Michael Vick Signs Two-Year Deal With Philly

former atlanta falcons star quarterback michael vick just signed a two-year deal with the philadelphia eagles. the first year is reportedly worth $1.6 million & the second year with an option for $5.2 million. why is this breaking news? the unemployed & supposedly, now, bankrupt vick was released from prison on may 20 after serving just 18 months for his implicit role in an ugly yet profitable dog-fighting ring which made him the default poster child for animal rights lovers around the world who despise anyone who knowingly harms innocent pets. the folks at peta must be pissed.

nfl commissioner roger goddell's decision to both reinstate vick & extend him the ability to earn a living also raises concerns about the real values (read: ratings bonanza/revenue bonus) of the nfl. vick's swift return to football glory is unusual, in that goddell typically suspends athletes at least a year for off-the-field activities unbecoming to the league's tarnished image.

cleveland browns wide receiver donte stallworth pleaded guilty to a dui manslaughter in june yet served only 24 days in jail after he killed a man attempting to cross the street. goddell suspended the talented flanker for the entire 2009 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy & intends to reinstate him after the super bowl. stallworth recently signed a lucrative seven-year deal.

what, if any, role does vick's african ancestry play in folks' perception of his microscopic media assessment? black male athletes in america are demonized for egregious, immoral and/or unethical transgressions - muhammad ali, ron artest, barry bonds, kobe bryant, plaxico burress, wilt chamberlain, michael irvin, magic johnson, adam (pacman) jones, michael jordan, dennis rodman, deon sanders, o.j. simpson, latrell sprewell & mike tyson immediately come to mind.

b4 we paint a broad brush of racial profiling here, keep in mind the man was found guilty in court of a crime. that's why he went to prison! still, this country spends more money for folks to be behind bars than to be behind books; california doles out $49k per prisoner but you don't hear attorney general eric holder speaking out on this disparity do you? some folks believe vick got off easy like sunday morning & now he's back on the field possibly contending for the playoffs. hmmmm...

is it possible to discern vick has learned life lessons after doing time? are we to expect he, though admittedly remorseful, would've stopped what he was doing had he not been caught? how long does it take to heal an open wound? vick is scheduled to appear on 60 minutes this sunday nite. an oprah visit is sure to follow. maybe he'll lead public awareness campaigns on the evils of dog fighting at some point, which is kool until you wonder if he can make a difference in the lives of average folks, or, our youth.

years prior to all this sad stuff going down the seemingly modest vick was another handsome, successful & young brotha led to believe he was invincible in a supremacist society ripe with cultural contradictions. white male athletes neva (!) have to answer to the white, male community when their private lives are fucked up in public. real talk.

pete rose got a lifetime ban upon finally confessing (after lying repeatedly) he bet regularly on baseball games. brett favre once said he was addicted to pain medication. chris andersen violated the nba's substance abuse policy more than once. fuzzy zoeller casually joked tiger woods would celebrate one of his pga tour wins by eating some fried chicken. john mcenroe was unabashedly contemptous of tennis officials during his matches. i contend white, male skin privilege transcends the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat.

eagles all-pro starting qb donovan mcnabb told reporters he adamantly lobbied for the team to sign the embattled vick. mcnabb's love/hate relationship with philly fans & their media is no secret, but he echoes the sentiments of his coach mike reid: he feels "everyone deserves a second chance...he's spoken truth to the nation...who better to join a team who's gone through tough times...i'm looking forward to it." hall of fame qb & espn analyst steve young suggested philly might use mcnabb & vick together in certain situations. boos or cheers await them both.

vick will undoubtedly experience unwarranted attention both on & off the football field. his every move will be analyzed, blogged & commented on for months to come. he is, indeed, a marked man. while his new found mentorship with the retired (super bowl winning coach of the indianapolis colts) tony dungy is respectfully heralded publicly as an act of humility, hopefully he'll seek counseling of some sort. prison time is serious biz.

yeah, i'm a bit cynical of the need to publicly redeem one's self tho i believe vick deserves the opportunity to resolve his internal conflicts & live life abundantly. nonetheless, i wonder how the dog-fighting folks he once hung out with feel about their source of income? cruel & inhumane treatment of animals surely must haunt one's soul. but if you are a marketable black athlete with a skilled lawyer america will help you forget your pain.

are you ready for some football?