The headlines, pictures, and most of the stories about the Philadelphia Eagles 34à ‚¬"14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs focused upon backup quarterback Michael Vick.
The Eagles fans--desperate for a Super Bowl trophy and proclaiming that since Vick paid his time he should be forgiven--gave him a hearty ovation when he first appeared in the game early in the first quarter.
Vick, the All-Pro felon who was convicted in federal court of conspiracy, financing, and operating a dog fighting operation, appeared in only 11 plays, rushed for seven yards, threw two incompletes, and was largely a decoy on the other plays. But he drew the attention of sportscasters and reporters in his first NFL game since his suspension.
Based upon the number of column inches the print media threw to Vick, combined with the air time TV devoted, he was the star and the rest of the team were supporting players.
Quarterback Kevin Kolb, who ran the offense while starter Donovan McNabb sat out his second game while recovering from a broken rib, did everything Vick couldn't do. He threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in his first two career starts. Almost as an afterthought, the media later reported that Kolb was the NFC offensive player of the week. Not reported is that Vick, with a $1.5 million salary, is making about $400,000 more this season than Kolb.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).