As the Vick Turns

Since Michael Vick’s on field return to the NFL was scheduled for last night, it was probably pretty obvious as to what I would be discussing today. No other significant topic that I want to discuss and go into a fuller analysis about has crept into my mind, so how about we just do some quick hits today? Yeah, sounds good to me…

The Game’s Quick Hits

- Well without question, the top story from Thursday was Michael Vick. It seems like it is all Vick, all the time around here, but that’s how it goes with an intriguing story like this. On Thursday morning, Vick appeared in bankruptcy court in Newport News, VA. A judge approved Vick’s plan to repay creditors who are owed about $20 million and allow Vick to emerge from bankruptcy. Not surprisingly, all of the creditors and representatives in court supported the plan. Obviously they see that NFL money coming back to Vick and they want their piece. I don’t have much to comment on about this. Vick’s actions caused all of this mess and he still has to pay the piper. For his sake, his performance on the field had better be at a high level, or he won’t be getting millions in those contracts as his NFL career continues.

And speaking of on the field, Vick hopped a plane right after his court appearance to get back to Philadelphia for their preseason game against the Jaguars. It was reported earlier in the day that the game plan called for Vick to see action in the first quarter. He would play at QB for the most part and then be a part of Wildcat formations. Coach Andy Reid was most concerned about seeing how Vick would adjust to the speed and intensity of a live game and also if he could take care of the ball. So with all that said and all the hype leading up to his return, how did Vick look on the field?

The short answer: decent and passable. When Vick trotted onto the field during the Eagles first offensive series, he was met with a standing ovation for the most part…so much for all of those anti-Vick efforts. Vick was in the game for only 6 plays and was 4-4 for 19 yards and had one rush for one yard. Pretty pedestrian numbers, but it was what I expected. I said I would be shocked if Vick pulled off a game breaking type of play and indeed, that never even came close to happening. Vick displayed good arm strength and zip on his one down field pass that he threw and he did not look lost out there or shocked by the speed of the game. However, the Eagles looked sloppy and one can argue that Vick being in the game messed up the rhythm of the offense. I tend to agree and I feel the Eagles really need to develop a package of plays for Vick and stick to them. You will not have success in the NFL trying to do a QB rotation. Vick stated after the game that he is at about 70% of what he needs to be and he thinks the sky’s the limit when he gets back fully into game shape. Without question, this will continue to be a hot topic of discussion in the coming weeks.

- Very big news coming from WWE land. Current Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio has been suspended for 30 days due to violating the company’s wellness policy. I debated on whether to save this for tomorrow, but I really don’t feel I can offer a great deal of in depth analysis. I am certainly surprised to hear this news, but when I think about it, it is not THAT shocking. Rey has been flying around the ring for well over a decade now and has put his body through a great deal of punishment. He is also a small man, but you have to admit he is pretty muscular. So, I am left to speculate that either he was taking too many drugs to deal with some pain or he flat out got caught on some juice which he was using to try and keep his body going. The suspension is supposed to be effective next Wednesday, so be prepared to see Mysterio drop the IC Title to Dolph Ziggler at the Smackdown tapings on Tuesday. I am wondering if the WWE now regrets not giving Ziggler the win at Summerslam. I would if I were them…

- Former Kentucky men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie was arrested and charged with DUI after being pulled over by police early Thursday. They detected the smell of alcohol on him and his speech was slurred. This is now the third incident involving Gillispie and drunk driving. It seems like this is becoming a pattern now and maybe Billy needs to consider the possiblility that he has a problem here. I am all for having a few drinks and having a good time, but you can’t jump behind the wheel. It can be a tough thing to admit that you have a problem, but it seems like Mr. Gillispie might have one. Hopefully he can address the issue and get back on his feet. He was able to get the head coaching job at Kentucky, so I am sure that there is still a job out there somewhere for him in the future.

