The risk with Michael Vick isn’t worth the potential reward.

Not for a Philadelphia Eagles franchise that’s crafted such a clean-cut image.

Not for an owner who’s a dedicated dog lover.

Certainly, not for a guy who’s only going to be on the field for a handful of plays.

Because no matter how contrite he claims to be, Vick promises to be a handful for the Eagles.

They signed the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback on Thursday, on the chance that Vick will energize Philadelphia’s offense in a gimmicky role every once in awhile.

That’s not enough to justify ruining a team’s reputation.

“This took a lot of soul-searching for me,” Eagles owner and dedicated dog lover Jeff Lurie said. “When you’re asked to approve something you find completely despicable and anathema, this took a lot of soul-searching.”

The Eagles aren’t going to find an answer to their problems by bringing Vick aboard.

They’re only inviting more trouble.

Because Vick has already had more than his share of it.

He’s spent most of the past two seasons in jail for conspiracy and running a dogfighting ring that tortured, maimed and killed dogs.

And this is what Vick has learned from his sentence.

“Now I know people care about animals, and the protection of their animals,” Vick said.

Apparently, he came to this revelation a little late in the game.

“I knew about it,” Vick conceded. “But I just didn’t care.”

Now we know why Vick has made even die-hard Eagles fans sick. Some nearly died with embarrassment over his signing, turning green with disgust as they turned their season tickets over to Internet auction while turning their backs on their team.

It’s a squad of second chances, the way Eagles coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb make it sound.

But such charity could prove costly to the team’s respectable reputation.

“I’m just excited we’ve given another individual the opportunity to get his life back on track,” McNabb crowed.

He compared Vick’s signing to bringing troubled receiver Terrell Owens aboard in 2004.

“T.O. came here with baggage,” McNabb said. “But when he went out on the field, everybody forgot all about that.”

Who’s next, Plaxico Burress?

T.O. might have been a pretty good con man, but was never a convict who had animal rights groups rushing at him harder than a safety blitz.

“You know, he gets out of the pocket, picks up 20, 30 yards, nobody will ever think about what happened two years ago,” McNabb said of Vick.

Let’s hope nobody forgets.

Vick surely won’t.

“I want to bring awareness to animal cruelty and dogfighting in the inner cities,” Vick said. “I think my actions will speak louder than my words.”

Words can be deceiving.

“Is this just a method to reinvigorate a career and not have the remorse and commitment?” Lurie said he wondered during his long talks with Vick. “I needed to see a lot of self-hatred in order to approve this. We take great pride in being a high-character team. This is extremely counterintuitive.”

It’s already counterproductive. Because on a team that’s projected such a positive image for so long, one birdbrain can distort the whole picture.

About the Author

Paul Sokoloski is a sports columnist and reporter for the Times Leader. Reach him at (570) 970-7109 or at psokoloski@timesleader.com.

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