That was merely the start of what figures to be a bizarre, protracted siege. I wonder if Reid and the Eagles fully understand that. I wonder if they realize this is only the beginning, and that the end and a return to normalcy are a long way off.
On Friday, Vick was at the center of a profoundly weird scene. He was clearly nervous and fumbled some of his statements (he said he wanted to express his "gratification" to Jeffrey Lurie), then talked about dogfighting, prison, making amends, contributing to the community, and, to finish it off, working to save more dogs than he killed.
Though it was beyond surreal, at least on Vick's end, it all unfolded as expected. The question, though, is what the Eagles expect from here on out. Do they think the city will support them simply because they're the Eagles, or are they concerned that giving Vick a second chance might damage the team's relationship with the fans? And are they prepared to deal with a season-long media crush that promises to choke off much of the usual football talk this year?
"Not everybody agrees with every decision that's been made no matter where it is or what organization it is in the National Football League," Reid said. "In Philadelphia, it's no different. I know some people will not agree. But on the other hand, I think the majority will.
"I expect the public to have questions initially, which is obviously taking place, but also at the same time to trust that we do the right things here, that we have done our homework, and that Michael himself has his life going in such a positive direction. I think with that, the majority of the public wants Michael to do well."
Reid used "majority" several times during his remarks. I'm not sure if he really believes that or if he knew no one would buy it but decided to toss it out anyway.
