Mike Vick's Postgame News Conference Goes To The Dogs

For those of you that are not NFL fans, the Philadelphia Eagles were eliminated over Wild Card Weekend meaning Michael Vick season is over.

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel noted this and the rather odd happening at his postgame press conference:

The Obama-Mike Vick Call Gets Taiwanese-Animated

As it has been properly-assumed, the people working at Taiwan’s Next Media Animation are prompt with their computer-animated news stories.

So, when this whole Obama-Vick phone call scenario started to play out, they were on the case:



(Courtesy of Off the Bench)

Tucker Carlson Thinks Michael Vick Should Have Been Executed For Killing Dogs

Obviously, the last couple of weeks have been a slow news day for many media network and many of them decided to drudge up the whole Michael Vick saga all over again when President Obama talked to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie about giving Michael Vick a second chance.

On last night's Hannity, Tucker Carlson had that topic for the Great American Panel and decided to let his feelings known about Mr. Vick:



(Courtesy of Mediaite)

The Unusual Suspects For The NFL MVP

When it comes to finding the one who fits the bill, sometimes it comes from the unlikeliest of characters.

That may be the route taken for one honor in a major sport. With just two weeks left before the regular season wraps up, the public is chiming in on who the favorites are for the NFL MVP.

There are two obvious names that everyone believes are top billing to capture the award. Tom Brady has his team firing on all cylinders mainly due to his ability to fire the ball all over the field. Michael Vick is having a miraculous comeback with jaw-dropping numbers and head spinning plays both with his legs and arm.

Yet, in a season that is formulating into one of the oddest in recent pro football history, crowning the most valuable player might mean more than just crowning the obvious. Not to take anything away from Brady or Vick, but other options deserve equal billing as the two of them.

Matt Ryan – QB – Atlanta Falcons

When looking up at the standings, there is only one team that matches the New England Patriots for the best record in the league: the Atlanta Falcons.

The reason why: third year QB Matt Ryan.

It’s easy to understand why the former Boston College standout gets no love in the discussion of MVP; the guy doesn’t even rank in the top five of the big statistical categories. His numbers are above average in comparison to the other superstar QBs (3,321 passing yards, 25 TDs, 90.5 QB rating). He’s also very mild-mannered and shies away from the limelight.

But how can he not be in the discussion for what he has done so far in this season?

His team plays in, arguably, one of the best divisions in football. They lead last year’s Super Bowl champions for their division. They have one of the most prolific offenses in football.

All because of the former third pick in 2008 NFL Draft.

He is the reason the Falcons are where they are and his value is immeasurable to his team. All valid reasons why Ryan deserves credit as an MVP candidate.

Aaron Rodgers – QB – Green Bay Packers

While Ryan is the reason the Falcons engine is running towards a first round playoff bye, the Packers are slowly seeing their motor towards the playoffs dying with only a few spurts left to keep it running.

Why is there no gas left in the tank? Mostly because of their leader Aaron Rodgers getting knocked out with a concussion in Week 14.

Prior to that week, the Packers were just 8-4, and only trailed the Bears by one game for their division. Rodgers was rolling behind center with spectacular numbers (3,289 passing yards, 23 TDs, and a QB rating of 98.5) and they would face the Lions with Chicago having a big match up with New England.

Then, the former University of California, Berkeley QB went down early with a concussion, which would lead the team to a 7-3 loss to Detroit (all while the Bears got blasted by the Patriots). They would also go on to lose a close game to the Patriots, while the Bears beat the Vikings to clinch the division. Now the Packers have two important upcoming games they must win in order to make the playoffs.

The award is given to the player who is the most valuable to his own team. Rodgers is the epitome of importance to the Green Bay Packers organization.

Matt Cassel – QB – Kansas City Chiefs

If anyone in the world picked Kansas City as the AFC West leaders at this point in the season should play the lotto with that type of luck. The Chiefs have got to be the biggest surprise of the 2010 NFL season with their team controlling their own destiny to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

The person who deserves a great deal of credit: former Tom Brady back-up Matt Cassel.

In his second year with the Chiefs, Cassel is living up to the expectations Kansas City had in him when they traded for him in 2009. The 28-year-old is having the best season of his career, with a QB rating of 96.2 (fifth in the NFL), 24 TDs (seventh in the NFL) and only five interceptions (tied for second lowest among all NFL starting QBs).

Cassel’s value to the Chiefs is also similar to what Rodgers is to the Packers.

When Cassel had an emergency appendectomy prior to week 14, his status was unclear for the biggest game of their season against San Diego. After being held out of the game, the Chiefs went down in a horrible 31-0 loss to the Chargers. He would bounce back to lead his team to victory against the Rams the following week, adding to the value of his importance to his team.

