The Ankle Bracelet is Off...But the Punishment Continues

Monday, July 20th marked more than just the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon. Michael Vick was released from Federal custody when agents came to his house to remove the ankle bracelet that he has been sporting since leaving Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Now, with his debt to society paid, we are left with what to do with Michael Vick. Roger Goodell, NFL Owners, Michael Vick, and sports fans have decisions to make. So here’s my take on what the above mentioned people should do now that Michael Vick is out from behind bars and will soon be back in the public spotlight.

NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell:
Much has been written and said about Goodell’s handling of disciplinary issues since taking over for Paul Tagliabue as Commissioner of the National Football League. Goodell has been praised for cracking down on athletes who feel like they are above the law because of their new-found wealth and fame. He has also been widely criticized for his apparent inconsistent doling out of punishments and pardons. So what is Goodell to do in this case?

Should Roger Goodell meet with Michael Vick face to face?
Absolutely. As Commissioner of the league, Goodell has the responsibility to sit down face to face with Vick, hear Vick’s story and explain in as clear of terms as possible that Vick has no more mulligans, he has no more 2nd or 3rd or 4th chances.

Should Roger Goodell base his decision on whether or not to reinstate Vick on Vick’s ability to show remorse and regret for what he did?
Absolutely not. The fact is, Vick lied to the Commissioner’s face prior to being convicted about his involvement in the dog fighting ring. But, that’s not the issue here. The issue is that Michael Vick has paid his debt to society as determined by a Federal judge, he has lost millions upon millions of dollars in contract money, endorsement deals and future earnings, and has lost 2 years from playing in the NFL that were probably going to be 2 of the most important years of his career as far as his development of an NFL quarterback goes. Goodell needs not to hand down additional punishment.

When should Roger Goodell make a decision on Vick’s future with the NFL?
By August 1, Michael Vick, NFL Owners and the rest of the country should hear a definitive answer from Roger Goodell on Vick’s future. With the start of the NFL season right around the corner, Goodell’s top priority should be to get this decision made and out of his way. NFL Owners who might be interested in signing Vick should demand as much from Goodell. But even regardless of market demand, what in the world could possibly take so long to make a decision? Get on with it Roger.

Now on to NFL Owners:
As an NFL Owner, should you be afraid of the protests that might come with signing Vick?
Not in the least. If we have learned only 1 thing from the history of the NFL, by now it seems like NFL Owners would know that the NFL is as close to untouchable of a business as it gets in America. The publics' love of football will always echo louder in the stadiums and at the cash register than a dozen or so protesters picketing outside of an NFL game. And don’t believe anyone who tells you that seats are going to go empty for the team who signs Michael Vick. Nor should they. Vick made a stupid mistake, was found guilty of his crimes, paid his debt to society and now deserves what so many people in America get every day; a second chance. I’m not saying I’m going to buy my kid a Vick jersey as soon as he is signed by a team, but I will definitely cheer him on when he trots out on the field again for the first time.

As an NFL Owner, should I wait another NFL season before taking a risk on Vick?
Nope. Vick isn’t getting any younger and if your team is knocking on the door of getting to the Playoffs, or especially the Super Bowl, Vick could be one key stepping stone to getting over that last hurdle. Will Vick step right into a starting role and throw for 40 TD’s his first season back? Not a chance. But can you build a special package of plays around him and utilize his freakish talent for 10-20 plays a game? You betcha.

What teams would be a good fit for Vick?
Without going into too much detail about the reasoning behind my choices, here are my top 5 teams Vick could go to and make an impact right away.
1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Miami Dolphins
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
Think about Vick on any of those teams, and with the exception of the 49ers, you’ve just hopped onto the express route to the AFC or NFC Championship game.

If I were Michael Vick, what should be my focus now?
1. Get a mentor
Actually, go ahead and get 2 or 3 mentors. You can never have enough older, wiser men helping to guide, instruct, rebuke and correct you in your life when you’ve fallen as far as Vick has. And for every mentor that you get, get rid of 10 old friends who used to ride on your coattails. Some news has been made of Vick “finding God” in prison and now being a man of faith. That’s neither for me nor anyone else to judge, but if that is the case he will have plenty of opportunities to lean on that faith on the difficult road he is about to take.

2. Get in shape
The NFL chews up and spits out talented athletes every single year and no one is going to take a chance on the Michael Vick of 3 years ago. They need to see the quickness, elusiveness and explosion that made you into the highest paid NFL player at one point in your career.

3. Get out of the spotlight
If you aren’t on the practice field or playing field, you shouldn’t be seen or heard from by anyone for the next several months. Nothing will make the protesters go away quicker than not being seen in public more than you have to be. On the other hand, nothing will make your opposition scream louder and end your NFL comeback quicker than 1 mistake in the lime-light. Spend time with your family and your team.

And now for us…..
As Hokie fans we should hope the best for Michael Vick. Cheering him on and wishing him success isn’t condoning animal cruelty. Give Michael Vick the chance to redeem himself and if he does get back on the field, enjoy the show because he truly is one of the most gifted athletes to play the game.

Leave your thoughts below in the Comments section. And don't forget to vote in the polls.

