One in a million - Kickoff

THE ATLANTA FALCONS FINALLY got it right. The franchise that historically has come up empty suddenly possesses an embarrassment of riches.

We're talking, of course, about Michael Vick, the most dynamic player to hit the NFL in years.

And as strange as it seems to say, credit the Falcons for doing whatever it took to acquire the quarterback in the 2001 draft. This wasn't about luck--Vick didn't fall into Atlanta's lap. Instead, the team traded three draft picks and wide receiver Tim Dwight to the San Diego Chargers in order to move from the No. 5 to the No. 1 spot and secure Vick.

Make no mistake: Atlanta took a bold gamble. Everyone around the league agreed that Vick was an amazing athlete, but no one was sure if he was NFL-ready, or if he ever would be. When the Falcons drafted Vick, he was a 20-year-old college sophomore who had thrown all of 313 passes during his career at Virginia Tech. There also were questions about his size. In the age of hulking quarter-backs like Daunte Culpepper, the 6'0", 214-pound Vick didn't fit the mold.

But the Falcons knew they had no choice but to roll the dice. The franchise was in critical condition, and only a player like Vick had the potential to bring it back to life. The losing seasons--of which there had been 25 from the team's inaugural season in 1966 up until Vick was drafted--were only part of the problem. The real issue centered on the team's inability to generate enthusiasm among the fans. Even during the rare good times, the Falcons couldn't create a buzz in Atlanta. In their Super Bowl season in 1998, for instance, they averaged only 58,130 fans at home in the Georgia Dome, 13,000 fewer than the stadium could hold.

These being the Falcons, many NFL pundits were skeptical of the Vick pick. And who could blame them? Vick was a raw prospect who needed nurturing, but he was stuck in Atlanta, where football careers generally went to die.

Now, though, the only thing that is dead is Atlanta's reputation as one of the last stops on the line. Thanks to Vick, the city is fast becoming NFL Central.

The stats don't tell the story when it comes to Vick. If you scan his numbers from this season, you'll think you're looking at a relatively average quarterback. But if you watch him play, you'll see something completely different. You'll see him make tacklers miss the way Barry Sanders did; you'll see him flick passes 40 yards down the field more effortlessly than John Elway ever could. Vick is several different types of players rolled into one package. He can't be quantified.

The folks in Atlanta have realized this, too. Vick has pulled them out of their stupor and made them remember that an NFL team actually exists in their city. The Falcons no longer are an afterthought--they're a destination, an event. Tickets are getting harder and harder to come by.

We live in an era of around-the-clock sports coverage. Filling so much airtime requires incessant chatter, which leads to hype ... and more hype ... and more hype still. After a while, none of it means anything. Everybody is the next somebody.

Then there is Michael Vick. He's in a class of his own--he's the real thing. Check him out. You won't believe your eyes.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group