The Eagles 2012 nightmare of a season is now over and today the team had exit interviews and final conversations with the media.
If this was indeed Michael Vick’s final time addressing the media as an Eagle, he went out with a bang, back the bus over anyone he felt quit on this season.
Vick was asked about this team, and via Comcast Sports Net Philly, blasted his teammates for quitting and their lack of effort.
“It’s all about focus, dedication and commitment,” Vick insisted. “Until you get guys who are willing to better themselves week in and week out and want to win, you’re not going to win. And I haven’t played with guys like that. It’s unfortunate for coach thing turned out the way they are. It could have been a lot better. This locker room could have dictated that.”
“Yes it does,” Vick said. “I give 110 percent effort. My body is scarred up all year. I’m hurt, I’m bruised, get up after every hit and still try and fight and push. I do that for my coaches. I do that for my teammates. And I would expect the same thing in return.”
“Guys have to start to understand: You can’t do it your way,” Vick continued. “You have to follow the leader. If you don’t then we end up in the situation we are in now, losing the head coach, a man that we love and have a great deal of respect for. A man that I played hard for. I gave him 100 percent. At least I can feel good about that. And there are guys in here that gave it their all. But you need consistent effort from every guy in this locker room.”
Vick was asked why he wasn’t more of a leader, and why he didn’t speak up more? At that point Michael got really deep and made a point that resonates really deep right now.
“I should have done it,” Vick admitted. “But I tried to take the modest approach, I tried to lead by example. I held a team meeting and tried to help guys recommit. It was still the same thing over and over again. I’m not going to tell a grown man the same thing twice because the reason I ended up incarcerated was because people told me the same thing over and over again and I didn’t listen. I feel like if you don’t learn in the first go-around, you disregard it. You just deal with the consequences because there will always be consequences.”
“There is a long way to go,” Vick conceded. “You have to rebuild. The owner, Mr. Lurie, is committed to doing that. He’s going to rebuild this thing and do the best he can and get back to championship form. I think Howie [Roseman] will do the same thing. There is a lot of work to be done.”
Unfortunately for Andy Reid, these were not his usual Philadelphia Eagles. Gone were the Hugh Douglas, Troy Vincent, Brian Westbrook, Jeremiah Trotter, Duce Staley, and Jon Runyan types.
Instead Reid ended up with a bunch of Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, types, who never bought into the system or they Eagles way.