Michael Vick is obviously no stranger to controversy, but unlike in the past, his most recent controversy involves football, and I’m guessing he is quite happy to be surrounded by it this time around.

You see, Vick finds himself in a position most thought (or hoped) he would never be again – starting an NFL game at quarterback. After Philadelphia Eagles starter Kevin Kolb was rendered impotent and finally knocked silly by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Michael Vick turned back the clock and nearly led the Eagles to an improbable comeback against an early Super Bowl favorite.

Eagles coach Andy Reid is doing his best to stamp out any talk of a quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love, but this brush fire may quickly turn into a full- on firestorm if Vick starts and performs well against the Lions on Sunday. This seems more than probable with Kolb reportedly failing concussion tests and the Lions history of less than stellar defensive play.

Until Sunday, Vick has spent most of his time in Philly making spot appearances as a wildcat quarterback and mostly looking nothing like the player who was once the most electrifying in the league. That all changed on opening Sunday as Vick had one of the best 2nd half performances by a quarterback in recent memory.

It’s hard to imagine Vick – who struggled mightily with accuracy in his previous stint as an NFL starter – continuing to complete two-thirds of his passes as he did against the Packers, but the re-discovered burst and new found maturity could be more than enough to win games for the Eagles.

The Eagles gave Kolb the ultimate vote of confidence when they traded the best QB in franchise history in Donovan McNabb (in the division no less) this off-season. Despite that vote of confidence, Kolb is still largely unproven as an NFL starter while Vick has already shown his worth as a No. 1.

Vick has not only proven he can win, but has done it under similar circumstances he now faces in Philadelphia. Like the Falcons teams he played with in the ATL, the Eagles have a questionable offensive line and a talented but young receiving corps.

Vick’s style may be frustrating to some – especially those depending on him to get them the ball – but at the top of his game, he can make up for a lot weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball. And right now, Philly has its share of issues on offense.

Kevin Kolb obviously has the confidence and support of his coaches and teammates, so he will and should be given every chance to deliver on that confidence once healthy. With that being said, in a town like Philadelphia where booing Santa Claus is perfectly acceptable to the pro sports fan, winning is the bottom line. If Kolb can’t win games upon his return and Vick does well in his absence, expect the Michael Vick “reclamation project” to come full-circle.

–Antwan Leonard

Antwan writes a Fantasy Sports Blog – H2H Fantasy Sports – with the latest in head-to-head fantasy news, tips and recommendations.

Word around Philadelphia Eagles camp is Michael Vick is back. At least that’s what Marty Mornhinweg and Vick would have you believe. Michael spoke after a recent Eagles practice and said he can win in the Arena League, Canada and the NFL. He can even help D-Wade, LeBron and Bosh in Miami. I’m not gonna knock Vick’s comments because he clearly wasn’t getting enough oxygen to the brain after a hard day on the field.

Fast-forward to 2:00 for Michael Vick expressing his confidence:

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback logjam of Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick cleared up on April 5, 2010 when the team traded McNabb to the Washington Redskins. Head coach Andy Reid named Kolb the starter, a move that was bound to happen after Philadelphia drafted the Houston QB in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Vick took over the backup spot as a $5 million insurance policy to Philly’s new leader and will keep his wildcat duties. Or so the team had claimed to this point.

David Teel of the Daily Press spoke to Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg at Football University’s Top Gun camp while Mornhinweg watched his son Skyler workout. Marty’s comments about Vick suggest a player that should be a starting quarterback and not No. 2/Wildcat guy.

From the Daily Press:

“In our mini-camps you could see the great, great athleticism,” Mornhinweg said. “And so I think he’s back, and he’s back because he’s put in all the hard work.

“He’s in great shape physically. So I would expect great things from Michael Vick this year. He’s going to be on the field.”

“He’s one of the great players. Now he’s working to become one of the great quarterbacks.”

“I really think he’s got a chance to be a Steve Young-type of quarterback, where Steve built himself into one of the most accurate quarterbacks to ever play the game.”

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Mornhinweg’s Vick to Young comparison isn’t as bad as David Kahn’s Darko Milicic to Chris Webber comparison but it’s not a good one. To this point the only things Vick and Young share are being left-handed quarterbacks that can scramble. This is the Eagles planting positive a positive Vick story to try and drum up some trade value. The only way Vick gets to become a Steve Young-type of player is by being on the field as a starter. That’s not happening in Philly so Michael has to move on to prove Mornhinweg’s point.

Eagles offensive coordinator praises Michael Vick, saying ‘he’s back’ [Daily Press]

Michael Vick is a backup quarterback in Philadelphia and Vernon Davis is the starting tight end in San Francisco so it makes perfect sense for them to hook up in Washington D.C. Saturday for an NFL Draft party. The Atlanta Falcons made Vick the overall number one pick in 2001. The Niners chose Davis sixth overall in 2006. Why they’re having a draft party in 2010 is anybody’s guess.

Michael Vick had a Welcome Home party Sunday night at the Velvet Room in Atlanta. Vick’s fiancee Kijafa Frink attended the party with him which was smart on her part considering the number of females in the house that night. The video below shows the DJ leading the crowd in honoring Vick.

Atlanta will always be Vick’s town. Too bad he tricked off what he had.

