Michael Vick

[JBMasterAngler]

Michael Vick just won the ed block courage award...hmmm, interesting. I personally think he is the most undeserving player to ever win the award. I realize that his teammates vote for this honor, but you'd think they would be aware of the swarm of controversy this would make (if not for the fact he doesn't deserve it anyway). I think vick's black cloud was slowly going away, but this is just going to bring it right back, and then some. The award is forever tarnished now thanks to a bunch of blind buffoons. I've never been a michael vick fan, but he'd gain alot of points if he declined the honor. Philadelphia...go figure

[zamboni]

IDK how ANYONE can play 2 plays a game and win any award in the NFL.

[Big Dave2]

I'm not saying I agree with the Eagles decision but, there is one award winner picked for every team and here is what the award is about:

The Ed Block Courage Award recognizes players who put in extra effort on and off the field and overcome great adversity.

I guess it's possible that Vick could be the best candidate on Philly's team.

[Scott K]

That doesnt say much about the Phillys team does it?

[croixflats]

I saw that last night also. Not that I agree with it on larger level beyond the team showing support to another guy on the team witch that's all it is but it is nice to see a bit of compassion.

Though he should not be in the NFL and be in the position to win the award from his team mates.

[Big Dave2]

That doesnt say much about the Phillys team does it?

I would have to say that NOT having a bunch of guys who have had to "overcome great adversity" would actually be a good thing.

[croixflats]

On the field ? Its not like he jumped in a frozen lake to save puppies and froze his yahoo off.

Wonder if John Jolly will be getting that award in the future.

[zamboni]

Just getting out of prison shouldn't deserve an award anyway.

Berrians first year here he rented a semi, filled it full of turkeys and had them delivered to a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving, THAT is worthy of an award. Vicks a (BAD WORD INSERTED HERE) and that is all the time I am going to spend on him.

[Big Dave2]

I'm not sying that Vick is worthy of anything, but you have to look at what the award is for. It's not for charitable giving. It's not for saving puppies, its for:

The Ed Block Courage Award recognizes players who put in extra effort on and off the field and overcome great adversity.

That's all its for, nothing else. He obviously overcame great adversity and we have no idea how much extra effort he has put forth to do it.

[zamboni]

He got released from prison and signed a contract to play an average of 2 plays a game for more money in 6 months than most of us will see in a lifetime. Am I missing something? Not totally disagreeing with you BD, but more has been done by others.

[zepman]

Good for him. It must say something that his peers voted for him to receive the award. Obviously, the guy's trying to turn his life around and doing the right things now. This is his "second-chance", seems like he's making the most of it.

[JBMasterAngler]

Surviving cancer, or returning from a career ending injury is coming back from adversity! Being released from prison for a crime he's not only guilty of, but lied about in a court of law is NOT worthy of winning an award for! If I was the eagles' owner I would not stand for this.

McNabb should be voted for this award every year because being the QB in that town is enough adversity in itself. Poor guy has to deal with the worst fans' in all of sports and still produces day in and day out. He'd look good in purple

[Big Dave2]

Surviving cancer, or returning from a career ending injury is coming back from adversity! Being released from prison for a crime he's not only guilty of, but lied about in a court of law is NOT worthy of winning an award for! If I was the eagles' owner I would not stand for this.

McNabb should be voted for this award every year because being the QB in that town is enough adversity in itself. Poor guy has to deal with the worst fans' in all of sports and still produces day in and day out. He'd look good in purple

Is there anyone on that team that has survived cancer or returned from a career ending injury? I havn't heard of anyone. The Eagles owner will not only stand for it, I'm sure he is loving it. More PR. You can never have too much PR.

Also I would agree with your stance a little more if the crime he commited were against a human. There's no doubt he's a bad dude but how can guys like us who hunt and fish complain this much about dog fighting. In the eyes of PETA you are just as cruel to animals when you impale a defenseless worm or bait fish on a hook just for your own enjoyment of impaling a bigger fish on the same hook.

I'm certainly not saying that we should all go out and fight dogs, all I am saying is there are worse things he could have done and there are worse dudes than him in the NFL that are probably beating thier wives or shooting or stabbing people (Ray Lewis).

[zamboni]

He might not have commited his crime against a human, he has his little brother Marcus for that (man, what a family, mama must be proud) but he committed a felony, and that is just plain wrong in any book.

[zamboni]

BTW- Ray Lewis was acquitted Not saying he didn't do it, just saying

[Big Dave2]

BTW- Ray Lewis was acquitted Not saying he didn't do it, just saying

Lewis's attorney arranged with prosecutors to dismiss the murder charges if Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice[19] in exchange for him testifying against Oakley and Sweeting. Lewis accepted the plea bargain and was sentenced to one year of probation. He was not suspended by the NFL but was fined US$250,000, a league record at the time.

Accepting a plea bargain is not the same thing as being aquitted.

[Big Dave2]

He has also won a few awards. These awards are a little bigger than the one that Vick won.

