Vick Steered to Eagles Over Competing Teams by Goodell?

[HD MM]

In a recent article on Michael Vick in GQ Magazine, it has been revealed that when deciding where to play after his release from prison, Vick was steered to go to Philly instead of Buffalo or Cincinnati. Steered by the NFL Commishioner himself, Roger Goodell. In the article...

"I didn't want to come to Philadelphia. Being the third-team quarterback is nothing to smile about. Cincinnati and Buffalo were better options." Those two teams wanted him and would've allowed him to start, but after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell and other reps from the NFL, Vick was convinced—and granted league approval—to sign with Philly. "And I commend and thank them, because they put me in the right situation."

Wow. If true, this suggests tampering. Isn't a Commissioner supposed to be neutral in this type of decision?

Vick has since come out and tried to downplay the article...

Michael Vick: "Commissioner never told me to sign or not sign with particular teams. I want to make it clear this was a decision I made."

Hmmmm...

 

[meStevo]

That's not downplaying, that's denying.

I think people are jumping to conclusions with the context too... if you're a previously successful quarterback, you don't want to be 3rd string anywhere, so of course 2 bad teams are better options, but are they what's best for you at that point in your career or life. He didn't need a starting job, he needed structure and time to get back into football. If he signed with the Bills or Bengals that certainly would not have happened and IMO is the realization that he came with the consult of his friends, family, and the league.

Also, not sure how you can 'tamper' with a free agent.

 

[HD MM]

That's not downplaying, that's denying.

You're right. It contradicts his statements in GQ. Wonder which one is right?

 

[meStevo]

You're right. It contradicts his statements in GQ. Wonder which one is right?

If I had to guess, probably today's statment from Michael Vick, not the paraphrased implications (there's no direct quote in the article of 'the commissioner told me to go to Philly').

 

[HD MM]

That's not downplaying, that's denying.

I think people are jumping to conclusions with the context too... if you're a previously successful quarterback, you don't want to be 3rd string anywhere, so of course 2 bad teams are better options, but are they what's best for you at that point in your career or life. He didn't need a starting job, he needed structure and time to get back into football. If he signed with the Bills or Bengals that certainly would not have happened and IMO is the realization that he came with the consult of his friends, family, and the league.

Also, not sure how you can 'tamper' with a free agent.

It's tampering because the head of the NFL was according to the GQ article, influencing Vick to go to one team and avoid another. If true, in essence, that would create an unfair balance of power.

 

[meStevo]

It's tampering because the head of the NFL was according to the GQ article, influencing Vick to go to one team and avoid another. If true, in essence, that would create an unfair balance of power.

Like you said, that its according to the GQ article, and not Vick.

That's still also not tampering.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[meStevo]

Yup. Out of context. Leitch on Vick’s statement: “I wouldn’t disagree with a word of it” | ProFootballTalk

 

[SabresRule]

Vick in Cincinnati may have been a chemistry disaster (imagine if he was with T.O. and Ochocinco last year- yikes

Vick in Buffalo may have not gone better (would have been on same Bills team as T.O.- yikes again)

 

[w6pea]

Does this make you wonder about the Philadelphia Eagles signed this scumbag convicted felon to a $100 Million Dollar contract?

That sucks. I guess its alright with the NFL to do what he did, and claim he has found God.

I hope he breaks his neck.

 

[riffjim4069]

Does this make you wonder about the Philadelphia Eagles signed this scumbag convicted felon to a $100 Million Dollar contract?

That sucks. I guess its alright with the NFL to do what he did, and claim he has found God.

I hope he breaks his neck.

Well...all I can say is I think people are making much-too-much out of this speculation. Seriously, Vick and Philly are a perfect matching for one another much like peanut butter and jelly; criminals belong with criminals, thugs belong with thugs, and I cannot thing of anyone more deserving of a POS like Vick than the fans in Philly. The fans in Philly make England's soccer hooligans look like choirboys.

 

[SandraC]

Well...all I can say is I think people are making much-too-much out of this speculation. Seriously, Vick and Philly are a perfect matching for one another much like peanut butter and jelly; criminals belong with criminals, thugs belong with thugs, and I cannot thing of anyone more deserving of a POS like Vick than the fans in Philly. The fans in Philly make England's soccer hooligans look like choirboys.

Disagree with only the last statement, but your overall point is valid. Philly fans are disgustingly vile. Period. They don't come close to soccer hooligans, but Philly fans are the worst North America has to offer.


Sandra

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Also, not sure how you can 'tamper' with a free agent.

I agree, Philly apprently wanted to sign him. Now, if proof came out that the Eagles really didn't want to and were somehow 'convinced' to sign him, now that could be construed as tampering....

 

[meStevo]

Tampering as defined by the NFL "refers to any interference by a member club with the employer/employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissibly induce the person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL".

He's a free agent, and no clubs owned his rights, so there was no tampering under any circumstances. As I already posted two weeks ago, the author of the article agreed with Vick in saying that this has been overblown and taken out of context by the media, there is no quote from Vick saying that the commissioner told Vick to go to the Eagles, and Vick as a competitor didn't like the idea of going anywhere and being a 3rd QB so that's why he said what he did.

 

[duckydan]

Disagree with only the last statement, but your overall point is valid. Philly fans are disgustingly vile. Period. They don't come close to soccer hooligans, but Philly fans are the worst North America has to offer.


Sandra

As a Philly sports fan I have to strongly disagree. We have some aholes sure but saying we're the worst when you have stabbings in LA and fighting in the stands in other cities is rediculus. Yes eagles games are pretty bad due to the number of asses there (I wouldn't take my 7yr old daughter to a game nor would I wear my panthers Jersey when I went to see them play the eagles vs mcchoke who I refused to watch) but any other team is laid back at the games.

I would also like to throw out there that Philly fans did not want Vick on the team last year or the year before.... winning changed minds quickly.

 

[w6pea]

Disagree with only the last statement, but your overall point is valid. Philly fans are disgustingly vile. Period. They don't come close to soccer hooligans, but Philly fans are the worst North America has to offer.


Sandra

Sandra
I have to disagree with your statement..........the Oakland Raider fans are just as bad if not worse. : :doh:I take that back they make the Philly fans look like little Innocent children.

 

[salsadancer7]

Sandra
I have to disagree with your statement..........the Oakland Raider fans are just as bad if not worse. : :doh:I take that back they make the Philly fans look like little Innocent children.

How many games have you gone to in Oakland and how many Raider fans do you know to make this statement?

 

[SandraC]

Sandra
I have to disagree with your statement..........the Oakland Raider fans are just as bad if not worse. : :doh:I take that back they make the Philly fans look like little Innocent children.

I've only seen Philly fans in action, not Oakland, but from my perspective it looks like Raider fans like to put on their Halloween costumes and play the part, but if you want true nastiness go to Philadelphia.


Sandra

 

[salsadancer7]

I've only seen Philly fans in action, not Oakland, but from my perspective it looks like Raider fans like to put on their Halloween costumes and play the part, but if you want true nastiness go to Philadelphia.


Sandra

I have gone to a few games down here and I would say Jets fans are pretty bad. But in the same token, I have seen a few(approx. 4) JETS games up north....and they are no where near as bad as transplanted NYJETS fans down here.

 

[SandraC]

I have gone to a few games down here and I would say Jets fans are pretty bad. But in the same token, I have seen a few(approx. 4) JETS games up north....and they are no where near as bad as transplanted NYJETS fans down here.

There are bad fans everywhere, including New York. But in Philly, as a group they are particularly vile.


Sandra

 

[meStevo]

In Philly being overly critical of sports is part of the culture.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk