http://cincinnati.com/blogs/sports/2011/08/18/did-nfl-prevent-vick-from-becoming-a-bengal/

Just heard this on Mike and Mike. If I'm Cincy or Buffalo, I'm calling the league office for explanation.

Even the NFL is against Mike Brown.

Even the NFL is against Mike Brown.

Can you blame them?

Can you blame them?

 

Really. The only thing that makes Donald Sterling a worse representative for pro sports ownership is that Brown isn't a scumbag racist (as far as we know).

Vick should thank his lucky stars if this is what happened.

Is it just me, or am I reading this wrong? Seems like this is nothing against the Bengals at all and it was an attempt to punish Vick by sending him to a place where he would be a third string QB. :idunno:

Vick should thank his lucky stars if this is what happened.

 

My thoughts exactly.

What could be worse punishment than becoming a Bengal? Needless to say, Vick would not have developed into the player he has if he'd ended up in Cincy.

 

Also, the Bengals have a sketchy track record with players behaving bad, so I can see why he may have discouraged him signing there. However, its highly questionable, IMO, that they should be able to intervene to that degree. In all honesty, I think every team would have a right to be upset, or at the least, skeptical of something like this. For one thing, teams that have to contend with Philly would have to wonder about the NFL pushing a player of Vick's caliber to a certain spot, if that is indeed what happened. Granted, nobody thought he would be this good, much less to reach that level this fast. But, it isn't their job to influence roster moves. That's beyond a slippery slope. That's already at the bottom of the hill.

I think you hit it exactly 5wide. Sure Bengals and Bills fans can complain, but I think you addressed the bigger picture here. I'll be interested to see where this all goes as it develops more I'm sure throughout the day.

Is it just me, or am I reading this wrong? Seems like this is nothing against the Bengals at all and it was an attempt to punish Vick by sending him to a place where he would be a third string QB. :idunno:

 

That was how I read it as well.

I think you hit it exactly 5wide. Sure Bengals and Bills fans can complain, but I think you addressed the bigger picture here. I'll be interested to see where this all goes as it develops more I'm sure throughout the day.

 

That's how I feel. If they weren't comfortable allowing Vick to choose where he wanted to play from any of the 32 teams, then he shouldn't have been reinstated. It's shady to say a guy can play, but only in certain places. Obviously, that unlevels the playing field. I think a lot of good has come from the league office's degree of authority, but this is an example of something questionable.

Really. The only thing that makes Donald Sterling a worse representative for pro sports ownership is that Brown isn't a scumbag racist (as far as we know).

Give him time.

That's how I feel. If they weren't comfortable allowing Vick to choose where he wanted to play from any of the 32 teams, then he shouldn't have been reinstated. It's shady to say a guy can play, but only in certain places. Obviously, that unlevels the playing field. I think a lot of good has come from the league office's degree of authority, but this is an example of something questionable.

Completely agree. This is a bad move for the league if indeed true. But with Goodell's "God complex" I wouldn't be shocked at all.

From PFT:

 

“I think I can say this now, because it’s not going to hurt anybody’s feelings, and it’s the truth. . . . I didn’t want to come to Philadelphia,” Vick said. “Being the third-team quarterback is nothing to smile about. Cincinnati and Buffalo were better options.”

 

Vick ultimately was persuaded — by Commissioner Roger Goodell and other NFL officials — to pick the Eagles. Bills and Bengals fans surely will be thrilled to know that the league office is participating in personnel decisions; they also would probably want to know why Vick was steered away from their teams. (Leitch writes that both the Bills and Bengals would have “allowed Vick to start”; it’s hard to imagine that the Bengals would have benched the guy they currently refuse to trade.)

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/18/vick-says-he-didnt-want-to-play-for-the-eagles/