Between the Headset

A few days ago, I sought reader opinion on Between the Headset about the Michael Vick saga. I wanted to know whether the Eagles' signing of the troubled star made sense from both a football and public relations standpoint.

Here is some of what the readers had to say, along with my thoughts on their comments. You can read all of the comments here.

Nick writes: I think Vick should get another chance. He was punished by the law and the NFL, so as long as he doesn’t make any more mistakes, he deserves a shot like anyone else. Dogfighting wasn’t the only blemish on his record, but he seems to be sorry. He has too much to lose at this point. He’s bankrupt of his money and his reputation. I think his focus from now on will be on fixing his image and getting in playing shape.

This seems to be the central argument of those who support Vick's reinstatement/signing. People say that he made a mistake, and that because he's publicly stated he's sorry, and is at least feigning remorse, he deserves a second chance. At first, I did not agree with this argument. I thought his crime was so heinous that he should be banned forever from football. But Nick is right that Vick's reputation is about as low as it can get. The guy has pretty much hit rock bottom. So it seems only fair to give him a chance to vindicate himself. If he messes up again, then he can get the boot. But perhaps he can actually do some good in the animal community and turn his life around.

Fus writes: Not only should Vick definitely be allowed to play, but I wish my Jets had signed him. Mike Vick broke the law, and so he deserves jailtime, but I believe even that is too harsh a punishment. America has a biased love for dogs. In reality, what he did is no worse than hunting game, or what large food companies do to chickens – raised with beaks cut off, etc. – that we eventually eat. But because it’s a dog – “man’s best friend” in America, but a delicacy in China – that Americans act so irrationally. In many cultures animals are viewed differently; some as gods, some as friends, some as food. Who are we to judge which is right? Vick broke the law, got jail time, and is now out of jail. He deserves a second shot.

Well, then. I think we found this month's "guy who hates animals." Because China considers dog a delicacy, that makes Americans' love of them irrational? I think not. But, I have come around to the opinion that he did actually pay his dues and thus deserves another shot, as I mentioned above. Several readers pointed to Donte Stallworth as having committed a crime far worse than Vick's. Readers Ben and EZ ripped Stallworth for having settled outside of court after KILLING someone while driving drunk. This is a topic for another post, but let's just say that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was absolutely in the right by suspending Stallworth for the season. Athletes committing crimes, driving drunk, etc. need to learn that there are consequences for their stupid behavior, no matter how much money they have.



Bob. O writes: From a team standpoint, I dont’ get it. McNabb’s a top tier quarterback. And everyone was excited by his heir apparent. So why sign someone who could also possibly be top tier. Vick’s still young. If he’s in shape, he could start for many other teams in the league. How about Minnesota? But the Eagles would have been one of the last teams I’d have expected. The only reasoning I can come up with is their offense is designed for a mobile signal caller, so they wanted a mobile replacement if needed (since McNabb does have a laundry list of injuries). Donovan’s not as mobile as he used to be…but then again, Vick’s probably not either.

I agree that this is a confusing move from a purely football point of view. My problem is not necessarily how Vick will fit in. Assuming he is still in good shape, he is a dynamic athlete that offensive coordinators would kill for, particularly if they can use him in a creative sense. But what happens when McNabb throws three INT's in the first half of a home game against the Giants? Philadelphia fans won't settle for failure, and you better believe there will be chants of "We want Vick" echoing throughout Lincoln Financial Field. Is that a problem Andy Reid wants to deal with? How will McNabb like that? I can see it now:

"The Eagles won't comment on the quarterback controversy, but it's clear from talking with players in the locker room that the locker room is divided. The same is true of the talk shows and the newspapers. The QB situation in Philly is threatening to tear the Eagles' season apart. From Lincoln Financial Field, I'm Sal Paolantonio, ESPN."

Don't act surprised when you see that run 15 times in late October.

Frank writes: Also wanted to make a point about this from a PR perspective – I think Vick has done an excellent job of keeping this issue as quiet as possible. In about 48 hours or so, he signed with the Eagles, did the 60 minutes interview, and its done with. When the regular season comes around, he’s probably have a number of unassuming games where his stat line looks like this: 2 pass attempts, 1 completion, 8 yards passing, 23 yards rushing. We will all bore of that stat line, Vick will help the Eagles become a slightly better team and we’ll be more focused on other things.

This is a great point. Sports fans generally have short memories in these instances. It's all about what a player has done for them lately. If Vick stays out of the limelight for a while and contributes in a positive way to the Eagles, his legal troubles will be a thing of the past. I initially thought this would be a P.R. nightmare for the Eagles, but even in the days of the 24-hour news cycle, Vick's signing is old news. Especially once Brett Favre decided to unretire. As Fus said, if anyone should be kicked out of the league, it should be Favre.

I was definitely surprised at the overwhelming support Vick received on my blog. I would have expected the issue to polarize sports fans to a far greater extent. But perhaps I'm using too small a sample size. What are your thoughts, particularly in response to the points made above?