FanPost

To Silence the QB Controversy...

I am frustrated to even write the title of this article, yet it is true. There are Eagles fanatics, analysts, and reporters out there that will not give rest to the fact that Michael Vick is playing football in Philadelphia, and some are going as far as claiming that the former Falcon should and/or will take over Donovan McNabb’s role as the team’s starting QB. In an effort to at least temporarily sustain these bold statements (and if I’m truly lucky, silence them), I have created this article. I am not rashly defending nor bashing either McNabb or Vick in this post, but rather handing the facts out straight and clear that will include my opinion which I hope all of the Eagles’ faithful will agree upon.

When the controversial Vick was signed on August 13, the sports world went into a state of shock. The former Pro-Bowl player known for his running skills, who spent nearly 2 years in prison after being convicted of dogfighting, agreed to a 1-year contract with a 2nd-year option with a team that appeared in no interest of signing the troubled QB. The reactions from fans were about split, with roughly half outraged by the move, and the other 50% showing support and praise for the acquisition. I, personally, never cared for Vick’s previous attitude, and obviously was not supportive of him after he was tossed in jail, but once he joined the Eagles and spoke in his debut press conference with Andy Reid and mentor Tony Dungy, I believed that the former Virginia Tech star could truly benefit the organization.

For those that were (and likely remain) against Vick, I understand why you would be upset. After all, what good does a move to bring in a criminal and potential distraction do for a team with Super Bowl aspirations? However, if you are truly a passionate follower of the beloved Birds, you will accept the fact that Michael Vick is an Eagle and you will move on (as well as hopefully cheer for him).

Now here are the biggest questions I have with the entire “Vick situation”:

  • Some Eagles fans and reporters are now speculating that Vick should replace McNabb as the starting QB
  • Some Eagles fans and reporters are now claiming that McNabb is upset with the incorporation of Vick in the offense
  • Some Eagles fans and reporters are now questioning Vick’s role on the team

Before you start criticizing this post because I worded those questions with “Some Eagles fans and reporters…”, understand that the media and the fan base can always have an impact. Now let me begin my answers to those questions and hopefully they’ll silence this “QB controversy” that is honestly not real in my mind (You should also note that these questions can further be proven to be nonsense by simply analyzing them and realizing that they contradict themselves):

  • As athletic as Michael Vick is, it is absolutely not a logical decision to name him starting QB. Even if the team did want to do this, they couldn’t until at least after the first few weeks of the regular season, seeing his suspension will not be removed until–at the latest–Week 6. But the actual point is, the Eagles do not want Vick to start. McNabb has been named the starter, and will be the starter. Number 5 even “lobbied” for the organization to make a move for Vick. And if the two have been ordered to create a false sense of friendship in order to hide a future QB change, then, by golly, they’re doing one spectacular job. Because when I see Donovan McNabb joking and laughing and even pulling off a few dance moves on the sideline, there is definitely nothing wrong.
  • Some of the words stated by Donovan McNabb in a post-game press conference on Thursday, which included sayings suggesting the incorporation of Vick into the early offensive plays was disrupting the flow of the game, were clearly re-arranged into different context to make it seem as if McNabb was criticizing the play calls. He even said in the conference (with no words mixed around!) that the plays with Vick were good to run, for it was a preseason game and that’s what preseason is for–to try out new things.
  • Even if you were a bit disappointed in how little the Eagles used Vick in last week’s game, there is no reason to question his role. We have no idea what is planned for Michael in the regular season, so let’s save the speculation for until after his suspension has been ultimately decided and the season has concluded.

I do hope that this brief article has at least turned the perspectives of those who have and are still advent on the “questions” and “proclamations” listed. I could be totally wrong about all of this, and we could be looking back on this a year from now joking at how stupid and naive it was, but I honestly believe that there–at least at the current time–is no such thing as a “QB Controversy”, tension in the QB poisition, or anything relating to that, for that matter. Please, I encourage you to leave your thoughts.

Picture source: Online image. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4yvzla40N1Y/Somc7g7A1tI/AAAAAAAAA8o/eQ9VKCMG0Io/s400/Vick-McNabb-talk.jpg