The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT July 7, 2010

Please kids, don't be like this Mike

After getting a second chance in the National Football League, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

A year after being reinstated by the NFL, a shooting broke out during Vick's birthday party in Virginia Beach, Va., though the quarterback claims he had left hours before the incident happened.

VICK HAD previously been suspended from the NFL for his role in a dogfighting ring that he helped organize. He also served 21 months in prison and two months under house arrest for his actions.

When the Eagles took a chance on him last year before the start of the season, coaches and fans knew it could be a risk to bring a player in with the amount of baggage that he brought from Atlanta to Philadelphia.

But with the amount of talent that Vick has, someone was going to take a chance on him, it was just a matter of where.

Before the draft this season, the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins, showing they were comfortable enough with either Kevin Kolb or Vick to lead the team in the tough NFC East division, one in which their former quarterback resides.

Reports say the Eagles will likely release Vick for his latest run-in with the law, since it seems he didn't learn to stay out of trouble the first time with the Falcons.

NEARLY FIVE years ago, I had the chance to watch Vick play in person when the Falcons played the Seattle Seahawks in a early season game at Qwest Field.

At the time, Vick was unstoppable - whether running or throwing the football, he could do both and make it look easy.

Vick was the cover athlete on a video game, and had endorsements from shoe companies continuing to come in. All of those disappeared and eventually the Falcons replaced Vick with Boston College standout Matt Ryan, who has put Atlanta in the playoffs once in his first three years.

Vick has yet to start a game for the Eagles.

Judging by his latest actions, he won't any time soon.

THERE WAS a time when Vick may have been the best player in the NFL. As a quarterback at Virginia Tech, Vick helped get the Hokies to a national title game before losing to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

His younger brother, Marcus, never panned out at the professional level after being drafted by the Miami Dolphins due to his own legal issues.

After trading McNabb, it makes me wonder if a general manager had a mulligan on trades, if the Eagles front office may revisit keeping McNabb.

Should Vick get released by Philadelphia, his future in the NFL will likely be done.

He's missing something, but seems it has nothing to do with football.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via e-mail at [email protected].