Let’s waste no time … we’re going straight to the Duke:
“I want to make it an issue. I want teams to explain why they have a quarterback who has less skills but is playing or at least is on the taxi squad, and a guy with more skills can’t get into training camp.”
That’s what Jesse Jackson said recently, suggesting that the NFL owners might be colluding against Michael Vick. I would find it hard to believe that collusion’s the problem here. Let’s consider a few things before we acknowledge that Jackson may be suggesting some form of racism: Nike marketed Vick more than almost any other athlete in the country and paid him well as a sponsor. Vick was the highest paid player in the league before he got locked up because of his own wrongdoing. Doesn’t sound like a league with an anti-Vick agenda to me (until Vick screwed things up on his own).
Furthermore, how does Jackson know that Vick’s more skilled than every other quarterback who’s trying to find a spot as a quarterback in the league? Before he even went away to prison, people (including myself) didn’t find him to be all that effective of a quarterback anyway. What makes you think he’d be such an asset even after not playing for two entire seasons?? He’s never matched the hype that he’s received and being a good quarterback is much more than just running fast or throwing far. If that were all it takes then J.P. Losman and Kyle Boller would have made it.
Lastly, when it comes to Michael Vick, it’s not about how much more skilled he is than the next guy, it’s about what other issues he brings to the table. He’s a distraction, not dedicated, and he’ll bring a ton of negative publicity to the team that signs him. It’s the same reason why adding T.O. or Pacman Jones isn’t as simple as saying “he’s better than the next guy.” For a guy who’s value was questionable before prison, there’s no way the benefits of bringing him in would outweigh the costs at this point. And if Vick’s dying so much to show his skills, then he should prove it in the UFL where they’re willing to take him. But my bad, it must be collusion working against him.
