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KYW Newsradio Team Coverage
Vick was signed on Thursday to a two-year, multimillion-dollar contract by the Eagles.
At a press conference on Friday (above), Vick called his previous involvement with dog-fighting "stupid" but says he is planning to work with animal protection groups in the future.
"I know I've done some terrible things, made a horrible mistake. Now I want to be part of the solution and not the problem," Vick said Friday, referring to his conviction for his role in running a dogfighting ring.
Vick was flanked at the press conference by Eagles coach Andy Reid and mentor Tony Dungy.
KYW's Ed Benkin reports that head coach Andy Reid is a firm believer in second chances.
Reid speaks from personal experience after watching his sons go through their share of trouble with the law (see related story):
"I've kind of followed Michael's situation very close with the things that my boys went through -- they were right around the same time -- so I've had a chance to follow that. I know the things that Michael has gone through."
Starting quarterback Donovan McNabb says he lobbied for the Eagles to bring Vick to Philadelphia:
"I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and what better place than in Philly with this group who continues to stay together? We bond together through tough times. When the time comes to unveil him, so to speak, I think everyone across the league will understand why we did this."
Reid added that McNabb will remain the starter and squashed the idea of a quarterback controversy.
KYW's Mike Dunn reports from City Hall that Mayor Nutter says the Michael Vick signing sends a very positive message, but a city councilman who has made animal rights his top cause is skeptical of Vick's motives.
The mayor was not available for comment, but his spokesman, Doug Oliver, says Nutter believes that the Eagles' decision to sign Vick is simply a prominent example of the need to offer rehabilitation and employment to those who have served time:
"We do look at it as a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the positive things that can happen from giving people a second chance."
"I just have doubts about his sincerity. I think he's just doing it because he needs a job, needs to be reinstated by the NFL."
Kelly, a lifelong Eagles fan, says he'll have a hard time rooting for the team this season.
KYW's Karin Phillips reports that the animal rights group "Peta" is also very disappointed in the Eagles' decision to sign Michael Vick.
Nicole Matthews of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calls it a "bad day for animal lovers and football fans everywhere." She says that Vick is guilty of unacceptable behavior and is now in a position where children can look up to him:
"We just hope that Michael Vick's behavior has stopped and that Philadelphia Eagles fans won't have to explain to their children what a rape rack is, the way that Falcons fans had to."
Matthews says Vick is a man who was convicted of hanging dogs from trees, electrocuting them, and drowning them, but is back on a football team within three years:
"He had every benefit in the courtroom. He had an extraordinary team of lawyers that the average person caught dogfighting would never be able to afford. They'd still be in jail."
And she hopes that this won't be the end of it all for Vick:
"We hope that people will pick up on the fact that dogfighting is a crime and it is punishable by law and it isn't accepted by our society."
KYW's Pat Loeb reports that Eagles fans gathered at the Fieldhouse sports bar in center city on Thursday night to catch the preseason game against the Patriots. When news broke about the signing, there was no shortage of opinions:
Matt describes himself as the biggest Eagles fan in the world, and he was not about to second guess the decision to sign Vick.
Besides, he says, "nobody cares about off the field. I mean, there's been bigger off-the-field issues. It's about winning."
Such sentiments won't do much for Eagles fans' already abysmal reputation. They're okay with that:
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