Michael Vick catches some totally unnecessary shrapnel from PFT's Mike Florio

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 8:55 AM EDT

This morning, Pro Football Talk reported on a tweet by Todd Herremans that took a shot at Ben Roethlisberger's ironic choice not to live with his fiancee until they're married:

"What a turnaround … Rapistberger to Religiousberger … Good for him!"

After some backlash, Herremans later tweeted:

"Funny how it takes all day to get negative feedback from a tweet … If u read it correctly… It reads ‘good for him.’"

OK, so Herremans is a bit of a bonehead on this one, and if Mike Florio wants to take Herremans to task for bringing up Roethlisberger's past, and then casually saying "If you read it correctly... It reads 'good him him,'" then fine. By all means, fire away. Florio instead for some reason took this as an opportunity to attack Michael Vick:

Fine, but the use of "Rapistberger" could cause a reasonable person to think that Herremans was clubbing Ben over the head with his past. If, for example, someone were to say as to Herremans’ quarterback, "From vicious, cold-blooded, methodical, calculating dog drowner/electrocuter/slam-to-the-ground-until-deader to Comeback Player of the Year . . . Good for him!," that could be viewed as a slap against Mike Vick.

Eff you, Florio. Are you freaking serious? For one, it's a dumb analogy, since that would be like Herremans tweeting "From drunken clown that was waving his junk around in a college bar and taking a 20-year old into the bathroom to have intercourse with her, possibly against her will" to "Religiousberger," but that's not what he did. The more apt analogy, once you've decided that you want to be an ass that is, would be to say "From 'dog killer' to Comeback Player of the Year," but when you can make it more sensationalistic, then why not?

But more importantly... WHAT DOES THIS STORY HAVE TO DO WITH MICHAEL VICK... AT ALL? We already know that Michael Vick will never, ever live down his past (and you can decide on your own if that's deserved or not), but Florio is way over the top here, and way out of line. Awful journalism, or whatever it is Florio calls what he does.

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Comments

Florio taking an unnecessary shot at the Eagles is somehow less than surprising.

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

by wildcatlh on Apr 8, 2011 9:00 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Not surprising at all.

by Smitty2K3 on Apr 8, 2011 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think Florio would classify himself as a journalist.

by outsyderz34 on Apr 8, 2011 9:01 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Agreed, fixed.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions

In Ben’s denomination, I guess pre-marital sex is wrong.

Unless it’s in a bar bathroom and he’s drunk.

by BrianS on Apr 8, 2011 9:12 AM EDT reply actions

It's not premarital sex if she is too drunk to realize what's happening.

Or if she doesn’t want to have sex.

by NOLACuse on Apr 8, 2011 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

I wish someone else could possibly run a rumor site that breaks news as quickly as he would, so I wouldn’t have to keep going to PFT to browse info during the day.

I really dislike his commentary, and think that the quality of the site would greatly improve should this dbag go back to being a lawyer instead.

God, Lawyers are just messing up my football.

by corn on the kolb on Apr 8, 2011 9:24 AM EDT reply actions

Yup, you hit on right on the head. For every hardcore football fan that says they hate PFT, they check it 5 times/day, myself included. Hell, it’s how I noticed this trash. It’s awesome for aggregating the latest news around the NFL, and I do respect their legal analysis on issues I wouldn’t otherwise understand, but their commentary is atrocious.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions

I definately agree with the legal commentary too- its very good and has made the CBA much easier for me to pretend to understand.

But I gotta say- its still better than Matt Mosley’s writing over on the ESPN NFC EAST blog. Speaking of, wonder who they replaced him with .. hmm, time to check in.

by corn on the kolb on Apr 8, 2011 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Don’t bother. They haven’t replaced him yet. The best you’re going to get is cookie cutter analysis of various Eagles positions, and a couple links to things you’ve probably already read.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

blegh

it is lame.

Guess I’ll start reading Hog Heaven, and BBV.

by corn on the kolb on Apr 8, 2011 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Same here, I’m starting not to like Florio. He was okay with me up until he made the deal with NBC and now I am starting to notice him being more of a dick.

by Shady25 on Apr 8, 2011 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

I ignore all his commentary.

I don’t care what he thinks and I take all his poorly-to-not-at-all-sourced updates with a massive grain of salt.

by Tracer Bullet on Apr 8, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

and regarding the actual comments

I don’t do the whole twitter thing, I’m just now getting comfortable on facebook..

But my impressions is that everything is shorter and to the point, without mercy.

What Todd said was probably a bad joke, but it was designed to illustrate that he’s turned his life around, and I believe him if he says he meant “good for him” as an actual compliment. He’s an offensive lineman- I doubt he really has any kind of beef with Ben.

by corn on the kolb on Apr 8, 2011 10:02 AM EDT reply actions

I would recommend getting a twitter. There’s 20+ Eagle players on there many of whom frequently interact with fans. I’ve found Todd Herremans, Brent Celek, and Stew Bradley to be the most likely to respond to questions and comments, but it’s just cool in general to see the players interacting with each other. I think one of the misconceptions of twitter is that you have to tweet. Really, I find it’s a good site just get good information from and to follow athletes/celebrities.

