So I took Florio Jr. to football practice tonight and then came back home in order to monitor ESPN and the Internet for any Vick-related developments. And just as I was leaving to pick up Florio Jr., e-mails began to come in linking Vick to the Eagles.
WTKR-TV in Norfolk was making the link, as was Dan Sileo of WDAE radio in Tampa, who apparently got the news via trainer Tom Shaw.
But after all of the recent false alarms regarding Vick, I opted to hold off on posting a “Rumors fly of Vick to Philly” item pending further developments.
And, naturally, as I was watching the last few minutes of Florio Jr.'s practice, all hell broke loose.
I ask Gregg Rosenthal to mind the store, since two of Florio Jr.'s buddies are spending the night here and I had to feed the trio, lest they consume the furniture and carpeting. So it was from the local Chinese buffet feed bag establishment that I ate Kung Pao chicken with one hand and worked the Palm Pre with the other.
As Florio Jr. and his two buddies were yukking it up over stuff that 13-year-olds think is funny (along with 44-year-olds who still possess the mindset of 13-year-olds), it occurred to me that Eagles coach Andy Reid -- the final authority on personnel in Philly -- was undoubtedly inclined to give Vick a second chance after his prison term because Reid has two sons of his own who eventually will need someone to be willing to give them a second chance when their legal troubles are behind them.
Though I’m not psychologist, don’t play one on TV, never have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, and never intend to, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that Reid is in the unique position to understand the value of a second chance.
Oh, other coaches were willing to give Vick that second chance. But Reid was probably more anxious than the rest of them to help persuade others that men and women who have broken the law in the past can still be productive, responsible citizens in the future.
UPDATE: In Thursday night’s post-game press conference, Reid said that he has seen people close to him get second chances, per Sheil Kapadia of philly.com. And as Tom Curran pointed out a little bit ago, Reid said on July 28 that “I’m big on second chances at this phase in my life.”