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Vick Story Prompts a Reaction

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago

Good morning,

The story I wrote about Michael Vick in Tuesday’s Post-Gazette has struck a nerve. If you have not read it, here it is.

In the story, I quote Vick as saying he’d like to play one more year. Nowhere in the story did I ever suggest he should play one more year, that the Steelers should bring him back nor that I believe he played well this season. I let Vick do the talking.

However, as you can see by these emails I received (others were worded too strongly or too ignorantly to print) some readers did not comprehend the story as I wrote it:

--- YOU: I think it is disgraceful that you think Vick should play with the Steelers another year! Not only is he a washed up football player he is a horrible human! And no he has NOT served his time! I suppose you are as uncompassionate as he is! I have been a Steelers fan all my life and I have not watched a game since they signed that POS! The Steelers sold out and for what.... A washed up piece of garbage! Peace out!

ED: Yes, but did you donate your Terrible Towel to a worthy cause?

--- YOU: Ed is it true you think Vick can play one more year with the Steelers? If this is true, seriously, quit drinking the Rooney Kool-Aid. His dog history aside he is washed up and needs to move on.

ED: I prefer cranberry juice, by the way.

--- YOU: I respectfully disagree with you Ed on signing Michael Vick for another year with the Steelers. He is one that gives football a bad name he's a vicious person and should not be entitled to play pro football. You should read his federal indictment, I couldn't even get past the first paragraph. I'm sorry I believe in forgiveness but he went way beyond he tortured these dogs in the third year of his multimillion dollar contract he's no good ! P.s. He stunk with the Eagles and he stinks with the Steelers ! Yuk.

--- YOU: I abhor your devotion to a man who tortured animals.

--- ED: Vick plays for the Steelers, and I cover them – the good, the bad, the ugly. And I save my devotion for family and friends.

--- YOU: I cannot imagine why you think the Steelers should keep Michael Vick for one more minute, let alone another year, when he is costing the team its image and much of its fan base.

ED: Judging by attendance at home and away and the TV ratings, the fan base hasn’t gone anywhere, never mind “much” of it.

--- YOU: You really are a poor excuse for a journalist! Shame on you for supporting an evil, unremorseful monster named Mikey Vick!!!

ED: My job is not to ignore a certain segment of the Steelers roster just because you don’t agree with whom they have on it.

--- YOU: While Vick is a monster, you're pathetic. It's evident you can't be trusted to tell the truth. Leave Pittsburgh and take Vick and Tomlin with you! We don't want your kind here.

ED: And what is that kind?

--- YOU: I am not sure why you feel the need to be a voice for the propaganda machine- but please stop. Can you just report the facts and not be on the payroll for the Vick PR team?

ED: And those facts would be, what? That he does not play for the Steelers? That they did not win two of the three games he started? That he has not slipped from backup to No. 3? That he is not imitating Russell Wilson in practice this week? What?

I’m sure some of you would like us to always write about his past every time we write something about Vick, but that was done when he arrived and now we write about football. I detest what he did too, and he went to jail for it, but the Steelers signed him, he is a member of the team who contributed this year and continues to do so. None of us who cover them can ignore that and I certainly won’t stop writing about what he does on the field because of it.

Thank you all for your feedback.