Everyone knew Michael Vick was going to use his interview with James Brown on 60 Minutes to say how sorry he was, how much he’s changed, and how he’s going to make a difference in the future. So it’s safe to say that part went in one ear and out the other as far as I’m concerned, what did catch my attention is how Michael Vick admitted that he was a lazy player. If you follow the NFL closely, you knew about the rumors that Vick didn’t commit to his craft and was more interested in partying than studying.

He used to deny this constantly, but tonight he finally confirmed that he was always the last guy in the building and the first guy to leave, and he didn’t spend much time studying and working on technique.

So if Michael Vick made it to the NFC Championship game, 3 or 4 Pro Bowls, and rushed for 1,000 yards in his last season based on raw talent alone, can you imagine how good he’s going to be if he actually dedicates himself to the sport now? It’s almost sickening when you really think about how much untapped potential there is when it comes to Vick as a player, knowing the most exciting quarterback in the game was only giving 50% of what he was capable of.

There are a good number of fans who always say “He’s a running back with an arm, he should just play that position, or maybe he can convert to a wide receiver.” That quote is usually followed by them saying he has a 55% completion rating and a 75% quarterback rating. I’ve always thought those stats were a little misleading in the case of Michael Vick because he didn’t play like a traditional QB. A quarterback rating on a “normal” player usually gives you a pretty good picture of how they contribute to the team, but in Vick’s case it doesn’t account for the ton of rushing yards (and rushing TDs) that Vick gives the team.

When you think about guys like Peyton Manning who are legendary for studying and putting in countless hours of preparation, what kind of success could Vick have if he committed to the same habits? I don’t think guys like Manning or Brady have half the athletic talent that Vick does but they’ve always been better football players, so the next few years will be really interesting to see if he’s serious about turning things around.

It’s a BIG if…. but it’s something to get excited about if you’re a football fan.
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Immediately following the news that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a conditional reinstatement to Michael Vick, Twitter exploded with commentary from thousands of users. As I browsed through everyone’s take I was surprised at the amount of ignorant, violent, hateful, and sometimes racist things people spewed with the intention of defending their stance. The hateful comments came from both Pro-Vick and Anti-Vick individuals so you can’t only blame one side, it’s just an unfortunate event no matter which way you slice it.

At the end of the day, I’m weary that crap like this is going to ruin the upcoming NFL season because everyone wants to use Vick as a platform to spew trash about their cause. In just a few hours on Twitter, I witnessed the Vick scandal used for stances on abortion, human rights, animal rights, racism, gun control, child abuse…. you name it.

Here’s a small (and I really mean small, there were hundreds of comments like these) sample of the things said:

(click on the tweet if you want to go to their profile directly)

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Dear Michael,

You’re out of jail now, please don’t be a fucking moron and get into trouble again like Pacman Jones. There are plenty of fans and football enthusiasts like myself who have argued in your defense countless times during the last 2 years and we would prefer if you didn’t put egg on our faces. If I wake up one morning and see a headline like “Vick Violates Probation” or “Vick caught with 12 pounds of marijuana in trunk”, I’m going to LOSE IT.

Your friend,
Dell

It will be nothing short of a miracle if Michael Vick somehow makes it back onto an NFL roster, the obstacles he faces on the road to resurrecting his career are massive to say the least. IF he’s actually released from jail next summer, and IF Roger Goodell lifts his suspension, Vick still has to convince an NFL team to deal with a public relations firestorm by signing him. The day after Vick signs a new contract, representatives from every animal organization in the country will protest in anger.

So the next logical question is…. What teams should take a chance on signing this guy?

1. Detroit Lions - Honestly, what does this sorry excuse for a franchise have to lose? They’ve been the laughingstock of the league since Barry Sanders retired, and they currently have a void at the quarterback position. Even if the Michael Vick project fails, could it really be any worse than the decisions with Joey Harrington, or Charles Rogers, or Mike Williams?

2. San Francisco 49ers – The Niners have a great team in place, but they’ve been suffering at the quarterback position for the last 4 years. The Michael Vick of 3 years ago MAY have presented a problem for Mike Singletary, but I seriously doubt his behavior will ever be an issue again.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jon Gruden wants Jeff Garcia off this team so bad that he’d even take a flyer on Vick to make it happen. Vick is obviously mobile and plays similar to Garcia so this could potentially be a good look if the Bucs front office wants to try it out.

4. Minnesota Vikings – Gus Frerotte is NOT a long term option, and in all honesty, Tavares Jackson is a low-grade Michael Vick as it is. Why not upgrade to the real thing?

5. Oakland Raiders – The first logical question to ask is.. Why would Oakland sign Michael Vick if they just drafted Jamarcus Russell?? The logical answer to this question is: Because Al Davis is an idiot. This is a team that drafted Darren McFadden when they already had 3 running backs capable of being a starter.

Oakland is the one place where the public relations hit won’t really matter much, and like Atlanta, Oakland has a sizable black population that will most likely embrace Vick.

6. Houston Texans – They suck, and they don’t have a quarterback. How funny would it be for Michael Vick to take Matt Schaub’s starting job again?

7. Philadelphia Eagles – This is definitely a longshot. I include Philly under the assumption that Donovan McNabb will be moving on at the end of the season. If McNabb leaves Vick could possibly serve as a backup until Kevin Kolb performs an inevitable tank job.

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I generally avoid everything Uncle Ruckus Jason Whitlock writes, but every now and then I’ll hear about his articles from a third party source (Pro Football Talk in this case). The article is based around Vince Young’s latest troubles and his opinion that the best quarterbacks need to come from a two parent household.

“It’s not about color. It’s about fitting the profile of someone who can handle all that goes along with being an NFL quarterback. If I’m an owner, I spend my quarterback dollars on young men who were raised by strong fathers. It wouldn’t be an infallible system, but on average I bet I’d hit more winners than if I turned over the leadership of my team to a kid who isn’t used to having a strong male authority figure.”

I don’t have a HUGE problem with this statement, I wouldn’t say it’s ironclad, but it could very well be true in most cases… who knows. I did have a problem with the following however…

“The position requires thick skin and genuine self-confidence. If you need four or five male groupies with you at all times, a half million dollars of jewelry around your neck and wrists and a dozen tattoos to feel confident, then maybe you should play wide receiver or start rapping.”

100% bullshit.

Not only does it make sweeping generalizations about young black males who participate in hip hop culture, it reinforces stereotypes that black athletes aren’t smart enough to play quarterback.

Most quarterbacks that come into the league are going to fail PERIOD. You don’t hear these types of questions about failed quarterbacks like Alex Smith, Matt Leinart, and David Carr. I’m not saying these three guys didn’t face criticism, I’m saying they don’t receive the same questions that a Vince Young or Michael Vick have gotten.