"He said, 'So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance. He was ... passionate about it," Lurie told Sports Illustrated's Peter King. "He said it's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail. And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall.''
"He's a real football fan," Lurie gushed. "He loves his Bears."
The White House confirmed the conversation, saying, "He of course condemns the crimes that Michael Vick was convicted of but, as he's said previously, he does think that individuals who have paid for their crimes should have an opportunity to contribute to society again."
The President has always been a supporter of giving ex-prisoners the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves, and he hasn't shied away from commenting on high-profile scandals involving athletes.
In January, Obama told People magazine that serial-cheater Tiger Woods could "absolutely" be rehabilitated.
And Obama's not the only one to have come around on Vick in the past two years.
The notoriously fickle Philly fans, who booed Santa Clause and Donavan McNabb on the day he was drafted, have also embraced the quarterback.
In a survey conducted by the Philadelphia Daily News and Temple University, 60% of fans said they liked Vick more now than when he first signed with the team.
The Eagles signed Vick to a one year deal in 2009 with an option for a second year, only weeks after he was reinstated after serving 18 months in prison for running a horrific dog fighting ring in rural Virginia.
Many teams had considered Vick damaged goods, but not everyone lost hope.
He was mentored by former Colts coach Tony Dungy, and the Eagle's coaching staff kept him in a reserve role to give him time to get into shape and learn the team's playbook.
This year, Vick is having an MVP-worthy season after replacing starter Kevin Kolb in September.
The Eagles have won eight out of their last ten games, and Vick has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, 20 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions, the second lowest total in the league.
Heading into the playoffs, the Eagles are looking to lock up the NFC's No. 2 seed and the first round bye that comes with it.
To get the bye, they'll have to beat Minnesota tonight and Dallas on January 2, and hope that the Green Bay Packers can beat Obama's Bears on Sunday.
Since his reinstatement, Vick has worked to improve his image.
He has given speeches around the country apologizing for his crimes, and earlier this month, he told reporters that he was considering getting another dog as part of his rehabilitation process.
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2010/12/...
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Monday, January 3rd 2011 at 7:46PM
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