don’t even have a set plan for him yet. There’s no telling how he will contribute to the Eagles offense, or if he’ll even help them win any games. And there’s no telling whether or not he will do his part off the field to rectify his image and make amends, as best he can, for his villainous past. Clearly fans don’t owe him anything; if anything he owes the fans. But what the fans owe themselves is a proper discussion about the Vick situation, because simply dividing into two equally narrow-minded camps is a complete and total cop-out. The Mick Vick conversation forces us to examine the relationship between athletes and crime, the democratic ideal of self-improvement, animal cruelty, activism and the role of religion in sports. But maybe it’s easier not to think about those things, and, sadly, most of us (myself included) don’t.
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