A Few Words About Michael Vick

I’ve been an Eagle’s fan my entire life. And when I say that, I don’t mean I’m a 22 year old beer guzzling know-it-all that ESPN tends to interview after a team like the Red Sox FINALLY wins a Championship. I’ve also been a Red Sox fan my entire life and long ago stated that I could die a happy man if the Sox and Eagles won Championships in my life time. Well, one down and one to go. I obviously had a different perspective in 2004 when my brother Bob and I drove down to Jacksonville for Super Bowl XXXIX with our $500 tickets we bought through the Eagle’s season ticket holder lottery. I met my good friend Kaner from Littleton, MA when we got there and again about an hour before kickoff. I was there to see the Super Bowl and be with a great friend I don’t see that often, while my brother was there only to see the Eagles WIN the Super Bowl. Don’t get me wrong, I ROOTED for the Eagles, but wasn’t too disappointed when they lost. The Eagles came close, and as usual, were ONE play away, ONE player making a big play away from winning it all.

I was as shocked as anybody last Thursday sitting in my seat at the Linc when on my headphones Merrill Reese informed me that the Birds were going to sign Michael Vick. I quickly flashed back to my Super Bowl experience and thought “what if the Eagles had a player like Michael Vick back then? Could HE have been the guy to make that last big play?” My point is, my next trip to the Super Bowl, if I’m lucky enough to get tickets, will be quite different. This time, I WILL be there to see them win it all, and will be as bummed out as my brother was if they don’t. I’ve complained for years that the Birds offense is too limited, too predictable, too much Brian Westbrook. They’ve desperately need a good fullback, and now they have one in Leonard Weaver. And as good as Desean Jackson and Kevin Curtis are, they STILL need a tall, strong, big play-making receiver (dare I say like T.O.) to be a REALLY good offense… a Super Bowl-winning offense. In other words, if not a wide receiver, then a player like Michael Vick.

Let me make this perfectly clear. I think what Vick did is disgusting and vile. I myself am a dog lover, and I thought for sure he would get off easy. He didn’t. Almost two years in prison is a very long time. In 1989 I traveled to Allenwood Federal Prison to interview Michael Matthews, the former Mayor of Atlantic City who was doing time for corruption. As you might know, Allenwood is known as “Club Fed” because of the tennis courts and putting greens it has for inmates. Mathews shocked us when he complained that he had to wait for MONTHS for his new sneakers, and couldn’t play tennis until he got them. We later interviewed the warden and asked him about Allenwood’s reputation as a country club for Federal prisoners. “These aren’t violent offenders” I remember him telling us. “And besides” he continued, “One night in prison…ANY prison is one night you’ve lost all freedom. You live in an 8 x 10 room of concrete, sleep on a metal bed, use a metal toilet with no privacy, told when to wake up, when to eat, when to exercise and when to sleep. You can’t kiss your wife or lover goodnight, and you certainly can’t kiss your children goodnight and say I’ll see you in the morning.” I’ll never forget his words, and he’s right. People make mistakes, and those that break the law and are caught pay a steep price.
Michael Vick paid a steep price for his involvement in this disgusting hobby. He paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance. Do you personally know someone who has done prison time? I know a few, and you would never know they spent time in prison unless they told you. They were given a second chance and have become productive members of society. So I ask you this: What else do you want Michael Vick to do? He has apologized, served his prison term and house arrest, and has already begun to work for the Humane Society and speak to young adults about never going down the path that he did. He has vowed to continue this work in Philly, and even stated that football isn’t his top priority any more, that living an enviable life is. In case you think dog fighting is rare, it isn’t. It’s a fact that it’s pretty common in Philadelphia. As a matter of fact, a common rumor was that a certain ex -Sixer star was known to frequent them. Vick can now use his past experience to educate about this popular pastime. Let’s also not forget that this was a betting operation that involved cruelty to dogs, NOT a dog-killing ring.

Michael Vick was going to be signed by SOMEBODY. Why not the Eagles? What if HE’S the one player the Eagles need to finally win a Super Bowl. I know it’s a risky move, but let’s give him a chance and see what happens. It certainly makes the Eagles a more dangerous team, if not a better one. And you know all those haters will be jumping on the Vick bandwagon when he scores his first touchdown. He COULD be the guy that will make a long drive back from Miami in February a MUCH more enjoyable one for my brother Bob and me.