The Lockout Gets Justice, Vick Decides Against Oprah

This week Eagles offensive tackle Winston Justice has become a hub for NFLPA news, telling teammates on Twitter to follow him for updates and giving information about players meetings, like this tweet:

This kind of leadership from individual teams is what the players need to avoid a lockout. I don't like taking sides on things, especially when I could potentially cover them, but this blog is also for opinions, and I for one hope that the owners can somehow be reasoned with to avoid a lockout. I'll save my points for why I support the players for comments, so feel free to post your views on the quickly looming lockout.



Mike Vick was slated to tape an interview with the almighty Oprah on Wednesday, but canceled for "personal reasons." T.J. Walker of Forbes gives some good insight on why it would have been in Vick's PR interests to do the interview, but others believe the Eagles were behind the cancellation, largely due to the fact that Oprah is a dog-lover. Some reports were that PETA was prepping Oprah to give Vick tough questions, the kind that would be not be comfortable to answer, while others say it was the talk of current owners of dogs Vick used to fight being in attendance. Vick may not have pleased Oprah, seeing as the interview won her a bet with Piers Morgan (who hardly seems rich enough to gamble in Oprah's league, but a win's a win, right?) that she would get to talk with Vick before Morgan did. Tom Weir of USA Today seems to think that Vick has angered Oprah by canceling, but I really think she has better things to do than smite someone who is trying to rehabilitate his image. If the interview is rescheduled, I hope to be able to attend; so that I can report back to you the feeling in the room, and to support my team's newly franchised quarterback.

In other news, Mark Buehrle has backed off of comments he made regarding Vick getting injured, to a degree. I think the best thing that could happen would be Vick sitting on the third baseline as the Phillies beat the White Sox in the World Series. But pitchers and catchers just reported the other day, so it'll be a long season. Hopefully Rangers' second baseman Ian Kinsler's comments about Vick's and Desean Jackson's lack of attending practice is not a sign of things to come. His comments make even less sense due to the fact that there was no news of either Eagle missing practice through the 2010 season. I think he's just mad we got Cliff Lee. Had to work that in somehow. Anyway, no Phillie has said anything about anyone in any other sport. They make the news with wins. Sorry, forgot this was an NFL blog for a moment there.

Finally, to mesh former Eagle news with Andy Reid news, Joe Banner went on WIP and criticized (I feel rightly), the Redskins' benching of QB Donovan McNabb. I was and am a McNabb fan, despite all the negativity, and benching him for Rex Grossman (especially making him a third-string QB) was wrong. Banner also made an open-ended remark that if the Eagles organization ever felt Reid couldn't get them to the Big Game, they'd be open to changing team leadership. Interesting remarks coming so soon before Reid's contract is up. Kinda makes you wonder.

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Vick & Akers Get Tagged, Former Eagle News

In the background of the Eagles' defensive coordinator saga was the Michael Vick franchise tag saga. The new year rolled around and there was speculation. A week and a half ago there was talk of it. Then today there was a "this week" timetable, and that's when Reid, Banner, and Lurie decided to pull the trigger, franchising Vick and giving a transition tag to kicker David Akers. While there is still uncertainty about whether or not the franchise tag will have an analogue in the (eventual) new CBA, for the time being Vick is locked in to Philly, and will quadruple last year's salary. Not bad for the Comeback Player of the Year, but Aker's agent is not happy with the move. It gives the Eagles the right to block another team from interviewing Akers, and is a tactic the Eagles haven't used since 1998, according to ESPN's Matt Mosley. This could mean the Eagles will prolong contract negotiations with the five-time Pro Bowl kicker.

On the topics of the Eagles in the '90s, Ray Rhodes was just picked up by the Cleveland Browns as the senior assistant on defense. Rhodes coached the Eagles from the 1995 playoff run that ended against the Cowboys to the disastrous 3-13 1998 season, after which he left to coach the Green Bay Packers. Rhodes joins Eagles coaching alum Dick Jauron, the Browns newly-hired defensive coordinator.



In other former-Eagles news, Cris Carter (no 'h' there, kids) was passed over (again) for the Hall of Fame. the former wide receiver was drafted by the Eagles in 1987, and led the team in TD catches in 1989. Unfortunately, substance abuse led then-coach Buddy Ryan cut Carter from the team. Carter shone in the mid-90s with the Minnesota Vikings, ending his career in 2002 with the Miami Dolphins. And Cris, like the Eagles, will have to wait and see if a new year will bring better chances.

While Akers' agent wasn't happy with the transition tag, one person who won't be happy about Vick's franchise tag is Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle. Last week, Buehrle said in an MLB.com interview that he hoped Vick would get hurt in his 2010 comeback season. I'll give that a moment to sink in for everyone. An athlete hoping another athlete gets hurt while playing is a VERY rare thing for one reason: it's douchey. This is just another case in the pattern of people who decide they can prove they're an animal lover or otherwise morally above the rest of us by ripping on Vick. Meanwhile, the puppy-loving Chase Utley, one of if not the most popular athlete in Philly, and his wife Jen have said nothing about Vick, outside Jen's comments that Philly's SPCA should have been informed of the signing. See that folks? It's called class. Meanwhile, NBC Sports' Rick Chandler interviewed the bear Buehrle shot. With an arrow. Apparently Jim Thome was in attendance.

In player news, defensive end Trent Cole underwent elbow surgery yesterday. Players should cash in those benefits before March 4th, just in case the owners play hardball.

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