Vick’s return will illustrate division in Atlanta

This will be a hostile crowd in the Dome. I hope Vick comes out for 1 play and throws an INT or gets sack. Enough said!!

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It will be a big game regardless of Vick’s return. I think he should get the respect he deserves for the good things he did here and after that treat him as any other opponent. No reason to hold grudges for what has happened before. We are in a better place now, so we should just move on.

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I will boo. Not because he single-handedly caused the downward spiral of this franchise. But because this KID had the sportsworld in his hands and wasn’t bright enough to understand the to opportunity that he had to really becaome a great sports figure and ICON for the city of Atlanta. It’s funny how athletes and fans of said athletes complain and blame the media when they are “CAUGHT”, blame their upbringing when they are caught and STILL make excuses after they express remorse. Be it real or fake, the remorse that is.

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I wouldn’t exactly cheer but I’m happy when he does well (like that 34 yd run). I think his punishment and exile have been overdone and so I hope he has a chance to succeed in the NFL. Don’t know if he will succeed even if given the chance, but the extent to which he was blackballed on his return irked me and smacked of a hyper political correctness. But Vick’s a non-story this coming Sunday. Both teams will be playing with 100% focus on the game and no matter how you slice it, Vick is a distraction to the Eagles offense right now. One wild card: Do you take advantage of Vick’s desire to do well in ATL and throw him in there for more than a play or two?

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“Vick’s return will illustrate division in Atlanta”

And, unfortunately, for the most part it will be along racial lines.

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Much respect to the Eagles for realizing that there are second chances out there. I hope Vick runs a 98yard TD with 29seconds on the clock to beat the Falcons 21-14 on Sunday. The way Blank cut him loose after all of the money he made him just shows what he is really about. Go Eagles!

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So yesterday….

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Atlanta is still Deion’s city, MV7, just ask him.

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“…He makes cameo appearances in games. He’s only 3-for-9 as a passer and has rushed for 65 yards, with 34 coming on one carry against Chicago two weeks ago.

And that, my friends is as brief and succinct analysis of his bi-polar career here in Atlanta as well. Like a hockey or a soccer match, many came to Falcons’ games just to perhaps see that one bright and shining moment that Vick built his glass house reputation on. Also, he was an icon to the black community, who as a rule are very reluctant to turn on one of their own.

I’ll be at the game.

Vick? I could care less.

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He dosen’t play for us anymore, so why would I cheer for him?
Go Falcons!

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It will be interesting to watch the non-sports media’s coverage of the return. I’ll bet the slant of some of the coverage will incite the bitterness we try to surpress but will draw ratings in the Fargo N.D’s of the world.

Sadly, it will end up being a poor reflection of us who live here.

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Tiger…Do you truly think that the Falcons should have kept Vick on the roster. With his salary, that would handicapped the teams salary cap for a player who is unavailable due to something not football related. That would make the rest of the team and the city suffer. So why should Blank have kept him. I don’t understand why some people blame Blank for cutting Vick. Blank runs a billion dollar business. He has thousands of people to consider. One player cannot jeopardize that no matter how much money and notoriety he brought the Falcons. Keeping Vick would have been a terrible business decision that would have hurt the Franchise. If it were your team and your money, would you have kept Vick around. Good business decisions are made without emotion. They are made with the bottom line in mind.

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How anyone can blame Arthur Blank for Mike Vick no longer being in Atlanta is beyond me. Mike Vick told the owner of the team that he was not involved in dog fighting. He lied to the man’s face. But despite that, Vick will be cheered in Atlanta. Much in the same way OJ Simpson was cheered when he was acquitted of murder. It will be interesting.

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now would have been a great time to have michael vick after matt went down.well no one can see the future.redman did a good job but he must raise his game to the next level if he is starting this week. the falcons should beat the eagles but its going to take a team effort especially the secondary and the kicking game. we can’t go far with the current issues we have in the kicking game especially.it must be addressed this week.the secondary coach and Dbs must really raise their game this week and the rest of the season.as for everyone else, don’t get caught up with bashing vick. we have to beat the eagles and Mcnabb.

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We’re playing the EAGLES, not Vick. I could care less if Vick runs for 500 yards as long as the Falcons win! As for boos vs. cheers, given he doesn’t start I will do what I always do when a sub comes into a game. Nothing!

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I’ll have both a hot dog and nachos while watching Vick add 5 yds to his season totals and watching our birds beat those birds handedly.

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I doubt he’ll even set foot on the field.

Go Falcons!

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Bet you anything thug Vick flips off the crowd when he gets boo’ed. He can’t take it.

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I would not worry about MV next week. The Falclowns barely beat a team that has won only one game this season yesterday. Stop trying to get a column full of stupid remarks by haters and try figuring out how this football team is going to beat Philly.

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Let me put it this way…..Manning, Farve, Brady, Brees are WINNERS.
Young, McNabb, Vick, Russell are LOSERS

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Put yourself in Vick’s shoes. Imagine the remorse. Every morning he must get up and take a good stiff slug of the hair of the dog that bit him. (Probably Mad Dog 20/20).

Seriously, the plays that Vick has been involved in with the Eagles are weird. They always look half baked. Broken sandlot schemes. I find myself going, “what the hell was that” every time he gets the ball.

Vick is a running back who can throw, and should be used as such. Imagine two reliable passers in an offense? There’s no defense against that.

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Young has won 9 in a row as a starter. McNabb has been to 3 NFC championships and a super bowl. How are they losers again???

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ROB you are the LOOSER

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I booed Jeff George when he came back with the Raiders; stayed silent when Glavine returned with the Mets; and will probably stay silent (if I were going to the game) when Vick hits the field.

MV made some mistakes, but gave it up for the Falcons when he was here – so he has my respect…I just do not cheer for the oposition in football.

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I remember when news came out that Vick has signed with the Eagles. I believe I was listening to 790 at the time and the host tossed out the question, “Will you be rooting for the Falcons or Vick?”

First guy that called up muttered something to the extent of “I was nice to see a young black man playing QB for the Falcons so i’m going to root for Vick after what Blank and the Falcons did to him.”

I’m sure we’ll see/hear some amazing things on Sunday…sadly off the field.

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If people want to cheer fine… If people want to boo fine…. I don’t really see the point either way.

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I will be at the game with my Vick Jersey on yelling and screaming as he take the field. But um, I am a Falcon fan first. But I still like Vick. Oh and Tiger said he was Cablasian not Black. Vick in getting a bad deal in Philly, let the man do his thing. Rob, what professional team do you play for? NACFL(National Arm Chair Football League) is not a reputable league. It is amazing how when African American athletes who are often overly exposed when they do things are considered thugs, ghetto and other derogatory names most of you can think of. Those terms can apply to anyone. Don’t get me wrong life is about choices and we are often judged by the choices we make, but dang.

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I am going to the game to specifically see what he will do. I think that he will be hyped and I think this will be an opportunity for him to show what he has against the team that expelled him. I don’t believe that Andy Reid is going to let him play much though. It wouldn’t make good football sense.

I am all for redemption. I believe in it. I believe that he will still get his chance at greatness. But I will be cheering for the Falcons. I want us to break the curse of never having a two winning season back to back. So if our beating the brakes off the Philadelphia Eagles is what it requires then so be it. Go Falcons!

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Verone

November 30th, 2009
9:01 am

The falcons made a big mistake in getting rid of vick. He’s better than ryan and will show the falcons they made a mistake! Ryan’s choking big time this year.

The above post is an example of a fool I described earlier.

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Who cares….he was a loser then and is still a loser!! At least the Falcon’s were smart enought to cut him, but the Eagle’s were stupid to pay him one red cent!! Go Falcons!!

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Vick was adored by the fans and his boss.

He committed a FELONY, lied to his boss’s face, went to prison, refused to pay back money owed to the Falcons.

So they fired him. That’s racism? If you think the Falcons were wrong and Vick was mistreated by them, then YOU ARE THE RACIST ONE.

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Noone will even know he is there, unless he gets on the field. He will not be announced. I will do as I do at all the Falcons games…boo the opponents. I don’t think Freddie Falcon will ride Vick onto the field on his 4 wheeler. As mentally shallow as Vick is he will be a basket case by game time. NOT A FACTOR…GO FALCONS!!

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If Vick sucks why does he hold records?? What is Matt Doing?????

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(((who’s got my ACC championship ticket?))) hahahahahahahaha

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Vick will be cheered by some much like OJ was cheered when he was acquitted of murder because for some this degraded a long time ago into a racial issue.

I even met a woman who blamed the whole thing on Arthur Blank because in her mind how could a powerful man like Arthur Blank have not known that Vick was fighting dogs? Never mind that it was Vick and not Blank that did the criminal misdeeds to begin with. In her world it was somehow still Blank’s fault that Vick was caught fighting dogs. You can’t reason with that sort of people and those will be the people that will undoubtedly cheer for Vick. And its not completely racial. Some of the Vick supporters such as this woman was will be white.

I hope the people that dislike Vick will not boo at all but remain silent. No matter how heinous his crime is to some he paid his dues and deserves a second chance. Besides, by not booing it just means you’re treating him as insignificant which he is. And for those that irrationally cheer him on. I just hope they are few in number.

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Vick represents all that is wrong with pro sports. A person who didn’t graduate from college when given a free ride. Left for the NFL and began to live a “Hip-Hop” lifestyle with hangers-on,cars,bad porno flicks. All the while a so-called adoring fan base that likes and looks up to that kind of lifestyle. Going to a Falcon game made you feel sorry for the people cheering this guy. As for the franchise and the games what a breath of fresh air. No longer the thugs of the NFL getting outclassed by the Patriots or Cowboys the Falcons have become a class act. To me Vick’s leaving was the best thing to ever happen to sports in Atlanta.

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Cannonball which player was wearing your throwback yesterday? Why didn’t warn Arthur that those unis were jinxed… OK, a serious question, which is worse, being a Cubs fan, Clippers fan, or a Falcons fan? Now that question deserves a poll! No, which team is more jinxed?

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Jeff, I agree with you, man: Vick will definitely get a reaction from the Dome crowd this Sunday. But it will not be the absolute standing ovation that he is trying to imagine. I expect a mixed reaction, probably as many cheers as boos. I expect a few fist fights, too. Remember that this is the one game this season that the Vick fans have circled way in advance. They will be out in full force Sunday. At the same time, the true Falcon fans, the ones who really care about this team and fully understand what a jerk Vick is and how damaging he was to the Falcons, will be there to bring some “reality” to the situation.

As you have correctly indicated, Jeff, Vick has been a nonfactor this season. That should remove any remaining shred of a reason whatsoever for anyone to second-guess Mr. Blank for cutting that convict loose. His lack of effectiveness with the Eagles proves that, besides being a criminal, he is definitely NOT the superstar player that his diehard fans insist on imagining him to be.

GO FALCONS!!! WIN THIS SUNDAY!!! KEEP MARCHING TO WIN # 9!!!

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YTJ…
He’ll only shut it down after he gets his requisite number of hits for the IT Department… If he shuts it down now, that means he would actually have to write 4 more paragraphs before lunch and that would cramp his style…

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Normally, I regard the cheering vs. booing argument similarly to the way Braves fans have treated some of the former Braves when they come back here as opponenets: cheer them when they first come to bat as a show of respect for what they did in the past, and after that, then treat them like you treat every other opponent.

But Vick is a different story. He was my favorite player for his first few years as a starter, but his lack of progress and general attitude changed that. Still, I was a supporter (and sometime defender of his play) as long as he was still our QB.

