He's done his time, past his prime

He's done his time, past his prime
By ALLEN BARRA

Anyone writing in defense of Michael Vick these days needs to put his *pro-animal credentials up front. Here are mine: My wife and I, as proud members of our local animal coalition, have rescued and found homes for nearly 100 cats and dogs. I don't think Mr. Vick's involvement with dog fighting is "controversial"—it's despicable.

I love animals and loathe *arrogant quarterbacks. Enough talk, though, about Mr. Vick's punishment not having been *severe enough: He spent 18 months in prison. He lost two years of his playing career, eight years of a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, an estimated $25 million to $30 million in endorsements, and his $1.39 million home. He must support the surviving dogs for the rest of their lives.

The woman seen parading in front of the Philadelphia Eagles training camp (where he is currently trying to make the team roster) with a sign reading "Hide your beagle/Vick's an Eagle" gets my full sympathy. But if dumb animals have rights, so, too, do dumb quarterbacks. Having paid what is surely the stiffest price in the history of animal abuse, Mr. Vick cannot be deprived of the chance to *resume work at his chosen profession. (Or how else do animal-rights activists expect him to continue to support those abused dogs?)

Whether or not his critics are satisfied that Michael Vick's remorse is genuine, his return to football is no longer a legal matter. Now it's a football matter, and the relevant question, one not being given enough attention by the sports media, is this: "Is he good enough, at age 29 and after a two-year absence, to play in the NFL?"

As CBS's James Brown said Sunday on "60 Minutes," Mr. Vick "was one of the most electrifying players in the NFL and the highest paid." He was also, to put it bluntly, the most overrated player in the game, invariably paid for his potential rather than for his actual performance. With a career record of 38-28-1, Mr. Vick got more magazine covers per victory than any quarterback in NFL history.

In his physical prime three or four years ago, he was stronger pound-for-pound as well as
faster than just about any NFL defender unfortunate enough to try to tackle him. His problem was that in pro football, great athletic talent has never been enough to make a great quarterback. Though he was gifted with breathtaking speed and a rifle arm, Mr. Vick never matured; he never learned to read defensive coverages, and his play fakes were so bad they wouldn't have fooled an "American Idol" judge.

His 2005 NFL passer rating was 73.1, just 25th best in the league; and in his last season, 2006, he was rated 75.7, good for only 20th. His career rating of 75.7 ranks 28th among *active passers—that is, of course, when (and if) Mr. Vick becomes active. (The best guess is that Commissioner Roger Goodell will reinstate him six games into the season.) With a regular-season pass-completion rate of just 53.7%, he has missed his receivers nearly as often as he has connected. In the most important passing stat, yards per throw, his 6.7 mark puts him in the 23rd spot among current quarterbacks. In four postseason games, he has thrown just three touchdown passes and been intercepted three times.

On the plus side, he was probably the best running quarterback ever. In 2006, he set league records for quarterbacks in yards rushing and yards per carry in a single season. But the modern NFL game is passing, and no running quarterback has ever won a championship in the modern NFL.

So what, exactly, are the Eagles' plans for Mr. Vick? There's been some talk of converting him into a running back, which, the argument goes, would make maximum use of his running ability. But it's doubtful that at age 29, with an inevitable loss of speed, he could start over at a young man's position. Unless the Eagles simply want him to try to return punts, that leaves only one option—backup *quarterback.

Fortunately for Mr. Vick, he may have been chosen by the one team that can help his *career. Just a few short years ago, the Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was at a professional crossroads similar to Mr. Vick's now. For years, Mr. McNabb had been the league's best running quarterback but an inconsistent passer. In 2004, his fourth NFL season, he learned to stop scrambling out of the pocket and began using his speed and mobility to give his receivers more time to break into the open. Over the past five years, Mr. McNabb has developed into one of the best passers in the league, with 107 touchdown passes against just 41 *interceptions.

Current reports are that Mr. McNabb is working overtime to teach Mr. Vick the ways of a pocket passer. In effect, Mr. McNabb proved that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks. We'll see if Mr. Vick pays heed.

—Mr. Barra writes about sports for the Journal.

 

yeah they made an example out of him for sure. No one has come anywhere near gettng it as bad as he did. 150 million dollars, year and a half in jail not playin football, plus having to live with this for the rest of his life is punishment enough. Its severe and he only got it because of who he was, they made an example out of him.