Michael Vick: The Best Athlete Without A Championship

It wasn’t that long ago that Michael Vick was the NFL's highest-paid player. People often forget that he endorsed many products during his six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. But Vick lost everything following his 2007 arrest on dog fighting charges, for which he served 18 months in federal prison.

Everyone who follows professional football has to wonder what is next for Michael Vick. Two seasons ago Vick arguably had the best season of his professional career, and while it may have seemed like he had done all or more than most are capable of, many like me believe that Vick has room to grow and get better. It also appears that others are taking notice.

You had to know it would just be a matter of time before Mike Vick would be back in effect. Winning makes people forget even if they are not ready to forgive altogether. There will be some people who will never forgive Mike Vick for what he did. However, there will be just as many people who are willing to move on as long as Vick can throw that deep ball and keep putting points on the board.

Now it’s time to put things into perspective. LeBron has been the most chastised athlete in history about not getting it done and not being clutch in the moments he needed to be the most. Now all eyes are on Michael Vick as football season approaches. Vick was the crowned jewel of the NFL draft in 2001, but he has yet to wear the crown as NFL Super Bowl Champion.

At first it seemed like it was just a matter of time. Vick knocked off Brett Favre in Green Bay and has been to a couple of NFC championships in his career.  For some guys though, getting close is about as far as they will get. It’s not that easy to win a championship. Dan Marino played in one Super Bowl but could never get back, and he is arguably the best quarterback to ever lace up a pair of cleats.

Vick has made the transformation from runner to passer, but he reminds us of his early video game antics from time to time. It makes us appreciate his talent. However, as father time starts to catch up with Video Game Vick, he is going to have to preserve those runs for when it is completely necessary so he can stay healthy enough to lead his team.

NFL teams thought they had a blueprint to stop Vick. That was Vick the runner. They used to try to stop Vick by forcing him to pass, and when he did break contain, off he went for a TD. Now, teams are using different methods to defend the new Vick, mostly pressurizing him to scramble right and man-to-man coverage on early downs to push Vick to make quick decisions. Well, that’s a better plan than sitting around waiting for him to make a mistake.

Vick doesn’t need any motivation as he was voted the 70th best player in the league by his peers. That seemed to have ignited a fire under him. We will see if it carries over to the field. That in itself is a joke, but he still has to prove it on the field. The Eagles have surrounded him with enough talent to get it done. If they can keep Vick healthy and they can improve defensively, Mike Vick may get to wear the crown. If not, I am sure the Skip Bayless’s of the world will have a field day criticizing him and labeling him as a loser.

Stay Breezy ~ I’m Out!

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