Now, it’s obvious how much he hurt the franchise in the long term. His performance didn’t measure up to his salary his last few years, there was the internal controversy and taking of sides (see D. Hall, Alge Crumpler), the incident with flipping the bird to the (paying) fans, and the lost cap dollars that could have been spent on better players while he was in jail.

With all that, I think I would boo if I was at the game.

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Man I cannot wait for this game. I really believe he’s going to get a positive reception overall….he took this franchise to heights that it has never known.

I will be there with my sign, and Vick jersey to show my support.

Vick will break a big play against the Falcons. Mark my words.

“Vick will shine again”

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Either cheering or booing expresses interest. The greatest reaction to Vick is the unabashed indifference of stone cold silence!

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Hate it or love it….Vick is the reason for the football hype in Atlanta, be it for good or bad reasons. Without Vick’s arrival we would still be a team with 50% of unsold seats. He made mistakes and he was wrong. He deserves a second chance..I will cheer for him because he has done well so far with his road to redemption and I am a football fan. Go Falcons, Vick stay straight

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The Great Mike Vick Has Returned

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As far as Michael Vick, what he did to this franchise and this city is unforgivable. As far as his career, I’m glad to see that he got a second chance in the NFL because we all deserve that. But I will have my BOO-Ing voice on as i sit in the crowd! Go Falcons!!

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OK, 5 is my limit… Time to fight L.A. traffic… Stay classy Atlanta ((((((((((Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha))))))))))) I just had to say it… Can’t stop laughing!!!

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If you’re an Eagles’ fan pulling for Mike Vick to do well as an Eagle, no problem!

but…

To every black man, women or child who would stand and cheer for Mike Vick in the “Georgia” Dome and home of the Atlanta Falcons simply because he is a black man I say shame on you and you are an embarrassment to not only our race, but every decent, hardworking black man like me who believes in justice, integrity, honor and being a good husband, a good father, and a good man!

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I have never understood why Vick fans are so angry at the Falcons or Matt Ryan?!? Vick was in prison/suspended for 2 seasons! And this season, Vick admitted he wasn’t ready to be a starter. So that’s 3 seasons he couldn’t play. What were the Falcons supposed to do? Wait 3 years for Vick to maybe get back to where he was after the 2006 season, which was not that good anyway (7-9 season, following an 8-8 season)?!? The Falcons had to get another QB and lucked up with Ryan, who is 16-10 in his first 2 years. Ryan has nothing to do with Vick not being a Falcon. Can’t blame Authur Blank, he needed a QB. Only one left to blame is ole #7.

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At least one team in Atlanta is worth watching!

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Atlanta and the state of Georgia has some serious backwood bama’s. Vick served his time and he should be able to do the things he enjoy doing at this point in his life. People if you believe Matt is better than Vick then you are truly fooling yourselves and that scrub of a backup that you have is pitiful. Arthur Blank is a crook just like most of the NFL owners so people ask yourself the question as how could he rob you without a gun or a mask and not get charged with a crime for the theft that they are doing everyday.

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Jeff, what happened to shutting down the site for racist comments? I guess people have to start using the n word for it to be considered racist. Honestly, you should be ashamed for considering yourself a journalist. This article should have never been written, there are so many other newsworthy subjects concerning our Falcons to write about. For example, the health of Ryan and Turner, and will they be able to plat the rest of the season. What about replacing Elam? It’s obvious he has lost it mentally. But instead you wish to stir the pot once again! Shame on you, maybe you should give us a poll asking whether Falcon fans think you should remain a journalist?

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Well, that is an example of a person killing A HUMAN BEING and getting off scott free. But you people are worried about what someone did to some dogs and a billionnaires football franchise?

Ask a shrink about your priorities.

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I would neither cheer nor boo…I would turn my back.

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And Danny Heatley that got nothing for what he did. I’m not the one who has my priorities mixed up..it’s the judges.

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Brett Farve did more for Green Bay than Vick ever could have done for the Falcons. What happened when Farve came back playing for the Vikings–most fans booed him!!

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GWH Rich – I’m sure that was difficult for you. Just curious….did you also explain about eating meat and wearing leather?

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Deuce, please read my comments before you comment and make yourself look like a dunce. And it’s Heatley, not Heatly.

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Mike V. served his time in jail. He seems to be on the right path toward changing his life. Hope those who are continuing to crucify this guy never find themselves in need of a second chance.

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Thanks for the correction on the spelling of his name. Looks like quite a few newspapers got the spelling wrong too. Be sure to call them.

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“Will real Falcons fans boo”

Real Falcons should boo the Eagles just like we should boo Carolina, Tampa, New Orleans, New York, etc.

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Peadog – DOGH….I believe I agreed to that fact. Please take your own advice….and I quote….” please read my comments before you comment and make yourself look like a dunce.”

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You There Jeff????, it sounded like you were being sarcastic. I apologize for that.

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Good post, Ricky, and I’m especially glad to see the post by “Proud Black Man.” I swear, if I had to see another “Mr. Blanks done stabbed Vick in the back after all he did for the ATL over a bunch uv stoopid smelly dawgz” posts without SOMEONE of color stepping up and separating themselves from the mob I was going to quit reading this newspaper. It’s just too depressing to think that’s what my hometown has come down to.

BTW, Jeff, that was cute of you to refer to that crowd as “Hardcore season ticket holders.” Who in your PR department came up with that jewel?

I loved watching Vick too. However, he lied to our owner, flipped us off, leveled our football franchise and embarrassed our city nationally. To most people who’ve been raised properly that outweighs getting a great 40 yard run vs. the Vikings posted on youtube.

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To me, this game is the most important game in Matt Ryan’s career, even if Mike Vick plays the true backup and stays off the field. This game will either solidify Matt Ryan as the replacement in the hearts and minds of the Falcons fans, or it will drive a bigger wedge between Falcons fans, and the city of Atlanta.

Let’s take a look at the situation: Everyone knows about Vick going to prison for 2 years for dog fighting. Many people still have views that the punishment was excessive and that all they did was try to make an example that the richest player in the NFL, whose name and game created a lucrative economy for the NFL and the city of Atlanta, was vilified beyond reason. And then there’s some that never bought into Mike Vick as a player- they see him as an over-hyped RB that can’t play QB and got over on the Falcons and the NFL with his running ability. But in reality, they just do not like his game and wished that he would have gone away. They didn’t want a “thug” to be the face of the franchise that they love.

We can go on and on about this. We have heard both sides. But here’s the bigger issue:

Today, we are looking at a Mayoral race that is racially charged. Whoever wins, race will play an issue and some people will be offended. In Atlanta.

Plus, there are some people who aren’t sold on Matt Ryan, either. Some people see him as over-hyped. Some see him as someone who is easily rattled and look at his interceptions in the NFL and think back to his college days where his interceptions were of great concern. They see the Falcons as essentially Michael Turner’s team, and that Matt Ryan needs Michael Turner to win the game. (Matt Ryan has never won a game without Michael Turner in the backfield.) Many of these people can remember Mike Vick winning games with virtually no line, no defense, and no go-to receiver (save Alge Crumpler.) They can rememer him not having 3 seconds in the pocket. They can remember him having to play games where the defense was telling him what offensive play Gregg Knapp called and not being able to audible out of it.

But they remember him winning those games. They remember Vick taking control of the game and making plays when nothing was there. And winning playoff games.

But here’s another issue that happened just yesterday: Chris Redman, insurance salesman, came off the bench and entered a game that didn’t have Michael Turner in the backfield. The Falcons had no running game. (The leading rusher for the Falcons was Michael Turner- with 33 yards. Total yards rushing for the Falcons? 75 yards.)

So without a running game, Chris Redman came in there and just made accurate passes. He managed the game well, even though he was sacked a bunch of times. He threw no interceptions. And with the game on the line, he led them down the field and they won the game. With Matt Ryan on the sideline.

And now, Mike Vick, a backup QB that really isn’t going to be a factor in this game, will be coming to town. And Matt Ryan will be playing that game. Michael Turner more than likely will not be playing this game. So Matt Ryan the Falcons will need for Matt Ryan to win this game for us. The season is on the line. And the pressures on.

And you think Matt doesn’t feel the pressure? I saw something interesting as the game was winding down. I saw Roddy White explaining what happened during the game-winning catch to Matt Ryan. I was watching Ryan’s lips to see his expressions. He was telling Roddy that he did a Good Job! And Really Good Job! But his facial expression was that of just jubilation. It was also one of trepidation. The smile wasn’t broad. It was there, but left very quickly as he headed to the locker room.

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Dan Snyder…………….RIP Not sure what this has to do with Vick’s return illustrating division in Atlanta but there were a lot of factors that led to the plea deal with Dany Heatley. Heatley’s blood alcohol content was below the legal limit. Dan Snyder’s family were supportive of Heatley pleading guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide and actually requested the judge not imprison him. He was sentenced to 3 years probation. Also, and probably a huge factor, Heatley NEVER LIED TO AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE ACCIDENT.
On a side note, the judge in this case was the Honorable Rowland Barnes, who was murdered in his courtroom by Brain Nichols.

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On the mark, Grinch!

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“Vick’s return will illustrate division in Atlanta”

It shouldn’t. If you live in Atlanta and call yourself a Falcons fan, then boo the Eagles. Simple as that.

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Hey Ricky I will try to explain it for you…..no its not because he was arrested because he is black even though you got to make examples out of somebody right. Its because of the way he is being treated as a black man and for someone to forgive him i.e. the sneagles, made it better for me that everyone was not readily to turn their backs on him. It showed that yes everyone does deserve another chance and that not all white people are bad. Th fact that he was rewared the money he was trying to keep was a decision made by the courts but you have to believe that God has his hand in it too. if God can forgive you for your actions and reward you with another chanc, who are we as people to say he doesnt deserve one. It’s not like he walked into your backyard and killed your dogs they were his dogs like so many other dog fighters do because as you know this was not an event created by blacks. Just like the people who race horses, and kill cows, and fight cocks all that is legal until a black man does it. Just like pot, it was legal until black people started smoking. They say it made black men kill and rape whit women…such a sterotype. Everthing under the sun has been created by whites and is ok until blacks started doing it. No im not cheering because he’s black, i’m cheering because too many are booing when they don’t even know what they are booing for. Like i said he didnt kill your dogs they actually belong to him. Hell if they were on the streets running loose, what would you local county officials would have done. put him down. People need wake up and mind their business. Wait until your in a situation like this and you need the support of people, it would be very difficult to get through by yourself and no one should be able to do it alone even after mistakes. As much as you guys claim to love baseball and all the steroids cases there, its almost become mute that no one talks about them distroying the game. In a minute it would be a crime if you dont take steroids. Remember the UGA professor that killed his wife and two others. Sure you dont because you pick and chose what is bad and you run with that. I guess what he did was in the norm in your book.

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Manny – I agrre…I wrote this on Schultz’s blog during the game yesterday:

“tony g! glad we have him…

Link Report this comment Hawkster

November 29th, 2009
3:49 pm
No one is routing against Matt Ryan (well except a couple of people,lol).

My contention has been all along that he will be an average q-back at best. The signs were all there when he was drafted; weak arm, lots of interceptions, etc. But you people let your hatred of MV& cloud your judgement of Ryans abilities. Ryan had a great year last year. Many factors went into his success; o-line playing above their level, Michael Turner having a GREAT year, weak schedule, surprise on their side, etc. So you decided to crown Matty the next Peyton Manning. It aint happening folks. Matty Ice has peaked. He will be just “ok”. And now anyone who criticizes him is a reverse racist? Does that make anyone who criticizes Mike Vick a racist?