Lewis has been selected to ten Pro Bowls and been named an Associated Press All-Pro eight times.[1] He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003; he was the sixth player to win the award multiple times.[2] He was also the second linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award and the first linebacker to win the award on the winning Super Bowl team.

[zamboni]

He was acquitted of murder, there is no plea bargain in the world gonna get you out of that rap.

As far as the awards he has won, he has won them because he is hands down one of the best all time at LB. I will promise you if him winning them awards disgusts you, then when he is a first ballot HOF'er, then you will really be mad. But he will be.

[zamboni]

He hasn't won any off the field, because he is no Boy Scout. But neither is Vick

[Big Dave2]

Ray Lewis was not AQUITTED! He plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony against others.

Here are some other NFL felons for ya.

In 1998, St. Louis Rams’ defensive end Leonard Little ran a red light, while driving drunk and hit and killed wife and mother Susan Gutweiler, 47. Little pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge, served 90 nights in a work release program and was back on the field the following season. In 2004, he was arrested again on drunk driving charges. In 2006, he was selected for the Pro Bowl.

In 2000, Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, and agreed to testify against his two friends, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, in exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss murder charges against him. Lewis was accused of stabbing to death two people after a Super Bowl party he attended, where a fight broke out between he and two members of a rapper’s entourage. While the NFL did fine Lewis for the crime, they did not issue any suspension. In 2008, Lewis received his 10th selection to the Pro Bowl.

In 2003, Chicago Bears’ defensive tackle Christian Peter retired after spending six seasons in the NFL. Before being drafted, Peter was arrested eight times for various offenses while in college at the University of Nebraska, one for grabbing a woman by the throat. Peter was also alleged to have raped a freshman named Kathy Redmond multiple times, while head coach Tom Osborne helped cover up the crime, Osborne has since apologized to Redmond. .In 1993, Peter also sexually assaulted two women.

Peter was drafted by the New England Patriots, who in light of his long history of criminal behavior, and his eighth arrest just before the draft, relinquished their rights to him. Peter entered the NFL the following season with the New York Giants.

In 2005, Cleveland Browns’ running back Jamal Lewis served 4 months in prison for attempting to set up a drug deal. Lewis was caught in 2004, as he tried to obtain and distribute five kilograms of cocaine. He received a four-game suspension. In 2008, Lewis rushed for 1,000 yards.

Between 2005-2007, Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested and/or convicted of multiple charges including disorderly conduct, public intoxication, assault, felony vandalism. In 2006, Jones was arrested for spitting in a woman’s face at a Nashville nightclub. In 2007, Jones assaulted a stripper in a Las Vegas club and threatened the life of a security guard, Jones eventually pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Jones was suspended for the 2007 NFL season, but returned to the league with the Cowboys in 2008.

In 2006, Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive tackle Tank Johnson was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, after allegedly threatening a Chicago police officer. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was on probation for a 2005 guilty plea to carrying a concealed weapon. Johnson was also charged with further probation violations in 2006. Johnson received an eight-game suspension, after serving 43 days in jail.

In April 2009, Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges and received a laughable 30-days in jail after hitting and killing husband and father Mario Reyes, 59 in Miami, Stallworth was drunk at the time. Officially, Stallworth is still on suspension from the NFL. The Browns have not released Stallworth, who signed him to a $35 million contract two weeks before he killed Reyes.

During the 2007 NFL season, an incredible 21 percent of the players had arrest records.

[JBMasterAngler]

1 in every 5 guys? WOW!

[zamboni]

Running a red light and killing someone is not even in the same ball park, or town for that matter as stabbing someone like Lewis was accused of. You can't accidently stab someone to death.

[Big Dave2]

Running a red light and killing someone is not even in the same ball park, or town for that matter as stabbing someone like Lewis was accused of. You can't accidently stab someone to death.

You forgot to mention that he was driving drunk at the time. Thats manslaughter. You can't accidentally drive drunk either.

If it were my wife and daughter he killed, I would certainly consider it "in the ballpark".

[Big Dave2]

1 in every 5 guys? WOW!

By the sounds of the article below, thats nothing compared to the NBA.

The NBA is rapidly turning into a national criminals' association: A

whopping 40 percent of NBA players have police records, a bombshell new book

charges.

The book by investigative reporter Jeff Benedict, "Out of Bounds: Inside the

NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence & Crime" isn't supposed to hit bookstores

until later this week, but The Post located a copy that went on sale

earlier.

In it, Benedict finds that 40 percent of the American players in the NBA

during the 2001-02 season had police records involving a serious crime.

"It's a situation that is out of control and absolutely demands close

scrutiny," Benedict writes.

The book is almost a "Who's Who in the NBA," and recounts legal scrapes

involving everyone from Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing, Penny Hardway,

Allen Iverson and Bonzi Wells to Ruben Patterson, Glenn Robinson and Damon

Stoudamire.

[DTro]

Sounds like adversity would be NOT having a rap sheet.