Bradley’s Buzz: Michael Vick goes free, but to do what?
Is the Wildcat the wild card in Vick’s future?
As of today, Michael Vick will no longer be in federal custody. The obvious and much-debated question: What’s next? The non-answer: Nobody knows.
In Sporting News Today, Albert Breer breaks down the now-familiar issues and Vinny Iyer lists six NFL teams that might be willing to hire Vick. (San Francisco, Miami, Jacksonville, Washington, Oakland, Seattle.) Two weeks ago Sports Illustrated, in an article by L. Jon Wertheim and Jack McCallum, examined the bigger picture: Hasn’t Vick already paid a higher price than most erring athletes?
But a key question can only be answered by Vick: Is it more important for him to play quarterback as he once played quarterback or to play in the NFL? Because those aren’t necessarily the same things anymore.
Vick’s best chance to find quick NFL employment might be to agree to serve as a designated implementer of the Wildcat formation. (This assumes Roger Goodell clears Vick to play, which the guess here is that he will soon enough.) If nothing else, it would change the loaded dynamics for the team doing the hiring: The club could say, “We know all about Vick’s crimes and his reputation, but we didn’t sign him to be our No. 1 quarterback — he’s here to play a supporting role.”
The Vick I used to know — I haven’t talked with him in more than two years, as you might guess — would have rejected such a notion. He considered himself a pure, if stylized, quarterback. He vented to me in the locker room at Miami in 2005 after one of his finest passing performances, saying:
“I’m not just one thing. I can throw, and I can also run. I’ve got another way of beating you — is that my fault? … People forget I passed for almost 3,000 yards in ‘02 — I was 60 yards short [66, to be precise]. I’ve got in it me, man. But sometimes I come out and I’m not accurate, and that’s on me … People say I can’t throw the ball from the pocket. I’m not trying to prove anything to the world because I know what I can do. … I feel like I answered [the question] today, and I don’t ever want to hear it again.”
Loading ...Indeed, that summer Vick had been featured on cover of Sports Illustrated proclaiming: “I AM a quarterback.” And I understand how deeply this issues matters — or mattered — to him. But I’m wondering if a guy of tarnished reputation in search of a job can make demands. I’m wondering if the best course wouldn’t be to work his way back into the league gradually.
I’m thinking that, for Michael Vick’s next life, being a ‘Cat might be the logical next step. But maybe that’s just me.
Was J-Chill given the big chill by the Hawks?
Here’s a good story by Charles Odum — he’s based in Atlanta — of the Associated Press, in which Josh Childress claims the reason he’s headed back to play in Greece for Olympiakos was because the Hawks played “hardball” with him this summer and he ran out of time to make any sort of sign-and-trade deal with another NBA team. More Childress:
“The Hawks were definitely in my scope. I spent four years there. I’m familiar with the team and the organization. I’m familiar with the city. I still have a home there. I think it just came down to whether or not I felt like negotiations would move forward with them. I really didn’t, just being quite honest …
“I just think there needs to be some kind of agreement where both parties meet in the middle. This idea of hardball is kind of old. I’m not the type of guy that’s gonna bad mouth and do all the other things. I’ve kind of been the kind of guy who wants to move forward and get something done.”
Having said all that, Childress also said he’d be open to returning to the Hawks — they’ll still hold his rights next summer — for the 2010-11 season. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.
And speaking of basketball …
From Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com comes this post from the Peach Jam, a summer camp in Augusta, Ga. Goodman writes that guard Iman Shumpert had issues with Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt last season. “I thought I had all the answers,” Goodman quotes Shumpert as saying. “Last season definitely humbled me because I didn’t adapt to the college game.”
Also this: ““I changed [my free-throw routine to suit Tech's coaches], but I wasn’t happy about it. Coach Hewitt and I battled about stupid stuff.”
From Fran Fraschilla, an ESPN.com Insider, comes this about Shumpert (link requires registration): “If Georgia Tech turns it around, Shumpert will be the key reason why. He should make a huge leap from his freshman to sophomore season.”
The key reason? Maybe not. From Jeff Fox of Slam Online comes a look at the top 10 prospects for the 2010 NBA draft: No. 2 is Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech, behind only John Wall of Kentucky.
Tech hoops coach ignores Bradley!