Cassel is just as deserving of recognition for MVP with what he has done this season and for the impressive turnaround of a franchise that has already more than doubled their win total from last season.

It’s pretty much a given that the MVP title for the 2010 season will most likely go through the exciting Vick or the extremely consistent Brady. Denying either or of the award would be discrediting to the league, especially with their statistics and value to their franchises.

But hey, even the dark horses knock off the favorites every once in a while.

That Michael Vick Commercial With Woodbury Nissan

Although this has been posted enough on the interweb, it deserves at least another posting for those who have not seen it yet.

It is Michael Vick's first commercial since coming out of prison and it's for Woodbury Nissan in New Jersey.

The title of it is called, "The Showroom":

The Case for Michael Vick to Spend More Time in Prison

This holiday season should be especially humbling for Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick, as well as a time for conscientious reflection.

A little over three years ago, Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation, resulting in an indefinite suspension from the National Football League, without pay, for conduct Commissioner Roger Goodell described as “cruel and reprehensible”.

During his 19-month incarceration, Vick’s financial condition deteriorated rapidly due to having virtually no income and substantial ongoing expenses for attorneys, the maintenance of several luxury homes in multiple states and living expenses for friends and relatives.

So with debts in excess of assets by millions of dollars, and collection efforts and judgments from creditors staring him in the face, Vick empowered his attorneys to file for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection in July 2008.

By the three-time Pro Bowler's own admission, these were the darkest hours in his life. The inability to simply go home and, excluding being the financier of an illegal dog fighting ring, lead the life he had been accustomed to living over the course of nearly a decade.

But when former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy paid him a visit at Leavenworth Penitentiary, he offered Vick a ray of hope within an emotional, mental and spiritual pit of despair.

His words of advice and encouragement would be the impetus to Dungy becoming Vick’s mentor after his release from prison in an effort to help Vick get reacclimated to life as a civilian, a father and a football player.

Prior to Vick’s conditional reinstatement to the NFL, Dungy inspired him to carefully examine how he could get involved in the community to honor his personal commitments, including youth outreach and partnering with the Humane Society to educate people about the ills of dog fighting.

Dungy would also counsel Vick on selecting the franchise that would provide the best support in helping him get back into the routine of being a football player.

And it wouldn’t be long before Vick made the decision to sign a one-year contract with the Eagles last August, with an option that was picked up by the team for this season.

Since then, the trade of Donovan McNabb this past offseason and a concussion suffered by Kevin Kolb in the first game of this season opened the door for Vick to display his evolution as a quarterback and most importantly, as a man.

Now Vick is widely considered a leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player Award and drawing praise for his humility, patience and work ethic in addition to his commitment to community service.

Thus, while Vick thrives, another former NFL star continues to languish in a prison cell on Rikers Island. His name: Plaxico Burress, the former standout wide receiver for the New York Giants.

In August 2009, Burress accepted a plea deal that would imprison him for two years with an additional two years of supervised release, for attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The charges stemmed from Burress suffering an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh at a New York City nightclub less than a year earlier.

As a result, Burress not only derailed the Giants’ hopes of repeating as Super Bowl Champions, he lost his primary source of income and the privilege of witnessing the birth of his daughter, Giovanna--the latter of which brought a stream of tears to his eyes during a televised interview.

Arguably, nothing humbles a man more than when his freedom is taken away from him. Michael Vick knows this feeling all too well.

And who better to give Burress the same ray of hope that was given to him than the NFL’s current poster boy for redemption.

In Burress, Vick has a unique opportunity to demonstrate what he should have truly learned from his own experience. An appreciation for the simple things in life and the empathy to lift someone up in the midst of his own personal pit of despair.

If Vick can relay these poignant messages to Burress, who is scheduled for release in the latter half of 2011, it will transcend anything he does on the football field; especially if it’s done with as little fanfare and publicity as possible.

Vick doesn’t owe this to Burress, he owes it to himself. Burress needs to intently look into the eyes of a man who is, for all intents and purposes, his mirror image and realize that redemption is merely a change of heart away.

Not toward being a better and improved football player, but a better man, a better husband and a better father.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special ESPN E:60 interview with Plaxico Burress.

New York Giants Seek Redemption in The City Of Brotherly Love

As the National Football League community continues to gush over Michael Vick’s riveting comeback from a self-inflicted two-year exile, the New York Giants will attempt to write the first chapter of their own redemption story at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday evening.

After a 41-7 rout of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, the Giants appeared to be among the viable candidates for the mythical title of best team in the league. Clearly, a distinction that no squad has a legitimate claim to this season.

However, New York’s candidacy and five-game winning streak became a distant memory in the wake of an inexcusable 13-point home loss to the 2-7 Dallas Cowboys. And, to add insult to injury, the G-Men fell to the same team whose interim head coach was making his debut and featured Jon Kitna as its starting quarterback.