Virginia Tech vs. Alabama Game Preview

At time of publication, countdown to kickoff of the 2009 College Football season is only 60 days 21 hours 20 minutes away. In order to help Hokies everywhere properly prepare for the upcoming season, I have compiled a season preview, a quick (or not so quick) look-ahead to each game of the season. We start off with the game opener, Tech vs. Alabama. For each game you will notice 4 sections.

1. Last Season’s Outcome
2. Key’s to Last Season’s Victory/Reason’s for Defeat
3. Key’s to the Victory this Season
4. Stat of the Game

In order to preview the upcoming season, we have to remember what happened last season, the good, the bad and the ugly, and know how that will affect and influence this year’s game.

So let’s get things started with the Season opener, Alabama

Sept 5 8:00pm Atlanta, GA ABC Broadcast
Hokies vs. Crimson Tide

In what may be the most hyped college football season opener in recent memory, the Hokies will square off against Alabama in what is sure to be a game for the ages. This is undoubtedly the biggest season opener for the Hokies since the loss to USC (+the refs) in 2004. (Don’t forget the Hokies went on to win the ACC Championship their 1st season in ACC play that year).

Last Season’s Outcome:
The Hokies and Roaming Elephants obviously didn’t play last year, so rather than compare the last time they played (1998 in the Music City Bowl with Tech winning 38-7), which would be completely irrelevant, we will compare the team’s performance in their last game, the Orange Bowl for the Hokies and the Fiesta Bowl for the Trampling Pacaderms.

The Hokies defeated the mighty Cincinnati Bearcats 20-7 in a dominating performance. Sean Glennon didn’t see the field in the game so it also gives us a good comparison for what game’s with only T-mobile at the helm will be like. Tech played dominating defense once again stuffing the Kittycats offensive attack and holding them to only 71 rushing yards per game and picking off the QB 4 times. Minus Brett Warren at LB, we got a great look at just how capable this year’s starting LB, Barquell Rivers can be. On offense the Hokies put on a dominating rushing performance to the tune of 258 yards (4.7 yards per carry). The consistent rushing attack took the pressure off Tyrod and allowed him time to ease the passing attack into the game rather than needing to force throws for completions.

Alabama however did not fair quite as well in their bowl performance. Outhustled, outplayed, outworked, out-everything-ed by a surprisingly athletic Utah side, Alabama lost big time 31-17. A poor curtain-call performance for Senior QB and future Hair Club for Men toupee model John Parker Wilson paired with poor tackling and lazy defensive play lead to the lopsided Utes victory. Will this trend continue or will Saban and the rest of the NCAA rules loving Bama coaching squad be able to rally the boys in Hotlanta?

Keys to Last Season’s Victory/Reasons for Defeat:
I’ll skip this section for this game because it doesn’t apply and because this article is already 5x’s longer than I planned on.

Keys to Victory this Season:
Offensive and Defensive Line Play.

If that’s all I wrote that would suffice (but it’s my blog and I have more to say).

I can NOT underestimate, understate or underplay how critically important the line play is on both sides of the ball this season. Obviously Tyrod staying healthy is key #1 to our success, but a WVa fan can figure that out so I’m going for key #2 here.

Offensively, if we can’t run block and create time for the QB in play-action and passing plays, our offense will continue to top out at around #114th best in the country (that’s out of #120 teams). Tyrod is good, but how much better can he be with another second and a half or so in the pocket to make sound decisions? Darren Evans and Ryan Williams are great, but how much better can they be if they can get to the second level of the defense (the Linebackers) without 3 linemen hanging off of their jerseys? And let’s not forget that the Hokies will be facing a bona-fide dump-truck of a Defensive Tackle in 6’5”, 365lbs. Terrance Cody. The last time we faced a defensive tackle of his dominating stature was 2007 at LSU against 6’2” 303lbs. Glenn Dorsey and we all remember how that one turned out.

Switching sides of the ball, the Hokies defensive line should be foaming at the mouth for the opportunity to face a Bama QB that has never started a collegiate football game. The Crimson Ripples will either be sending Sophomore, Greg McElroy, Freshman, Star Jackson, or Freshman, Thomas Darrah to face the daunting Bud Foster-led defense. None have taken any meaningful snaps in college so you can be sure they are having nightmares all summer long about the Lunchpail defense smacking the mouthpiece from their helmets.

Stat of the Game:
Being the first game of the season, and against an opponent we haven’t faced since 1998, this is a tough call, but I’ll have to say, watch the time of possession clock for both teams to get a good idea of how the game will play out.
If the Hokies can establish a running game against the very, very good Bama defense, the play-action pass will come alive and we might be able to establish a passing game. Getting off to a good start in the running game will limit the amount of 3 and outs with which we are all too familiar, and allow Beamer to do what he does best, play the field position game and let Bud Foster go nuts on defense.
If Bama controls the clock, our 0-man deep defensive line will wear down, our young LBs will be exposed to more plays they might not be fully prepared for and the big play likelihood starts to climb.

So, get down to Atlanta if you can (I’m going and my wife is due with our first child 21 days later so you have no excuse), yell your head off for the Hokies regardless of where you are, and get ready for the best time of the year.