It appears Paul Hewitt, surely through some oversight, has failed to bookmark this ol’ blog on his computer. According to esteemed former colleague Jeff D’Alessio, who’s now at Sporting News Today, Hewitt’s favorite bookmarks are: FoxSports.com, ESPN.com, SI.com and CNN.com. (Thanks to reader Tony Tate for the tip on this one.)
And now my tip to Mr. Hewitt: It’s http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/. You can even make it your home page!
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243 comments Add your comment
Mike Vick
July 20th, 2009
6:29 pm
Hey Arthur, man you can come by anytime. You still my dawg! And sorry about the wet spot on the couch. Earlier I was eating a sandwhich while watching shark week. It’s just mayo, man. LOL, I could tell as soon as you sat in it you was thinking something. I don’t know what it was, but you had a look as if you had just lost everything. I know the feeling yo!!
Matt Ryan Fan Club
July 20th, 2009
6:33 pm
http://www.talk-sports.net/ahl/sucks.aspx/Matt_Ryan
Matt Ryan
July 20th, 2009
6:42 pm
Hey dude my name is Matty;
Better than Vick, you must be smoking a fatty.
I’m so stupid I spent 5 years;
No playoff wins, I’m full of tears.
Not a winner, I am a joke;
In the clutch, I’m just a choke.
Art is mad but he doesn’t understand;
It takes more than blue eyes to fill the stands.
Mike Vick
July 20th, 2009
6:53 pm
Matty Freakin Ice!! Yo that white boy is rhyme tight. I ain’t even gonna lie, I can’t gets down like that. But check it out, if anybody got a lady and you wanna take her out for a romantic dinner. Holla at your boy. My vocals are something serious. I will straight lace a Bobby Brown track in a heartbeat. Won’t nobody be humping around but you!!
Najeh Davenpoop
July 20th, 2009
8:39 pm
“Not every QB with a so-called weak offensive line runs sideways and throws on the run. They read the defense and get a quick throw off. ”
If the offensive coordinator draws up a play that requires the QB to run sideways and throw, there’s not much the QB can do about it (especially when he’s inexplicably not allowed to audible). Vick wasn’t running bootlegs to get away from pressure; he was doing it because the play called for him to do so.
“You and Vick supporter make it sound like hes a great QB but he just can’t overcome oppressive coaching and bad o-lines. That is fanboy excuse making at its finest. And saying Ryan will only ever be “good” after he had the best rookie season in decades? Good Lord”"
Me and Vick Supporter are not the same person. I never said anything about Ryan, good or bad, in any of my posts on this topic. This article is about Vick, not about Ryan.
As for the O-line and the WRs, they suffered just as much during the Mora regime as Vick. Just like it’s impossible for a QB to set his feet and make accurate passes when he’s running sideways away from his O-line, it’s impossible for an O-line to block consistently when they have no idea where their QB is, and it’s a lot harder for a WR to consistently make catches when he has to think about when the ball is going to get to him. Knapp’s scheme made it tough for all of these people, not just Vick. The only player who benefited from Knapp’s scheme was Warrick Dunn, who got to run through wide open holes created by the threat of Vick running the bootleg.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 20th, 2009
8:53 pm
“Najeh,
What evidence can you offer when Mr. Goodell was unfair?”
Matt Jones is the most commonly cited example, which bleacher report talks about better than me, in addition to other examples listed on that page.
Fred
July 20th, 2009
9:30 pm
Najeh, you can add the non-suspensions of Nick Kazur for getting caught with drugs (pled out, wore a wire for the Feds), James Harrison (pled to a lesser domestic abuse charge, not the first time..but Dan Rooney did say he hit his wife for a really good reason)..yeah, add those to the list of Goodell’s “fairness”.
Melissa
July 20th, 2009
9:40 pm
let him clean dog poop forever and ever!!!!!!
Melissa
July 20th, 2009
9:41 pm
Let him clean dog poop for ever and ever and ever!!!!!!!!!!
Bigeasy830
July 20th, 2009
9:51 pm
Great post as usual Najeh, thanks for that link as well that is a great article. I agree with the writer of that article 100%. Remember Odell Thurmond was suspended for a year for supposedly getting in a fight in his hometown but the charges were later dropped but Goodell still suspended him. Some of the blogges of that article pointed out the collective bargaining agreement of the NFL nd its players that is about to run out. Goodell better get on top of that and the poor quality of coaches and and players in the league that would allow a team to go 0-16. We all felt like some of the players were thinking they were above the law by their attitudes and actions, but you can’t circumvent the law to bring about justice. You must give a person “Due Process”, and they should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Simple concepts that many americans have died to preserve that Roger Goodell over look when it comes to a certain type of NFL player.
