Michal Vick and The Hypocrite Media

What's the media's favorite hobby?

Tearing down someone who is on top.

What's the media's second favorite hobby?

Building that same person up after he or she has hit bottom.

Never mind the truth, just go with the flow.  Those are he rules of the game.

The truth is that Michael Vick is not a victim, and nobody should feel sorry for him.  His wounds were self-inflicted, and there's no pseudo-medical/phsycological diagnosis that can be pinned on him to excuse his deplorable actions.

That stated, the media frenzy during his downfall was nothing short of embarrassing.  Many have engaged in actions that were far worse than Vick's without half the media coverage.  But this story had everything the media desires: a brash perpetrator, a crime that hits home with the masses and great footage of the crime scene.  The folks at People, TMZ and the Enquirer must have been salivating like a pack of Pavlovian dogs at a bell-testing facility.

So now, after Vick has hit bottom, the media is ready to build him up again.  Vick has provided the needed backdrop by elevating himself to the starting QB spot in Philadelphia, and playing like a Pro Bowl starter in the first games of the year.

So.... "its a whole new Michael Vick," right?

How quickly we forget.

Vick had great stretches in Atlanta, too, but that did not change the fact that he had some basic flaws as a quarterback.  Most notably, he held the ball too long, and was inconsistent with his accuracy.

Have those flaws disappeared? 

Vick has been sacked 11 times, which is tied for the most in the NFL.  This is indicative of a player who tends to hold the ball too long, but has not kept him from being productive thus far.

His completion percentage has been quite good (just above 60%), but he still misses receivers by wide margins at times.   

Too soon to draw a conclusion on these issues.  Maybe Vick will continue his stellar play, or maybe he'll revert to old habits and feel Keven Kolb breathing down his neck by December.

Eagles fan have every right to get behind Vick, and I have no beef with anyone who is pulling for him.

But to the media, I say.... please, spare me the MVP talk after two and one half games.  Spare me the "Michael has really matured" comments.  Spare me the hero treatment for an ex-convict who is one strike away from going back to prison and never playing again.

Michael Vick is a unique athlete at the quarterback position, and his story is unusual.

The media should just leave it at that and let the story write itself.

Of course, the media won't do that.  They'll just keep hyping until Vick makes it all the way back to the top, whether he deserves to be there or is artificially designated at the greatest comeback story ever.

Then they'll be ready to tear him down once again.

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down.