Mike Vick and Maurice Clarett love their moms, too

The Eagles?

Fan-freaking-tastic.
Vick couldn’t have gotten luckier with which team he got signed on with if Brad Childress rang him up and said…
“Mr. Vick please come play QB for us over T-Jack and Sage, and if you do I promise to bring Randy Moss back so you three with the addition of Adrian can be the most electrifying show since old Randall Cunning-something and Robert Schmitty were wearing purple.

But in reality being the Eagle’s “backup backup QB” or even its “Wildcat Wild-card” is even better.
Four reasons why.
1 – Childress would find a way to snuff the flair portion of Mike’s game and would thus make him the mediocre pocket passer he is.
2 – Philly runs a version of the west coast O which Vick did his best to be decent at in Hot-Lanta.
3- McNabb actually wanted Vick to become an Eagle.
4 – That Philly D is always intimidating, and will be until Brian Dawkins takes off the jet-black facemask visor. Which actually would probably turn out to be more horrifying as it would most likely reveal that Dawkins is Skynet’s newest Terminator.

I was ready to be skeptical for his interview. But while I am a bit biased toward the downtrodden former star, he actually sounded like he’s ready to be “a part of the solution.”

Yes, feel free to be as cynical as the 75 percent of Philadelphia that’s having a fit right now but he seriously handled himself incredibly well during the press conference. I believe he’s ready to be a much, much better man. Even getting back to decency will be a victory.

Come on, he has the sure-fire next saint to be anointed in Tony Dungy as a mentor.
He’s literally got the most morale-laded quality Christian to be his guide through these tough times. Dungy lost his son to suicide and he handled it with such class you can’t help but think the G-man is making his halo as we speak.
Please take a peek at the “Personal” portion of his Wiki. I don’t even have the time to list all the good works he’s done.

The first thing I did this morning was try to rationalize a $79.99 jersey of a player who won’t even be able to take the field until Week7.

And while I love the Purple and Gold but looks like I’m going to be a Philly fan this year. And you should too if you like second chances.

This is gonna be gushy. For real. So forgive me in advance.

I’ve done multiple supposed feel-good stories about things like the Miracle League in which players with cognitive and/or physically disabled players can get their chance to be athletes. But today was different.

The feeling I got as I strolled into Shjon Podein’s Team 25 Adapative Floor Hockey camp was unparalleled. I knew I had no chance when I had to stop an interview with a player named Luke Lindstrom from Duluth — just to collect myself.
What did he say?

Nothing but “this is the best week of my year.”

Little 14-year-old Lindstrom is thankfully one of those people who never use a silly hyperbole to blow things out of proportion. I believed him completely.

But seriously, the best week of his year? Talk about making an impact. The camp coaches like Lance Holt who’s been making adaptive players feel like all-stars since 2002 and former player now turned coach Corey Schlenker who works the kids hard so they can reach their potential are simply amazing.

Simply amazing.

These men take vacation time to spend a full week, four hours a day putting 30 having players scrimmage, run through numerous drills and even weight lift at the Rochester Athletic Club. The results? There hasn’t been a kid who hasn’t returned.
(That fact may need a reference but believe me I’ve never seen more smiles in one place.)

Even the former Stanley Cup winner Podein who’s children foundation makes the camp possible showed up. I expected some former NHL prick to show his face for a minute, fake smile and then bounce.
Well he did bounce but not before fist-bumping nearly every player, teasing ones who couldn’t stop smiling because an NHL star just gave them the time of day and even praising returners like Schlenker.

I was tired and really didn’t want to go on assignment and cover this camp early this morning; honest. But I’m so glad I did.

The point? I’m currently trying to figure out a way to make 20 percent as much difference in peoples lives as Podein’s camp is able to. So, if you have quality volunteer/coach/thoughtful ideas please share them. I want to start giving back more than I take.

Writing the story on the camp felt good but I doubt it’d feel a fraction as good as if I was a Team 25 coach this week.

I use the term my boys a lot.

From my boys that actually are my boys, (or bros) to the boys I grew up with to the boys I have to govern as an RA (no photo available-apparently I don’t love them enough.)

But when it comes to my boys of summer there’s no truer example than the good-luck kids of Hayfield, Minn.

Hayfield’s Legion baseball team, Post 330, headed into last weekends District I Division II tournament with the worst record. By far. Did they care? Far from it.
The best part about these kids is that they treat the summer baseball Legion league like it’s actually summer baseball. They don’t care about the records and didn’t care at all that the team they were playing, La Crescent, just won the state Class AA baseball title and had an perfect record of 11-0. Oh, and they were playing La Crescent in La Crescent.