And, by the way, there is not a blog in the country that does not entertain critism of the home team, much less intrusions by opposing fans.

You people crack me up.Get a life.”

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ATL Hawk & NEWsouth,

Yes, we were treated horrible and at times we still are today. However, I’ve chosen to move on and appreciate the very good in all people including my “White” and “Asian” neighbors across and down the street. We socialize and worship together, and there’s no doubt these people would be there for me and my children in a heartbeat should I need them!

And remember this, Obama would have never been elected by only the black vote. It took many white voters to elect this president. Question–have either of you voted for a “white candidate?

Second, never forget that many hundreds of thousands of “white” men have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Would you have done the same?

We all must learn to get along and trust one another. Life is just too damn short to let it pass by in the bitterness and resentment that can damage our spirit by dwelling on the unalterable past.

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I’m going to wear my Atlanta Falcons’ Vick jersey as quiet support but I will be rooting for the Falcons. The name is not bigger than the team.

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This made me laugh AND cry:
“The smartest White guy has no concept of Black history. Who George Washington Carver was or what he was responsible for. The smartest White person couldn’t tell you where Howard University is located. I talked to White Doctor and he didn’t know who Miles Davis was.”

We (humans) have a long way to go. Go Falcons and Braves!

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I wish him well and don’t harbor the hostility that many do, but he’s playing for opposing team so no reason to cheer him on against Falcons.

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Vicks comments sound just like the “old” M. Vick…and he’s probably killing dogs again.

Hey poster Montrell with a chip on his shoulder……..you can say “black” instead of “African-American”. Or does sayin “black” bring you down?

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Reid should de-activate Vick for the game. No distractions.

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Proud Black Man………………shout it from the mountain top ………!!!
I wish the heart of the Georgia Dome beat as one,
no matter the color of our skin,
the only us versus them,
Red and Black against Green,
when Falcons talons pierce,
Eagles scream.

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HA HA HA “YOU” people seem to be very nervous

I guarantee you, Mike Vick and Andy Reid had a longgggg talk when he signed with them. That conversation with something like this:

Mike we don’t treat our superstars like they treated you in Atlanta. If you work hard for me, I promise when we travel to Atlanta, I know how much this will mean to you, so I will have a big package for you, just for this game.

So folks, don’t get fooled by the lack of activity he has has and think he has lost a step – ask the Bear’s free safety who was in position to lay the BOOM on him and was left in the dust and couldn’t even lay a finger on him, in way to a quick 34 yards.

When a team let’s a legend go for nothing in return, you should be making an upgrade. I understand that “YOU” people said he was in decline, when he had his best overall season in his last season, 1,000 plus yards rushing, nearly 2,500 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, 13 Picks (CHOKE has 12 already) and the previous season he made it to his 3rd Pro Bowl.

2004 Was the last time the Falcons won a playoff game. Vick has not played for the Falcons since 2006, so what have the Falcons accomplished in that time? How many playoff games have they won? How many Pro Bowls has the CHOKE played in? He is regressing when he should be improving and don’t use the sophomore slump excuse, because Vick had his best passing numbers in his sophomore season.

Where is the upgrade? Where are the individual and team improvements?

Hell he hardly is even a blimp on the radar with the AJC blogs. His jersey sales are far behind the former quarterback, whom he was supposed to make a distant memory in Atlanta.

This is and will ALWAYS be Vick’s City, whether “YOU” people like it or not.

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I support the Falcons, so I cannot support the Eagles or any of their players…even Desean Jackson who is on my fantasy team. The Vick story has been extremely well chronicled and is a tired debate. It’s both sad and amazing that people still ignore the facts of the case. The man systemically murdered animals in cold blood. Regardless of your legal views, you should recognize the repeated and unconscionable masochism involved here. That is what I cannot support.

I support Vick as a human being; some of you should question yourself why you would support him as a black man. Same goes for those who wish him to fail for the very same reason.

I personally find your slavery argument intrinsically funny. I don’t try to downplay the horrors of slavery just because it was my “race”; why would you not do the same for the horrors of animal cruelty?

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Michael Vick has paid a price for his mistake (and it was a huge price). I don’t think that he should be overly cheered and certainly not booed when he comes onto the field.

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How easy people forget what Vick did for the Falcons? Vick sold out the dome for years and this is how he is treated. People need to take a good look at themselves and make a change.

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Who gives a damn as long as the Falcons win!!!!!

If you’re cheering him just because he’s black then you’re an idiot.

If you’re booing him just because he’s black then you’re an idiot.

His role in the game is bound to be insignificant, and the truth is if we lose this game the season is basically over. Let’s get a win however we can get it!

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Mornin, CHOKE, good to see you finally crawled out of bed after staying up so late last night attacking your boy Matty.

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There should be another option on the poll. I don’t really know what I am going to do when Vick comes out. I don’t think I will boo or cheer, but he certainly won’t just be another player. I think I’ll just stare at him in confusion. Part of me misses him, but part of me despises him. It’s a strange mix of a emotions. I do know for sure that he did a tremendous amount of damage to our team and that it makes me sick when I see people in our stadium wearing not only Falcons Vick jerseys but Eagles Vick jerseys. I’ll never understand it.

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What happen to the money guys Vick got a second chance so what let it go. God gives 2nd chances why cant you forgive people the man served too much time you guys beating this man down to death you aint paying him so leave the man alone! whats the difference n killing dogs than killing bear deer n birds? until you can give me logical reason then stop beating the guy down he aint playing for your organization! So when Vick here all yall were Vick FanS now he gone you Cant stand the guy! i call that bandwagon!!!!

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Matt “Choke” Ryan wrote:

“McNabb or Vick – who cares because either way a brotha will win the game.”

There you have the overwhelming and convincing evidence of the agenda. Ignore everything else!

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Im no hunter but last time I checked, you dont wet deer down and electrocute them. When was the last time you saw a bear hanging by the neck in the woods? Or a bird that was repeatedly slammed to the ground? What he did was sickening and he betrayed his football team to engage in horrific activites such as these. With all that money, you’d think he could find a legit hobby?

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He is an opposing player, and I, for one, will boo – just like I do every opponent that comes to the Georgia Dome. It’s no longer about what he did in Atlanta. Most Falcons fans I know have realized he’s in the past, and they have moved on from that.

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I wish Vick good luck in every aspect of life outside of this game. I truely hope he gets his head on strait gets out of debt and goes on to live a good life. I’m just a Falcons fan first and foremost. I’m not booing or cheering other than to boo the Eagles collectively.

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Vick was a good QB…now he is a novelty player. It is hard to separate race from this discussion, sorry Jeff. I’m white, and I would boo Mike Vick because he did damage to the Falcons by getting himself thrown in jail, but I don’t hate on the black QBs in general. They deserve credit where credit is due: McNabb is an excellent time-tested QB, Vince Young is looking good now since he has had a chance to mature. Best black QB ever would have to be Doug Williams of the ‘87 Redskins with a stud performance in the Super Bowl, beating John Elway and steamrolling the Broncos. I think he threw ~4 TD passes in that game. But J.M. Russell is a bust so far, although playing for the Raiders probably doesn’t help.

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THE FALCONS WILL PUMMEL PHILADELPHIA 31-21 NUFF SAID

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There won’t be any booing that will be heard seeing as half the Dome will be Eagles fans anyway and more than half of the PAYING Falcons fans in there will be cheering for Vick as well. Get real, this will be the most attended game since 2007 and people are not going just to boo Mike Vick, they will welcome him back and thank him for the 56 straight sold out games…and by sold out, I mean actual individuals paying for tickets, not corporations helping out the Blank Foundation.

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is most of the people cheering him will also cast their vote for Reed for the same reason. Because they are black. Clayton county is always in the “bad” news. Wonder why.

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You There Jeff????—No Peadog- he won’t learn that slaves were kept in this country until the 1940’s, just like you didn’t learn it.

If you would watch the news, something beside CNN, you might know that slaves are still kept in this country. Illegally, but they are still here.

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LMAO! Mike Vick really does own this city…he sure does dictate the conversation. The Falcons own fan forum on their team site shows the most active threads on the “Talk About The Falcons” forum are those about Mike Vick. LOL

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after seeing the crime, corruption and sewers conditions of Atlanta, MV can have it.

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Mark

November 30th, 2009
1:01 pm
Vick still owes me for my season tickets I bought! I could careless that he is playing in the NFL…but how anyone can respect him and cheer him after what he did to his teammates, Arthur Blank and the fans is something I don’t understand

Why does he owe you for your season tickets? ROFLMAO!!! So that means the other guys on the team meant absolutely nothing to you huh?? LOL! Just as we thought!

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@You There Jeff???: I never claimed to understand what it is like to be black in America. I took umbrage that some fool assumed I was ignorant of black history in this country simply because I am white.

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4) The person who accused Ryan of “choking” for leaving the game due to injury is an idiot. Stafford came back FOR EXACTLY ONE PLAY with that separated shoulder…..then played like utter horsecrap on Thursday. Here’s a newsflash, genius: WHEN YOU GET TURF TOE FIVE MINUTES INTO THE GAME, IT’S PRUDENT TO LEAVE SAID GAME! Or maybe Vick was a choke artist for not finishing out that exhibition game in 2003…..

5) This idea that the black community should somehow rally behind Vick as their icon amuses me. The NFL is filled with African-American players. Heck, Vick’s not even the best African-American QB *on his own team,* let alone in the league. This idea that the whole representation of blacks in football rises and falls with Vick is ridiculous. Vick is one of hundreds of NFL players– black, white, etc. If he fails, it has nothing to do with “blacks being bad QBs.” If he succeeds, it’s not proof that “blacks are better QBs than whites.” Judge the man as an individual and leave this race iconography out of it.

6) If you’re a Vick fan and upfront about it, fine. But don’t call yourself a Falcons fan while cheering the Eagles in the Falcons’ biggest game thus far “just because they have Vick.” That’s bogus. You’re a Falcons fan or you aren’t. Figure it out.

7) Most importantly, this is the game of the year for the Falcons thus far regardless of who suits up for the Eagles. The wildcard race is the real story here.

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Look before I leap. You still don’t get it! Go VICK!! Go Eagles!! Hope Matt has a good game!

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Look before you leap! Whats your take on Vick?

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I have one thing to say about this article. The statement “Those hard-core Vick fans who bought Falcons season tickets, more to see him than the team, have defended him throughout and blamed others for his faults, even when he admitted guilt.” is false and does nothing more but causes more friction, people were not blaming others for what he did, their argument was with the punishment and the reaction for what he did. So before you write an article make sure your facts are correct.

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XYZ-love my dog more than I love Vick? Yes. I think you “get it” now.

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I will cheer for Michael Vick not because he’s Black but because he’s a young man that made a stupid mistake…AND HAS PAID FOR IT. Just like everyone who has made mistakes, he deserves the opportunity to better his future; I am praying that he continues to make good choices in life that will be for the benefit of his family! It really doesn’t matter what others think of you because some people are so vile and full of hatred that they will never forgive!

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get ready falcons you will loose with or without Vicks appearance. you should had not won on yesterday but it is all good, the road to playoffs ends on Sunday.

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TPM

November 30th, 2009
1:40 pm
I do not know why this is a story. Michael Vick has been invisible in Andy Reid’s offense. As far as I concerned he is still out of football.

