Slog
News & ArtsThursday, August 13, 2009
Sports Vick Is an Eagle
Posted by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 5:35 PM
ESPN is reporting that Michael Vick has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. At least that's what Chris Mortensen is saying, which means there's a 50 percent chance it's BS.
Told you so, Charles.
1
Wow.
It'll be interesting to see how they handle the PR nightmare they've just bought for themselves....
It'll be interesting to see how they handle the PR nightmare they've just bought for themselves....
2
Philly, the perfect place for Vick to build a new fan base. Despite a decent 2008 season from McNabb, and not-quite-enough heroics in the NFC championship, Philly fans will call for McNabb's benching by mid-season.
No Fantasy league this year, Jonah?
No Fantasy league this year, Jonah?
4
Most fans wanted Vick, the Eagles will deal with a vocal fringe of peta lunatics that are about as likable as Vick. His biggest concern will be life on the road, the fans will trash him endlessly. They have Jackson, Maclin and Vick, the Eagles could be very dangerous and create match-up hell.
5
Justice has been done to this man, I'm sure he'll take them straight to the top of the nationals and win. No matter what all the haters have tried thrown his way, he has prevailed over them. Go Eagles!
6
5, Loveschild, are you an evangelical and does your love of Vick have to with his relationship with that coach who had a kid kill himself because he was gay?
7
LOL The Eagles fans trash everybody, they thrive on that, so the cynics who want to make much about that will have another disappointment to deal with.
Eat your heart out haters, Peta kooks, white supremacists and the rest of the loons your alliance served you diddly squat cause this man is like the phoenix rising from the ashes and he is destined for greatness.
Eat your heart out haters, Peta kooks, white supremacists and the rest of the loons your alliance served you diddly squat cause this man is like the phoenix rising from the ashes and he is destined for greatness.
11
Do you think SLOG will ever have those little thumbs up, thumbs down button so we can vote on the comments? Vox populi ?
12
Since PA is slowly becoming a hot bed of lunatics similar to Florida (Wasn't that health club shooter from there?) I think he'll be a perfect fit.
14
The health club shooter was from Pittsburgh, which is a state away from Philadelphia.
The PETA protesters will be swallowed up by the Eagles fans.
It's a good fit for Vick. A lot of teams are kicking themselves for not taking the chance on Vick. Football is a business. The Eagles made the right business move.
And really, Vick's done the time. Time to move on.
The PETA protesters will be swallowed up by the Eagles fans.
It's a good fit for Vick. A lot of teams are kicking themselves for not taking the chance on Vick. Football is a business. The Eagles made the right business move.
And really, Vick's done the time. Time to move on.
15
@14: Yes, Vick served his sentence. What bothers us humans is that most people convicted of similarly serious felonies have little hope of ever getting a halfway decent job. And they have also done their time.
So, it's more the "two sets of rules" issue than whether or not he broke out of prison early. Having a desirable talent shouldn't, in a just world, make it easier to blow off the consequences of your misdeeds.
So, it's more the "two sets of rules" issue than whether or not he broke out of prison early. Having a desirable talent shouldn't, in a just world, make it easier to blow off the consequences of your misdeeds.
17
@15 Vick has god-given talent that 99.999999999% of the world's population doesn't have. Plus, he's bankrupt, so isn't it a good thing that he's not working construction and can pay his creditors back?
You should focus your rage on Donte Stallworth, WR for the Browns, who mowed someone down while he was drunk and only did 30 days in the gray-bar hotel.
What Vick did was deplorable, but he did do 2 years in the pen. Since Im farting sunshine, maybe Vick doing PSA's and appearance's for the SPCA will actually help. Who knows?
You should focus your rage on Donte Stallworth, WR for the Browns, who mowed someone down while he was drunk and only did 30 days in the gray-bar hotel.
What Vick did was deplorable, but he did do 2 years in the pen. Since Im farting sunshine, maybe Vick doing PSA's and appearance's for the SPCA will actually help. Who knows?