So instead of maintaining a one-game lead in the NFC East, the Giants, along with the rest of the country, watched the NFL’s poster boy for redemption turn FedEx Field into his own personal playground. And with the record-breaking triumph, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled into a dead heat with Big Blue for division supremacy.

Interestingly enough, the last time New York strung together five consecutive victories was a little over one year ago, when they jumped out to a 5-0 start to kick off the 2009-10 season. But this was followed by losses in eight of their last eleven games to finish 8-8 and as a playoff non-participant.

In light of this disappointment, this season has been about redemption for the Giants. Redemption for the unfulfilled promise of last year.

Similarly, New York will be seeking redemption this weekend, in particular, after a deafening hiccup in what has otherwise been a solid season.

It won’t be easy though.

In Michael Vick, who’s rapidly filling the pages of his own redemption story, the Giants’ defensive unit will be attempting to neutralize the most dynamic player in the league who, by the way, deserves serious consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award.

This season, Vick has eleven touchdown passes, no interceptions and a league-leading quarterback rating of 115.1, as well as 341 rushing yards and a robust rushing average of 7.8 yards per attempt.

But in striking contrast to last season, the Giants are tops in the NFL in total defense, second in the NFC in pass defense (fourth in the NFL) and second in the conference (third in the NFL) in rush defense.

When all these factors are taken into consideration, one could argue that this is a classic case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.

Ironically, another way to view the Eagles/Giants match-up is as the intersection of the redemption road for Michael Vick with that of the New York Giants in a town commonly known as the “City of Brotherly Love”.

The winner takes a stranglehold of the NFC East while the loser falls into a four-team battle royal (Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) for the two conference wild-card spots.

The stakes couldn’t be any higher for the Philadelphia Eagles and, especially, the New York Giants, who can ill afford to stir up the ghosts of collapses past with a second consecutive loss.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special highlight reel of Michael Vick's record-breaking performance against the Washington Redskins.

The Eagle Has Landed: Michael Vick Has Returned Vic-“Torious”

Standby folks, this Eagles’ flight has finally steadied after going through some rough turbulence.

After taking off with the Atlanta Falcons as the number one pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, the Michael Vick flight was on a smooth ride for six great seasons.

Three Pro Bowl Seasons.


A big playoff win over Brett Favre’s Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field.


The richest contract for an NFL player at the end of 2004.

Despite the great take off and cruising at a nice altitude, the seat belt sign flashes on as a heavy amount of turbulence was ahead for him.

Then came the onslaught:

Shocking revelations of irreprehensible treatment to dogs.

Illegal activity with the money earned from that “richest player in the NFL” contract.

Federal investigations and trials.

To say that the former Virginia Tech quarterback was in a swirling mass of controversy is an understatement. The superstar completely fell off the face of the earth as he went from being one of the most loved athletes to being one of the most loathed criminals.

Everyone believed that the former Falcons quarterback would be done from football with no ability to stay in gridiron shape with a 23-month prison sentence slapped upon him. With such negative press, mental anguish and bankruptcy issues weighing heavily upon him, there was no way Vick would make it back to the NFL, let alone become a starting quarterback again.

Three years later, Vick has come full circle and emerged as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles in his second year with the team.

First off, the down-on-his-luck quarterback should be praised and commended for working hard to get back to where he has gotten to. No matter what the future may hold for this guy, he has successfully gotten his flight pattern back on track.

To go through what Vick has since everything came out and end up back on top is unprecedented. Most human beings would have crashed and burned immediately once the storm started brewing, including most athletes.

Flight number seven has kept his wings up high and continued to push through all the turbulence since rejoining the NFL.

He humbly accepted being the third string quarterback on a team with one of the greatest quarterbacks even in Donovan McNabb and a young apprentice in Kevin Kolb anxiously awaiting his turn at the Eagles helm.

His play early on was some of the worst quarterbacking the public has ever seen from Vick. He appeared no longer to be the nearly invincible running machine he once was loaded with one of the strongest arms at his disposal.

Despite the dreadful performances, Vick vehemently worked hard to improve as a quarterback. He patiently studied his playbook as much as possible and honed his ability to become a better quarterback, especially in his passing accuracy.

He also worked to reduce the off-the-field problems that were a part of his life before his jail time. Although there was a nightclub shooting incident he was supposedly involved in (but later relieved from the investigation), his life outside of football appears to have matured.

In one crazy flight that has spanned three years, Vick has gone through a variety of conditions to now the possibility of becoming better than ever. Only time will tell if he can remain the starter in Philadelphia or if his career will continue to ascend higher than its current position.

No matter what though, Michael Vick can say he has landed victoriously after a turbulent trip.