Brad Simmons: What Do You Do With Michael Vick if You're the Falcons?

There is nothing more amazing then watching Michael Vick, one of the great athletes of our time, elude would-be tacklers effortlessly, as if he were just toying with them. There also is nothing more amazing than watching the same man effortlessly surround himself with trouble as if he wants it there!

What a difficult situation Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and head coach Bobby Petrino must be in. They have a player with ability that people only dream of — an athletic marvel, quick on his feet, a shotgun for an arm and potential that would fill five Georgia Domes. Yet his potential to find himself in hot water is equally as impressive.

Reports out of Virginia have a house owned by Michael Vick at the center of a Humane Society investigation for animal neglect and possible dog-fighting. Never mind that the original raid on the house was for a drug bust of its current tenant, who is not named Michael Vick.

With that said, there is the possibility that Vick has nothing to do with the actions at his Virginia property. However, the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States issued a statement saying, "The Humane Society of the United States has heard troubling reports for some time that Michael Vick has been involved in organized dog-fighting, and we fear that this investigation may validate that very disturbing allegation."

This is on the heels of Vick’s mysterious water bottle incident in the Miami Airport. That time, the bottle had a secret compartment in which authorities found a questionable residue. Vick explained that it was to hide jewelry.

I will say this: I will give anybody the benefit of the doubt, but come on — I personally have never seen jewelry that left residue behind. And all this is on the heels of Vick walking off the field and flipping off fans who were booing him after a game. This is all within the last calendar year. And let’s not forget that some people theorize that the two coaches before Petrino were let go because the owner chose Michael Vick over them. That can be argued either way.

So here the Falcons sit, in this public relations nightmare. Your only marketable player, and one of the more popular players in the league, can’t seem to play a great football game, earn his gazillions of dollars and just stay out of trouble. What do you do? What can you do? They have so much invested in this one guy. He is the face of the franchise. Can you sever the ties and say, “Hey man, enough is enough. We wish you well in your future endeavors”?

Make no mistake about it, he is remarkable between the lines, and I’m sure there are tons of things he does in the community that aren’t mentioned. One commendable thing he recently did was vow to help raise $10,000 for the families of the victims of the horrific events on the campus of Virginia Tech, his former school. But every good thing you do can be overshadowed by several poor decisions.