18
Breaking news. Urb technology dwindles!
http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/08/10/w…
TriMet’s July ridership numbers are in. And they don’t look so good. Stats from last month show 8.5 million trips last month on buses, MAX and WES — an 8 percent drop from July 2008.
Bus lines during rush hour took the biggest hit — with ridership down 17.3 percent from last year at the same time. Though still down overall, weekend trips suffered the smallest drop with just a 5 percent decline.
http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/08/10/w…
TriMet’s July ridership numbers are in. And they don’t look so good. Stats from last month show 8.5 million trips last month on buses, MAX and WES — an 8 percent drop from July 2008.
Bus lines during rush hour took the biggest hit — with ridership down 17.3 percent from last year at the same time. Though still down overall, weekend trips suffered the smallest drop with just a 5 percent decline.
19
Great sign by the eagles. McNabb will need to be reevaluated in two years anyway. Kind of like a certain bald q.b. In Seattle.
Jonah, how we looking on the league?
Jonah, how we looking on the league?
20
" in a just world, make it easier to blow off the consequences of your misdeeds."
Cut the just world shit, never has been, never will be. How is he blowing off his consequences? He's millions in debt and is getting a job, where if he keeps his nose clean, will pay him millions so he can pay it off. Comparing him to someone who works a "normal job" is silly as well. He ran and funded a multi-million dollar dog fighting operation, if he worked a "regular job" he never would have been that involved and the consequences of his misdeeds would have been much different.
Cut the just world shit, never has been, never will be. How is he blowing off his consequences? He's millions in debt and is getting a job, where if he keeps his nose clean, will pay him millions so he can pay it off. Comparing him to someone who works a "normal job" is silly as well. He ran and funded a multi-million dollar dog fighting operation, if he worked a "regular job" he never would have been that involved and the consequences of his misdeeds would have been much different.
21
I believe what he did was so cruel and morally reprehensible that for him to be able to do it means that he is a morally defective human being to the point of being unfixable. Mentally, although not morally, in the same category as people like pedophiles. There has to be a fundamental mental disfunction within someone to do something like he did that can't be fixed by time in jail.
I really don't believe someone at his age can be taught by punishment that torturing animals is wrong. Sure, you may be able to teach them that they will get punished for it but I think at that point either you are capable of understanding how sick it is or you can't.
I really don't believe someone at his age can be taught by punishment that torturing animals is wrong. Sure, you may be able to teach them that they will get punished for it but I think at that point either you are capable of understanding how sick it is or you can't.
22
"What bothers us humans"
I'm sorry but it gets me boiling mad when some elements in society think that they speak on behalf of all humans. The only people I've seen as a collective group hammering on this, placing the life of a human below that of dogs, wanting to harm Vick (lynch him if possible) is those who have been in power for over 300 hundred years in our nation. Either they suffer from a real disconnect with reality or they are using animals to mask their racism. I believe there's more of the latter than anything else on all this. It's the same BS with all those privileged elites who go to the Continent, to nations like the Congo and seem more worried about the lives of gorillas and what have you than they do about the lives of the people of those nations. But whatever, this is nothin new. Western european ethos seems to go as follows, kill a man get a slap on the wrist, mess with a dog you get an overly excessive prison sentence, see to it you are bankrupt and if they get their way you can never work in your previous job again and end up homeless.
Do something for humans instead of putting the welfare of animals ahead of people, leave Vick alone, move on and go burn some crosses on somebody else's yard 'cause now american culture is not solely influenced by your privileged 300 year old craziness.
