Michael Vick out of federal prison
Former Virginia Tech gridiron standout and NFL quarterback Michael Vick has been released from federal prison, according to the Associated Press. Vick has been serving a 23 month sentence in the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas for funding a dog-fighting ring out of a home he owned in Surry County. Vick is still in federal custody, and being transported to a jail somewhere in Virginia in order to testify at an April 2 bankruptcy hearing in Newport News. The former Atlanta Falcon is set to finish his sentence July 20, but is eligible to be kept under house arrest no earlier than May 21.
–file photo by Will Walker
4 comments
rut ro, I hope he doesn't take my scoooby snacks...
The truly amazing thing is the unusual and totally misguided hype regarding Vick's skills and talents as a quarterback. You can look it up: compare his career to David Carr's (who was the QB in Houston until he was run out of town by Matt Schaub's acquisition). Carr actually outplayed Vick - and Carr was on an expansion team with no receivers and no running game. Vick was on a playoff-caliber team, and the Falcons passing game was no better than Houston's. Yes, he is exciting to watch, but if you want to win in the long term you would do just as well with David Carr as your quarterback.
The knock on Vick when he came out of college what that he was a free-lancer who couldn't read defenses. His pro career does nothing to dispel that assessment.
Vick won the ESPY for best NFL player in 2003 (reflecting the 2002 season). This was in a year when the Falcons passing offense was #23 in the league. Vick had the 18th best passer rating, and he went 8-6-1. Made the Pro Bowl because of fan voting and because it wasn't a very good year for NFC quarterbacks. Like I said, it's mostly hype.
Yes, he's undoubtedly an amazing RUNNING quarterback, but name the last running quarterback who won anything. He ran for over 1,000 yards in 2006...and his team was #25 in offense and went 7-9.
I can already hear people calling me a Vick hater. Not at all. He screwed up, but he's done his time and he certainly deserves an opportunity to play (though the team that signs him needs to be braced for a bit of a backlash, I imagine). I'd LOVE to have him on my team...as a flanker, or a 3rd down back. But not as quarterback. His NFL career to-date has proven that he's not nearly as good as the gushing media wants us to believe he is. The numbers don't lie.
Go Mike!! I support you no matter what. Youe dwserve a scond chance and you will get one.
It was a harsh lesson to learn, and hopefully he has learned it. The guy has paid his debt to society, so now we should give him a chance to prove he has acquired better life values, and give him the opportunity to go back to work and set a better example for the young boys following in his footsteps.