Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagle

[bowzer]

Sal Pal was on the radio today talking about how disgruntled all of Philadelphia was regarding the acquisition.  He said that at the stadium a woman broke down in tears, and families were rushing out of the stadium vowing to cancel their season tickets. 

Seriously, if that is true, that woman should be put down for being a pathetic farging loser.

I can't stand the lame reactions of girls I went to college with on facebook, posting how they will never watch or support the Eagles again.  Memo to these losers: you never watched the Eagles anyway, and you didn't start watching the Phils until October.   

[rjs246]

if you dont agree with something then its not a good point fence rider

This might be the dumbest farging thing anyone has ever said. The ability to think for yourself and understand the world around you is based on seeing different sides of things. You make a fool of yourself when you say shtein like this.

Dio makes a lot of good points, especially about IGY but especially about the rules for the rich and famous being vastly different than the rules for the poor. Having said that, I still lean more towards the Rome way of thinking. He's qualified to do one thing. That one thing happens to pay a lot. He should be given a second chance to prove that he has repented. If he fargs it up I'll be all over the farg-that-guy bandwagon but he should be given a chance. I just wish it was with another team.

[bowzer]

if you dont agree with something then its not a good point fence rider

This might be the dumbest farging thing anyone has ever said. The ability to think for yourself and understand the world around you is based on seeing different sides of things. You make a fool of yourself when you say shtein like this.

Dio makes a lot of good points, especially about IGY but especially about the rules for the rich and famous being vastly different than the rules for the poor. Having said that, I still lean more towards the Rome way of thinking. He's qualified to do one thing. That one thing happens to pay a lot. He should be given a second chance to prove that he has repented. If he fargs it up I'll be all over the farg-that-guy bandwagon but he should be given a chance. I just wish it was with another team.

I think it's a ridiculous point to be honest.  The reason why the average joe doesn' get a second chance on par with Vick is the simple fact that they can't do what he does on a football field.  Sorry, but that's life.

[Munson]

if you dont agree with something then its not a good point

Jesus christ

[rjs246]

I think it's a ridiculous point to be honest.  The reason why the average joe doesn' get a second chance on par with Vick is the simple fact that they can't do what he does on a football field.  Sorry, but that's life.

That's a fine point for this one individual instance, but there are plenty of useless, talentless, worthless rich folks who get much different treatment from the law than their less affluent brethren.

[The BIGSTUD]

you mean a 29 year old fresh off a two year bid at levenworth with no position isnt going to put the eagles over the top?

derrick burgess to help the non existent pass rush nope

tony gonzalez nope

pedal to the metal vick....YES!!

To get Burgess they were going to have to offer a 2nd most likely or a 3rd and a 4th. You were willing to give up either of that for a guy who is 30+ and who's sacks have consistently declined in a major way over the past 2 seasons? Not to mention he gets hurt all the time.

I swear if we traded for him and he hurt his hamstring, you'd be the first to grill this team for the move.

Gonzalez I could agree on. Then again, we don't know that they didn't make an offer. Maybe they told the Eagles to top Atlanta's offer we'd have to give up a first rounder.

[Rome]

The whole second chance thing is bullshtein.

If an icehole gets popped for stealing a car, he does his time, and then he gets another shot at life.  The fact that he has no skills whatsoever going in and likely coming out means he needs to acquire skills to make a better life for himself.   Vick clearly has skills and he has talents that allow him to be a millionaire overnight.

If that's a problem for some of you, then too farging bad.  Learn how to make runway models dazzle for all I care... just shut the farg up about Vick not being able to use whatever discernible talents he has left to earn a living.

[PhillyPhreak54]

I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole PC yet but I liked what Vick had to say and I also loved Lurie's honesty. He said some things that had me going "damn, did he really say that out loud?"...not the normal cliche canned responses.

I'm starting to come around on this as well. But only if he's not used at QB.

My boy called me today and said he saw craiglist postings of people selling their tickets and jersey's and all that shtein. Any one of those iceholes who sells their seats or vows to never be an Eagle fan again can go rot in taterskin fan moral hell. That's ridiculous shtein.

