Michael Vick Is Feeling the Pressure, Playing the Victim

Following the Eagles’ loss to their division archrival Giants, a bruised (not broken) Michael Vick used his post-game press conference to get a few things off his chest.  Of course he wasn’t complaining or anything, he was simply pointing out that everyone is out to get him with the hope that someone will finally do something about it.   

Vick laid out his argument for the (undoubtedly thrilled) media present and he made three main points: He’s frustrated about taking too many hits, the refs aren’t doing their job on the field (their “job” in this instance means calling a penalty every time Vick hits the ground), and that he’s not getting the same calls as Tom Brady.   

He probably wasn’t that far off base, so what’s the problem?

Well, the problem isn’t what Michael Vick said, the problem is Michael Vick and, unfortunately for Eagles’ fans, that is a much more complicated problem than the refs jobbing their QB on a few calls. 

Philadelphia’s $100 Million Dollar Man is struggling on and off the field and the more he struggles, the more he’s going to feel crushed by the mountain of expectations outlined in the fine print in his new contract. 

The unchangeable reality for Vick is that he’s too small to play the electrifying style of quarterback that he essentially invented, and he’s either unwilling or unable to transition into a classic pocket passer. Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton are probably the best comparisons to Vick’s style and they’ve each got six inches on Vick and about 50-pounds; certainly makes it easier to absorb some of those hits.    

Michael Vick obviously can’t change his size and he can’t change the fact that he’s completed a full 16-game season just once in his career, but there’s one thing he can change: His victim mentality. 

Vick seems to be under the delusion that most of the world is conspiring against him, despite his storybook tale of redemption, his unlikely rise from third-string to starter in just one season, and his $100 million contract as direct evidence to the contrary.   

We don’t know how many other quarterbacks are taking more hits than they want to on Sundays. We don’t know how many calls those other quarterbacks think the refs blow on Sundays. And we don’t know if those other quarterbacks think that they are being treated differently than Tom Brady.

We don’t know these things because all of the other quarterbacks in the league seem to understand that a post-game press conference isn’t the proper venue to run through a laundry list of grievances and excuses.    

The truth is this: The only person singling out Michael Vick is Michael Vick. 

And my advice to him is this: Dude, you better get it together soon because in December those hot-tempered lunatics in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field do not play. 

The lights may be on for football fans in Pennsylvania, but on Sundays nobody is home. By Christmas, stadiums on both sides of the state become lawless circuses that are packed to the brim with screaming football fans, fueled by anger and beer, just looking for a reason to rain down hell (in the form of snowballs and beer cups) on you. 

But I digress...

Honestly, it's probably too soon for buyer’s remorse in Philly and it’s definitely too late to reconsider, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that Michael Vick, while electrifying, might not have what it takes physically, or emotionally, to achieve long-term success at the quarterback position.