Talking Vick on the radio

Had another chance to talk on the radio last night. Our featured sports columnist, Jack McCaffery was doing the 7-10 slot on 96.7 FM The Fanatic and he asked me to come on to talk about Michael Vick.

Vick, of course, aside from being the biggest story in Philly sports in 2010 this side of Roy Halladay, continues to make headlines.

The most recent flap revolves around something he has no control over. That would be the comments of talk show host Tucker Carlson, espousing the belief that Vick “should be executed” for his conviction in connection with a dogfighting ring.

Let’s be clear about one thing. The latest salvo in the Vick issue isn’t really targeting the Eagles quarterback. A lot of people now have bigger fish to fry in this story. That’s because the president, Barack Obama, offered a couple of comments to Eagles owner Jeff Lurie congratulating him for giving Vick a second chance.

Seems innocent enough. The president apparently was talking to Lurie about the Eagles’ recent announcement that they would move to alternate forms of energy at Lincoln Fiancnial Field by adding wind turbines and solar panels.

But the heat got turned up over Obama’s comments about Vick. I don’t know any of the particulars about what was said, or if the president ever intended for them to become public, but I’m glad he did.

In addition to being the biggest story in the NFL – and one of the biggest in all of sports in 2010 – Vick could be the poster boy for the idea of offering a second chance.

I know there are a lot of people who think otherwise, who will never forgive Vick for what he did. They are certainly entitled to their opinion.

I guess you can make an argument that there is something unseemly about Vick now being back in the glamour position of playing quarterback in the NFL, and being paid millions of dollars to do so. Some people think he should not be allowed such a lofty status. Don’t count me among them.

Vick happens to be able to do things that very few people can do. That makes him a star in the NFL. And those stars get paid millions.

I’m ready to move past the Vick issue, at least as far as it extends off the field. A lot of people are not.

A lot of people now are jumping on this issue as a way of slinging one more arrow at the president. I’m more concerned with the suddenly innaccurate slinging done by Mr. Vick when he drops back to pass.

Heaven help us should Vick lead the Eagles to an NFC title game in Atlanta. Vick's return to the place where his star first rose - and eventually led him to prison - would be off the Richter scale.

The Eagles would be the underdog in that game.

And no one more than Vick, all puns included.

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