I'm sorry but it gets me boiling mad when some elements in society think that they speak on behalf of all humans. The only people I've seen as a collective group hammering on this, placing the life of a human below that of dogs, wanting to harm Vick (lynch him if possible) is those who have been in power for over 300 hundred years in our nation. Either they suffer from a real disconnect with reality or they are using animals to mask their racism. I believe there's more of the latter than anything else on all this. It's the same BS with all those privileged elites who go to the Continent, to nations like the Congo and seem more worried about the lives of gorillas and what have you than they do about the lives of the people of those nations. But whatever, this is nothin new. Western european ethos seems to go as follows, kill a man get a slap on the wrist, mess with a dog you get an overly excessive prison sentence, see to it you are bankrupt and if they get their way you can never work in your previous job again and end up homeless.
Do something for humans instead of putting the welfare of animals ahead of people, leave Vick alone, move on and go burn some crosses on somebody else's yard 'cause now american culture is not solely influenced by your privileged 300 year old craziness.
23
Loveschild, Michael Vick is a man who made dogs fight to the death for his amusement. He profited from it. True, he didn't harm humans, and there are worse things a person can do in this world, but that doesn't change the fact that MICHAEL VICK IS A VERY BAD MAN. For you to look at a situation like this and feel sorry for Vick is... well, you may want to check and see if your soul is still there.
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@ 22 - You get mad when "some elements in society think that they speak on behalf of all humans." Really?
Excuse me, but have you not been filling up Slog for months now with pseudo-profound pronouncements casting yourself as the final arbiter of all things moral, Christian and hetero? That you now are siding with a depraved animal torturer and killer is just swell, Loveschild, just motherfuckin' swell. I hope you are geting GREAT enjoyment out of your continuing art project here online. You are doing a bang-up job for God and Logic, that's for sure.
Excuse me, but have you not been filling up Slog for months now with pseudo-profound pronouncements casting yourself as the final arbiter of all things moral, Christian and hetero? That you now are siding with a depraved animal torturer and killer is just swell, Loveschild, just motherfuckin' swell. I hope you are geting GREAT enjoyment out of your continuing art project here online. You are doing a bang-up job for God and Logic, that's for sure.
25
Jesus, the Iggles never, EVER learn. First Terrell Owens, now this. Welcome to yet another season of media distraction, off-field squabbling and inevitable failure.
But hell, it goes back even further than Owens, all the way (at least) to the Cunningham / White era. Ownership there is 100% convinced that a quick, megabuck contract with a marquee QB will finally put the team over the top. And year after year, they get their clocks cleaned by organizations that focus on team-building, careful scouting and depth of talent in the unglamorous positions.
Maybe it's time to become a Raiders fan. They're just as institutionally incapable of winning, but at least they have a cool logo.
But hell, it goes back even further than Owens, all the way (at least) to the Cunningham / White era. Ownership there is 100% convinced that a quick, megabuck contract with a marquee QB will finally put the team over the top. And year after year, they get their clocks cleaned by organizations that focus on team-building, careful scouting and depth of talent in the unglamorous positions.
Maybe it's time to become a Raiders fan. They're just as institutionally incapable of winning, but at least they have a cool logo.
26
Most Eagles fans are not happy about this. They may grow to tolerate Vick, but they'll never like him.
28
I'm less bothered by his cruelty to animals so much as the arrogance of running a criminal conspiracy when he occupied one of the most privileged positions in society - NFL quarterback. He didn't think the rules applied to him, and based on his re-signing, he was right. Your normal ex-con wouldn't get a second chance like this so easily. He does some time, has a few meetings with Roger Goodell, whispers sweet nothings to Tony Dungy and the Humane society, and that entitles him to another $10million!?!?
Salaries are a way of communicating what's important to us, and on that measure, we flunk as a society.
Salaries are a way of communicating what's important to us, and on that measure, we flunk as a society.
29
@22: Well, dogs never tortured Michael Vick. If you're okay with torture, so be it, but I think it's a pretty rotten thing to do, and I'm pretty comfortable with seeing it's perpetrators as innately inferior to its victims.
