Michael Vick In Deeper Trouble

By: Stephen Patterson


BREAKING NEWS JUST RELEASED: Michael Vick has not been ruled out as person of interest or suspect, as previously thought.


Michael Vick has taken a fall from grace possibly faster than any other athlete in sports history. Formerly with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick is entering his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles after serving 21 months in prison for dogfighting. When he was taken first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, Vick instantly became one of the most popular figures in sports. With his electrifying running abilities, Michael Vick was easily capable of embarrassing any defensive player in the league if they let him past the line.

Now, however, Vick is lucky to be on the field for a few plays a game. Often he isn't even used as the quarterback, instead he is occasionally lined up as a decoy at wide receiver. Hopefully he will see the field more this season with Donovan McNabb being sent to the Washington Redskins, but at this rate Vick may never be on a field again after his current deal. Last Thursday, Vick's co-defendant (Quanis Phillips) in his dogfighting case was shot at his 30th birthday bash. The event was open to the public, and while video shows Vick leaving before the shooting, he has again handled another situation poorly.


Having already lied to Roger Goddell about his involvement in the dogfighting investigation, Vick again lied about when he left the party. While his attorney said Vick was "long gone" by the time of the shooting, there is a video from the restaurant, named Guadalajara, showing Vick leaving only three minutes prior to the shooting. This again makes Vick look bad in the public view and does nothing to help him rebuild his shattered image.

When Vick was with the Falcons, I was a huge fan of the team and always cheered for him to succeed. I'm a still a fan of Vick on the field, but no one should look up to him as a human being. While Vick may have previously been seen as a role model to some people, it has become blatantly obvious he will not change as a person off the field and should be admired by no one.


While with Atlanta, Vick became the NFL's first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season (1,039). That same season, he lead the league in average yards per carry with an astonishing 8.4 ypc. Along with running back Warrick Dunn, who rushed for 1,140, the duo became just the fourth pair of teammates to rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season. While Vick can be electric on his feet, he has never been known for his arm accuracy. Vick's career accuracy is 53.7%. That's not exactly a stat to brag about while killing time in the yard. Although Vick has thrown 72 touchdowns in his career, he also has 52 career interceptions. That's also not a very impressive ratio.

Vick desperately needs to work on changing as a person and fixing his public image. If Vick has any plans of playing beyond this season, he will have to show team owners he is worth the media attention and baggage he brings along. If he can't stop throwing public parties, and being involved in serious criminal cases, I can't imagine many Vick being signed by another owner.

With this most recent news having just broken on ESPN, it further lowers any chances Michael Vick may have had at extending his career. Having already lied about when he left the event, Vick may now be facing much larger problems and his career may not be the most important thing in jeopardy. If Vick was involved in any way, shape, or form, his career likely has already ended. Vick was given a second chance at a life most people never have a shot at, and he has apparently already blown it. This is a very disappointing day for Michael Vick fans. Again, I'd like to stress regardless of whether or not you like him on the field, no one should admire Vick as a person.