OAKLAND, Calif. — Michael Vick heard it all in his first road game, from supporters to animal rights activists and protesters eager to boo him. Or bark at him, for that matter.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can,” Vick said afterward. “I want to help more animals than I hurt. I understand there are people who want to do that. I’m still trying to do whatever I can to be the best ambassador I can be. I’m trying to move on with my life.”
It didn’t help he hardly played Sunday and his Philadelphia Eagles lost an ugly game at Oakland, 13-9. Vick played in a road game for the first time since being reinstated to the NFL following an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.
Outside the Coliseum, Charles Wright caught plenty of flak for wearing an old-school Vick Falcons jersey.
Wright didn’t care. He’s a longtime Vick fan and wanted to show his support for the quarterback.
There were mixed feelings toward Vick outside the stadium, where a small group of protesters held signs made by In Defense of Animals. Fans barked their support, in the stadium and out.
“It’s been a little hostile,” said Wright, a sturdy 44-year-old tow truck driver from Oakland. “It’s like this: Sooner or later you’re going to have to forgive the guy anyway. You may as well get it out of your system.”
