Friday, April 27, 2007
News / Sports Vick's long and troubled off-season
Posted by Scott Freeman on Fri, Apr 27, 2007 at 7:30 PM
Surely no one looks more forward to the opening kickoff of the NFL season more than troubled Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. First there was the incident in Miami with the water bottle and the hidden compartment. And it's gone downhill from there. Now there's the missed connection to Washington, D.C., which led Vick to miss a congressional breakfast.
As ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli notes:
... officials from AirTran, the airline Vick has a promotional deal with, revealed through a spokesman that the star quarterback was rebooked on a 10:50 flight that evening, and that he simply failed to show up for it. When the airline that is paying you an endorsement fee throws you under the bus -- or in the case of AirTran, under the airbus -- it can't be a good thing.
Now, on heels of that, officials discovered 60 dogs at a house owned by Vick in Virginia, some in poor condition. And there are reports of "rumors" that Vick participates in illegal dog-fighting.
As Pasquarelli says:
Vick is a lightning rod on the field, but if his off-field issues continue, he may become even more of a liability. Last season, Vick shot two middle fingers at the Georgia Dome crowd as he exited the field following a loss. The action drew a $20,000 fine from the league. ... This will be his seventh season in the league and it is time for Vick, as Blank probably will agree, to become more accountable for his off-field actions. And if he can't, then it might be time for Blank to find another franchise centerpiece.
Vick is one of the most exciting players I've ever seen in NFL. To watch him turn up the speed and race past the defense is a thing of beauty. But Pasquarelli has a point: It's time for Vick to grow up.
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