GTOG Point-Counter Point: The Michael Vick Contract

By Finesse

There is one truth, and we both usually know what it is.  But on rare occasions, one of us knows the truth and the other one doesn't.  Today, there is a divide about the Michael Vick contract -- 6 years for $100 million, with $41 million guaranteed.  For comparison's sake, Ben Roethlisberger signed for 8 years/$100 million in 2008 with around $36 million in guaranteed money.

I just want to thank God that I signed that contract in 2008 before I was implicated in two sexual assaults.  Again, I apologize, although I didn't do anything wrong. But I'm still sorry. God is great. If I had signed that contract in 2010, I may have gotten less money. But God had a plan for me all along: have great success at a young age, nearly kill yourself in a motorcycle accident, sign a $100 million contract, be falsely accused of multiple sexual assaults, play in that game against Baltimore with a broken nose which showed the world how much heart I have and how everything I do I do for God and for my offensive line, and then wear a t-shirt to my wedding rehearsal dinner. That's essentially the story of Abraham from Genesis. Band of brothers.

My position is that this contract is going to be a huge letdown for the Eagles.  It's not that Vick isn't a good QB -- he is -- but expectations have risen to the level that anything short of a Super Bowl and the Vick Reclamation Project will be an enormous bust.  The problem is that Vick's ribs are like hearts on the Bachelor: you may not know when it will happen, but you know they're breaking.  And even though he's supremely athletic, good coaches can game-plan to stop him.  What you can't stop is a guy slinging darts.  Witness, Aaron Rogers.

Artistry thinks Vick has a lot of impact on a lot of games.  He also points out that $100 million is the going rate for quarterbacks.  What he doesn't point out is that I had first waiver pick in fantasy last year after week one and Artistry had last pick.  I told him I'd pick up Vick and then work a trade.  Artistry declined, even though his QB's were Brian St. Pierre and Peyton Manning's backup.  I stupidly passed on Vick, and just assumed he'd be gone before the 12th waiver pick.  Well, 10 other people are as dumb as me so he fell to Artistry and the rest is history.  The bottom line: bias.

No matter which way you come out, one thing is for sure.  The NFL is lucky to have Vick and Big Ben.