You don’t just lose money in Las Vegas. You lose touch. With almost everything.
So yeah, after spending last week in the desert, I’ve got lots of catching up to do. Packers training camp has sprung to life. The Milwaukee Wave has a second lease on life. And the Milwaukee Brewers are on life-support.
Then there’s the quarterback that people just can’t stop talking about. You know…
Michael Vick.
(What, you thought I meant that other guy? C’mon, he’s old news. For now, anyway.)
These days, Vick isn’t just a quarterback or a convicted felon. He’s an issue. He’s even prominently on Green Bay’s radar screen. And he’s prompting some very wise men to say some rather unwise things.
William C. Rhoden is one of the most impactful sports columnists of his generation. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is pretty much on the Mount Rushmore of the Civil Rights movement. But in this weekend’s New York Times piece, they’re so far off base on Vick that it boggles the mind. In a nutshell, the two men argue that Vick’s plight echoes that of Jackie Robinson’s, that NFL owners are colluding against him, and that for the good of Vick – nay, for all society – some brave NFL owner must crack this iron curtain of injustice and sign him to be their quarterback.
Oh, where to begin?
Comparing Vick’s situation to Jackie Robinson’s history-changing saga simply scales the peaks of incredulity. Vick’s got more in common with Jackie Chan. But you probably don’t need me to tell you that, do you?
So let’s look at another part of their argument. That, as Jackson says of Vick, “It’s not fair to de facto lock him out of his right to compete.” That, as Rhoden writes, “Someone should have the guts to say yes” to signing Vick.
Look, if you want to argue that Vick deserves a second shot in the NFL, fine. While what he did was reprehensible, I believe his contrition is genuine (and Tony Dungy’s endorsement of him is the main reason why). And yes, he’s served society’s punishment, and will serve an extra penalty from the league. I certainly hope the man has turned his life around and uses it to “have a positive impact on young people’s lives,” as Dungy describes Vick’s wishes (though he doesn’t need to be in the NFL to do that).
But here’s the thing. None of that stuff means he’s worthy of being an NFL team’s quarterback.
See, while I don’t deny Vick was a special athlete, the evidence says he was overrated as a QB. Just look at the numbers. In six NFL seasons, his career quarterback rating is 75.7. You know where that would’ve ranked in the 2008 season? Between Tyler Thigpen’s 76.0 and Gus Frerotte’s 73.7. And I don’t see anyone writing columns in support of that dynamic duo.
So to suggest it’s somehow incumbent upon an NFL team to give Vick a job, that it’s the socially courageous thing to do, and that there’s some form of leaguewide agreement to keep him out, is ludicrous. You earn your way onto an NFL roster, and this time around, Vick has yet to do so.
When it comes to playing in the NFL, Vick is owed nothing. Just like infamous Chargers bust Ryan Leaf was owed nothing, just like other underperforming players are owed nothing. Why won’t you find Frerotte on an NFL roster today? Because he once concussed himself by ramming his head into a wall? No, it’s because he can no longer complete enough passes.
So what about all those countless players with off-field issues who make it back to the field? Well, they’re not owed anything, either. And they don’t get their second, third and fourth chances because of altruism, but because of their ability. Teams give them paychecks not to make social statements, but to make the playoffs. You can agree or disagree with the ethics of it, but that’s the bottom-line reality.
Given that reality, an NFL team won’t sign Vick because activists or columnists demand it, but because that team thinks the rewards outweigh the risks. And make no mistake, the risks with Vick are many – from the public relations hit to questions about his ability to the possibility that he finds more trouble (remember, even before the dogfighting story broke, he wasn’t exactly an angel).
Now if Vick played QB as well as Donovan McNabb or Tom Brady or even Seneca Wallace (2008 passer rating: 87.0), the perceived reward might be higher, and Vick may already be signed. Rhoden writes that Vick “performed at a star level in the NFL.” Really? His best season statistically was 2002-03. His QB rating was 81.6. His Atlanta Falcons went 10-7-1, losing in the second round of the playoffs without finding the end zone. Overall, he’s 38-28-1. Not bad. But a star? Not hardly.
Basically, the hype has exceeded the results. Still, my guess is that one team will take the plunge. Team execs will be willing to deal with the resulting circus, complete with a ring of fire from animal lovers, because they think Vick makes them better. If that team is smart, however, it won’t count on Vick being the starting quarterback, but a versatile weapon to move around the field and create mismatches.
Could that team be the Packers? It’s within the realm of possibility. They have an established starting quarterback who won’t be threatened by Vick. By the same token, they don’t have an established backup to step in should Aaron Rodgers get hurt. And they could use another exciting athlete as a third-down back, wide receiver, kick returner, what have you. The case can be made from a football perspective. The ethical perspective is a much deeper shade of gray.
Still, a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel poll on whether the Pack should sign Vick was essentially split down the middle. A small majority, 52 percent, said yes.
So maybe the Packers owe it to themselves to contemplate signing Vick.
But they don’t owe it to anyone else.
Favre finally done?
I looked a little silly predicting Brett Favre would play for the Vikings mere hours before he announced he wouldn’t be playing for the Vikings. But Favre has made a lot of people look silly, especially the Vikings.
So how did so many people miss on Favre’s (apparently) final decision? Simple. We used logic to try and predict his next move, and that approach has rarely worked with Brett.
Incidentally, I’m still not convinced that this is really the end. He said he decided against playing this time because he didn’t think his body could withstand a full season. But what about a half-season? As he told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, “But if somebody calls Nov. 1, who knows?”
As many times as this guy’s ridden off into the sunset, he needs a planet with six suns and a pony express.
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