Michael Vick is spending his Super Bowl week reaffirming his love of Atlanta and the Falcons.
The former Falcons quarterback is already letting Gucci Mane throw him a retirement party in Houston on Super Bowl weekend. On Wednesday, he wrote “a letter to the city of Atlanta” for the Player’s Tribune. In it, he discussed his time in prison, why he was crushed when the Falcons drafted another quarterback and, most importantly, that he sucks at Madden.
Even when he got to play as himself.
People will still come up to me all the time and want to talk about it. They’ll tell me about the 95 speed rating … the 95 agility … the 97 arm strength … by now I know it all by heart. People love — man, love — to tell me their “Vick in Madden” stories. About how they ran for 500 yards in one game. Or about how they broke the touchdown record in a season, 10 times over. They’ll tell me that I was like a blur of a blur. That I was a human cheat code.
I was so dominant that apparently kids created a rule, like almost a nationwide thing, known as “the Vick Rule.” I think it varied from place to place, but it was basically: If you were playing against your friend, you could pick any team you wanted … except for the Falcons. Because if you picked the Falcons, then you got Vick. And if you got Vick … then it was game over.
To be honest, and I’m glad I can finally admit this, I never really understood what they were talking about. Don’t get me wrong — I tried. Once in a while, when no one was around, I’d turn on the PlayStation and throw on Madden. And I’d pick the Falcons. And I’d try to see what all the fuss was about. But the truth is … I was never very good at playing as myself.
Actually, you know what? I was pretty bad.
The only person on the entire planet who wasn’t unstoppable while playing as Michael Vick — was me. Michael Vick.
I guess 95 speed wasn’t enough for him. This is kind of amazing and something that definitely wouldn’t have sold many copies of Madden when he was on the cover of the 2004 edition of the game.
There are lots of little things in the piece, including that Vick totally expected to come back and play for the Falcons after prison. He said his “heart dropped” when he found out the Falcons drafted Matt Ryan. Vick truly hoped he could leave Leavenworth, put the pads back on and lead Atlanta to the Super Bowl, which is exactly what Ryan has done in his ninth season with the team.
He found out Atlanta took a quarterback on his mother’s birthday shortly after a phone call from his mom who said his grandmother just had a stroke.
The draft had already started — was almost an hour in— and most of the other guys were already up there watching. As I walked up the stairs, on my way to the TV area, I passed another inmate who was on his way down.
“Hey Mike,” he said — his voice was kind of hesitant, like he only halfway wanted to talk. “You see who the Falcons drafted?”
“Nah, I been at the phones. Who?”
“Matt Ryan.”
My heart dropped.
It’s a really interesting read and gives a bit more insight into why Vick is choosing this weekend to finally make his retirement official. He feels a special connection to the Falcons, and many Atlanta sports fans have embraced him, especially this season. It won’t be his Super Bowl in Houston this weekend, but it’s pretty clear who he’s rooting for.
(via Nick Veronica)