Sorry for the off-topic twitter rant haha

by Eaglesadvocate on Apr 8, 2011 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions

vicious, cold-blooded, methodical, calculating dog drowner/electrocuter/slam-to-the-ground-until-deader

Seems like he had that one in the holster for a while.

"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins

"Yeah, I like to hit people"
-Brandon Graham

by immynimmy on Apr 8, 2011 10:09 AM EDT reply actions

Seems more like he hit the nail on the head. If the team is going to sport a dog killer as the Quarterback then the players should get used to hearing about what type of scumbag they are following.

by Kachtice on Apr 11, 2011 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions

I know what it has to do with Vick…

More people comment and link to stories about Michael Vick than Todd Herremans…

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by JasonB on Apr 8, 2011 10:16 AM EDT reply actions

WHAT DOES THIS STORY HAVE TO DO WITH MICHAEL VICK

He’s the quarterback of the team Herreman’s is on. He clearly was responding to the passive aggressive nature of Herreman’s tweet on another team’s quarterback by creating an attack on his quarterback.

Both QBs have a murky history and Herreman’s opened the door for such a response.

It kind of reminds me of an elementary school fight. One kid throws a paper ball at another and the kid responds with a punch to the face. Was it an appropriate response? No, but the invitation was made.

by Off_The_Hook on Apr 8, 2011 10:19 AM EDT reply actions

Florio isn’t in elementary school.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Did he finally give up and drop out?

"Be polite to everyone you meet, but be prepared to kill anyone"-tc16cav

by otisnixon'sparty on Apr 8, 2011 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Haha… yep, put on his big boy pants.

by 92-74-99-96 on Apr 8, 2011 11:28 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Anytime someone links to him

they should put up a warning/disclaimer like I do when I link to Bleacher reports.

"Be polite to everyone you meet, but be prepared to kill anyone"-tc16cav

by otisnixon'sparty on Apr 8, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Ugh…don’t know why I kept putting an apostrophe in Herremans.

by Off_The_Hook on Apr 8, 2011 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions

You'd have a point but...

Ben’s choice to not live with his fiance until after marriage is ironic. What has Vick done, that’s equally as ironic? Herreman’s is a lame joke at worst, Florio’s is… not even attempting to be a joke. I’ve heard some Vick jokes.. he could’ve done better.

by cin7 on Apr 8, 2011 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Why did he mention Vick in such a manner?

Generate more traffic and discussion. Mission Accomplished I would say.

by brisulph on Apr 8, 2011 10:43 AM EDT reply actions

At least Herremans and Celek seem to be having a good time with it.

Let the beasting begin.

by TransplantedFan on Apr 8, 2011 10:50 AM EDT reply actions

From Celek's twitter

I see @toddherremans made @ProFootballTalk Good for him!

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by JasonB on Apr 8, 2011 10:52 AM EDT reply actions

#goodforhim has to be a new meme

Follow Bleeding Green Nation on Twitter & Facebook

by JasonB on Apr 8, 2011 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree Florio was kind of out of line but I also think Todd didn't need to say what he did.

I am a fan of Florio because he is not afraid of speaking his mind and claiming it opinion. He is not a journalist, he is a fan who gets paid to run a blog, a dream we all have I am sure. It is easy to not like him but I mean PFT is basically the best Football site right now due to their constant updates. I think he definitely had that Vick comment for a while and he pounced. Vick did his time but he did kill numerous former living things so I mean it is kind of like being a Sex Offender, that shit doesn’t go away because you’ve done your time. Todd is easily one of my top 5 players but he started this and Florio immaturely continued it.

Trevor Laws: "Thank Giants for kicking to (Desean)."
Mike Vick: "Why would they kick to Desean?"
Matt Dodge: "Snap too high!"
NJ Eagle: "Fly Eagles Fly!!!"

by NJEagle on Apr 8, 2011 11:08 AM EDT reply actions

Ben didn't do his time

He got away. Sure he lost some earnings and endorsements because of it, but, it’s not the same as serving time in jail for your crimes.

by AZ Eagle on Apr 8, 2011 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions

“From ‘dog killer’ to Comeback Player of the Year,”

I can’t remember any specific examples, but I am pretty sure there were a wave of these articles and similar articles with “possible MVP” in place of CPotY before them, and rightly so.

And after Florio wrote many, many articles lambasting Big Ben, I would say this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but I don’t want this to develop into a racial thing…

by ATG. on Apr 8, 2011 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

and you know it would, lol

by corn on the kolb on Apr 8, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Why would it?

Is race that big of a deal in the USA? As in, anything that has two different colour of skins involved instantly becomes a race thing?

by brisulph on Apr 8, 2011 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

yup

prime example, when King Dunlap got into his trouble for pulling his SUV up on the curb, everyone here immediately made it into a race thing, instead of, you know, driving on the sidewalk.

