Bradley’s Buzz: Michael Vick returns with a shovel pass
I laughed at this line from John Gonzalez in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “We’ve been held hostage by the Great Vick Debate for two weeks.” And I thought: “Two whole weeks? Poor dears!”
As you know, Michael Vick is now an Eagle, and he made his first appearance for his new franchise Thursday night. And this spawned the sort of Vick back-and-forth’ing we Atlantans have come to regard as Standard Operating Procedure. The NAACP had promised some sort of rally outside Lincoln Financial Field, but apparently it never really developed. Gonzalez counted more media personnel than supporters and wrote this:
“People are still taking sides and shouting, but it is lame sound and fury signifying that principles don’t really matter as long as the media give you the 15 minutes you desperately crave. Who needs courage or convictions when there are soapboxes to stand on and bullhorns to shout into and spotlights to court?
“It’s all so reflexive now with Vick. Love him. Hate him. Doesn’t matter. Just make sure you’re loud about it and you have a captive audience when the screaming begins.”
The anti-Vick lobby wasn’t at full force, either. So reported the Associated Press in this dispatch on SI.com: “Three protesters held a sign saying, ‘Murderers are not role models,’ with an image of a dog and a bloody paw.”
So the scene wasn’t the carnival we recall from PETA protests at Flowery Branch and outside the courthouse in Richmond, Va. That’s hardly surprising. The threat of mass protests has long been overblown. It would have been a different matter had Vick not served nearly two years in federal custody, but he did. And that changed the dynamics. Most folks now just want to see the man play football. Speaking of which …
Bob Brookover of the Inquirer reports the Eagles deployed Vick on their third snap. He was, Brookover writes, greeted warmly. The key Vick quote:
“I didn’t think it was going to be that positive. I really didn’t know what to expect. I was running out there on the field and I was listening to see what the reaction was going to be and I was very pleased. I really didn’t expect that reaction, but I was very thankful.”
And how did he look? Pretty good, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News. Vick “lined up as the quarterback in the Wildcat formation all five times, completing four of four passes for 19 yards and running once for one yard.” (Vick’s first completion was a shovel pass. His best pass was a laser to Hank Baskett for a 13-yard gain.) Domowitch also quotes Eagles coach Andy Reid thusly:
“We were just trying to get his feet wet and get him used to the speed of the game again. I wanted to get him five to 10 snaps and get him back into the swing of things. I wanted him to work with the first group, and we got that accomplished.”
For the record, Vick lined up at wide receiver on one snap, which was overridden by a penalty. He was done before halftime. And the whole thing, writes Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News, was a bit underwhelming:
“For fans of controversy – real controversy, not just conversation – Michael Vick and his re-entry into football society continues to disappoint. If this keeps up for much longer, we might actually stop talking about Vick and start talking about how lousy his new team has looked this summer.”
(And for those who haven’t yet viewed the video highlights, NFL.com has every play here.)
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121 comments Add your comment
Tired of Dumb Vick Fans and Glad Matt Ryan is Here
August 28th, 2009
3:03 pm
@bigeasy830- let me help you with your inaccuracies:
-All you have to do is go to the ticket office at the Dome to find out about sellouts.
-The first two games have already been announced as sellouts.
-Most true fans love the Falcons and have moved on from Mike Vick.
- If you went online to buy/ to check, you were directed to a Ticketmaster site that releases tickets at different times so that they can charge different prices for the tickets. Clearly the Eagles game will be a hot ticket-watch how many mysteriously become available the week before the game.
-And as for sponsors, in a bad economy WITHOUT Mike Vick the Falcons just added Air Tran!- The same airline that your dumb MV7 used to fly to Virginia to fight dogs and said had no flights to DC which is why he missed his lunch with congress.
-Your “back to life back to reality” movement needs to be directed at MV7 when he causes a qb controversy and get the coach fired in Philly and still can’t throw as evidenced last night.
YUP!!
August 28th, 2009
3:17 pm
LET ME SAY THIS AS CLEAR AS I CAN…………..BWAA HA HA!!
Oh and Vick sucks…….along with Bigsleezy830 and Bad News.
BWAA HA HA!!!!! 4/4 19 yards 1 yard rushing!!!!! BWAAA HA HA!!!
Life coach
August 28th, 2009
3:32 pm
Vick is sick! Just another NFL thug with a felony conviction. Hell, the NFL would play Charles Manson if he could throw, catch or run with a football. NFL; National Felons League.
Jennifer B.
August 28th, 2009
3:51 pm
SO GLAD VICK IS BACK!!! LOVED HIM WHEN HE WORE #7 IN GEORGIA, AND STILL LOVE HIM WEARING #7 IN PHILLY. SECURED 4 TICKETS FOR THE DECEMBER 6, GAME THE DAY AFTER VICK SIGNED WITH PHILLY. WILL BE GIVING A COUPLE OF VICK JERSEYS FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. All you haters who pretend to care so much about the welfare of those dogs, what about the welfare of humans fighting humans in the ring? Some fighters have gone done for the count, and stayed down(death blow). Just listen to the speech or the lack of, of many of the greats. Yet you jump at the opportuity to keep attacking the brother about his actions with his dogs. Actions for which he was punished. Your compassion seem as phony as a $3.00 bill. Your shouts of protests are a manifestation of deep-seated emotions that has nothing to do with the welfare of Vick’s dogs.
Mark Bradley
August 28th, 2009
4:24 pm
I thought Vick looked OK last night. Having been away from the NFL since Dec. 31, 2006, I didn’t expect a Vick-in-Minnesota game. He did what he needed to do.