Mark Bradley
July 20th, 2009
10:04 pm
Vick was never one-and-done in the playoffs. Just sayin’.
And that was a funny line: “Winning playoff games and going to multiple Pro Bowls don’t count.” I laughed out loud.
Zell Miller
July 20th, 2009
10:08 pm
I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!!!!
Bigeasy830
July 20th, 2009
10:18 pm
By Marie,
You are OK by me. I can tell you are a real football fan. You know your stuff. No one can argue that Matt Ryan had a great season for a rookie last year, I repeat for a ROOKIE, a season like that for a VET is only considered a good season. but many Falcon fans over look his performance the last 4 games of the season and his playoff performance. One season those not make a career, I have wrote that many times. Watching all the film in the world do not help his arm strength. The last four games and the play-offs, the opposing defense played press coverage on the WRs, Matt Ryan no longer had wide open receivers to throw to and he struggled. The opposing defenses quit trying to pressure him thus leaving the receivers wide open, they only sent the front 3 or 4 and played press coverage with the corners with LBs dropping back and the safety playing over the top. Matt Ryan could not get the ball in the tighter window and when he tried it was picked off. Let’s see if the Falcons can adjust to that this season because that is exactly what all the copy cat D-coordinators will do to him. They copied it from Monty Kiffin, Eventhough the Falcons beat Tampa in that game Monty exposed Matt Ryan.
it's not you.....
July 20th, 2009
10:25 pm
Stop blaming Knapp for Vicks QB problems. The Falcons did everything they could to try and help Vick. That includes you Mr.Bradley, stop making excuses. Watch the videos, when the NFL figured Vick out he was done!
If Vick came out with a scrach and sniff jock Mr. Bradley would be first in line to buy one.
it's not you.....
July 20th, 2009
10:26 pm
Bigsleezy830……once again you proved you know nothing about Mat Ryan.
it's not you.....
July 20th, 2009
10:31 pm
Vick never took the Falcons to back to back winning season. Just say’n Mr.Bradley.
Man some of ya’ll think Vick really did something for the Falcons!!
Big deal Vick rushed for over 1000 in one season. Alot of runningbacks do that and it don’t make people queever with joy.
Mark Bradley
July 20th, 2009
10:38 pm
So now I’m a Vick lover. Wasn’t I supposed to be a Vick hater?
Melissa
July 20th, 2009
10:41 pm
I’m just jealous I am broke and have to clean toilets for a living. Please forgive me.
it's not you.....
July 20th, 2009
10:46 pm
What was I thinking when I stated he was figured out. I forgot 2006 was his last season and that was the season he had his higest td totals and set the record for most yards rushing by a qb.
Forgive me – I’m stupid.
Bad News
July 20th, 2009
10:49 pm
It must be really difficult to hand the ball off 379 times. Matty Ice must be exhausted!
it's not you.....
July 20th, 2009
10:50 pm
I don’t care if you love or hate Vick.
it's not you.....
July 20th, 2009
10:52 pm
WOW……he rushed for over 1000 yards in 2006. Big deal what was the Falcons record? Did they go to the playoffs?
Dog Lover
July 20th, 2009
10:56 pm
I wonder which breed of dog taste more like beef.
Bigeasy830
July 20th, 2009
10:57 pm
it’s not you….
I know what you know about Matt Ryan and that is he had one good season. I also know that no QB has ever taken the Falcons to back to back winning season as the Falcons have never had back to back winning seasons, and that includes Matt Ryan. I also know that Matt Ryan threw 4 interceptions in his last 3 regular season games and 2 in the play-offs against Arizona. I know the great ones play great down the stretch and in the play-offs. Until Matt Ryan does that then he is what he is and that is a QB that had a great rookie season but by most vets standards he had a good season. Joe Flacco on the other hand won 2 play-off games and got better as the season progressed. I also know that your assessment of Matt Ryan and expectations are similar to those that many ATL fans had about Francour, as Marie pointed out earlier. So lets see how the 2009 season unravels, huh. Will you be happy with another play-offs one and done. You like most of the Falcons fans on these blogs probably will. You Falcon fans settle for mediocrity.
Yes it's me......
