The front cover of the Daily News: Hide Your Dogs
The back cover of the Daily News: What are they thinking?
Ouch.
Sal Palantonio was just on Mike & Mike, and, given that he has covered Philly sports for 25 years, had a few interesting things to add. He was at the stadium last night when the word hit that the Eagles had signed Vick. He said that as he went to find Eagles GM Joe Banner for the details and a comment, the concourse during the Eagles/Pats game began to flood with fans getting the word via text, twitter, phone call, etc. and that the initial reaction was overwhelmingly negative. He saw familes leaving with people saying they were never coming back. He saw one woman in tears. Bizarre. At this point, based on what he is hearing in Philly this morning, he said the initial reaction is 90% negative.
Which is somewhat surprising to me. Perhaps as days pass and Vick works his way into the community, people will chill. But I am not sure what else Vick can do. I don’t believe that he should never work again. He has served his time. The president of the Humane Society has praised Vick’s efforts since getting out in going to talk to groups, and has said that Philadelphia has a sizable dog-fighting problem, something Vick can help address. There are players in the NFL currently who have caused or been real involved in the death of human beings, and they continue to work without any kind of outcry. Vick deserves a second chance as much as the next guy.
That said, the rundown from the Philly columnists of note:
Paul Domowitch on the football side of it, opines that it is a terriffic move:
Let’s just look at the Eagles’ signing of Michael Vick strictly from a football standpoint. Nothing else. If he can whip his 29-year-old body back into some semblance of football shape, can he be a difference-making offensive weapon for this team? Can he improve their Super Bowl chances? The answers are yes and yes. The Eagles didn’t sign Vick to have him push Donovan McNabb for the starting quarterback job. He wasn’t even really signed to give Kevin Kolb a run for his money as the No. 2 guy. He was signed for one reason, one word: Wildcat. While many NFL coaches don’t view the Wildcat formation, which features a direct snap to a skill-position player other than the quarterback, as much more than a glorified trick play, Eagles coach Andy Reid sees it as much more than that. He understands the problems the Wildcat can give a defense if you have the right weapon.
And he believes Vick is the right weapon. “Michael is an unbelievable athlete, both running the ball and throwing the ball,” Reid said last night after his team’s 27-25 preseason loss to the New England Patriots at the Linc. “He’s a difference-maker in a lot of areas. He can do a lot of different things for you. I’ll think of something for him.”
That’s where I come down on this. He makes Philly a more dangerous football team, assuming he can get somewhere near the football shape he was in two years ago.
Rich Hoffman reminds that the concept of second chances is real personal for Andy Reid:
THE FIRST HINT had come early at training camp, although Andy Reid camouflaged it in enough careful wording to throw everyone off the track. The topic at Lehigh that day was Michael Vick, and whether he should be signed by another team after doing his jail time. Reid said that he knew Vick a little, that he liked him. He said more than once along the way that the Eagles were happy with their quarterback situation, but that he thought Vick deserved another shot. He said, “At this phase in my life, I’m big on second chances.”
It was a reference to the legal issues of his two sons, Garrett and Britt – the drugs, the incarcerations, all well-publicized, all personally wrenching for Reid and his family. It was Reid offering a rare window into his heart. He is a man who does not often do that, who does not tell many personal stories, who does not open himself up to that kind of public introspection.
Yes. That. Had almost forgotten about that. That adds a piece to this puzzle.
Phil Sheridan takes the viewpoint (apparently initially shared by a bunch of Eagles fans if Sal Palantonio is right) that none of this is worth it:
Let’s be clear about this from the very top: Vick did his time for the heinous and despicable dogfighting operation he financed and operated in Virginia. He went to federal prison. He lost millions of dollars. Like anyone else, Vick deserves the chance to return to his chosen profession. Just not here.
Full disclosure: I received the e-mail about Vick’s reinstatement by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell while waiting for my dog to finish his first chemotherapy treatment. I’m sitting in a sterile waiting room, worried sick about a 7-year-old Shih Tzu named Pogue, and a guy who oversaw the torture and murder of dozens of animals is getting cleared to play in the NFL. Let’s just say the news rubbed me the wrong way at that moment.
But I also get that Vick comes from a different background, that there is a surprisingly large subculture that sees dogfighting as acceptable. I believe in people getting second chances in life. I think Goodell was right to reinstate Vick. It would be wrong to ban him for life after he served his criminal sentence. Actually hiring him is a different matter. Reid emphasized the importance of second chances, taking the rare step of mentioning his two sons’ issues with drug addiction and the legal system. That tells you he has given this a lot of thought and is doing it for what he believes are strong reasons. But he is asking the millions of people who follow the Eagles, who spend their money on tickets and sweatshirts and invest their hearts as well, to share his faith in Vick. And that’s asking too much.
The Humane Society, which has endorsed Vick’s return to football, is smart to seize this as an opportunity to reach people it might not. Vick’s fame and infamy both make him uniquely qualified to speak on the subject of his former pastime. Nevertheless, it is going to be very difficult to watch this guy without thinking about those dead and tormented dogs. There will be protests, and there should be. There will be verbal abuse from fans, and there should be. As much as Vick has the right to get on with his life, the rest of us have the right to remind him of what he did.
We’ll see just how important that it is as the days and weeks unfold. At the very least, no one can accuse the Eagles of not doing their due diligence. Whether they misread the temperature of their fanbase is another matter entirely.
The Swamp is kicking this around here. Drop by with a thought or two.
…spotted in Chicago’s O’Hare airport!
The Michael Vick story is played. He’s in jail and serving time. As he should be. But he’s about to be out, and, I would assume, interested in resuming the one thing in life he excels at. His problem? Roger Goodell is in front of the door.