What's Important
August 28th, 2009
4:30 pm
Jennifer B – I think that boxing is horrific. However the boxers choose to go in the ring, the dogs don’t get to make that choice. Also the dogs didn’t get paid millions, win or lose. If they lost, they were hung, shot or electrocuted. You can’t excuse a terrible act by talking about another terrible act. They are both awful.
Robin (CEO SCPA) Starr....AKA Dog Protector & Killer
August 28th, 2009
4:53 pm
I didn’t kill my dog, I just took him out of his misery, but why does my car smell like old hot dogs?
Screw Vick
August 28th, 2009
5:29 pm
Hey Jennifer, Your analogy sucks. Also Vick only was punished because he got caught. If not, he would still be electrocuting dogs to this day.
If you decide to back someone that shows zero emotion and compassion for living creatures, then that’s your business. Hopefully in your next pitiful life, you will return as a “training dog” in the dogfighting ring.
YUP!!
August 28th, 2009
5:33 pm
What are some of you people gonna do with your Dec. 6th tickets after Philly releases Vick? After last night everyone knows he will not last that long. It was hard for me to watch the game because it wasn’t Philly football at all. It won’t last. Bank on it!!
bigeasy830
August 28th, 2009
7:52 pm
There are plenty of tickets available for all falcons home game except the one on Dec. 6th. Go to the Falcons official website and see for yourself. HAHAHAHAHA. Falcons suck and so do you you liar. HAHAHAHAHAHAH.
Falcons 4-12 in 2009
“Back To Life, Back To Reality”
WHAT UP!!!
August 28th, 2009
8:39 pm
So bigeasy830…………by ur name r u saying you can take BIG ones EASY 830 times a day?
Stop being so jealous of the Falcons finally having a GREAT TEAM.
You’re just sad because DEEP DOWN you know you are 100% wrong and just trying to ignore that fact that you are a dumb bag of sh**!!!
Tired of Dumb Vick Fans and Glad Matt Ryan is Here
August 29th, 2009
12:26 am
@bigeasy830- It’s simple, we’ll count the blackouts. By the way MV7 4-4 for 19 yards. Mcnabb has already started chirping. Philly fans started chanting “we want Vick” Great qb controversy already. Just made the Eagles the worst team in the NFC East.
Vick has been reduced to playing a few plays a game and running gimmicks. The Philly fans will turn and that team will implode.
honest_abe
August 29th, 2009
6:13 am
damn bad news… you’re making vick defenders look bad. hey if you want to stick up for #7 go right ahead, ain’t nobody stoppin ya. but why the attacks on matt ryan? seems like you’re a redskins fan so no beef there..
stop looking at colors my friend. matt ryan is the most promising young qb in the league. period.
mike vick peaked early and never got better. he spend the last two years in prison… last time i checked rotting away in prison doesn’t speed up your 40 time. as for that one long pass of 13 yards. it wasn’t accurate. the reciever had to adjust and make a nice catch. check the stats. people can’t run after catching balls from vick because they have to contort, dive and pray to have a chance to come down with one of his passes.
and bad news stop making up words. the hell is mediocracy?
YUP!!
August 29th, 2009
10:21 am
PREACH IT HONEST ADE!!!!!
Nicole Webster
August 29th, 2009
2:13 pm
Michael Vick has been given his second chance. But I am more concerned with the second chance that were given to the dogs that survived going through all the torture.
There is a new Documentary, VICKtory to the Underdog that was released by Brandon Bond and Atlanta Pitbull Rescue. It shows the growth of several Michael Vick dogs, as well as many other abused and rescued pitbulls. Here is a link to it. http://strangleholdmerch.com/vicktory-to-the-underdog-p-191.html
There is a preview of the film, also available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH545Ux7rM4
Floridadawg
August 30th, 2009
5:18 am
There is one thing more disgusting than Vick. His fans. 84% of the black population with no empathy for animals. I will NEVER see you the same. EVER.
Michael Vick Eagles
August 31st, 2009
1:32 pm
[...] Vick sounded sincere and remorseful when the Eagles introduced him at … Bradley's Buzz: Michael Vick returns with a shovel passAs you know, Michael Vick is now an Eagle, and he made his first appearance for his new franchise [...]
Mike Vick
August 31st, 2009
1:47 pm
[...] Hards on here talking all reckless like Mike Vick owes them an apology. Grow up! … Bradley's Buzz: Michael Vick returns with a shovel passAnd here Michael Vick goes again. Looks about the same, doesn't he? (AP photo) I laughed at this [...]
Philadelphia Daily News
August 31st, 2009
11:52 pm
[...] Daily News. Tierney hopes to shed much of the outstanding $400 million debt through … Bradley's Buzz: Michael Vick returns with a shovel passPretty good, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News. Vick “lined up as the [...]
GaCracker
September 1st, 2009
10:23 am
Hey Mike – I wish you all the best – break a leg!
Jenni13
September 2nd, 2009
5:50 pm
All of you people who are trying to make a joke out of the Starr tragedy are sick, sad individuals. There is a HUGE difference between not knowing that your blind and deaf dog was placed by your husband into the back seat of your car and repeated, ritualistic torture of dogs (including anal electrocution, hanging, drowning and beating)… all while laughing and whooping it up with your equally sick and twisted ghetto thug buddies. Vick is a heartless, sick scumbag who doesn’t deserve a “second chance” at a privileged life and job as a hero in the NFL. Sure, he is entitled to make a living. How about shoveling crap at the zoo or making license plates?That would be much more appropriate.