- Tiger Woods returned to the PGA tour yesterday with an underwhelming 1-under par 70 at The Barclays, the first FedEx Cup Playoff event. This put him 5 strokes off the lead shared by Paul Goydos, Steve “Don’t Call Me Dan” Marino, and Sergio Garcia. Well those guys certainly are not powerhouses (and yes I include Sergio because of his inconsistency) and Tiger, most of the time, gets off to slow starts and builds momentum, so it should be fun to see what happens this weekend. I love watching Tiger and I enjoy how skilled he is and how dominant he can be. If he is near the top of the leaderboard this weekend, you can bet I will be tuning in. He probably needs to make a move on Friday though if he wants to win this tournament because you have a great field in this event and they are trying to move on to the next playoff event.

- Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane escaped jail time by pleading guilty to a noncriminal charge of disorderly conduct after he and his cousin were accused of assaulting a cab driver over 20 cents. Kane was ordered to send an apology to the man and he will avoid any other penalties if he stays out of trouble for 1 year and sends the apology. No question Kane should apologize to this guy, but he should also apologize for his sheer stupidity. Now I can see how Kane and his cousin could be a bit scared and uneasy when the cabbie locked them in the car. But after they paid the guy, for them to rough him up over not getting 20 cents back is just idiotic. Kane is a star athlete, a role model, and is making millions of dollars. He should not be putting himself in a dumb situation over 20 cents. I haven’t read anything about him being drunk (and that is a good thing since he is only 20 years old), so I don’t know what he was thinking. Let’s hope he learns from the situation.

- The Boston Red Sox released P Brad Penny late Wednesday night after he has struggled this season going 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA. Sources indicate that 3 NL teams, the Rockies, Giants, and Marlins, immediately had interest. Because of the way his contract is structured, it is unlikely he will be picked up off waivers (that could cost a team almost $2.5 million if he pitched 50 more innings this year and he sure as hell isn’t worth that), but if he clears them, he would only cost a team about $100,000. Considering that Penny has a healthy arm and is a veteran who has had success in the big leagues, he would probably be worth the pickup. Now will he be effective? No one knows. But Cliff Lee and John Smoltz have benefited from moving to the NL from the AL, so maybe Penny can follow suit. Just some more intrigue as we head toward the home stretch of the season.

- Lou Piniella has offered himself up to critics looking to blame somebody for the Chicago Cubs' disappointing season. "You want to blame me? Take your shots. It doesn't bother me one bit, OK?" Well OK Lou, I’ll jump on the bandwagon then! You suck and you and the Cubs are cursed, CURSED I SAY! BWAHAHAHA! Ahem, sorry about that. Seriously though, you have to feel a little bit for the fans of the Cubs because it is just disappointment after disappointment. As an outsider though and a fan who has seen plenty of woes from hometown teams, I don’t have a great deal of sympathy and it is nice knowing some other franchises and fans have it worse. LOL

- Other football notes: Vikings QB Brett Favre did some talking yesterday and said that it is a “work in progress” trying to integrate himself into the Vikings locker room. When asked about the “schism” reports, Favre blew it off and said that he doesn’t even know what it means. As I stated yesterday, the only way Favre will truly win over his teammates is by leading them to victories and I believe Favre is well aware of that…Bills WR Terrell Owens is inching closer to recovering from a sprained toe. He was able to work out and catch passes in individual drills yesterday and Bills coach Dick Jauron was encouraged by the progress. He could be cleared to return to full practice next week. Well let’s hope T.O. recovers fully so he can get on the field and cause drama when QB Trent Edwards doesn’t get him the ball…Cowboys WR Roy Williams left practice after colliding with a teammate and injuring his shoulder. Sources are saying that Williams is done for the preseason, but there is no announcement yet on how severe the injury is. I hope for the Cowboys’ sake it is not that serious because Williams is being counted on to replace Terrell Owens. Owens even chimed in on Twitter saying that the pressure is building after he heard about the injury. Indeed it is…True freshman Matt Barkley was named the starting QB for the #4 USC Trojans yesterday. Coach Pete Carroll said that Barkley has exceeded expectations and is ready for the role. I don’t know anything about this guy, but it seems like he was the most sought after recruit last year, so the guy must have potential. I will be very interested to see how he performs when I get a chance to catch a USC game.