Any of you that have been reading me for a while know that I am an avid Steelers fan. Like fellow Guy, Bryan McBournie, I understand what it’s like to root for one of the most hated teams in the league, largely because they are successful (but at least the Steelers don’t cheat to win postseason games). However today I heard the news that Pittsburgh had signed one of the most dynamic and hated athletes of all-time, Michael Vick.
I had a huge problem with Vick for the longest time growing up. I felt he could have been a great NFL prospect if he had stayed at Virginia Tech longer, I couldn’t stand him even more because, living in Virginia, VT became one of the hardest schools to get into because of their football program, when they were one of the easiest prior to Vick’s arrival. That disdain stayed with me for a long time, and when the dog fighting scandal erupted in 2007, it made him an easier target to not like.
However, after the scandal, when Vick did his time, I was one of the few that found his redemption somewhat of a fantastic story. I found myself pulling for Vick, but never wanting the negative press of his past coming anywhere near my beloved Steelers.
Now, he’s my backup, and the backlash from a lot of things that he has been forgiven for are coming back up because of the supposed moral high ground of the Steelers. I personally have no problem, but I find it funny that things people had no problem with since his comeback in 2009 are here again. Now I have to defend one of the athletes I had despised the most. Be careful what you say you can’t stand.