Are sociopolitical overtones in the Michael Vick narrative quieting his performance, or at least the appreciation of it?
I will keep my opinion on that issue to myself for now.
How about Michael Vick?
Strip away the context, the game, and the opponent and its relevance, and it could be argued that the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback’s showing Monday night was one of the most visually stunning performances that have ever occurred on a football field.
He is finally doing what he could always do in Madden.
The first play of the game, he flicks his wrist and launches a perfect throw more than 60 yards downfield.
He is still Deion Sanders with the ball in his hand, but in combination with his accuracy, arm strength and command of the game, he has a chance, in whatever remaining seasons he has left, to be the greatest player in league history, perhaps the greatest athlete of our generation.
Call it hyperbole — fine. But listen to what Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young had to say.
Monday night, Young called Vick’s performance, “the full fruition of the position.” Trent Dilfer, an astute analyst and former quarterback, said he was “flabbergasted,” and that Vick was doing things “nobody has ever seen before.”
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
