Am I ready for the Vick Era to end?

Michael Vick’s days in the NFL could be numbered. I don’t know how I feel about it.

I know I’ve said my share of things against Michael Vick. He’s given me a lot of ammo to do it, both on and off the field. But I always held out hope that he’d get it all together. I’ve never written him off. I’ve never said that he should be cut or traded (unless it was a swap for Donovan McNabb, my favorite player. Can’t fault me for that). Now, it’s starting to seem like he’s never going to get the chance to live up to the potential, mainly because he can’t stop screwing his life up.

It frustrates me as a fan, because here is a guy who has the world in his hand. This man was the first pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He signed a $110 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Falcons. He’s arguably the most exciting player to watch in the NFL. He’s got his own shoe from Nike. He plays the glamour position in the most popular sport in the country. He’s a starting NFL quarterback. A lot of people would stomp on their mother to live his life.

But that’s just not good enough, because this guy can’t stop being a knucklehead. And admittedly, flicking off the fans or that water bottle thing, they weren’t that bad. The Ron Mexico situation was more of a joke than anything else. Everything else that Michael Vick had done to this point really wasn’t that bad. Except for the girl he burned, he hadn’t really been out hurting people. He was just doing stupid things, things that would have blown over with time.

But this…the dog-fighting thing, it’s a serious charge. This is a felony and a federal case. And if there’s evidence against him, he’s likely going to jail. And now, all those “little things” that he had done just help paint the portrait of a man who doesn’t deserve the blessings he’s been given. His critics are louder than ever, and in the face of his indictment, it’s impossible to defend Vick. All his supporters have left is, “let’s wait until the facts come in.” His supporters sound like his lawyer during a press conference. “I am confident that when all the facts are revealed, Mr. Vick’s good name will be vindicated.”

And where does that leave me? I have been a harsh critic of Michael Vick, both on and off the field, mainly because it’s hard for me to tolerate knuckleheads. But, I want to support him and I did, even in the face of his little indiscretions. When I’d tear him down (which I did, often…he should have been benched at times last year), I never completely closed the door on him, because when he’s on, he’s been unstoppable. I’ve always believed that he could be better than what he’s shown us. I know it probably never came out in anything I wrote, but in personal discussions with people, I defended him when I could. I mean, it’s like the Republicans do with Bush. “Well…he’s our president.”

I guess what it all boils down to is, I don’t want to see him go down like this. Regardless of if he’s cut or traded (a distinct possibility), I just don’t want to see him in handcuffs, on his way to jail. It must be a black thing, because when white players get arrested, I never have a conflict of emotions. Speaking of black and white, I’m sure the white folks in Atlanta are ecstatic, because they’ve wanted to be rid of Vick for the last three years.

I liked Matt Schaub, too, but the fact is Michael Vick’s presence has brought more excitement to Atlanta than any other football player, ever. He is Atlanta’s first football megastar and his tenure in Atlanta is probably the only time that Atlanta has ever been viewed as having a consistently good team. There have been winning seasons in the past, and the Falcons even went to a Super Bowl before Vick. But the Falcons have never been able to shake the label of being a sorry team, even amongst football fans…until Michael Vick came to town. He’s the kind of player that gives Falcons fans a reason to hope for a championship.

And now, it could all be over.

Of course, I don’t wholeheartedly believe that Vick will wind up in jail. I’m sure a deal will be made where someone else will take the fall for him, and they’ll be paid handsomely when they get out of jail. No sense in taking the meal ticket down. What else did you have to do, deadbeat cousin of Michael Vick? It worked for Greg Anderson and Barry Bonds. I know in my heart that there’s $4 million that Bonds is holding for Anderson once he gets out of jail. What’s your price, cousin?