July 20th, 2009
10:59 pm
I recall watching games where Matt had to help Turner and Turner helping Matt. It’s called a team. They do those kind of things. But I also understand that player fans have no clue how to be team fans.
I’ve said this 100 times, if Matt proves not to be getting the job done then TD needs to get us another QB. It’s about team and wins and losses. Not about Ryan or Turner.
Bad News
July 20th, 2009
11:02 pm
Vick vs Ryan
Here is the debate, not that there is much of one (Ryan is a future bust):
Vick won his 1st playoff game in his 2nd season (1st as starter), if Matt Ryan does not win at least 1 playoff game this season and this is his 2nd season, does that still make him the better qb?
If the answer is anything other than no, that means you value image more than playoff wins.
Yes it's me......
July 20th, 2009
11:03 pm
Bigeasy830…..good street name…does your teeth roll back when you see a quarter? Have you seen Flacco’s stats in the playoffs? He was not even close as to why they won 2 playoff games.
And for the record, the Falcon fans but up with mediocrity from 2001-2006.
Yes it's me......
July 20th, 2009
11:08 pm
Peyton struggled alot in playoff games I guess he sucks too.
Bigeasy830
July 21st, 2009
12:00 am
Falcco’s most important stat 2 play-off wins, 0 INTs in those 2 wins. He did not turn the ball over until they lost in the AFC championship. Matt Ryan 0 wins 2 INTs including 1 pick 6 and a safety. Peyton Manning had the reputation of not being able to win the big game until the Colts won the Super Bowl. Most fans won’t consider a player great until that player plays great in great moments. Until then Matt Ryan had a good season, and only his jock sniffers consider him great.
Tired of Dumb Vick Fans
July 21st, 2009
12:01 am
With Mike Vick, Roddy White looked bad, Michael Jenkins looked bad
With Matt Ryan-Roddy White is a pro bowler and set the single season record for yards, Michael Jenkins gets a contract extension.
Maybe Vick will be a better person which is more important than running around on a football field, but nobody runs a 4.3 forever and completing only half of your passes makes you a bad quarterback.
Mike Vick could make plays improvising which made it hard for him to be defended. But he couldn’t pass consistently and had too many problems-Flicking the bird, smoking weed, fighting dogs, showing poor leadership.
“Mike Vick won games”-What!!!!
2001 1-1
2002 8-6-1
2003 3-1 Broken Leg
2004 11-4 Matt Schaub lost a game
2005 8-7
2006 7-9
You call that winning? The number 1 overall pick is supposed to win games so why are people acting like he is God for helping the team become relevant. BY THE WAY MIKE VICK COMMITTED 98 TURNOVERS AS A FALCON!! And you wonder why the team didn’t win in the 4th quaters of games with the guy?
I wonder what Vick fans would say if Matt Ryan smoked weed, flipped birds, ran gambling rings, admited to quiting on the team after a game and put up seasons like this? Oh he is white so they would say he should be fired.
preacher-stapleton
July 21st, 2009
1:55 am
I’m a real preacher, and I like sports. But some things I’m reading about blacks and white so let me say this to blacks and whites. Let all bitterness, and wrath, anger, and evil speaking should be put away from you with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,even as God has forgiven you. As Jesus said,” He without sin cast the first stone”. So likewise you should forgive one another. May God Bless each and every one of your minds and hearts.
Falcons Ticket Operator
July 21st, 2009
7:23 am
All you virtual Falcon fans are funny! You love talking on a blog about how you luuuuuuuv the Falcons…but all lines are open…..season tickets still available! You’ll get jerseys and caps if you act now! Its almost time for training camp and the Falcons cant unload these tickets! My how times have changed. Virtual fans arent really fans at all!
What!!!
July 21st, 2009
8:52 am
Falcons ticket operator………take your goverment check you get every month and go watch the Saints in a sold out dome to see Brees throw the ball all over the field and still not make the playoffs. That pisses me off my taxes that supply your check is going to support a loosing team……I DEMAND A REFUND!!!
Edd
July 21st, 2009
9:15 am
Mike Vick was the most exciting football player ever in Atlanta and probably the NFL. He will be back and the team that gets him will pack the stadium ( $$$) and will love Mike Vick. The other 31 teams, ? Hope they all have a good defensive coordinator.
What!!!
July 21st, 2009
9:57 am
Edd……………you make me giggle!!!
jamesr1991
July 21st, 2009
10:24 am
Okay, fine I am just mad that I am a broke retard!