“And the CHOKE has been too visible” in opposing team’s secondary (22 PICKS in 25 games)

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It was only a matter of time before someone mentioned RACE…..I have seen people of all races wearing Vick jerseys, so with that being said, cheer for the team that you want to win and be done with it.

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A “True Franchise Quarterback” leads his team on the field and not the sidelines…………..

The CHOKE proved yesterday how small his heart is………

“DUMP THE CHUMP”

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WILD CARD RACE:

Cowboys 8-3 (Owns tie breaker)

Eagles 7-4 (Will own tie breaker)

Green Bay 7-4

Giants 6-5 (Owns tie breaker)

Falcons 6-5 (Owns no tie breakers)

Their done, once again and 2004 will be a measuring stick for the CHOKE to measure up to and it won’t be duplicated this decade……………Sorry dudes and dudettes

“DUMP THE CHUMP”

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I will be there Sunday cheering for Michael Vick. I will have a couple of signs too. Look for me on TV. As far as the haters and the ones that think so “highly” of themselves that they can’t do no wrong, if you are at the game Sunday, make sure you “come down a stair or 2″ or you may get pushed down.

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ps. maybe Vick will show the atlanta fans he’s #1 again. At least show us one finger.

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I am a supporter of Vick. As long as he was winning games for the Falcons, people loved him to death. When he fell, there were hardly any TRUE fans to pick him up. The man has PAID HIS DEBT TO SOCIETY…. Leave him alone if you can’t support him. He has definitely taken the Falcons to places that hardly no other Quarterback has done…. I will ALWAYS be a Michael Vick supporter, and to the fair weather Falcons fans I say to you this: Lets see if Ryan out do Vick’s tenure at the Falcons. GO Michael Vick…….

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While we all have much to say. The only words that matter are from the guy that’s paying Vick. LOL (whether he’ll play or not, or even have an extended career in the NFL).

Im a football ball… and clearly i agree with a comment further up!
That atlanta just escaped a team with ONLY ONE win 24hours ago! And you all are concerned about someone that has not been a vital threat to any opposing franchises. LOL

TWO WORDS! DESEAN JACKSON: while i’m not a big fan of his cockiness.
No one can run with this kid! including the FACLCONS SECONDARY let alone a wannabe offenseive weapon in ROWDY WHITE!!!

hopeful the Falcons can focus on getting a so called top ten receiver(which the record clearly speaks for itself) the ball.

And a WIN! Wake up atlanta it’s ur team! Not an opposing player!

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The falcons need to bring back Vick next season if Ryan doesn’t get it done. Ryan had 1 lucky year and it doesn’t look like the falcons will make the playoffs—Vick gives Atlanta a better chance and he’ll be available for only a few mil per year in the offseason—blank needs to make the move and bring him back!

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Jean Shonay your not saying your going to be pushing folks down steps are you tough guy?? This argument is a fine example of the old Southern saying ‘You can’t fix stupid” move on folks..here is a guy who 1) left under a cloud and 2) will be in the other team’s uniform…cheer him?? For what?

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I am a Falcon Fan… But I am also a VICK Fan………. I will never forget how well he played for the Falcons organization…… You never know who your friends are until you all down on your luck…..

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ALL VICK FANS, LETS ATTEND THE GAME AND WEAR NUMBER 7 JERSEYS…… THAT WILL SEND OUT A MESSAGE……

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EricADawgFAN

November 30th, 2009
2:28 pm
ALL VICK FANS, LETS ATTEND THE GAME AND WEAR NUMBER 7 JERSEYS…… THAT WILL SEND OUT A MESSAGE
Sure will and that message will be ‘You can’t fix stupid” and it will show something else..You NOT FALCON fans your VICK fans..

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@EricADawgFAN

I am with you on that one .. I will have my Michael Vick Jersey on gooooooooo
Philly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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how2fish,

IT SHOWS THE REAL SUPPORT THAT VICK SO WELL DESERVES… ALL OF YOU BAND WAGON JUMPERS SUCH AS YOURSELF… GET A LIFE SIR / MADDUM….

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[...] Vick’s return will illustrate division in Atlanta, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Another piece to get us going in Eagles week (and I thought we wouldn’t hear Michael Vick conversation until Wednesday). [...]

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Mick Vick is coming to town. Come on all my fellow canis lupus familiaris, let’s get the heck out of town.

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GRAYSON 28 – FALCONS6

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Najeh Davenpoop…I’ve always enjoyed your posts. Thoughtful and typically on target. I just don’t understand your reasoning on this one but I do respect your right to your opinion. Clearly Blank has made some mistakes but I would like to think we can both agree he was (Hired Petrino to work specifically with Vick) and is trying to give us a good product on the field. I loved MV when he was here but he made a mistake, paid for it and moved on. TD, Smitty, Ryan, etc..were not here when that occurred and are simply trying to do thier best to give us a winning team. For the life of me, I can’t understand why people won’t support that. I support a team before an individual. If Smitty decides Redman will start over Ryan because he gives them the best chance to win, so be it….

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Hello, Jeff Schultz,
Shame on you! You just sicken me…For your article on the Vick return and your continued desire to “stir the pot” to create a racial divide between the Falcons fans and Vick supporters and animal rights activists and everyone else that you can potentially pit against each other to get some attention to your stupid, little column…Did you get enough “hits” today?

When things get dead on your AJC version of the world, you feel the need to stir things up…at the expense of the Atlantans who might be clicking on your ridiculous version of the sports world.

Let me ask you this, Jeff Schultz, do you purchase season tickets each year for the Falcons? I do! And I’m not talking about your press pass “pansy/let me look at the players in their undershorts”…I’m talking about supporting the team…Vick, Ryan, whomever…are you one of us or are you stirring the pot to try to create a divide amongst the fans who come out week after week while you sit and write your column to incite hostility?!?

Jeff Schultz

November 30th, 2009
1:44 pm
James — Thousands of fans bought tickets to watch Vick, not the Falcons, and then sold them when he was gone. The numbers back that up.

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It doesn’t matter who plays QB for the falcons or eagles—Philly’s in playoff mode and will put a bad beatdown on the falcons this week—mark it down!

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I, For One, Could Give A Crap About M.Vick!! He Is Past His Prime, What Ever That Was & Is Now Looking For A Job In The Labor Pool!! Good Luck “Flick”!! Go Falcoons!!

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Amen Joe…. Here’s something to think about Vick fans…. There are Falcons fans who have forgiven michael vick. I in fact think his penalty was way too harsh… but, he’s no longer here…And I’ll will be pulling for the Falcons Sunday. Also, doesn’t Matt Ryan deserve a chance to succeed?

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I am a Die Hard Falcon Fan since #10 played for the Falcons. I was and still am a Michael Vick fan and wishes him well in what he does. But when he comes to play Atlanta he is just another player playing against my team. Will I Boo? NO! I will save my energy to CHEER the Falcons to victory. For all the VICK haters, Yall need prayer! Forgive, Forget and move on. Was it right what he did? NO! Was his punishment acceptable? H%LL NO! A man kills another man and is allowed to play in the NFL without going thru the steps of reinstatement. SAD!

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Honestly, I would wanna cheer and boo, he put the Falcons on the map, sold jerseys, was on the front of Madden. Took us to the NFC Championship game! And then he admits he didnt take his job seriously, saying he was the last one in and the first one out of the locker room. Fighting dogs, smoking herb while on probation, He actions showed he didnt care. I do hope he gets on track with his life. But things have changed. Atlanta should move on and appreciate what Vick did do. Its over now.

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I was riding on Marta when a women snapped at me and said she hopes Vick comes back and beats the Falcons. She was wearing a Falcons jersey. Can you explain this?

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It’s a racial issue if you want to believe it or not. Race is a the main factor here the things that have been said on these blogs since last year also contributed to this. If you think it’s not race you are out of your mind. Just like those tea parties they are having around the country havn’t seen a person of color at one of them. Our country is built on racism remember the civil war it wasn’t b/c of a small problem it was race. I feel bad that it is this way but I am a black male from the south lived here all my life. Race has always had something to do with the majority of things that happen in my life. I got over though that is just the way it is. I am not very fond of many anglo saxons just many of them are not fond of many blacks. Now that we know there is tension and it is not going anywhere lets just move on to the next thing living life to the fullest no matter what our race is.

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I love Vick either way it goes. I pray the falcons win the game, but i’m glad to see Vick back. I think it’s racial anyway, if it was a white dude that did the same thing it would’ve gotten swept under the rug. Plus it was only a DAMN dog. I love dogs true enough, but i don’t value them as much as a human life. I’m from the south and grew up watchin neighborhood dog fights, so have many of you. so yall need to stop being so judgmental. Let he without sin cast the first stone!!!

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I’ll be there and I will definitely cheer for Michael Vick. I cannot bring myself to wear his Eagles jersey because the Falcons need this win too badly. LOL.

Of course, Vick was COMPLETELY wrong for his involvement in dog fighting, but I believe in second chances and I am glad Vick is getting one.

GO FALCONS!!

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Funny how we’re so short on forgiveness (for some people) here in the good ole bible belt.

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Confused and Curious,

To answer your question, Aurthur Blank got what he paid for in Ryan. Lets not complain now.

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Hooray for Vick!!! He HOSED the franchise!!!

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Just like the mayoral race tomorrow, the polls will be racially divided! My vote would be to boo him.

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And #2….I’m befuddled by why people think that booing Vick necessarily entails having not forgiven him for what he did. Brett Favre got booed in Green Bay and he was with the Packers much longer than Vick was with Atlanta. PEOPLE BOO THE PLAYERS ON THE OTHER TEAM and they tend to boo them DOUBLE when they are formerly of the home team. It’s just called sports, it wouldn’t be treating Vick much differently than fans of any other team would treat him.

For the record, I’m not planning on booing Vick, I’m just befuddled at the idea of those who say they’re Falcons fans, yet want the Falcons to lose this game. The Patriots fans cheered Bledsoe when he returned in a Buffalo jersey, but they sure as hell didn’t suddenly become Buffalo Bills fans!

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Breakings News. Matt Ryan will not play Sunday. How unfortunate.

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@ At0wn fitted – I think some people like certain sports teams, some people like certain sports figures and some people like a combo of the two.

Now, I was taught that no one player is above any team (especially the home team), so my loyalty will always be with the Falcons regardless of record or who is on the squad. That said, I don’t think it is wrong to have an allegiance to a player. Some fans are like that and I think that is a choice a fan gets to make.

To each his own………..

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ATL Observer

Please show me on this blog where you see people write they hope that the Falcons Lose? I said that I am a Vick Fan. I don’t like the fact that Blank cut him. But It’s Blanks team and he can do whatever he wants. Now that Vick is back, lets not go anti Vick. Again, I said I am a Vick Fan. I also said that I am a Falcon fan. I said that I will be wearing the number 7 jersey. I also said that I will support Vick. I NEVER stated that I wanted the Falcons to lose though.

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Andy in Blairsville

Wouldn’t be ashame if the Falcons don’t win another game this season?

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@ This is Crap—- That is a great point, because I like Brett Favre, but if he played against the Falcons I want the Falcons to win! To just cheer for one player without a favorite team sounds like a women. Like my girlfriend who thinks Reggie Bush is cute but could care less about what team he played for.