Sandra Rose has more pictures from the party:

Michael Vick has done his best to stay out of trouble and avoid controversy since being released from jail. He laid low in his backup position with the Philadelphia Eagles, and only made headlines for his play on the field. It will never be forgotten that Vick headed up a dogfighting ring but he’s trying to make it a mistake in his past instead of representative of who he is. That’s why he should choose his words more carefully.

At the 2009 BET Awards Nicki Minaj finished her part in the Cypher with “I’m killin’ these bitches, Mike Vickin’ it up.” BET recently asked Vick about the line and he gave the wrong answer.

“Nah I ain’t hear that but that’s um, that’s a crazy punchline Nicki. That’s hot. But uh, it’s got to be used in the right sense.”

If Vick meant “accurate” by “right sense” then Nicki used it the right way.

Nicki Minaj 2009 BET Awards Cypher:

Big Wangs is a two location sports bar chain in the Los Angeles area. I’ve been to the one in Hollywood a couple of times, and I hit the one in North Hollywood anytime I can’t watch the Philadelphia Eagles at home. If you live outside the LA area your only exposure to Big Wangs is most likely from the time the NoHo location banned Los Angeles Dodgers gear after somebody in a Dodgers hat got in a fight.. And this was during the 2008 NLCS with LA battling Philly.

Well Big Wangs has added to their dress code and now Michael Vick is their target.

For the record: Big Wangs supports the slaughtering of chickens and will allow you to wear all the O.J. Simpson, Rae Carruth, Leonard Little, Donte Stallworth, Ray Lewis, and Roman Polanski jerseys you have, but just don’t let them see you hurt no dogs.. Or in a Dodgers hat.

I was at Big Wangs in October and sitting across the bar but I saw the bouncer make a guy in a Vick Falcons jersey take it off. I didn’t know of the rule then and didn’t remember seeing the sign so I asked the guy now watching football in t-shirt what the deal was. He broke it down, and I told him about the site, gave him my info, and said hit me up. He never did.

I’ve tried to speak with a manager at Big Wangs but apparently I keep calling at the wrong time. I did speak to “Keith” at Big Wangs in Hollywood and after putting me on hold to check he said “Yeah, you probably don’t wanna wear that here.” Yes I do, but I can’t.

The Philadelphia Eagles destroyed the Atlanta Falcons 34-7 on Sunday while allowing Michael Vick to rebuild his worth as a quarterback. The crowd in the Georgia Dome greeted Vick with cheers and boos but there was loud applause when he ran and threw for touchdowns and when he left the field. Vick doesn’t have the blazing speed he possessed three years ago but he showed he can still whip it down the field on a pass to Reggie Brown. Overall the day was a success for Michael Vick. Let’s see if the Eagles keep him in the mix or if this was a one time homecoming deal.

Michael Vick’s first touchdown with the Philadelphia Eagles:

Michael Vick goes deep to Reggie Brown:

Michael Vick touchdown pass to Brent Celek:

Michael Vick exiting the field to cheers in Atlanta:

Michael Vick hasn’t seen much action in Philadelphia despite the initial talk of him being a great addition to an already loaded Eagles offense. He had to serve a two game suspension, get into game shape, and the team had to figure out how to work him into play without disrupting the flow of the offense. Vick’s best play has been a 34-yard run against the Bears, but he has spent most of his time on the sidelines watching Donovan McNabb.

You’re not gonna hear Vick complaining about the situation. Yes he’d like to play more and be a starter somewhere but no he’s not mad about his role in Philly. Vick will take what he can get after spending the last two Thanksgivings in prison.

From the Philly Burbs:

“Prison is a bad place to be on Thanksgiving or Christmas,” Michael Vick said with a slight smile. “It’s bad every day, but on holidays, when you know you’re family is far away, and you can’t be there with them, those days are the worst.

“They actually do some things to take care of you on holidays. You might get a gift basket with candy or something like that. They would have a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and stuffing. It doesn’t taste as good, but it’s the thought that counts.”

After the Eagles practice Thursday morning Vick plans to kick back with the women in his family:

“My fiancee is a great cook, so she’ll be making dinner,” Vick said. “My mom is coming in, my sisters will be there, my kids – it’s going to be a great feeling just having everybody together. I’ll probably be the only guy there, so I’ll just sit back and enjoy the moment and listen to all the girls talk.

“It means a lot to be able to share Thanksgiving with my family, since I couldn’t do that the last two years. I’m just looking forward to seeing everybody laughing and smiling.”

Vick needs to be thankful for Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, and Jeffrey Lurie taking a chance on him and allowing him to slowly repair his image. He’ll be guiding his own team at this time next year.

Vick looking forward to holidays [Philly Burbs]

Michael Vick‘s return to the NFL has been less than spectacular so far. He’s 0-2 passing and he’s rushed one time for seven yards. He’s only played in one game due to a two-game suspension and the Eagles’ early bye-week. Donovan McNabb‘s back in the starting line-up meaning Mike will be stuck in the wildcat.

Vick has expressed a desire to get on the field as a starting quarterback but he can’t impress any GMs as Philly‘s third-stringer. There’s enough bad quarterback play in the league for somebody to make Michael their starter next season, but if there isn’t any interest there’s one league that will welcome him with open arms.

I know it’s a long-shot but if Vick does sign with the BSL he’ll be their Babe Ruth. His quickness and agility will overpower his furry foes.