Photo: Getty Images, John Biever
- Troy BallardAfter three-seasons, I still hear people talk about how Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick should still be in jail, let alone back and playing in the NFL, but in Philadelphia, there is a totally different opinion.
Vick was sent to prison after being convicted on dog fighting charges. The ex-Atlanta Falcon quickly went from being a popular NFL superstar to a villain. There were jersey burnings, and most fans swore they could never forgive someone who performed such un-humane acts.
When Philadelphia took a gamble and re-signed Vick, the initial reaction was that of every single other fan base in America. He was booed. He was hated. At first, the Eagles must have immediately regretted signing Vick, even if he wasn't starting.
Now, the Eagles have realized they made an excellent choice signing Vick.
As a dedicated Philadelphia fan, when I heard the news that the Eagles signed Vick, I was disgusted. Just like everyone else. The fact that Vick would be able to don an Eagles' jersey and represent the city of Philadelphia was appalling. The whole incident would go down in Philadelphia franchise history as one of the most colossal mistakes of all-time.
In Vick's first season back, he saw almost no playing time. However, every time he would come onto the field in one of his unique plays designed just for him, boo's would reign down from every direction. It didn't matter if the Eagles were on the road or in Philadelphia, Vick heard how much people hated him.
Then season-two hit. Going into the year, the Eagles had traded away franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb and pushed all the chips on Kevin Kolb as the future. That future last a whole half of football in 2010, and Kolb left the game with a concussion. Vick was the new starter.
Philadelphia lost that first game, but the rest of the season is something that will be talked about 20-years from now. Vick exploded with the Eagles and blazed an amazing path to the playoffs. The entire team clicked, and Vick was blowing records out of the water and stunning defenses every Sunday. He did so well, he was nominated to the Pro-Bowl, despite being hated by every other fan base.
The Eagles would later lose in the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, but the season was historic. Vick rallied a team that was missing its identity and allowed them to place trust in him, and the Eagles were a top team in the NFL.
This season? It was a total mess. The NFL Lockout delayed OTA's and eliminated training camps and it showed in Vick's play. He was off-target, looked uncomfortable in the pocket, scrambled too much, and ended up getting injured.
Most looking from the outside of Philadelphia still loathe the idea of Vick and celebrated his failures, especially when he was injured. It's not bullet-proof for the Eagles either, and there is still a portion of the fan base that doesn't like Vick.
However, the majority of Eagles fans have embraced Vick. And no, it's not because he had a breakout season, either. The city of Philadelphia has accepted and forgiven Vick because he is humble, apologetic, hard working, and realizes the error of his ways.
It's tough to see from the outside, but when watching Vick on the field, in post-game pressers, in interviews, and when talking to fans, he speaks like a changed man. Like a man who regrets his past and knows that he will never be able to make up for it.
There will always be people who won't, or can't, forgive Vick. Some of them are even Eagles fans. But if you are like this, I plead with you to give Vick a chance. The city of Philadelphia has, and we are seeing entirely different side to the most hated athlete in America.
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