Before becoming involved in Mike Vick’s transition from prison back to the NFL, Tony Dungy reached out to NBC Universal Sports & Olympics chairman Dick Ebersol. Dungy wanted to know whether Ebersol believed a conflict of interest existed between Dungy becoming involved with helping Vick and Dungy’s role as a Football Night in America analyst
“I had absolutely no hesitation when Tony called me before he went to visit Mike in prison,” Ebersol during a Wednesday conference call regarding the changes to this year’s Football Night in America broadcast. “Again, when he was asked by the league to mentor, he called and [asked] would I have an issue with that. I absolutely don’t because I’ve really gotten to know Tony pretty well over the last three or four years. I don’t think it’s a scoop to say he’s a man of extraordinary faith and men of faith to me help men in need.”
With Vick now a member of the Eagles, Ebersol said Dungy’s hands-on role with Vick has ended.
“Tony’s relationship with Mike really takes a major change now that he’s signed with the Eagles,” said Ebersol. “He’s available for Mike to call and kind of rely on but he’s
really much more the ward of [Eagles coach] Andy Reid and [Eagles owner] Jeff Lurie and the staff with the Eagles. Tony was primarily a mentor to get him through that transition from
prison to his re-entry to football.”
Whether Dungy will share any of the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to Vick being signed by the Eagles remains to be seen. He will certainly have a different perspective than most analysts, though, when the topic of Vick’s reinstatement inevitably gets discussed on NBC’s Sunday night pregame show.
Ebersol did seem to draw a distinction between Dungy’s role as a reporter/analyst and his involvement with mentoring Vick.
“[Helping someone in need] is the call that Tony is answering with Mike Vick,” said Ebersol. “I really don’t have any issue here and I can’t believe anybody would be troubled by that. Tony Dungy is an incredible human being even more so than he was a great football coach or that he’s going to be a terrific broadcaster.”
..and the grievance-mongering “victims” vociferously attack Dungy in 3, 2, 1…
Of course it has, there isn’t any more spotlight for him to get now that Vick is going to play.
Good luck football night in america will still suck!!! get rid of the so called “experts” like peter idiot king & keith olberman for starters!!! ESPN’s prime time is still a better show!!!
Tony Dungy is an incredible man as long as you aren’t gay. If you are gay the Tony Dungy thinks you are going to hell.
So, has anyone broken the news to St. Tony that he needs to find a new pet project?
Isn’t Pacman still treading water? Hey, how ’bout Marvin Harrison? He’s collecting unemployment still, right? :eyeroll:
people can have any view of Vick that they please, but to think for one second that Dungy have a conflict of interest has no knowledge of the mans morals. If there was a good guy HOF he would be inducted
and I want him out because it’s train wreck waiting to happen
I think I’d rather see the Favre articles again or rename the site “Vick.com”
What the F !!!!
Now who’s going to get Plax and Pacman jobs ?
Isn’t Vick’s little brother in prison ?
Did Vick have pictures of Dungheap in a compromising position of some kind ?
What a polite way to say… Not In My Back Yard.
Children! Children! Now let us have a reality check…….
How about we remember why we like these professional athletes….If Big Ben really did rape that simpleton, but brought Steeler fans another Lombardi, would you really care about the rape?!
I am sure that we all would love to be known as great employees at our own place of business……Do you really want people knowing you cheat on your wife or husband and judging you because of it…..does that then make you a poor employee? Let us like the game and whatever comes after that…..just leave it there….Too much time on everyone’s hands in the offseason…..Nothing to talk about….
AWM’s…so sad…LOL! Poor widdle AWM’s.
Hold on a second Tony… Before you take a step back from holding Vick’s hand, or having Vick hold the inside of your front left pocket like he did at Leavenworth to Bubba. Call the NAACP Philadelphia chapter leader, and the Black Cleargy and tell them to fall back with this demonstration they’re trying to do tomorow at the Linc. That’s just going to create a race issue. Way to duck and run when going gets tough, takes a real man to step down when this starts to boil up. Thanks for all your hard work Dungy, I could’ve done this as good as you if not better. Go Birds!!!!
I love how whenever someone wants to justify a misguided effort to “help” people who don’t deserve help, they label it a “calling.”
Dungy is a loopy nutjob and the psychopathic animal torturer is probably just as well off with the NFL’s other exemplary father, Andy Reid, as he was with Dungy.
I don’t recall Dungy saying anything regarding gay people going to hell. Because he is a man of faith doesn’t mean he holds true the beliefs of the conservative sect of the religion. As I’ve stated before, Dungy is a class act and should be commended. The fact that Dungy called Ebersol to ask prior toentpring Vick shows what kind of guy he is. If he really cared about the spotlight, he wouldn’t have even thought to ask and certainly wouldn’t have cared if he received approval. In fact it o’s the opposite, he used his time in the spotlight and the prestigious reputation he built up to lend credibility to Vick. Now there is where I differ with Dungy. I see Vick as a dude who is on his ninth “second chance” who would probably be doing the same sh*t now if he hadn’t been caught. In fact it probably would have progressively gotten more nefarious and disgustingly cruel. But I haven’t sat down with Vick and looked him straight in the eye to gauge his sincerity. And if Dungy believes he is sincere, that carries a lot of weight with me and obviously the Eagles and the rest of the NFL.