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you people get on my nerves and atlanta wont be philly and want go to the playoffs and mike vick did miss up his career. But give me a break dog fighting if you like it or not is dog fighting and was nothing new and still isnt nothing new and as far as people saying he messed up the falcons please that team was mess up before that. Stop trying to say he wasnt a good qb when you vick haters know he was

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I had hoped Vick would come back and create more highlights, but it hasn’t happened. I’m sure he’ll be cheered and booed, but ultimately the only thing he’ll accomplish is warming a bench.

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I’m really sad now…. We’ll trade you Vick back to the Falcons if Chic-Fil-La agrees to open up their Phila. area locations on Sundays…. Deal?

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Get over it he has moved on why dont you writers move on it looks like you should be trying to figure out how you are going to get a win again this year which it does not look like you will. 6-10 and you are trying to see what MV7 is doing. He is happy just to have a life outside of prison and be able to be in the league. It is time to move on. Or is Sgt Schultz not trying to work again this week. This is getting old and tired.

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I still don’t understand all the hubbub about Vick. Shaub was the best QB the Falcons let get away since Favre.

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Vick would’ve been better off playing in the Canadian Football League or something. At least he could’ve worked on his game a lot more. He’s nothing more than a Freak-show here in Philly. What NFL team is going to take shot on this guy as their starter now? You reap what you sow as they say. But it’s still pretty sad to see.

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How was he treated badly buy your owner? He gave Vick a chance to come clean and MV7 whiffed big time. No?

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After reading many of the comments,it’s clear that most of you are worse than Michael Vick will ever be.What if your child did something wrong or committed a crime and no one would forgive him or her, or better yet, what if it was you, then how would you feel. It’s time to stop all the hating and give a human being as much love as you give these animals, who cannot even bring you a glass of water. What Mike did was wrong, and he has done his time.Do what fans normally does, choose a team (not a person) that you want to win, cheer them on and have fun! Just stop hating!! You don’t have to like someone, but you surely should show some respect! I love Michael Vick and wish him well. I think he has learned his lesson.

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ATL Observer,

I stand by my comments…..

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I hope Vick comes down to the Dome and Play very well. Not saying that they beat the Falcons because I am a Falcons fan. But I want him to come back to the Dome and show the Vick fans that he still has it, and can do it in any fashion.

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(sorry Eric, you clarified right before I clicked “Send.” Happily disregard!)

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I’ll be at the game with my #7 jersey—cheering on Michael Vick! He got hosed by the falcons.

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And that is “too bad.”

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Najeh…Najeh, Najeh…I don’t even know where to begin.

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truly, if this situation can be compared to a marriage, and therefore i would ask you,”would you forgive your spouse of such a violent act, and still forgive that person who lied to the feds, the fans, the league, and the media, about their involvement of such a violent act upon dogs, would you forgive your spouse for such an act?” I didn’t think you would. Michael Vick violated everyone in society with his actions. he cost the falcons dearly, in the millions. he cost arthur blank three seasons of salary cap hits in the millions, without his service. vick hadnt had a winning season in the NFL since 2004. Whats their to forgive. He got what he wanted, reinstatement. Philly signed him to dangle in front of teams for trade bait. everyone has an agenda, and mine is to not support michael vick anymore. the damage is done. he means nothing to me anymore. so, i would boo that guy every play, time he steps on the field.

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It’s funny that you said leave racial “overtones” out of this (if you meant racial put-downs, I wholeheartedly agree) since this whole story is colored by racial overtones. This is America and the South (with many remnants of Jim Crow still alive and well–we all should know–since the justice department at all levels does not dispute–that a black male is likely to be punished 3 to 10 times harsher than a white male–and, my opinion, is scrutinized and criticized 100x more (I am white but have a multi-racial family–and I see it all the time.) So, he has been punished for three of our wrongs–let’s forgive and forget and move on without any more negative scrutiny. We can now go back to praising what is good…

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“Give Vick a clipboard and make Kolb the second stringer” and
“From dogkiller to potential drive killer.” Ah, gotta love the City of Brotherly Love…

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It’s really sad that my people can’t see when they are being duped. Face it ATL, MV duped all of us. If you went to a car lot and paid full price for a brand new ride and then found after purchasing it, that it never worked the way that it should, kept giving you problems and then put you on the side of the road and you had to continue making payments. That’s how you should be thinking of MV. MV knows (just like all of you) that the U.S. has a history of being a racist country and unfortunately it hasn’t changed with the election of Obama (please stop saying that it has whoever’s saying it). He took YOUR MONEY and ran with it not caring if you spent your hard earned money to buy tickets to a game to see him. Any athlete or high profile person (no matter what race–look at Tiger this week–he doesn’t claim to be African American) is subject to scrutiny. He knew the job was dangerous when he took it and I’m certain that he knew that people would be watching him BECAUSE he’s a black quarterback. Sorry, gotta be smarter if you know the deck is stacked against you…If I were at the game, I would definitely be booing…

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It’s amazing to me the number of people that post here that just react to other people’s comments and have no opinion or comment of their own. I’m still trying to figure out why the Eagles are paying M. Vick($1.5M??) for “cameo” appearances. Maybe a tax deduction??

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simple buddy. 1. The ufl was willing to offer him this much and goodell begged philly to not allow mv7 to help the rival league.

2. Mcnabb is injury prone and kevin kolb had never started an nfl game before this season. Vick was merely an insurance policy, remember he has a winning record in the nfl and was a 3 time probowl qb.

The eagles could potentially get a second round pick for him next year.

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“I hope they get five first round picks for Vick, but he sucks and they won’t.”

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I like Vick and will cheer for him.

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As a season ticket holder and a die hard falcons fan..I will be a little saddened by seeing Vick in another uniform. His coming to the Falcons was the start of me getting season tickets. Yes I like dogs, but don’t own any. Have two cats so I do like/own animals. The reason I am sad is that a young man wealthy beyond his years did not have the proper mentoring to get beyond this behavior and because of this he lost most of his money, fame and wasted a couple of years that could have gone into refining his talent. Yes I will wear my Mike Vick jersey and I will let the booing go to those who feel justified in doing so..I will wear my Atlanta Vick Jersey to show my pride of what once was…what could have been…if not for some careless mistakes from a young man. From me will really be a moment of remembrance and silence….

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An Observation-

I understand what you are coming from. Warrick Dunn continues to do a lot here in Atlanta and in other cities.

But here’s where I make the departure. Selling football tickets actually did much more for the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia than any charitable contribution. See, taxes are the key, here. Plus, revenues from the Georgia Dome is another- which was huge during Vick’s tenure. The Falcons are valuated much lower now than when Vick was QB so there is a drop in revenue going to the city and state as a result.

The Georgia Dome is owned and operated by the State of Georgia, along with the Georgia World Congress Center. A full Dome is revenue not only for the Falcons, but also for the city and state.

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[...] Except for this 34-yard run against Chicago, Michael Vick has been a non-factor for Eagles. Well, I will agree with him to this point. He will get a reaction. When Vick was at the top of his game, he united this city more than any other athlete. …Read Original Story: Vick's return will illustrate division in Atlanta – Atlanta Journal C… [...]

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NCleve….I’m with ya.

We are amazingly hypocritical in this country.

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Vick blew his chance here. What a fool…Not a race thing here just the way he tried to do the Pete Rose and Barry Bonds gameplan and think he was above the law. What would happen to regular Joe if he did this? People wants to make this a race or O.J. issue.. Let the fools cheer him,just not from this house.

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Michael who???????

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Vick’s a ladies man! The ladies love the smooth QB with the moves baby!! Vick’s got hot women in every NFL season waiting for him.

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To – Proud Black Man

Many thanks for your comments. I too, being a Black man and Falcons season ticket holder for many years, am tired of the AJC sportswriters’ continued focus on Vick and flaming the racial divide in Atlanta that is hyped by these articles by Schultz. He’s been doing it all year.

I’ve been attending Falcons’ games from the Fulton County Staduim days and the Falcons have always hired Black players in key positions prior to Vick being drafted. I just wish people would get real and open their eyes and see something other than skin color….Michael Vick has two children by a woman that he’s still calling his fiancee. He is NOT NOR NEVER EVER BEEN A LEGITIMATE BLACK MALE ROLE MODEL SHOWCASING HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN AMERICA so please quit trying to utilize that one as a strategy.

It is true that there are SOME Black people who still hold Michael Vick in high regard (as stated by NEWsouth) but what he failed to also mention is that there are SOME Black people who don’t. The comments would lead one to believe that ALL BLACK PEOPLE IN ATLANTA wholeheartedly support Vick….that is simply not true.

In Vick’s own words today about his Newport News speech to a middle school..”He said the kids asked some tough questions, including why Vick didn’t acknowledge his wrongdoing and express remorse until after it was clear he could no longer hide the truth. Bartlett said Vick admitted that he thought he could get away with it because he was wealthy…” Sound familiar???? I for one, did not and will not drink the kool-aid this time.

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Im an Eagles fan. ,I am black. I was a huge fan of Vick at Tech and I liked him with the Falcons. I supported his return to the league. But I had very mixed feelings about him becoming an Eagle. Unnecessary distraction and we had bigger needs (linebacker, RB).

I am ready for the Eagles to move on without Vick in their future. The one thing he could do well, he doesnt do well any more. He cant read a defense to save his life (we have enough with McNabb’s untimely struggles in big games)

But now he complains about being in the wildcat (what backup have you EVER seen get 2-3 snaps a game no matter what), drinks in public after being in scrutiny, and now boasts about still having fans in Atlanta when he cant even read a defense?

I cant see him starting anywhere next season (if playing at all), and if he does play, its gonna be for less than the Eagles gave him. He still has his azz on his shoulders if you ask me.

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Opinions are like butts we all have one. with that said why boo the man who not only admitted to what he did but spent time behind bars for it so give him a break. To continue to throw stones is pointless one is perfect. boo or cheer its totally up to you but remember there have to be some things in your past or present that you are not proud of how would you feel if no matter what you do people will choose to treat you like a crab in a barrel? I do believe its about race black and white athletes are not treated the same, and black and white people are not treated the same by the justice system. My question is how did vick destroy the franchise and the city MWoodring? When there is a serial killer on the loose killing officers, who is really destroying the city? the man did his time so get off his back what happened to if you didn’t have anything good to say to just be quiet???

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soooooo proud black man have you ever made a mistake. if vick was not a athlete no one would have ever known about what he did, do i agree with what he did no, but i do feel that people are allowed to make mistakes, and that does mean that you are less of a hard working husband of father that man has a fmily just like you i;m sure you have skeletons in your closet just like everyone else does that make you less of a proud black man? no it shows that you are not perfect no one is. he paid his debt to society shouldn’t he be given a chance?. is that not what all you strong black men preach about?????

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“Man I cannot wait for this game. I really believe he’s going to get a positive reception overall….he took this franchise to heights that it has never known.”

Woah….that’s news to me. I thought Chris Chandler and Dan Reeves to this franchise to heights that it has never known. Oh wait – they only got to the Super Bowl. Man, I forgot MV’s Super Bowl win. Mea Culpa!!!!!

Actually, I liked Vick very much before the incidents with the dogs, though I thought there were some things he did which were classless (flipping fans off, etc.).

That being said, he was an exciting player. Does he have a chance to regain his stature as a player? Maybe – but the Falcons organization did exactly the right thing to go in a different direction.

The first paragraph – a quote from an earlier reply to this blog – says it all. There are some who are unable – or unwilling – to look at the facts. They either rip Vick to sherds, or as in this case, MV is the second coming.

