As it turns out, we weren't the only ones who were concerned about the decision of Eagles' players to vote for quarterback Mike Vick as the team's recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.
Per Joe Burris of the Baltimore Sun, the folks who run the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation discussed whether Vick should receive the honor, before deciding not to intervene.
According to the report, a foundation board member expressed "surprise" regarding the Eagles' decision, and the board member said that a meeting would be held Monday night to discuss the matter.
On Tuesday, however, foundation spokesman Paul Mittermeier had this to say about Vick: "Since its inception, the Ed Block Courage Award has been presented to
NFL players that were selected solely [by] their teammates. The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation cherishes its relationship
with the NFL and each NFL team. . . . Michael Vick is just one of 32 NFL
players that will receive an Ed Block Courage Award for 2009. . . ."
It's the right decision, given that the foundation created the procedure that allows players to pick whomever they choose to win the award. So the proper response wouldn't have been to take the honor away from Vick, but to change the rules to prevent players from making a bad choice in the future.
The easy fix? Moving forward, the foundation would prepare a list of finalists in conjunction with each team, and the players would pick one of the three finalists. It's something that teams likely would want, since in some situations a rogue decision by the players could embarrass not only the foundation, but also the team.
In this case, the vote actually helped the Eagles, since they're hoping to build a trade market for Vick. And we've got a feeling that the Eagles had a hand in converting an initial non-unanimous vote into the supposedly unanimous selection, in order to send the clearest possible message to the rest of the league.
By taking this approach, the Eagles overlooked one obvious problem -- the fact that the vote was unanimous necessarily means that Vick voted for himself.
Then again, based on the comments Vick made after winning the award, maybe he did.
Vick will retain his Ed Block Courage Award
Posted by Mike Florio on December 29, 2009 10:56 PM ET
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38 Comments 
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What does this have to do with anything? We know you don't agree with him getting the award, you already expressed that in your first three articles about this subject.....
I think Antonio Dixon would have been very deserving of such an award. His story of overcoming an incredibly difficult situation is inspiring.
Perhaps we should honor O.J. Simpson too - a jury of his peers exonerated him for a double homicide in the face of overwhelming factual and circumstantial evidence plus a long list of continually changing statements he made that contradicted prior statements - so he must be a wonderful person.
By the way, didn't Time Magazine honor someone special - a mass murder of 20,000,000 people?
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/time/879-1.jpg
Yeah, no reason to question the merit of an award - every selection is infallible.
Florio you should get another type of Block award . . .
The initial report I heard on this matter said that the vote was not entirely unanimous -- that Vick, in fact, voted for another player.
Shove it, Florio. The point of the award is for the recipient to be chosen by his teammates. You know, those guys who are actually around Vick in the locker room and working with him as a teammate on a daily basis.
It's not the media's or the fans' decision. You have no say in the matter.
The initial report I heard on this matter said that the vote was not entirely unanimous -- that Vick, in fact, voted for another player.
Shove it, Florio. The point of the award is for the recipient to be chosen by his teammates. You know, those guys who are actually around Vick in the locker room and working with him as a teammate on a daily basis.
It's not the media's or the fans' decision. You have no say in the matter.
This just shows the low moral value's and inteligence of about 80% of the modern NFL player. Teams often take on the personality of the city they represent.in this case vick fits right in with this team and city.
Per Joe Burris of the Baltimore Sun, the folks who run the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation discussed whether Vick should receive the honor, before deciding not to intervene.
That was decided after Vick texted him and said "gimme da damn award, or i will killz you"
Hey Florio, maybe you should do a little research before you post FUD like this. Vick clearly stated when he got the award that he didn't vote for himself.
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Eagles coach Andy Reid said the vote was a unanimous one. Actually, it wasn't. Vick said he had a vote and that he didn't cast his for himself.
"I won't say who I voted for," Vick said.
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ref - http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-eagles/79978352.html
It's hilarious that he voted for himself..I think I like him more now
The easy fix? Don't do anything. It's not a big deal.
Truth is Vick hasn't been playing long enough to put the past behind him and receive this award.
But then again, it was voted upon by his peers on the Eagles so if anything it speaks volumes about how those guys feel that he is a changed man.
Idiots picking another idiot for an award.
Whatever.
Angry BlueEyeDevils :)
Vick .... Courage... Does not compute
Wick says: December 29, 2009 11:14 PM
Perhaps we should honor O.J. Simpson too - a jury of his peers exonerated him for a double homicide in the face of overwhelming factual and circumstantial evidence plus a long list of continually changing statements he made that contradicted prior statements - so he must be a wonderful person.
By the way, didn't Time Magazine honor someone special - a mass murder of 20,000,000 people?
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/time/879-1.jpg
Yeah, no reason to question the merit of an award - every selection is infallible.
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Nice work Wick - agree 100%
Yeah, probably time for the committee to take the voting rights away from the players and into their hands.
Personally, I don't agree with giving the award to Vick...I don't know what he's done to be courageous or inspirational to his teammates except maybe to be an example of how NOT to live your life. Nothing about taking the field for 13 games has been what I define as "courageous" considering there was next to no protesting anyway.
I guess the one plus side about the whole Vick experiment is that he's not getting paid much by the Eagles, hasn't really shown any flashes of his former self (in fact, has just reinforced the belief that he is a sub-par pocket passer), will be a tough sell in free agency for any serious money, and that most of his money is going to his creditors.
