Michael Irvin loves how Michael Vick plays, thinks he has earned the starting job the Philadelphia Eagles just officially gave him, and believes he is the best fit for the team right now. But Irvin does not understand how, 11 years into his career, Vick has not learned how to slide to protect himself. “It’s mind-boggling,’’ Irvin, the Hall of Fame receiver and a co-host for NFL Network’s GameDay Morning pre-game show, said during the network’s preseason introduction in New York Wednesday. Irvin shook his head and repeated: “Mind-boggling, mind boggling, mind-boggling. “I mean, I’m watching the game (last week against Carolina)—he took a hit in the preseason, and he almost didn’t get up. I said, ‘Oh my God.’ Down on the goal line, he almost did not get up, on that play down on the goal line. Are you (kidding) me? I mean …’’ Irvin chuckled and shook his head. He was referring to Vick’s second-quarter scramble—his second in consecutive snaps—on first-and-goal from the Panthers’ 7, in which he lunged forward head-first and took a hard hit just short of the goal line. He dove forward head-first at the end of the previous run as well. “The only time you do it—when John Elway did it in the Super Bowl. That’s it,’’ Irvin said. “When the Super Bowl game is on the line, and it’s third-and-whatever and you need that first down, you stick your head in there. Other than that, anywhere else, you slide and give it up. “Somebody’s got to say that (to him)—you can’t do that. It’s stupid. You cannot be this stupid. You cannot be this dumb. It’s impossible. Your (butt) has been hurt every year. Stop putting your body on the line like that.’’ Irvin said he’d like to tell Vick himself if he gets a chance. “I need it for me. I need that explained to me. I need to understand this for me,’’ he said. “It seems like you’re an intelligent guy. You understand what’s difficult about this … But there’s no logic to it. You have to explain it to me. That hurts you. It hurts you.’’ He shook his head again: “I don’t know.’’ Source: Sporting News
What bizzaro universe have I landed in? Irvin is making rational, valid, points now? What happened to good ole Cokentrampscokentramps?
Youd think that by now Vick would have proven to everyone that he really IS that stupid. I mean, he still thinks that Eagles can be a great team!
I think all qbs should go to baseball training camp to learn how to slide. I have never seen so many guys slide a most hecked up slide in my life. I am surprised they don't hurt themselves more sliding.
I remember they brought baseball players and coaches to teach Vick how to slide and he still couldn't figure out how to do it.
That is wild. I learned how to slide when I played little league. Very simple. Run. Take your own feet out from under you and the body will follow. I saw a qb running and then trying to slide he just collapsed like a rag doll. That, to me, seemed more dangerous than getting hit. Maybe he needs Johnny Bench to show him how it is done.