Perhaps this is Dungy’s way out?
Dungy has already called Vick out for playing too close to the line having Grey Goose and Juice out in the open. Plus, Vick has been on a video with a rapper that appeared on YouTube, etc….and who knows what else we don’t know but perhaps Dungy does.
First Dungy comes out and denounces Vick for the alcohol, and floats it to his new colleague Peter King. Now, Dungy has his new boss come out and say that Dungy is no longer Vick’s adviser. Perhaps this is Dungy’s way to hang onto his reputation when Vick fails miserably. Dungy was no longer involved. However, if Vick succeeds, well then Dungy was there from the start.
Or at the very least…perhaps NBC and Ebersol insisted on this, so that if Vick does screw up it won’t hurt Dungy’s credibility as a new NBC employee.
Dungy’s a good guy, I have no doubt about that. But I think he or his NBC bosses are covering their bets on his reputation.
the media wanted ookie back in the nfl. (creditors too but…)
saint dunghole should wear a sign: will pimp thugs for a price.
but if dungy said what stretch said he said… i can tolerate that aspect of his persona.
dungy should now take his chautauqua act on the road and minister to those unlike him, to test his mettle.
Vick is a 30 year old man.You know…..(let the man work…..the man did his time etc.)..OK…..Why the hell does he need a babysitter anyway?
Just another article letting people know Vick is now a big boy and no longer needs a full-time babysitter. I’m sure Mamma Vick must be proud.
Yeah… after I talked you into signing this turd he is YOUR problem now.
Nice work Tony.
This guy sounds like a used car salesman.
There was too much on his plate already, now he just needs a doggie bag.
Was he supposed to follow him til his death?
Man you people really need to get a reality check.
And everything would have turned out exactly the same without Dungy. But with Dungy, then Dungy gets to be the hero Christian. Cripes.
what is this AWM deal? It appears as if the angry black males of the NAACP are the ones with issues. The angry human being with morals are over the fact that this scumbag gets to play. The angry black males of the NAACP need some race to throw out there.
Tony saw the real Mike…& now knows he is what he is….scum!!!
I don’t see Dungy becoming a very good broadcaster, actually. He’s soft-spoken and gentle, and isn’t one of those coaches who talks about X’s and O’s. He talks about feelings and working hard, etc.
He’s… well, just very nice. The show needs a veteran coach to break down the game and talk strategy.
Motivational guy – yes. Engaging broadcaster – we shall see.
The next Eagle will be another Vick.
Thanks for all your help , Tony. Just what the Eagles needed……. yadouche’
Drink a beer, kill a dog, win a prize!
Step right up.
Whew, a breathtaking, inspiring commitment there… being on call for, what, a week or so between prison and the NFL? Barely talked to Vick, from what I understand.
And there was supposedly no conflict of interest–but as soon as broadcast time comes up, Dungy just happens to pull back. And the words of the NBC exec who now has a financial stake in Dungy are supposed to be taken as objective analysis?
This whole business, from start to today, has such a foul reek of PR-spun nonsense to it. It’s such a sham, and a lazy one at that, with each actor phoning in their lines (in Dungy’s case, literally). All of this time, effort, and credibility down the drain for–Michael Vick? Sad, and very revealing.
Got out before things went downhill. Smart guy.
what is this AWM deal?
—————————-
Just another douchebag who likely grew up in the same ghetto as Vick and thinks watching a black sociopathic felon getting to play ball in a professional league (that is what…80% black?) is some kind of slap in the face of white America.
In other words, the blatherings of yet another racist cockroach with an IQ lower than his shoe size. Really, no surprise there.
Lets see, Vick thinks he has it made, displays bad decisions by drinking in public, and Dungee realizes he is an idiot for ever getting involved with Vick in the first place.
Not sure that I see the point in Dungy hanging around. Vick already has an agent. He successfully finished his prison term and was signed by a pretty solid team. What value could Dungy add now that Vick is primed to reenter NFL stardom? Dungy would be doing himself and Vick a disservice if he were to stay on and hand hold. Vick needs to show some personal accountability and see if he can hang on to this second chance.
Why all of the hatred towards Dungy? He seems like a very good guy…
looking forward to the fact i won’t have to hear anything out of Dungy for awhile
See Dungy wont be allowed to fail in his first task as an ambassorder of the NFL.
Counsel Vick.
Make sure everyone knows it.
Get him “on the right track” and signed.
Make sure everyone knows Dungy is no longer “involved” with Vick.
Then sit back and wait.
Vick does well it all started with Dungy’s involvement.
Vick makes a mistake, large or small, the chorus will be “see this wouldn’t have happened if Dungy were still around him.
This isn’t really meant as a slight towards Dungy. Its meant as a slight toward those who want to over-hype and protect him.