(UPDATED 1/6/06 -- SCROLL DOWN)

Michael Vick is the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. His little brother Marcus is the quarterback of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Hopefully the school will have the integrity to make Marcus the FORMER quarterback of the Hokies.

Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick may face disciplinary action yet again in the wake of actions in MondayÂ’s Gator Bowl that athletic director Jim Weaver called unsportsmanlike and unacceptable.

Late in the first half against Louisville, Vick looked down, paused and stomped on the back of the knee of Elvis Dumervil — the Cardinals’ national Defensive Player of the Year.

Hokies quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers yelled at Vick during the game and was critical of his actions in interviews with the media afterward. With a day to review the play, Weaver weighed in.

“The unsportsmanlike conduct of quarterback Marcus Vick ... is unacceptable behavior and contrary to the Hokies Respect Campaign,” Weaver said in a written release. “Such on-field action is not reflective of Virginia Tech football nor of the values we hold at Virginia Tech. I and my colleagues in central administration are embarrassed, and this athletic administration will not condone such acts of unsportsmanlike conduct. We will review and assess this incident further and deal with it accordingly.”

Marcus has hardly been a model of decorum during his college career.

During his stay in Blacksburg, the junior has appeared in court for charges that include reckless driving, possession of marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. HeÂ’s had to perform community service, attend drug counseling and forfeit his driverÂ’s license for eight months.

He’s a convicted criminal — purportedly rehabilitated — but also Virginia Tech’s All-ACC quarterback. He rallied the Hokies to a comeback Gator Bowl victory to cap a fine season. But it came a year after he served a semester-long suspension from school that cost him the entire 2004 season for prior indiscretions.

Taking into account the school’s comments in 2004 when he was suspended, along with Weaver’s statement Tuesday, Vick’s future with the team is uncertain. The day in August of 2004 when Vick was suspended, Tech president Charles Steger said that if Vick returned to the school and team, it would be a “last-chance opportunity.”

Steger added, “If there is any more trouble, his Virginia Tech career is effectively ended.”

His blanket statement did not indicate whether on-field infractions were included.

Not that the school has held him to that high of a standard thus far this year.

What is clear is that Vick has fallen short of his stated goal from that day. “I will work hard to improve myself as a person,” he said then. “I want to bring pride to the Hokies. I want to bring pride to the Vick name.”

But there wasn’t much pride in his apology earlier this season for flipping off fans in the West Virginia stands. Nor was there much glory in being called “a no-character individual” by Dumervil after the latest game and drawing reviews like the one from Rogers.

The time has come for officials at Virginia Tech to act. Dump Marcus Vick from the team, Yank his scholarship, and tell him he has until sundown to get out of Blacksburg.

UPDATE -- 1/6/06: Much to their credit, Virginia Tech has thrown Vick off the team.

Virginia Tech on Friday kicked embattled quarterback Marcus Vick off the football team, citing the cumulative effects of numerous legal transgressions and his unsportsmanlike conduct in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl.

The announcement from university president Charles Steger came on the same day that coach Frank Beamer met with Vick and his mother in their Hampton Roads home, the school said in a new release. Beamer informed them of the decision during the meeting.

Vick, who already was on a short string after being suspended from school in 2004 for several legal problems, came under new and intense scrutiny this week after he was caught on tape stomping on the left calf of an opponent during the Gator Bowl.

No flag was called on the play, but Vick did not help himself by claiming it was accidental, even though the frequently shown replay betrayed that claim. He further hurt his cause by claiming to have apologized to Louisville All-American defensive end Elvis Dumervil for the incident, but Dumervil said no such apology ever was offered.

Then, on Friday, even more legal trouble for the junior surfaced when it was revealed that he had been stopped for speeding and driving on a suspended license in Hampton on Dec. 17, Cpl. James West said. His license had been taken away in August 2004 when he was cited for reckless driving and marijuana possession in New Kent.

That means that Marcus Vick has three choices.

Vick said before the Hokies' 35-24 comeback victory in the Gator Bowl that he planned to return for his senior season with the Hokies. Now, his choices are to declare for the NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline, transfer to a Division I-AA school so he can play next season or transfer to a Division I-A school and sit out a year.

NFL teams with any class have only one choice -- refuse to draft him (that means he will probably end up as an Oakland Raider, since they condone lawlessness and rule breaking).

His antics may have seriously harmed his NFL prospects.

One NFL general manager, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Vick hasn't entered the draft, said the quarterback's draft prospects would depend on how he looks in pre-draft workouts and how he answers teams' questions about his past off-field troubles.

NFL teams will be worried about Vick's off-field problems, the general manager said, but might take a chance on drafting him because of his obvious skill. The general manager said his early guess is that Vick would be a mid- to late-round selection in the seven-round draft, but he pointed out that one team willing to take a risk can change that forecast.

I offer only two words to any pro team thingking about spending a draft pick on this guy -- Lawrence Phillips.

UPDATE -- 1/7/06: Well, Vick's initial plan of action is to go pro.

Friday night, Vick told The Virginian-Pilot that he would turn professional.

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll just move on to the next level, baby” he said when spotted at a Virginia Beach restaurant.

Asked if that meant he would enter the NFL draft, he said, “Yeah, definitely.”

I hope you get picked last and earn the title of "Mr. Irrelevant", baby.

LINK TO: Southern Appeal

Posted by: Greg at 11:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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