Anyway, you're absurd. You flipped out about someone using the words "same sex" within earshot of children, but someone who can cruelly and intentionally cause excruciating pain to his fellow living beings -- and enjoy doing so -- is just dandy. My expressing a wish for him to be shamed out of public life altogether is "putting animals above humans" and "lynching a black man.," according to you.
May I just point out, in rebuttal, that lynch mobs kill people. In the long ugly history of racially motivated vigilantism, you will find relatively few instances of people merely objecting to a convicted felon's multi-million dollar salary.
Anyway, you're absurd. You flipped out about someone using the words "same sex" within earshot of children, but someone who can cruelly and intentionally cause excruciating pain to his fellow living beings -- and enjoy doing so -- is just dandy. My expressing a wish for him to be shamed out of public life altogether is "putting animals above humans" and "lynching a black man.," according to you.
May I just point out, in rebuttal, that lynch mobs kill people. In the long ugly history of racially motivated vigilantism, you will find relatively few instances of people merely objecting to a convicted felon's multi-million dollar salary.
30
Eagles nation rejoice! Great signing. I called it, I knew the Eagles were going to sign him. The Hawks could have had him, but I guess they like their "role model" quarterbacks like Matt, homophobic, christian right, W Bush loving republican or rapists like Jeremy Stevens, who was only dropped cuz he couldnt event catch the swine flu.
Nabb has about a year left, maybe 2, which is enough time to get back Vick in the game.
The Hawks, who I have a special place for, will be somewhere down there in the cellar. People on here saying Philly fans dont want him have never been to Philly or South Jersey. Players arent role models theyre there to play.
Go EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nabb has about a year left, maybe 2, which is enough time to get back Vick in the game.
The Hawks, who I have a special place for, will be somewhere down there in the cellar. People on here saying Philly fans dont want him have never been to Philly or South Jersey. Players arent role models theyre there to play.
Go EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31
My prediction is that he'll be fantastic, confound defenses, and score a lot, then suffer a season ending injury from a dirty hit. Welcom back to the NFL, Mike, hope you enjoy being the most hated football player in the country. Let's not kid ourselves, just paint a nice target on his jersey and send him out there. Can you say helmet-to-helmet late hit? I'm looking forward to it. I will laugh my ass off.
32
Most Playas have love for Vick. Lets be serious, is not like PETA types will be suiting up for the GIANTS or BROWNS to go after Vick. The NFL is not full of militant puppy lovers.
Please, NFL players all know each other and sooner or later theyre going to be traded, theyre not going to risk injuring a future teammate.
The man did his time and thats that. He took the punishment that was handed to him. If it was too easy than take it up with the criminal justice system. He is a free ex felon and if he gets another crack at the NFL good for him. Life is not about revenge.
Eagles win it all next year baby!
Please, NFL players all know each other and sooner or later theyre going to be traded, theyre not going to risk injuring a future teammate.
The man did his time and thats that. He took the punishment that was handed to him. If it was too easy than take it up with the criminal justice system. He is a free ex felon and if he gets another crack at the NFL good for him. Life is not about revenge.
Eagles win it all next year baby!
33
@32 Oh, come on. Guys in the NFL never go after each other? Are we watching the same game? Every year you see dirty hits because some guy has his mad on for another guy. Remember the O-lineman (I can't remember which team) who took a dirty shot at Jared Allen's knees last year? Allen got lucky, he ended up limping off the field but it could've been a season-ender. They don't all love each other, and it's better (read: more entertaining) that they don't. I'm not holding my breath, but I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if something like that happened to Vick. And yeah, life isn't about revenge, but a good revenge story would really spice up the season, don't you think? Especially when it centers around that psychopath.
34
true, true, there is the dirty hit. i stand corrected, but less so now than back in da day, but i really cant beleive, that u beleive that nfl players are going to go after vick because he killed dogs. i dont see it.
as far as vick being a sociopath, i dont know, plenty of criminals doing time who are not socio paths.
as far as vick being a sociopath, i dont know, plenty of criminals doing time who are not socio paths.