Never ceases to amaze me how some athletes can just crap away their pay so easily. If Vick had even just saved 5% of his gamechecks prior to his incarceration, he wouldn't have the financial mess he has now.
It's unanimous...the Eagles locker room is filled with idiots who don't know the definition of "courage."
Just like the Eagirls to be so fake. They are to football what O'Douls is to beer.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz.................
How many people can name another of the 32 winners for this year, or a past award winner? I thought I knew of one guy who got it in a season when his brother died, but I can't recall who that was.
This is such a minor award that it's profile can only be raised by this over-blown "controversy".
I seriously doubt this has any impact on trade value. Any exec thinking about acquiring Vick still has the same fundamental questions about the guy that were out there 4 months ago, with the primary difference of having maybe 30 plays worth of film on him.
Congrats to Ron Mexico.
if the vote was UNANIMOUS, boy does that say a lot about the other 52 players on the Eagles... about their judgement & the fact that no one else on that team displayed anything that typified the spirit of COURAGE, ... giving him this AWARD is going enhance his trade value in the off-season?are you F'ING kidding me?
this award won't enhance vicks trade value, the eagles always think their trash is someone else's treasure, the more telling thing about vick is, if the eagles bring him back next year, the second year of his deal is for 5 mill, where does that leave kevin kolb? the eagles are not going to pay vick 5 mill to play 6-8 snaps a game, the beauty of the eagles is they clearly OVER VALUE their players when it comes to thinking they have trade value, and they UNDER VALUE them when it comes time to pay them
Ed Block Courage Award doesnt exist in my world anymore...its been diluted to meaningless.
Vick is a loser. The Eagles are losers. Paul Mittermeier is a loser.
It's an award for players voted on by players, period. We went though this before. This is no story, but playoffs are coming soon.
There will be stories then.
Might as well give him the Nobel Peace award also.
He's accomplished just as much as our President.
"Courage for Michael Vick would have been if he worked his $10 an hour construction job for a year and came through it well. It doesn't take that much courage to work a couple of weeks for ten bucks and hour, then get your huge paying professional athlete job back. A job where you are working your dream career again, where you are a hero if you just don't screw up again, and have to give interviews where you spend at least 1/2 the time talking about how awesome you were to get through what you went through."
Naw, that wouldn't have been courage. That would have been stupidity. Remember, Vick paid his debt to society by sitting in prison and he's now in debt for millions. You have the skills to make millions, but you want to prove some point by taking $10 an hour? That's now how it works.
If you walk out of prison and at the gate someone tells you that you can legally make millions and get out of debt, you would be a fool not to sign.
"You have the skills to make millions"
The Eagirls thought he had the skills to make millions, anyway. They thought the same thing about Freddie Mitchell though. I'm with the others, if every player thought that Michael Vick exemplified an award that is supposed to be for courage, then the entire team must be full of cowards. How courageous is it to torture and kill restrained animals?
The Eagles and their players suck for allowing this to happen.
It's the right decision, given that the foundation created the procedure that allows players to pick whomever they choose to win the award. So the proper response wouldn't have been to take the honor away from Vick, but to change the rules to prevent players from making a bad choice in the future.
The easy fix? Moving forward, the foundation would prepare a list of finalists in conjunction with each team, and the players would pick one of the three finalists. It's something that teams likely would want, since in some situations a rogue decision by the players could embarrass not only the foundation, but also the team.
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Well put. All they can do now is hand the award to Vick and try to prevent it from happening again.
Who would have thought the Eagles would stoop low enough to manipulate a great organization to further their own interests?
Judging from the media coverage, not many people.
They just need to wait until the whole thing blows over in the off-season and change the rules a bit before next year. Trying to change anything now will just lead to more hassle than it would be worth.
but you want to prove some point by taking $10 an hour?
That's what Vick said he was going to do, not us.
After it didn't happen, nobody talked about it.
I'm hardly shocked his word is no good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5oPt4VUOBc
Time's Man of the Year award is for the person who was most influential in the news that year - it is NOT an award that indicates any type of positive attribute.
i knew ever since i was a lil kid that awards & award ceremonies are all politics & popularity and 2009 did nothing but cement those facts
btw nice one Wick!
it wodnt b right for them to take the award from him but the system is clearly flawed and a finalist list or taking the votes away from the ignorant, err players, would definately be the best options
If you watch and see, it is virtually ALWAYS florio himself who writes the bashing articles. His other guys rarely do. If a team wins that florio doesn't like, he usually has another one of his guys write about that. But if that team loses, florio writes it up and does it instantly, throwing in any dig he can along the way.
And if there is any story out there that he can spin and create further controversy, he is all over that. He tries to keep himself relevant that way.
The Eagles had a right to choose any player THEY wanted for this. It is none of florio's business. Even if he thinks it is.
Leave it alone.
You guys weren’t there. It’s entirely possible Vick jumped in the ring and fought off other fierce Pit bulls who might have been mauling his own injured dogs (err teammates) during his heyday. All while having his opposable thumbs tied behind his back and having been starved for weeks prior to the fight. Knowing that if he didn’t win the fight he would be hung or have a gun placed to his temple and shot. Now if that doesn’t exemplify courage, what does?
glad to hear he will retain the award....it will now occupy a place of honor in his home providing inspiration to the entire Vick family
this is such a heart warming story of redemption & courage...cant wait for the doc by NFL films
Angry BlueEyeDevils
BOO HOO HOO
HA HA HA