If you’ll remember, Nike did have a shoe deal with Vick before he went to prison. They made several thousand “Vick V” shoes and then when Vick pleaded guilty to dog fighting they stopped making them. There were left with the ones they made it and end up costing Nike a million and a half bucks.

But that’s not all. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, when Vick plead guilty in August 2007, Nike dumped him from their endorsement roster and issued a statement that said it was because, “any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent.” Now, I know Vick has done his time and people are trying to give him a clean slate, but saying Vick’s crime was “inhumane and abhorrent” just a few short ago and now offering him a deal is a little ridiculous, dontcha think?

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Michael Vick Gets Deal With Nike

It appears McNabb, who suffered a broken rib in Week 1, will sit out this weekend making way for Michael Vick to play on Sunday. Westbrook is working through an ankle injury, while Jackson has a sore groin. Both players missed practice for the second consecutive day, leaving their status for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs unknown.

Vick will reportedly play on Sunday. It will be his first time playing in a regular-season NFL game since the final day of the 2006 calendar year. Last week Kevin Kolb was given his first NFL start for the Eagles. Kolb threw for two touchdown passes in last Sunday’s 48-22 loss to the New Orleans Saints. And though Kolb is set to start this week as well, everyone is expecting Vick to get in the game.

Whatever you feel about dogfighting, Vick has served his time and it will be good to see one of the best running quarterbacks back on the field again.

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Will We See Vick on Sunday?

In those eight games, Kolb is 24-for-45 for 167 yards and four interceptions. To say that he has gotten off to a slow start in his NFL career would be an understatement.

McNabb, who broke a rib in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, could miss multiple weeks. If he does, there will be a lot of options for the Eagles. In addition to Kolb, the team has Michael Vick available as of Week 3. Also, Jeff Garcia has been signed and Garcia has was very successful with Philadelphia during a recent stint.

Given the fact that the Saints are a high-powered offense, the Eagles will need good play out of Kolb if Philadelphia is to improve to 2-0. If he struggles, his hold on the backup job at quarterback would come into question.

Kevin Kolb - Philadelphia Eagles (Image: Zuma Press)

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Kevin Kolb Likely to Start for Eagles

But if the offense really is shook up, shouldn’t that potentially shake up the defense? And if you’re going to bring on Michael Vick, you’ve got to know that his style of play is vastly different than that of Donovan McNabb. I think this could be an interesting team to watch because of the differences in these two quarterbacks. Don’t you?

Image: Zuma Press

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McNabb Not a Fan of Vick’s Moves

I bring this up because the Eagles could have received a $10,000 tax credit for hiring Vick. The Philly Mayor’s office has this program entitled “Mayor’s Office for the Re-entry of Ex-Offenders (MORE)” which gives incentives “for employers who hire people who have been released from prison.” The program is designed to get ex-prisoners back into the workforce so they and the community can move on.

As part of the program, the Eagles would have received a $10,000 tax credit for hiring Vick. But the team turned it down. Which is the right move. Why?
Because:

• $10,000 is a nice sum but nominal to the Eagles. The team would have looked a bit greedy to pocket the money.
• Hiring Vick wasn’t about getting a tax credit.
• Taking the money would have focused on the negative parts of Vick’s past (dog fighting and prison) rather than the positive ones (once an awesome quarterback.)
• That money can now go toward another employer that hires someone from prison.
• Once they got the money, it would have always been a footnote when it came to Vick. Now it’s a nonissue.
• If they can afford to pay Vick $1.6 million this year, why grab $10,000 just because?

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Eagles Right to Refuse $10,000 for Vick

Over the last few years, Westbrook has emerged as one of the best running backs in the NFL. Although he doesn’t have great size, he’s a smart player who uses his quickness, instincts and great hands to make big plays.

Last year, Westbrook had 936 yards rushing, 402 yards receiving and a total of 14 touchdowns. In 2007, he was even better — finishing the season with 1,333 rushing yards and 771 receiving yards.

During the offseason, Westbrook had two surgeries. His first surgery was on his knee. He then had ankle surgery in June.

If Westbrook can’t stay healthy, the Eagles will probably start rookie running back LeSean McCoy. Or perhaps they could try out Michael Vick at the position.

Brian Westbrook (Image: Zuma Press)

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Brian Westbrook Back at Practice

Brown insists that this comfort isn’t going to make him any less the journalist, however. Vick sat down with Brown on Monday in an interview that will “air Sunday on 60 Minutes.” If you’re planning on watching, Tony Dungy and Wayne Pacelle (head of the Humane Society) will sit in on the interview as well.
Vick is expected to talk about “how many nights he cried in prison when he realized the error of his ways.” Maybe this interview will help people realize he’s done his time and to just let him be for now?

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

James Brown Gets First Interview With Vick

Lemon’s best season came in 2007 while with the Dolphins. In nine games, he completed 173 of 309 passes for 1,773 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed for four touchdowns during that season. Last year, he threw only two passes for the Jaguars.

Outside of Tom Brady, the Patriots don’t have much talent at the quarterback position. Lemon would likely battle with Matt Gutierrez, Kevin O’Connell and Brian Hoyer for the backup job. Matt Cassel, the former backup for Brady who filled in last year, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason.

The signing of Lemon could also be a sign that the Patriots aren’t interested in Michael Vick. Many NFL experts believed that Vick could be headed to New England but if the Patriots go ahead and sign Lemon, those chances decrease substantially.

Cleo Lemon - New England Patriots (Image: Zuma Press)

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New England Patriots Sign Cleo Lemon

The aspect that is clouding Vick signing is the fact that he still has to serve a five-game suspension. The suspension was handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when he granted Vick the partial reinstatement. If a team sounds Vick now, they won’t reap any benefit until Week 6 at the earliest.

The other aspect that is clouding the picture is Vick himself. How good is he? Has he stayed in shape? Could he still play quarterback at the NFL level? Those questions are difficult to answer. He’s been away from the game for two years and may not still be the elite athlete he once was.

It’ll take a special circumstance for a team to sign Vick. One thing that may lead to a Vick signing is an injury. If a team suddenly loses quarterback depth during training camp, Vick becomes an interesting option. Another scenario may be that teams will wait into their training camps to so they can judge what they have at quarterback. If they are lacking, then Vick may enter the picture.

Some sources even believe that Vick won’t get signed until some point in the regular season — or maybe next offseason! Stay tuned . . .

Where will Michael Vick sign? (Image: Zuma Press)

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When Will Michael Vick Sign with a Team?

New England Patriots
Bill Belichick is one coach who doesn’t have to worry about his job. Also consider that Belichick likes players who can play multiple positions. Could Vick have Randy Moss type success with the Patriots?

San Francisco 49ers
The Niners are arguably the most desperate team in the league when it comes to the quarterback position. If Vick is serious about playing — and playing quickly — the Niners make a lot of sense.

Oakland Raiders
Doesn’t this situation just scream Al Davis. The only reason why Davis might not want Vick is due to the presence of JaMarcus Russell — a current Al Davis favorite.

Minnesota Vikings
Now that the Vikings have officially (well, as official as anything can be with the person at hand) lost their bid to woo Brett Favre out of retirement, Vick’s name will undoubtedly come up in Minnesota.

Michael Vick Destinations (Image: Zuma Press)

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Michael Vick – Possible NFL Destinations