Although our beloved NBA is on the fritz with the lockout, at least the NFLPA and the owners were able to save the NFL. Football season is in full swing and boy does it feel better than ever. The season just started last week and there are already enough storylines to write a book on. The most intriguing of them all, however, is Michael Vick‘s return to the Georgia Dome tonight.
There are numerous reasons why this is the hottest story in football right now. Mike Vick’s comeback has been the most amazing comeback we’ve ever seen on the gridiron. After getting caught up in his dog fighting scandal, it was almost hard to believe anyone could love Vick the way they once did. With all of the odds against him, he’s returned to the NFL and proved that he deserves a second chance in the book of any true football fan. There is absolutely no way you can’t respect the way Vick played football last season. After the way he fell off, nobody expected him to come back with such heart and resilience – except for the ones who stood by him throughout the whole thing.
Being a former Georgia native myself, and growing up a die-hard Falcons fan, nothing made me more proud of being an ATLien than watching Vick suit up. His return to Atlanta as a starting QB is long overdue, and it’s going to prove so many things. It’s going to prove that no matter how good Matt Ryan is, and how much the home crowd really does love and appreciate what he’s done for the city, there will never be another Michael Vick in Atlanta.
During the whole dog fighting scandal, Matt Ryan was as good of a replacement as you can have. He led the team in a new direction and really turned over a new leaf in Atlanta. However, the majority of football fans in ATL really wanted the organization to hold on to Vick deep down inside. No matter how much they try to hide it. I’m your typical Falcons football fan, and it’s no different for me. Matt Ryan is great and I’m very convinced that he has the potential to lead us to a Super Bowl, but Vick is in a class of his own.
Watching him play so well last season was bittersweet for me, and it still is because no matter how much I love watching him play well, and no matter how much I love Matt Ryan, I wish #7 could still be doing it for the Falcons & not those other birds.
Since his NFL debut, Mike Vick has been, and still is, one of the most electrifying athletes in sports. He possesses raw talent and athleticism on the football field and you can never take that away from him. The plays that he’s made and the games that he’s had in a Falcons jersey is something that is irreplaceable. Watching him play football is a one-of-a-kind experience. If you ask me, no matter how many Super Bowls Matt Ryan wins in his career, he’ll never replace Mike Vick in the hearts of Falcons fans, not because he isn’t a good quarterback, just because Vick is so special.
Come Sunday night, expect to see #7 Falcon jerseys filling the stands. When Vick takes the field it’s going to be a warm welcome back, until kickoff that is. Then he becomes the enemy. The fact of the matter is we are an 0-1 football team right now that can’t afford to go 0-2. With Vick coming into our house, our defense is going to have to play a hell of a game. Speaking for all of Dirty Bird Nation, we’ve got nothing but love for Mike, but it’s root, root, root for the home team! If they don’t win it’s a shame!
What type of reception will Vick receive?
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