35
As life long Eagles fan and PA native. . . I have a few thoughts:
1. Holyfuckingshit i agree with the first sentence of post #7! (Which ironically is Vick's number, creepy.)
2. PA has three parts: Pittsburgh to the left, Philly to the right and Kentucky in the middle. Philly is a tough town and "Kentucky" is way way backward. (apologies to those actually from Kentucky.) Neither care much about the dog fighting thing. I feel sorry for any PETA protesters that show up at Lincoln Financial field.
3. Go Iggles!
1. Holyfuckingshit i agree with the first sentence of post #7! (Which ironically is Vick's number, creepy.)
2. PA has three parts: Pittsburgh to the left, Philly to the right and Kentucky in the middle. Philly is a tough town and "Kentucky" is way way backward. (apologies to those actually from Kentucky.) Neither care much about the dog fighting thing. I feel sorry for any PETA protesters that show up at Lincoln Financial field.
3. Go Iggles!
36
@32..the head of PETA visited Vick in prison...befriended him. YUCK. PETA sucks.
Generally,I am all about forgiveness and finding the good in people despite their misdeeds. I just can't in this case.
The ongoing torture of something/someone that can't defend itself is unforgiveable.
Generally,I am all about forgiveness and finding the good in people despite their misdeeds. I just can't in this case.
The ongoing torture of something/someone that can't defend itself is unforgiveable.
37
as a camden raised, life long die hard eagles fan i gotta say to #35.. no love for south jersey?
Fight Eagles, fight....
Fight Eagles, fight....
38
Vick wasn't a truly good quarterback. He was a mediocre quarterback who could run a bit. that's all. his stats were NOT great. he just would get lucky sometimes and make interesting plays.
he's not a good person.
he should never have been allowed to play pro ball again. pete rose is still not in the hall of fame and he WAS a legend AND he didn't cause deaths. (even if Vick's crimes were animals that still makes him a horrible person) never thought football would puss out in an area where pro baseball has held firm.
BY THE WAY, didn't Vick have a bad rep even BEFORE he got caught killing dogs? did he give diseases to chicks KNOWINGLY? (while using a rather unsavory nickname?) people LOVE to forget things. this man is beyond redemption. he HAD a GIFT given to him in his ability to play professional football and he wasted it. time to learn the lesson.
i now will be paying attention to the Eagles this year, hoping that they lose every game. i won't be watching though...not like i ever do watch pro ball that much. college ball is way better.
he's not a good person.
he should never have been allowed to play pro ball again. pete rose is still not in the hall of fame and he WAS a legend AND he didn't cause deaths. (even if Vick's crimes were animals that still makes him a horrible person) never thought football would puss out in an area where pro baseball has held firm.
BY THE WAY, didn't Vick have a bad rep even BEFORE he got caught killing dogs? did he give diseases to chicks KNOWINGLY? (while using a rather unsavory nickname?) people LOVE to forget things. this man is beyond redemption. he HAD a GIFT given to him in his ability to play professional football and he wasted it. time to learn the lesson.
i now will be paying attention to the Eagles this year, hoping that they lose every game. i won't be watching though...not like i ever do watch pro ball that much. college ball is way better.
40
Ron Mexico is a sub-standard, run first, QB with on-field decision making skills as poor as the ones he has demonstrated off-field and questionable armstrength. He is coach-killer just as much responsible for Jim Mora being run out of Atlanta as Mora's own fat mouth. So now he is a member of the West Jersey Shit-birds. Good luck Shit-birds. You're going to need it.
43
There are some people who will flat out never forgive Michael Vick no matter what, even though his life at this point is clearly ruined given all the debt he's sitting under and his next-to-zero chance of ever making enough money to pay it back. He will walk away from football penniless and empty handed and people will still demand he somehow be destroyed.