My problem with Vick has always been that he was severely overrated as a QB by the media hype machine. Even on ESPN today some people were saying how teams had to respect his arm. That is wrong. No one ever respected him arm. It was always "stop his legs and win the game". I remember being nervous as hell prior to the 2004 NFCCG simply because of his running ability.

The guy pulled some bad shtein with the dogs. But he served his time and he sounds remorseful. He deserves a second chance. Like Goodell and Lurie and many others have said; this is his second chance and now it is up to him to take it and run or go down in flames.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Chase Utley's wife could be a key player in the Vick saga
Posted by Mike Florio on August 14, 2009 7:15 PM ET

The Eagles' decision to sign quarterback Mike Vick is starting to create some negative consequences.

Phillies star Chase Utley's wife, Jennifer, is a board member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  She and other members of the group's leadership attempted to attend Friday's press conference introducing Vick, but security turned them away, according to FOX 29 in Philadelphia.

"We fight animal cruelty every day in this city," Jennifer Utley said.

The Pennsylvania SPCA also expressed disappointment that the Eagles didn't give them a head's up before signing Vick.

Said Jennifer Utley, apparently choosing her words carefully, "I think if you're planning on being conscious of a very sensitive issue, it might be positive to do that."
Permalink 58 Comments

Yeah, the Eagles should tell the SPCA what they're going to do. Come on.

For Jeffrey Lurie, "never" was Thursday
Posted by Mike Florio on August 14, 2009 5:34 PM ET
In August 2007, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said that he'd "never" allow someone who was involved in dogfighting to play for the Eagles.

"Never" came Thursday.

"We're very disciplined in what we stand for," Lurie told reporters just over two years ago (via MDS of FanHouse, via an e-mail from a reader reminding us of the item).  "Let me give you an example -- a few years ago we had a couple players who were . . . to put this nicely, not very respectful of their dogs. . . .  Well, we don't respect that.  We don't do that.  And they were gone from the team almost immediately if not immediately.  That sets a tone, that these kinds of attitudes are unacceptable."

Lurie reportedly was referring to former Eagles players Damon Moore and Thomas Hamner, who were charged with animal cruelty in 2001.

So what has caused Lurie to change his mind, and to embrace Vick without knowing whether the can still play like he did before his 30-month absence from the game?

At this point, it's anyone's guess.  But we've got a feeling that Commissioner Roger Goodell was a lot more involved in encouraging team(s) to take a chance on Vick.  Thus, regardless of how this thing works out in Philly, the league office now owes Lurie and the Eagles, big time.

Permalink 42 Comments

[Displaced]

Chase Utley's wife could be a key player in the Vick saga
Posted by Mike Florio on August 14, 2009 7:15 PM ET

The Eagles' decision to sign quarterback Mike Vick is starting to create some negative consequences.

Phillies star Chase Utley's wife, Jennifer, is a board member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  She and other members of the group's leadership attempted to attend Friday's press conference introducing Vick, but security turned them away, according to FOX 29 in Philadelphia.

"We fight animal cruelty every day in this city," Jennifer Utley said.

The Pennsylvania SPCA also expressed disappointment that the Eagles didn't give them a head's up before signing Vick.

Said Jennifer Utley, apparently choosing her words carefully, "I think if you're planning on being conscious of a very sensitive issue, it might be positive to do that."
Permalink 58 Comments

Yeah, the Eagles should tell the SPCA what they're going to do. Come on.

For Jeffrey Lurie, "never" was Thursday
Posted by Mike Florio on August 14, 2009 5:34 PM ET
In August 2007, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said that he'd "never" allow someone who was involved in dogfighting to play for the Eagles.

"Never" came Thursday.

"We're very disciplined in what we stand for," Lurie told reporters just over two years ago (via MDS of FanHouse, via an e-mail from a reader reminding us of the item).  "Let me give you an example -- a few years ago we had a couple players who were . . . to put this nicely, not very respectful of their dogs. . . .  Well, we don't respect that.  We don't do that.  And they were gone from the team almost immediately if not immediately.  That sets a tone, that these kinds of attitudes are unacceptable."