Myself? I’ll watch the game, hoping the 2009 edition of the Atlanta Falcons win, and will not cheer or boo Vick. He deserves a second chance, it’s time to move on, and he isn’t an Atlanta Falcon anymore. Well, nuff said.

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I’m so glad that the people who are so judgemental of Vick never had to pay the ultimate price for their mistakes, crimes, and sins. It must be nice to be perfect and sit in the seat of judgement. Never to be exposed for the world to see. This type of attitude has cost this country so much and some people won’t be happy until we are all destroyed by it. There was a crime committed and a sentence served. I guess some people won’t be happy until Vick’s life is ruined and then you will be happy? Why? I’m not celebrating his faults. I instead choose to celebrate his extraordinary talent for doing what it takes to make a touchdown. I mean it is FOOTBALL. I hope he has learned from his mistakes. I believe he might before some of the critics will learn from their mistakes because they are too busy magnifying others’ mistakes. Who has not sin, cast the first stone. With that said GO FALCONS!

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Vick’s actually their third string QB. But I could care less about Vick, I worry about McNabb. And as for who will boo and who will cheer, most of the black fans will cheer and most of the white fans will boo. Black people will defend their guys to the end while white people could care less and if a guy is a criminal he’s a criminal.

I’ll put it this way if Vick played for the Braves or Thrashers and then left he would get his ass booed hard when he came back to Atlanta. Ask Tom Glavine and Dany Heatley how the fans react when they feel you turned your back on them. You get booed. Dave Chapelle said it best Michael Jackson, R. Kelly those guys are innocent. Baretta? That guy killed that chick. Black celebrities get a break in the black community while white’s don’t.

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How did he destroy the franchise? How can you ask that with a straight face? For starters the void at the most impotant position on the field. The millions against the salary cap for years to come limiting the teams ability to pay draft picks and/or free agents. The huge bonus money that was paid and never earned is also a dent in the teams wallet. The division in the locker room by his actions was another parting gift. The people stating that Mr. Blank has wronged Vick in some way should put the crack pipe down and coast back down to reality.

Booing a team or a player is as American as apple pie and it happens all of the time. The first game back in the superdome after katrina I was there. New Orleans fans booed Vick, are they racist hell they booed a Pop Warner team from Atlnata that spent the weekend cleaning up parks in the city. It is what happens in real stadiums across the country and it should happen here.

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This is only a continuing issue because Jeff Schultz and the other AJC sports writers are not willing to let it go. So what…Michael Vick is coming to town with the Philadelphia Eagles football team on Sunday. Vick is hardly utilized by the Eagles so why is this even being touted as being a major story by an AJC sports writer.

Must really be a slow day for sports news in the ATL. I could even come up with more interesting stories to write about the Falcons today other than this Vick rehashed news.

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Without Mike Vick the Atl Falcons would be an afterthought. Don’t front people the kid made the Falcons watchable. That being said I’m a home team fan first, but I’ll still want the kid to do well….

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I love Vick and will cheer for him no matter what team he play for!!! Someone alluded to race earlier. That is sick! Animals, many of you loves animals more than humans, that is sicker!!! Vick admitted his wrong, but he should never have paid the price he paid. But, it is over, I love him, support him and as a season ticket holder (because of him) I will cheer for him and Philly because I have always been a Philly fan. By the way I am a native Atlantan! Go Eagles!!!!!!!!

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Bought my Ticket just to see VICK!!! Falcons arnt much to watch this year besides Turner and White…Ryan is overhyped cause hes all we have here in Atlanta…nothing like what Vick brung to the city …What he did for this city was great when the Falcons was the after thought ….VICK was the falcons and after this year when the Falcons dont make the playoffs again im sure Ryan will be on his way out 2…But I will cheer …he did his time and hes back and im sure once he finds his place in this leauge he’ll make his mark!! “they love you when you are winning,Hate you when you are losing ” nice quate and thats all to it!

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Get a life…..Vick will show no emotion..all your boo’s will be wasted, and only the USA will see the useless noise Atlanta fans still continue to make..just enjoy the game. Let it go..Vick is not running for President.

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And I will be cheering Vick at the GA Dome with his old Jersey on against my home team. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, and Vick is no different.

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You without SIN cast the first stone. Everyone has made mistakes and taken risks that could have caused them or some harm before they matured. Vick made a huge mistake and he has paid for it. He should be allowed to continue working so he can take care of his family. Most people hate on him because his job pays millions. Its funny no one fused or complained when our hockey player killed his team mate because he was driving drunk which is also against the law. I value both human and animal lives but I put more value on a human’s life than an animal but the punishment seems to have been more for an animal’s life than a human’s life. Someone please explain that!!!!!!!

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Dear Elin,
Leave Tiger and marry me. With the alimony we can get a new double-wide
and move to Alabama. I’ll even get my teeth fixed. I’ll sang to you every night.
Love, Mudfish Elrod

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I’ll tell you how I’ll react when Ron Mexico arrives – i’m going to hide my daughter AND my dog… I wouldn’t want him to infect one and kill the other

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The most important thing is for the Falcons to crush the Eagles. I am a fan of Vick’s play but the way he did the Falcons sucked. Luckily for me, I’m an adult so his personal problems are irrelevant to me. I’ll clap for him if/when he goes on the field. However, I am a Falcons fan, forever and always and we need this win BADLY! GO FALCONS!!!

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Vick has learned his lesson, why haven’t the people who keep on digging holes for the man. Have you ever made a mistake?

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Oops, my bad. I forgot about Jenkins. After dropping potential TD catches in previous games, he played very well against the Bucks. Way to rebound, Jenkins!

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It’s my city bitches!

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Even before the dog fighting issue, Mike Vick was going downhill. Yes, still a runner, but passing in the NFL is what a QB is about, and Vick was one of the worst. Decisions would have been made to have moved him on eventually, probably by now he would have been traded anyway. Vick doesn’t own this town, he owns a small percentage of those who are too stupid and think only about race to see Mike Vick for what he was and is. A self centered, only thinking about himself, don’t care about others mentality that let this team, this city and his race DOWN. Go ahead and keep supporting him, it only makes you look silly. I am all for forgive and forget, but the fact remains, he IS NOT a Falcon, HE DID NOT care about you while standing on the sidelines thinking about his dog fighting that would occur that night, and he could care less about you.

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Why is there so much hate. I am not a sports fan but. But one thing I have noticed over the years is how Atlanta fans will turn on players and teams. Personally I like Vick. I think he did his time, learned his lesson and will do great. What concerns me is the hockey player who drove drunk, sped and killed his passenger and never did a day. As the kids say whatsup with that. Atlanta is such a hateful and mean spirited city in all that it does.

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Justine, I totally agree with you and Danny Heatley was at least purged from the Trashers roster. The issue totally breaks down to a racial issue in this city. African Americans think that white people hate them no matter what and white people think that African Americans are always going to defend their race, no matter what. Case in point is the Mayors race in Atlanta today. Watch the vote. Remember one thing, with the USA African American population being only 12.8%, Obama would have never been elected President without white support. I thought this was possibly a turning point, but it wasn’t. The issue will continue to be hate, not because of race, but the interpetation of how people feel towards each other and the opinions.

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People in this city are so funny. They act like Mike Vick didn’t break the law. Well whether it is dogs, etc…he broke the law, period. He isn’t the only athlete to go to jail. You speak of he did his time and forget about it, what about Pete Rose? Do you feel the same. One of the greatest baseball players of all time. He did his time and is barred for life from the Baseball Hall of Fame? Shouldn’t he be forgiven? Surely Mike Vick couldn’t even hold a candle to the punishment or the career of a Pete Rose. He didn’t harm anything for his crime either like shooting a defenseless animal. I was there at the Ga. Dome when Deion Sanders returned with San. Fran to play the Falcons. One of the best if not the best cover men in the NFL, return man etc…He was booed out of the Dome. Why? Because he chose to go to another team. Society didn’t do this to Vick. He did it to himself. He allowed it to happen and why, because he liked it. Speaking of which, Pacman Jones was NEVER convicted on any crime and was suspended from the league for a year. Vick was convicted, or confessed and served time and was never suspended. You can’t be suspended if you CAN’T play because you are in jail. He hasn’t done anything to help the Eagles, but I believe he got a break others haven’t.

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You guys hate vick but love chris brown….fall off your high horse
ATL isn’t the place to look for people with good morals and sense anyway.

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Vick – the guy is the worst pro QB I’ve ever seen. He’s a fish out of water trying to play that position because he’s too short and too stupid. He needs to be a RB, a WR, or a DB. Or just a kick returner maybe. But QB? That’s just laughable. Even more laughable are his Atlanta fans who defend his criminal activities precisely because he is black and they blame his problems on the (white) Man. Vick and his supporters can all go jump in the lake.

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I’ll stand up and cheer, and not because of how I felt when he was a Falcon. I never thought he was the savior of the franchise, nor did I think he was anywhere near the best quarterback in the NFL. However, I respect him for serving his time, admitting his mistakes (whether genuine or not), and trying to right his wrongs. He has made it back to the league, and for that I respect him.

To me, this is similar to Josh Hamilton’s drug addiction. While drugs and dog fighting are NOT the same thing, nor are they even in the same realm, both players were able to overcome their problems and make returns to the sports where they were considered stars. Now, Hamilton is a hero to young children who are Texas Rangers fans. Similarly, Vick was punished by the penal system and did his time. I think it is time for the Vick haters to come to terms with the fact that he did everything he was ordered to do and it is time for the Vick lovers to understand that he made his grave.

If you liked Vick when he was a Falcon but didn’t care for the Falcons as a team, I’m sure the Eagles will definitely sell you a Michael Vick jersey. Obviously the Falcons were never your team, and I’m sure they’re happy where they are now.

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Go Vick! Looking forward to seeing Vick back in the Georgia Dome! Go Vick… I am wearing my # 7 on Sunday.

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EVERY BODY TALKING ABOUT WHAT VICK DID HE DID IT AND IT OVER WITH HE DESERVE TO MAKE LIVING NO MATTER WHAT BUT THINK ABOUT THIS RICKEY WILLIAMS HE WAS DOING DRUGS AND EVERYTHING BUT MIAMI WAS SMART THEY GOT HIM SOME HELP NOW LOOK AT HIM DOING A VERY GOOD JOB THIS YEAR SO THAT THE SAME THING OWNER BLANK COULD HAVE DONE BUT THEY REALLY WANTED MAT RAYN TO HAVE THAT SPOT MORE POWER TO THEM THEY BETTER HOPE HE DONT PLAY

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GO Vick GO…I love my Falcons but I have to say Vick join are Fans together. I’m kind of sick of everyone trying to make it seem like this man is a real criminal…its some DOGS…Human life is way more important. A dog can’t pay my bills or buy my season tickets to the Falcons game. I will be cheering for my Falcons, cheering for Vick, and BOOING them Eagles.

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Vick is still the Star. Can’t wait to see him dominate the game once again. Go Vick.

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Part of what makes pro football entertaining is the vibe of the fan base. Look how the Saints are loved by their city. Will Vick’s return illustrate division in Atlanta? I wish the guy the best, but at this point I would rather see the Atlanta fans rally around the team, not Vick. And what if he has a break out game? Will that create even more division in Atlanta?

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Vick plays for the Eagles, we need to beat the Eagles, plain & simply. Vick can’t divide the city, it’s just personal opinion. If Vick divides the city, then the city is divided today as we have a mayor’s election going on today… that divide is more important, but in the end, that’s just opinion too!