Not that he doesn't deserve any of the legally punitive and cultural roast he's received from his illicit dogfighting ring, but at what point do we say we've done enough to penalize the man? Greyhound track owners never saw a shred of the penalty he's received and they similarly abused their animals for gambling and entertainment purposes.
I'm surprised no dog lover's tried to kill him given their collective thirst for his demise.
Not that he doesn't deserve any of the legally punitive and cultural roast he's received from his illicit dogfighting ring, but at what point do we say we've done enough to penalize the man? Greyhound track owners never saw a shred of the penalty he's received and they similarly abused their animals for gambling and entertainment purposes.
I'm surprised no dog lover's tried to kill him given their collective thirst for his demise.
44
My favorite part of the interview this morning is when he was asked if he was ready to contribute to society. He said, something like, "Well, if I help more animals than I hurt, I'm contributing to society." Brilliant.
45
"I'm surprised no dog lover's tried to kill him given their collective thirst for his demise."
Sure, I'm surprised to, given how many deaths PETA memebers are responsible for. Yeah, take a look at crime stats, you will see that a disproportiate amount of murders are committed by angry dog owners cause someone dissed their dog.
"Do something for humans instead of putting the welfare of animals ahead of people, leave Vick alone"
Posted by Loveschild
Why don't you take your own advice dumbass? All this time spent defending Vick could be used to doing something about the fact that young black men are responsible for a huge disproportiate amount of gun violence in Seattle, among other places. Isn't this more important to you than yapping on slog about Mike Vick?
And your reference to the KKK just made me yawn. The taboo against being mad at a black person is over and I'm sick of how black people like you try and intimidate people with words like lynching, cross burning, slavery, etc. It doesn't work anymore.
Sure, I'm surprised to, given how many deaths PETA memebers are responsible for. Yeah, take a look at crime stats, you will see that a disproportiate amount of murders are committed by angry dog owners cause someone dissed their dog.
"Do something for humans instead of putting the welfare of animals ahead of people, leave Vick alone"
Posted by Loveschild
Why don't you take your own advice dumbass? All this time spent defending Vick could be used to doing something about the fact that young black men are responsible for a huge disproportiate amount of gun violence in Seattle, among other places. Isn't this more important to you than yapping on slog about Mike Vick?
And your reference to the KKK just made me yawn. The taboo against being mad at a black person is over and I'm sick of how black people like you try and intimidate people with words like lynching, cross burning, slavery, etc. It doesn't work anymore.
46
HEY! All PETA haters!
Objecting to putting dogs in a ring and so that they rip each other apart until they die does not make one a "PETA freak."
There's a not-so-subtle line folks, and enjoying and making money off of people watching dogs die is waaaaaaaaay beyond that line.
For example, it really isn't like renaming fish as "sea kittens."
This guy is scum, shouldn't get that job, and hasn't paid enough for his evil-doing. This does not make me a PETA nutcase.
Objecting to putting dogs in a ring and so that they rip each other apart until they die does not make one a "PETA freak."
There's a not-so-subtle line folks, and enjoying and making money off of people watching dogs die is waaaaaaaaay beyond that line.
For example, it really isn't like renaming fish as "sea kittens."
This guy is scum, shouldn't get that job, and hasn't paid enough for his evil-doing. This does not make me a PETA nutcase.
47
@ 22 "Do something for humans instead of putting the welfare of animals ahead of people"
People can speak for themselves, animals have no voice. I have no problem admitting I put pets, humans, and all other animals on an equal scale of respect.
"...seem more worried about the lives of gorillas and what have you than they do about the lives of the people of those nations"
Yeah, well its some of those same "people of these nations" who are mercilessly murdering primates for sport. Get your facts straight.
People can speak for themselves, animals have no voice. I have no problem admitting I put pets, humans, and all other animals on an equal scale of respect.
"...seem more worried about the lives of gorillas and what have you than they do about the lives of the people of those nations"
Yeah, well its some of those same "people of these nations" who are mercilessly murdering primates for sport. Get your facts straight.
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