Michael Vick may return for Falcons’ Georgia Dome finale
By John Follett
The Atlanta Falcons have yet to confirm, but Michael Vick may be on hand Sunday to honor the Georgia Dome.
Michael Vick may appear during Sunday’s Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints regular season finale. The Falcons haven’t acknowledged the guest list, but we know former players have been invited to honor the Georgia Dome. After 15 years, Sunday will be the Georgia Dome’s final regular season game.
For a brief period, no single player brought more media hype to their franchise than Vick.
Few can argue that the Michael Vick era was the most electrifying in the history of the Atlanta Falcons. He won a lot of games at the Georgia Dome and nearly led the Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2004. For a brief period, no single player brought more media hype to their franchise than Vick.
History is history, whether we like it or not. To ignore history or try and wipe a person from the record books is an insult. The Atlanta Falcons weren’t in a good place before drafting Michael Vick first overall in 2001. He legitimized the franchise on the field and laid a winning foundation. That foundation is why I’d argue the Falcons were largely able to make the playoffs 4-of-6 years after he left.
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It’s not my place to say “Michael Vick should be forgiven”, but he does deserve to be part of Sunday’s festivities. Better yet, the Georgia Dome deserves such a notable player to be on the field one last time.
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Planning for the Week 17 ceremony was completed weeks prior to the Falcons securing a home playoff game. One can assume the team remains ho-hum on their guest list because of the lingering controversy that surrounds Vick. It’s no secret that Vick once plummeted from Atlanta Falcons’ stardom to federal prison.
In August 2007, Vick plead guilty to federal charges related to an interstate dog fighting ring that operated on his property. Vick served 21 months in federal prison and another two on house arrest. He was suspended by the NFL and subsequently released by the Falcons.
It’s been more than six years since Vick’s fallout. There’s an argument that fans should forgive the man for his past transgressions. Most of us have moved on, some have forgiven Vick, but for others…time doesn’t heal all wounds.