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Mike Vick is da best QB football has ever seen! The Eagles are juss waiten ta bust him out on da Falcons. He’s gonna be da startin QB da rest of da way for Philly and win em a Supah-Bowl!!!!

MV7 won *2 Supah-Bowls* with da Falcons!!! Matt Ryan has nevah even been to da playoffs! What a chump. Arthur Blank wants Vicky back sooooooooooooooooo bad!

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I am a Falcon Fan and a Michael Vick Fan. Vick will forever be loved by Atlanta’s TRUE FALCONS FANS…… I will be wearing number 7 Vick Jersey cheering him on to perform well. However; I still want the Falcons to win.

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Forgive & Forget Hot-lanta – my hometown – city to busy to hate or have y’all forgotten?
We serve a God of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc chances.
Boo away all you haters…God & the whole rest of the world LOVES redeemed sinners!
Welcome back Micheal Vick…Atlanta loves ya baby…those haters are a bunch of “damn yankees” anyway (”yankees” visit – go back home, “damn yankees” come here &(shudder)STAY!

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@MV7-LOVAH… HOLD YOUR COMMENTS! THE FALCONS HAVE NEVER WON A SUPER BOWL! AND MATT RYAN TOOK THE FALCONS TO THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR! DUNCE!!!

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AnOpinion,

You know you are speaking and writing Bull Sh%$ right? Truly you don’t believe what you are writing. Right? If you do, then you are thinking straight. I agree what Michael Vick has done was wrong, but what Michael Vick did had absolutely nothing to do with the Atlanta Falcons. He lied about it yes. He lied to Blank yes. Blank is not God nor his father. For you to say Vick jeopardize or embarrass the Atlanta Falcons Franchise because of what he did in on his personal time and in his personal life is simply a bogus statement and pure Bull Sh%$. True Falcons were still paying and attending the games. Not because of what Vick has done, but because they were true fans. The main people that were in the news ranting and raving was PETA and everyone knows those people are right wing extremist when it comes to animals. They may put you on the news for killing a chicken and having it for dinner. You may have had a few people outside of PETA that had somethings to say, but again the true Falcons still came and attended the games. Those people and PETA that were complaining, I bet neither of them were season ticket holders, and in Blanks Business, that is what counts. The Atlanta Falcons problems certainly was not a Vick Fault. They were a lot more problems outside of the Vick Fiasco. You had Head Coach that Lied, and left to Coach somewhere else, you had players that were not playing up to potential, and a lot of other things. So don’t put that entire Falcons Saga on Vick.

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Again as I am a Falcons fan, I will support my Falcons. But when Vick run on that field, I will one of thousands in attendance that will be standing giving him an ovation, and welcoming him back home. Oh I will be wearing the number 7 Vick Jersey.

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I am a Fan of Mike Vick and will cheer for him. I am also a dog lover. This man has served his time I mean what more do you want him to do? People are robbing, stealing, killing and would not get this type of treatment; only a pat on the hand. Children are being raped… not this much attention. No protesting, no nothing. We have more important issues to worry about!!! Come on people what happen to forgiveness.

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andrea,

Don’t worry. The Loud Ovation will definitely out sound the Boos when Vick comes on the field. I will assure you.

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I agree with those that say there will be more fights than ovation in the Dome. Glad I’m in a
Suite. Word to the wise….if you are a falcons fan that has nothing but negativity for Vick and black people in general…save yourself an azz whippin, keep it to yourself and enjoy the game. Get all your emotions out on here if you need to. You’ll be a lot better off.

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I will cheer him but it will be divided among racial lines, the african-americans will cheer him because of there love for him, and the white folks will boo him because of there love for dogs.

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CL-Probably the comment that made the most sense on this chat. Does one walk thru metal detectors when entering the dome????? $hit is definitely going to pop off come Sunday. I will not be there…on purpose

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Okay, just one more oldie but goodie, since MV7 will be here this weekend and then we won’t have to talk about him anymore. (Yeah, right.)

Some people call me the space cowboy

Some call me a gangsta or thug

Some people call me “Con-Vick”

‘Cause I can beat any Pekinese or Pug

Fans keep bloggin’ about me baby

Say I can’t do anything wrong, anything wrong

But don’t you worry baby no, don’t worry

Cause’ I’m right here on the sideline where I belong

Cause’ I’m a loser, not a winner

I’m NOT a passer – I’m just a sprinter

I gain my yardage on the run

I’m a toker

I’m mediocre

I’m a clipboard holder

I’m third – McNabb is number one

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30-24

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BOOOOO! In his case…you can take the Boy out of the Ghetto…but you can’t take the Ghetto out of the Boy.

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Mike Vick 4 life Mattie Ice 4 never

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Vick serve his time….I don’t agree with what he did but if the league can forgive him and make money off his name then so should we. We all don’t have to agree but you will respect the man. I will be cheering for VICK ………..Welcome HOME MICHAEL!!!!!

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To All Atlantans! Get a life! You all are traders and haters! Don’t hate the man (Vick) for making an honest mistake. Hell, look at your lying governor. His country behind lies everyday but do we condemn him…no! So why do so for someone who generated millions in revenue for the City/State. Yes he is returning and I will be cheering joyfully. In addition, I hope “he” single handly beat the Falcons feather duster. So get a life and get over this madness.

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Ken,

You really spoke the truth. Please share that with the truth…

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I’m not cheering for this con-VICK…he shot US (all of us a bird!!!!)….no love to this chump….

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Mike was politically “made an example of” by federal law authorities…not a single federal dogfighting case publically prosecuted since…ssooo…you tellin’ me that arresting, convicting and making MV “serve time” for the “horrific crime” (when law enforncement can’t seem to find, murderers, rapists, “jihadists” in our own military ranks, etc.,) has “solved” or eliminated dogfighting…I’ve felt badly for him from the beginning…sorry…only thing MV was really guilty of was not being smart enough to not get caught and haggin’ around “morally weak” people who did not positively influence him to make better choices and decisions…I wish him only the best in his personal and professional life endeavors!! I would definitely stand and applaud…PETA notwithstanding…b/t/w…given enough time and federal resources, bet we could find some “skeletons” in their closets too!

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You can’t get to heaven holding grudges. No matter how good or what a person does great for the city or people in general. Some people will never be satisified and will always complain. Those are the ones we have to continue to pray for and hope they lighten up and realize life is too short to always look at someones fault, instead seek the positive and you too will one day be a shining star. Michael Vick is and will always be a great person who happens to be a pro-athlete!

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Lets be positive Mike Hunt, dont say things u may regret later.

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That was positive. I’m also positive that the ajc writers love to stir the pot to generate controversy. They can’t do much else.

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“It’s going to be a standing ovation”…another example of Vick’s megalomania. He hasn’t learned a thing and I hope he gets taken out with the trash.

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viva Redman!!!

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Don’t like Vick…sorry azz…he had many of mine and UGA VII’s friends in VA killed for no reason…If I were to see him, I’d bite him in the dnutz!

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I accepted long ago that black and white people in general (there are always exceptions) will see things differently…….just like men and women tend to see things differently (again, there are always exceptions).

Still, I feel that there is greater diversity in how white people think……as opposed to blacks. Blacks tend to be unanimous in how they look at things. From O.J. to Michael Vick…….most blacks support them…….while the majority of whites feel O.J. was guilty of murder and Vick got what he deserved.

Look at the past Presidential election: 97% of blacks voted for Obama while 43% of whites voted for Obama. Even though McCain won the white vote…….he didnt win it by nearly as much as Obama won the black vote.

Ironically, I can understand why blacks tend to be blind in their support of fellow blacks. Look at Marion Barry, former Mayor of Washington D.C. Dude was caught ON CAMERA smoking crack, and still as able to win the mayor’s election.

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PullNoPunches………your 6:57pm posting, particularly about white Americans not liking Vick because he is a black quarterback, shows your ignorance. I think that white fans of the Atlanta were harsh on Vick, not because he was black, but because he basically wasted his natural athletic ability way before the dog fighting thing came up.

Vick has never had a great work ethic. I’m not talking about physical work ethic. I’m talking about the classroom and studying part of being an NFL quarterback. It is no secret that of all the positions in professional sports, being an NFL quarterback is the one position that one cant just get by on with just athletic ability. Because of the complexities of NFL defenses, and numerous offensive formations that a quarterback has to learn……intelligence and work ethic are just as importance as athletic ability.

I’m not saying that black quarterbacks cant learn and run a complex NFL offense. I’m saying that as more and more blacks play the quarterback position in the high school and college level………they will have less time to socialize and “be cool” than their fellow teammates. Successful NFL quarterbacks pretty much eat and breath football. They spend hours and hours in the film room and are receptive to being coached during non-practice hours.

Sure Vince Young has had a good 5 game run in Tennessee. However, part of his troubles last year was his lack of work ethic…….just like JaMarcus Russell has been criticized for his lazy approach in Oakland.

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these comments are absolutely ridiculous….

vick was an exciting player who helped elevate our program, but he was on the decline( 8-8, 7-9) in his last two seasons. He committed a crime, did his time, and deserves a second chance just like everyone else in our great country. Blank decided to go a different direction and released him as opposed to tanking more seasons just to see if he could come back and play at a competitive level(which he hasnt been, self admittedly), by doing this he cleared cap room.

as for the game sunday, i will be cheering for the falcons.. I will not boo vick..i will boo the eagles because i loath them. this is a game. dont make more out of it than it is.

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I never liked the Falcons until Vick came along. They have never been a winner and probably will never be. They have the same mentality of the Falcon’s founding fathers in that they are little time wanting to be big time. Lets see what tomorrow will bring.

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Bounty on Vick
http://www.smackmyvickup.com

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Vick is a thug and should not be allowed in the NFL.He did not just kill dogs, he tortured them.
I don’t watch any NBA because most are thugs with criminal records.
I have about reached same conclusion of NFL.
Baseball is a drug school. None of the above matters.
It’s the money $$$$$$$.Always has been always will be!

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Atlanta loves Vick! He was the best thing they had going and those that are bitter are bitter because he was their only hope! I’ll be welcoming him back to the city abd unfortunately praying for a victory over our subpar Falcons!

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I applaud you Mike. Welcome backto the ATL. I can still hear it…………”GO MIKE VICK”

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Madoff stole millions of dollars from PEOPLE!!!!! Vick killed DOGS!!!!

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Vick is right when he says he’ll get a reaction from the Atlanta fans. What kinda of reaction he’ll get depends on the person and his or her view of the Mike Vick saga. As a Falcon fan, I will cheer for the ATL but I will not cheer for Vick, for he is no longer a member of the Atlanta Falcons. When Brett Favre came back to Green Bay as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, Packer fans booed him lustfully. Why did Packer fans boo Brett Favre? Because he joined a rival team in the Vikings and Mike Vick has joined the Phila Eagles a team the ATL is competing with for a playoff spot. Remember the 60 Minutes interview with James Brown on CBS? He admitted to not giving his all in games and in preparation for upcoming games. People who cheer for him Sunday are cheering for a glorified backup QB and nothing more. It’s time for the city of Atlanta to move on and embrace Matt Ryan as the face of the Falcons move on ATLANTA, move on.

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I wonder if Vick was in Athens two weeks ago. That might explain UGA VII’s untimely demise..