How did the 11-7 Vikings do? Grants boys tagged three runs in the first and ending up winning by holding off an intense Lancer comeback to ruin the night for the 250-plus that came out to root on their hometown team.

Oh, and Post 330 went on to easily win the tournament and got a bid to the state tournament with great pitching from Ben Pollock and Shayn Naylor. But here’s the point where this glass-slipper wearing team tops NC State, Fresno State and all the other Cinderella wanna-bes.
Those teams gave it their all, and they had to being the underdogs to win it all.

I’m not saying Hayfield isn’t trying, but even Klennert said the teams just out there to have a good time. Their goal wasn’t to win the district tournament. The 24-year-old manager said the goal was to just go out there and see what would happen.

Now Hayfield’s in the state tournament. But what’s more surprising about the team is it’s about as superstitious as a Wade Boggs if Boggs suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Seriously. Just follow the trail of glitter Neil’s shirts leave behind.

They only listen to certain Neil Diamond songs before every game. Yes. Of course that includes “Sweet Caroline.”

Did I mention they also must listen to Adam Sandler’s horrific attempts at singing before they take the field?

Oh and they always arrive to the game four hours ahead of time. Every time. And only then do they call Tyler Nelson, who just always seems to run late so then they make a ritual of meeting him at La Crescent’s Kwik Trip.

It’s not just off the field antics as the boys are going to have Naylor pitch the game in state. Yes Naylor pitched a complete game giving up just one run in the district championship but the real reasoning is because he pitched the first game of the district tournament. So naturally he pitches the first game of the state tournament.

Hayfield’s going to need that luck.

The superstitious boys of summer will play arguably the best Legion team in the history of Legion baseball this weekend. Jordan has won the Legion state tournament the last four years in a row and their ace just threw a perfect game. T.J. Oakes is signed on to hurl for the Gophers. Good luck Cindy. You’re gonna need it.

But the love for the lovable group doesn’t stop there. Post 330 don’t have the awesome button up jerseys or cool new Under Armor team gear but instead rep the blue and yellow on simple T’s.

Almost as cool as being a team that just seems to not care that much yet is still playing in the state tournament is the fact its manager never played varsity ball. The new Hayfield High School science teacher just loves the game and while he does coach junior high baseball, he admits the credit doesn’t go to his top-notch managerial skills but just to the boys of summer.

Chances are they’ll get crushed by Jordan in the opening round of state and the 1,300 Hayfield residents will be the only ones who’ll remember the Vikings’ run.

But seeing that their laid-back attitude trumped the Class AA champions last Thursday, I wouldn’t count Neil Diamond fanatics out quite yet.

I love Mike Vick.

I’ve loved him since the day I woke up dreary-eyed and tired on a Saturday morning in the early fall of 1999 and saw the red-shirted little freshman making every Big East opponent look foolish with his sub-4.2 speed.
Apparently Minnesota loves him too.

I love Mike Vick.

I’ve loved him from the day he was going to “revolutionize” the position of quarterback in the NFL. We all know that didn’t quite work out as he’s always had accuracy issues in addition to never feeling comfortable between the tackles. But, you must give him his due as arguably the most athletic player the league has ever seen.

I love Mick Vick.

Athletically and physically he’s everything I will never be. I’m slow, white and just not that agile anymore. Yes, I can deke out my freshman residents when we play pick up football but anyone who played one down of high school football could do that. He’s lightening quick, dicey and simply electrifying; everything I’m not.

Not liking Mike Vick is hating Dairy Queen. Whine all you want but it’s always great. While the price tag may be a little much, in the end you’re always impressed.

I love Mike Vick.

Because I love second chances. Say all you want about the extremely disappointing things he did. I’m not going to make excuses for him. He dug himself a hole. Killing dogs aside, the worst part may be that he tried to lie about it all. It would have been easier if he was honest. But stop and realize he just spent nearly three years in a federal prison; for killing dogs. Donte’ Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns killed a man via drunk driving. He got less than 30 days.

Point? He’s paid his dues. Get out of your tower and give him a chance to either do well for himself and start over. Or, if he messes up then you win anyway as doubting him from the beginning.

I love Mike Vick.

I wish him the best. I hope a team is bold enough just to give him a shot. He won’t put up Brett Favre numbers or carrying a team like Tom Brady. But week in week out I’d rather watch him at the helm because I love his potential to impress, because I love second chances and because I love Mike Vick.

And, by way of reinstatement, I also love Roger Goodell.

Thanks for reading my first post, I have to hurry along now as today I can start wearing my throwback VT Vick jersey from 1999 not just to spite people and start heated/entertaining conversations but instead to celebrate July 27.

July 27; it’s a celebration. Let’s give Mike a chance.