I wish it wasn’t

by corn on the kolb on Apr 8, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

That's brutal

I guess it is like french vs english up here, but way more aggravated.

by brisulph on Apr 8, 2011 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

It's not like that in daily life at all.

Just on public messages boards/blogs.

We don’t go around fighting and arguing about race all the time in real life.

by AZ Eagle on Apr 8, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Good point,

let’s not make it sound like some kind daily Israeli/Palestinian thing.

by ATG. on Apr 8, 2011 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions

sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that. We don’t have lynchings or really race riots, not since the 90’s.

But online yeah its much more aggressive. I’m not sure if its just the trolls, or if people are more comfortable saying things cause nothing happens to them here.

But it really personifies what everyone is really feeling and thinking, I think.

by corn on the kolb on Apr 9, 2011 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Things I think

PTF Is a great site.
Florio can be an idiot at times
Herremans knew what he was doing
Celek’s Twiter backround makes me laugh

I'm not drunk I'm just drinking.

by no1pipelayer on Apr 8, 2011 2:14 PM EDT reply actions

Celek might have the best twitter background in the NFL.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

He's Good

I'm not drunk I'm just drinking.

by no1pipelayer on Apr 8, 2011 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Mike Florio must have the smallest penis in the world

As a woman, I truly recognize that trait and boy does Florio have it. He is tiny, that’s why he writes the shit he does.

by cancer36 on Apr 8, 2011 2:37 PM EDT reply actions

I actually laughed when I saw the little eagle captain morgan on Celek’s background. Funny Stuff.

…In other news Todd Herrmans is an idiot and Mike Florio is a prick.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

by Mikesta on Apr 8, 2011 3:08 PM EDT reply actions

Herreman saying that...

is like Dez Bryant calling another guys mom a prostitute

I'm not drunk I'm just drinking.

by no1pipelayer on Apr 8, 2011 3:11 PM EDT reply actions

I only know this:

If Vick were on the Cowboys, you would be all over this.

And with a 180º different perspective.

Arnold, almost 5 years of good memories, you'll be missed.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!

by Chandus on Apr 8, 2011 3:24 PM EDT reply actions

(1) – I can guarantee you that if Leonard Davis tweeted that Chad Ochocinco was a douchebag or something, and Florio took that as an opportunity to call Dez Bryant an immature deadbeat jackass when Dez had nothing to do with the story, I’d absolutely think that Florio was out of line. So piss off.

(2) – How’d you get that little degree symbol?

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

My keyboard is latam spanish

And it’s in my keyboard.

If you don’t have it in your keyboard: press ALT and type 248.

And about the piss off, this is the usual, just making fun, you took me too seriously.

Arnold, almost 5 years of good memories, you'll be missed.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!

by Chandus on Apr 8, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe you took the piss off too seriously, hmmmm?

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/

by JimmyK on Apr 8, 2011 6:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Uhmmm… I keep forgeting that 2 can play that game…

Arnold, almost 5 years of good memories, you'll be missed.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!

by Chandus on Apr 9, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

See, you should asked about the degree symbol BEFORE you told him to piss off. Now we will never know.

by ATG. on Apr 8, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m not that good at following orders…

Arnold, almost 5 years of good memories, you'll be missed.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!

by Chandus on Apr 8, 2011 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions

My recommendation for everyone that was offended by Mike Florio’s tweet, tweet @ him and let him know. Todd Herrmans offered his protection to a bullied kid, Florio bullies people on twitter.

by MidwesternEaglesfan on Apr 8, 2011 3:45 PM EDT reply actions

Big Ben's position has always been consistent

“No consensual sex before marriage.”

by donniethelion on Apr 8, 2011 4:00 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

The difference between Big Ben and Michael Vick is Eagles fans won’t deny what VIck did was wrong, we know it was bad and don’t blame anyone for hating Vick. Steelers fans take offense to anyone riping on Big Ben. I don’t think most people buy that Ben has found Jesus but everyone believes that Vick has. Probably not fair but has to do with how Vick conducts himself now and how Ben still conducts himself. I don’t see humility in Ben but I think we can all agree Vick has shown a lot of humility.

Mike Florio, Mark Buerle, Michael Young, Jemele Hill- you have all tried to bring down the Eagles player and fans by way of your awful aritcles and ignorant tweets. Your all in the Axis of Evil.

by MidwesternEaglesfan on Apr 8, 2011 5:00 PM EDT reply actions

Ive never gone to PFT. And now i never will.

Expect Greatness

by Dunta Is A PUNK on Apr 8, 2011 5:03 PM EDT reply actions

Ya I’ve been there once or twice but never saw what was so great about it. I spend WAY too much time on this site and others because I sit at a cpu all day aimlessly wandering around the internet….PFT is not one that I ever cared to wander to, this just locked the door for me. IOf anything important comes from there I’m sure I will hear about it here anyways.

by Shawsage on Apr 8, 2011 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions