Welcome to online-astoria.com

Phil Gentile

A little over two years ago Michael Vick was the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of a $130 million deal with the world in the palm of his hand. Since then little has gone right for the former NFL star. He pleaded guilty to federal dog-fighting charges and his contract was immediately voided by the Falcons. He was recently released from prison and is working a construction job for $10 an hour while under house arrest. Basically, his life would make a great FML entry.

Michael Vick may never return to the life he once knew

There is talk that Vick will attempt to reenter the NFL once he is done with home confinement. I have no problem with the guy trying to get back on the field. I never thought he was that great of a quarterback but with the quality of signal callers in the league right now I don’t see him having a problem finding a gig. I personally think he would be extremely valuable as a Kordell Stewart type guy playing multiple positions.

The question is what team will be willing to sign him knowing what the backlash might be? That team would immediately have protesters outside their offices and could even possibly lose some sponsors. The NFL is a business and teams tend to avoid doing anything that might cause a loss in revenue. Not to mention potential teammates. I’m sure tons of NFL players have pit bulls as pets. How do they feel about Vick’s actions? Michael will have to swallow a lot of pride and show true remorse for his actions before anyone starts forgetting about his past.

An athlete with Vick’s talent will sign with an NFL team, probably before the upcoming season begins. Will he be able to pick up where his career left off? When you hear his name twenty years from now will he be known as an amazing athlete or as a dog killer? That’s the real question.

http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/michaelvick10a.jpg

Phil Gentile

I’m sick of hearing Lebron James and Kobe Bryant compared to Michael Jordan. Just because they are arguably the best in the game right now doesn’t mean they should be compared to the greatest of all time. It’s not fair to any of the three involved.

I bought Spam at the grocery store today. I have no idea why.

Football season can’t get here fast enough. I’m craving it like a meth addict.

Every time I watch the Colbert Report I laugh my ass off but for some reason I never think to watch it regularly.

If Manny Ramirez gets voted into the All Star game he should be allowed to play despite his recent steroid suspension. The fact is the average fan doesn’t give a crap about steroids. They want to be entertained and that’s what Manny does best.

As a Baltimore native I was extremely excited to see mega prospect Matt Weiters hit the majors this weekend. The guy is going to be a superstar in 3-4 years.

Matt Wieters is being tagged as "the savior" by some Baltimore fans.

It will be really interesting to see who (if anyone) in the NFL decides to sign Michael Vick. I never thought he was worth the hype, but he could be a great weapon if a team used him differently.

Two problems with Maxim’s Hot 100 List. #1 Does anyone really think Danica Patrick is hot? # 2 How is Jennifer Love Hewitt ranked higher than Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba?

My friend Biggs asked me the other day which I would rather watch: a hockey game or a soccer game? I’m still thinking about it.

If anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas I want a Chris Andersen Nuggets jersey.

I’m so ready for Conan O’Brien to take over the Tonight Show. I have never been a fan of Jay Leno. He is so freaking corny.

I have broken two $60 Playstation 3 controllers in the last month playing MLB 09 The Show. I have a bit of a temper.

My girlfriend has been asking me for a shout out since I started writing for College Mag. Hi Christina!!

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/PhilGentile

Photo Credit: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/wieters2.jpg