Please forgive me, just upset my wife found a Mike Vick photo in my purse.
Edd
July 21st, 2009
10:50 am
What ……. You suffer from Vick envy and only pull for the teams that win. That’s what losers do. Go pet a puppy and leave sports alone..
mars
July 21st, 2009
11:08 am
Who is this p#$$> boy pirating blog names and making catty comments? No cajones and cowardly. Continue to hide behind others blog names, my p#$$> friend.
T-Bone
July 21st, 2009
11:15 am
M Vick served his debt to society and deserves to be free. But that does NOT give him the right to go back to the NFL. He killed innocent dogs repeatedly (which included illegal gambling on these dog fights), and for thsi he has served his sentence. But he also lied to Arthur Blank and Roger Goodell about his involvement and only admitted his involvement after the evidence against him was too great to continue denying it. You tell me any other job in this country where you could lie like that to your bosses about such heinous crimes and be welcomed back. Vick deserves the right to earn a living, but he does NOT deserve the right to go back to the NFL.
Mike Vick
July 21st, 2009
11:29 am
WOW!! Somebody actually suffers from MV7 envy? That makes me giggle too!! I need a new fan base!!
mars
July 21st, 2009
11:36 am
No catty comments from the spineless blog pirate? You can still use other bloggers names, it’s much easier to be brave and make offensive comments that way. You remain anonymous and empowered! What a wuss.
What!!!
July 21st, 2009
11:41 am
Wow….giggle giggle….Vick…giggle giggle….lost his bracelet…giggle giggle….and still has no JOB!!! BWAA HA HA!!!!
What!!!
July 21st, 2009
11:44 am
So your real name is MARS?! Idiot!!
My real name is Steve Smith and I live in Dalton,Ga.
hello.....
July 21st, 2009
11:45 am
Enter your comments here
T-Bone
July 21st, 2009
11:59 am
Looks like mars is the spineless wussy blogger…
T-Bone
July 21st, 2009
12:01 pm
BTW mars – My name is Tremain Bonham and I live in Savannah
T.C
July 21st, 2009
12:10 pm
We all know the real reason white people hate mv7.its because he’s black.Ya see,generational curses are real.well what do you mean black guy? Well if most of the white folk who comment on this blog go back and check there family history,they would find out that they had a family member back in the early 1900’s commited murder murdering blacks.A lot of you will also find out that your family have links with the kkk.What they call it white power.So if a person have a murderer in there family,generationally its linked to hatred.So my fellow americans,when you see a comment war between two Q.B one just happens to be black.thats when you read hatred comments mainly because a man went to jail for dog fighting.Kill a human you will be forgiven,but if you kill the whitemans dog and just happen to be black,you will recieve the burning cross with the spray paint.
U heard it here...
July 21st, 2009
12:13 pm
Bigeasy830 said it best. “I know the great ones play great down the stretch and in the playoffs”
Mike Vick record down the stretch:
2005: 2-6 last 8 games (no playoffs)
2006: 2-7 last 9 games (no playoffs)
No Greatness here. Nope.
Sosbe
July 21st, 2009
12:33 pm
Was Dan Marino a ” great” QB, HE didn’t win a Super Bowl. Jim Kelly, and list goes on and on .. And I don’t think any of you won a Super Bowl either by the way. He killed some dogs, so what . If you don’t want to watch Vick play football there is a button on your remote to switch the channel back to the animal planet OR DISCOVERY channel where they kill all kind of animals. lol.
T.C
July 21st, 2009
12:37 pm
Thats amazing how a black guy (mv7) can get under people skin just because somebody else likes him or his game.Seems to me even the name of mv7 strikes a nerve of the fellow white folk.They don’t like him so they don’t want nobody else to.A question was asked,well what have he done to you? nothen,but he killed those poor dogs. ok but,what did he do to you? nothen,but when he was in the game he ran a lot and did’nt throw.ok but,what did he do to you? nothen,its just that people always talking about how good he was but TO ME he didn’t do anything.look at his stats.ok but,what did he do to you? well it was SAID that he smoked weed and changed his name to ron mexico.ok but,what did he do to you? well i didn’t like the way he played the game.ok but,what did he do to you? that question is for people in general who don’t like him and don’t want you to support him just because they don’t like him.Sounds like hatred to me,thats why AJC target him for the topic of a discussion.Its crazy how a man can be hated for being black and fighting dogs.