Lurie reportedly was referring to former Eagles players Damon Moore and Thomas Hamner, who were charged with animal cruelty in 2001.

So what has caused Lurie to change his mind, and to embrace Vick without knowing whether the can still play like he did before his 30-month absence from the game?

At this point, it's anyone's guess.  But we've got a feeling that Commissioner Roger Goodell was a lot more involved in encouraging team(s) to take a chance on Vick.  Thus, regardless of how this thing works out in Philly, the league office now owes Lurie and the Eagles, big time.

Permalink 42 Comments

Oh brother...Florio did some deep digging for that litttle barb.  The Hamner affair was so long ago it's almost pitiful to think a man could not change his mind in eight years.  Besides that guy couldn't playa ball so it was easy to make an example of him.  Not sayin it's right...just sayin.

[The BIGSTUD]

The one thing in the presser that kind of rubbed me the wrong way is when Dungy said the first thing he asked Vick was where the lord was in all of this? I wonder what Dungy would've done if Vick said he was an atheist. Would he have abandoned him or would he have made him start believing in god to start helping him?

[Rome]

If believing in the cotton candy man in the sky gets me back in the NFL then I'm lying my face off to Dungy.

[rjs246]

Religion is an influence for plenty of intelligent people but it is absolutely a last refuge for the stupid. I'd say Vick falls squarely in the stupid category. There was little chance that he wouldn't gobble up Dungy's religious mumbo jumbo.

[Rome]

A letter from the Eagles to premium ticketholders

From Daily News
This is a letter sent yesterday by the Eagles to their suiteholders and premium ticketholders:

As you are aware, the Eagles confirmed last evening that we have signed Michael Vick to the team. You are our most valued customers and we understand that this decision may result in some personal soul searching for you, along with some public debate in the coming days and weeks. We do not want this to distract from the relationship we have with you, and we remain fully committed to putting the highest quality product on the field and delivering wins to Eagles fans.

We have seen a tremendous outpouring of support from fans, but we also acknowledge there are some people who will struggle with our decision to give Vick a second chance. I am attaching here a statement that Joe Banner our President, wanted to share specifically with you. Please connect with us directly with any questions or concerns you may have and we will help however we can.

"We appreciate that this a complicated and personal issue for many fans and Eagles partners and premium clients. It was complicated for us as well, and we sought the counsel of several quality character individuals when making this decision. Tony Dungy, Roger Goodell and the head of the National Humane Society have invested considerable time with Michael Vick and feel confident that we have made the right decision to give him a second chance.

"The ultimate decision upon us was this - if a person made a terrible mistake and then paid their debts to society, was deeply remorseful and turned their life around completely, and not only lives a life or virtue themselves but is investing time to make sure others don't make the same mistakes, would you be willing to help this human being move forward? Would you give them a second chance?

"We appreciate the complexity of this creates for some partners and premium clients and ask that you join us in our support and optimism for Michael as he commits himself to showing Philadelphia and the country he is a changed human being.

"I encourage you to visit philadelphiaeagles.com when you have a moment to watch the replay of the press conference which is happening today at 11 a.m. You will see the Michael we have come to know - someone who is remorseful and committed to showing everyone he has learned from his mistakes and that he is a changed person."

LOL - Banner?  Really?  That's the icehole you want relaying concerns to the muckety mucks?

God this team is nauseating.

[QB Eagles]

My problem with Vick has always been that he was severely overrated as a QB by the media hype machine. Even on ESPN today some people were saying how teams had to respect his arm. That is wrong. No one ever respected him arm. It was always "stop his legs and win the game". I remember being nervous as hell prior to the 2004 NFCCG simply because of his running ability.

He's the most overrated QB of all-time. Moreso than Eli Manning.

He's also 1000x better than Kolb (if Vick's anything like pre-prison form), and a physical freak who can be used all over the field. The only limit on what he can do is how many different plays and positions he can remember... he's probably the dumbest player the Eagles have had since Ryan Moats.