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It amazes me how people will get up in arms about certain crimes. People are ready to say he is so bad. But where is the outrage for Roman Planski who RAPED AND SODOMIZED a 13 year old girl. Once Switzerland caught him the U.S. should have been there the next day to pick him up and bring him to trial. In the Mike Vick case there were digging up his yard and making deals with his co-defandants as soon as they could. I will always say what he did was wrong but I don’t think it was bad as some crimes out there. He should have been handed down a stiff fine and probation. People steal and get less time than he did. I hope he gets on a team that will let him be a starting QB. I just want to say I believe if this had been Peyton Manning, it would not have gotten has big. I am a big Peyton fan cheer for him every Sunday, but I believe this to be true. As far as the cheering even though the circumsatances are different fans still cheered when Tim Glavine came back to play against the Braves. Fans cheered when Dominque Wilkins played against the Hawks. I believe you can have your cake and eat it too. I am Falcons fan first and would love for them to win their next five games but also root for Michael Vick. He brought a lot of excitement to pro football and the town. I wish both he and the Falcolns well.

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I was never a Falcon fan.. I could only stand them because of Vick… and Deion at one time.. now they are both gone… but once a Cowboy fan… always a Cowboy fan… Texan… lost in ATLANTA… lol…

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Let’s face it – the white racists that make up the vast majority of Falcons fans hate Michael Vick.

They supposedly love dogs, yet are perfectly fine with our military killing innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan by the boatload.

Expect a roar of boos for one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.

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To mee Vick is an idiot. He had fame, money & a city that loved him for making the football team relevant again and he blew it. I don’t think he is sincere in his apologies and it annoys he kept his signing bonus when he clearly didn’t earn it. I hope he is booed and ashamed of what he did but I doubt he will be that bothered

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Y’all kids just need to love your animals, you know?

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By his own admission, he was the last to show up to practice, first to leave and never put in the work ethic needed to be a QB in the NFL.

While someone in this blog suggested “he made an honest mistake” with his dog fighting…he also lied to his employer and the league till his “boys” Ookie and whatever turned on him. He didn’t make an honest mistake and apologize, he grabbed dogs by their necks and slammed them into the ground, drowned them till they quit moving, or electrocuted them because they wouldn’t kill other dogs to his standards. This was all during the time he was all these people’s hero was doing these amazing things while leading us to 8-8 seasons.

Mike has let you know how he felt about the fans in Atlanta.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-Oha_7alHJ8/RlUOXvSxx_I/AAAAAAAAAH4/vnkspcrqXgo/s320/Michael-Vick-Finger.jpg

Ahh…just an honest mistake.

Anyone her remember the 07 season? Starting Joey Harrington? Byron Leftwich? I have season tickets and I paid for two seats for every game that season. Why was that season so crappy? Because Mike Vick was a lying, piece of trash felon. Y’all have fun cheering on the man that says he didn’t work hard at his job when he was here, flicked you off and did everything in his power to lie to you instead of being a man. Ahh…the good ol days.

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Ain’t it funny?? A man does wrong, he gets tried and convicted, serves his time, gets another opportunity to play (with the hopes that he has rehabilitated himself), and then he gets crap for receiving another opportunity??!! C’mon, man.

Those Atlantans who will boo – Face it. they’re going to boo anyway. They will will boo the falcons for bad play calling. Poor play. Inexplicable gaffes by the defense and offense. Hmmm… haven’t Falcons fans done that for years?? They did it when Vick WAS here. They’re doing it now with Ryan, Turner, White, Abraham, Jenkins, and Norwood. The difference here is that Ryan has weapons,Vick did not. Ryan has a coach that genuinely is interested in the development of the game and connects with his players and the overall appraoch to the game. Further, Mr. Blank is farther out of the way (no sidelines shows of affection). The Falcons are evolving.

Just like Michael Vick. I’d like to think of it as a growth process for a kid that was handed the world. Yes, he electrified the dome with his play. I often wondered what it would be like if he had other players with his heart and talent on the team. As I recall, we cheered him, and booed him for his play. He made mistakes. Big enough for him to be tried and convicted and serve time. He sullied himself. It AFFECTED the team. I see it as the tipping point for a team that was on the brink of disaster anyway. The Reeves, Petrino debacle was not Vick’s fault. The ineffective play of the offensive line was not Vick’s fault. The poor play on defense was not Vick’s fault. The blunders in the front office in player personnel decisions were not Vick’s fault. Yet, all the ills of the team and their collective failures became his burden. Ridiculous.

No one knew of his ill deeds until they surfaced from an arrest of his cousin. Then all the wrongdoing, his personal wrongdoing, unraveled publicly. And we stand in judgement of him. I think the Good Book says, “He who is without sin, let him casst the first stone…,” or words to that effect, and the media, PETA, the courts, fans, and the sports world as a whole, threw stones. Hard and fast and without mercy. The very ones who have had affairs, killed, dealt in drugs, cheated, lied, not only to their teams, but to the fans, and publicly, and yet we are here on this blog and around the table and bars (if there were any true bars in Atlanta), spewing hate about someone who served his time. Would any of you admit wrongdoing up front? Or only after you were caught. Like Vick did? How many of you sinless bloggers are into felonious activities now? I’m sure no one will admit that. Or do what we normally do behind our creative handles, in our robes, in front of our laptops or PC’s, lie and embellish.

This man has served his time. He was reinstated justly by the NFL Commisioner who sees the growth of a child into a man. A rebrandished commitment to the game and the recognition of his wrongs. Yet we continue to pound him.

Race is and will continue to be a factor in Atlanta. It always has been, and sadly, it will continue. All I need suggest is you read the entries on this or any other blog. Be it politics, parts of the city, our employment situations, economics, education, racial divides are unrelenting. And, as in this blog, the continued divider of a city that allegedly is too busy to hate.

C’mon, man.

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VICK will do just fine.THIS IS JUST ANOTHER GREAT BLACK NFL PLAYER THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HATE.I hope vick WIN THE GAME FOR HIS TEAM IN THE LAST 20 SECONDS.LETS SEE HOW THEY LIKE THAT.VICK will allways be the best player ATLANTA EVER HAD.

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Paul Lentz States:

I accepted long ago that black and white people in general (there are always exceptions) will see things differently…….just like men and women tend to see things differently (again, there are always exceptions).

Still, I feel that there is greater diversity in how white people think……as opposed to blacks. Blacks tend to be unanimous in how they look at things. From O.J. to Michael Vick…….most blacks support them…….while the majority of whites feel O.J. was guilty of murder and Vick got what he deserved.

Look at the past Presidential election: 97% of blacks voted for Obama while 43% of whites voted for Obama. Even though McCain won the white vote…….he didnt win it by nearly as much as Obama won the black vote.

Ironically, I can understand why blacks tend to be blind in their support of fellow blacks. Look at Marion Barry, former Mayor of Washington D.C. Dude was caught ON CAMERA smoking crack, and still as able to win the mayor’s election.

Greetings Paul Lentz,

AND YOU WONDER WHY????

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>>>the very ones who have had affairs, killed, dealt in drugs,
>>>cheated, lied, not only to their teams, but to the fans, and publicly,
>>>and yet…spewing hate about someone who served his time.

Why is it assumed that every Vick critic is hiding massive felonies of their own? Do we really live in a world where 98% of the population commits massive crimes and covers them up? It’s like you’re a friggin’ Scientologist accusing people of hiding their engrams. Maybe there are actual honorable citizens with nothing to hide who are also Vick critics. Did that ever cross your mind?

And again, ridiculous exaggerations from both sides of the argument: “Atlanta’s record was MUCH HIGHER with Vick here” or “Vick was just mediocre & things are better w/o him.” Guess what? Vick’s career winning %? .592. Matt Ryan’s? .592. % wise, their TD-INTs are similar. Look up some friggin’ #s before trying to make these arguments.

And also, as some have already pointed out, the dogfighting angle gets played as the ONLY factor but there are PLENTY of factors at play. Vick critics can deny there’s been racism towards Vick, but that’s hollow. Vick defenders will deny his lousy work ethic and how his actions adversely affected the team, that’s equally hollow. This is far more nuanced than most people from either side are comfortable admitting.

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URRGGGGH, sorry for another double-post!

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hopefully, some of the dogs that he terrorized will be brought to the game, to put in a small room with him. then, hopefully these same people would make vic wear a pork chop jock strap.

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Additionally, since when does booing Vick entail some sort of endorsement of “depriving him of his right to play?” I read that a lot in this thread.

No one’s booing because he was reinstated. That’s like saying Packers fans booed Favre because the league reinstated him.

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Oh and you people wishing injuries on Vick need your heads examined. STAT.

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DANG! People it was just a dog! I don’t see all yall protesting when the Asians are fighting fish! Last time that I checked fish are pets too just like Dogs. Who makes this pet hierachy anyway? and why is this pet(DOGS) better than the others? Answer that! NONETHELESS, GO Mike Vick. I wish you the best of luck.

GO FALCONS!

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Unforgivable?????
How many of you have cheated on your wives or girlfriends or spouse? Exactly!!!!! People are willing to still see the good in You, to “FORGIVE” irreparable harm you caused to another Human!!! To cheer you on when you endeavor new feats. Why can’t people forgive Vick or at least acknowledge that HE PAID HIS TIME. People SCREW UP. The coercive power of the State was used to Punish Vick’s Major Screw Up. Society’s retributive thirst must be satisfied at some point. LET THE MAN BE A SCREW UP and bold faced liar when CAUGHT Red handed, just like everyone posted here is or has been at some point no doubt. Awful what he did. Hate it for those dogs. But when he did his time, he stopped owing anyone anything. AND BUDDY calling Vick fans a fool, that in and of itself is foolish. Does putting others down always make you feel better. Pity.

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The Falcons will get pounded and thats all that matters. GO Eagles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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And to those of you have done no harm to anyone ever, (ATL observer) please give us all a break. And if you are honestly blameless,the point is not limited to what you yourself have done Angel Face Citizens. The point is that as for those you know personally who have made major mistakes in their lives, do you boo them everytime you see them?? Do you think they should be fed to dogs for being awful people at times???? Perhaps at first, yes, but forever??? Punishment for what Vick did must cease at some point. Why would you feel the need to boo a man who has already been to jail…for dog abuse, not rape, or murder of human beings???

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I was HUGE MV7 fan, I spent every week we lost explaining to haters why Mike Vick was the best thing that ever happened to the Falcons. But when he got in trouble I didn’t care so much about the abuse to the dogs(I don’t condone it) I cared about the abuse to the dirty birds. Blank was nothing but good to vick and vick let him down, yeah he made a lot of money for blank but Blank paid him a lot of money to be our real qb not some gimmick side show. I wanted to see vick play again but not in the NFC south, hell not even the NFC. cause I know how good he can be but i am a FALCONS FAN FIRST by far. and to those who are mad that the falcons moved on from vick your just dumb and i can’t have a serious conversation with that kind of skewed logic….. 3 more wins……..go Falcons

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Rob is mildly retarded with late onset autism.

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@ Psychologist, you didn’t read anything past my first few sentences, did you?

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we should forgive our brothers sins, espeacially if we want ours forgiving. Vick is human and happened to make a mistake like any othe human being. He’s like other players in the game, TRYING TO SURVIVE A CAREER IN SPORTS”. I wish hime well on sunday like all the other players in the game. good luck to all.

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Say Vick is a has been if you want. This will be one of the Falcon’s if not biggest selling games. So what does that tell you, the man is still a franchise player. Even those you claim to not like him will still be at this game. The rest of all this talking is just comedy!

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