NEW YORK — Michael Vick’s sensational comeback now includes a Pro Bowl start.
The Eagles quarterback, who sat out two seasons while serving a federal sentence for dogfighting, will start for the NFC team in the Jan. 30 Pro Bowl in Honolulu. The honor is yet another major step in Vick’s resurgence. Vick made three Pro Bowls with Atlanta before he was suspended by the league and served jail time for running a dogfighting ring. This season, he has gone from a seldom-used backup to the NFC’s leading passer, the catalyst for Philadelphia’s dynamic offense. The Eagles had five players selected.
Atlanta, which leads the NFC with a 12-3 record, had the most Pro Bowlers with seven, including quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Roddy White and defensive end John Abraham.
New England (13-2), the AFC leader, had six Pro Bowlers, led by QB Tom Brady, the NFL’s top passer who will make his sixth trip to the game — providing the Patriots don’t make it to the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl will be played the Sunday before the NFL title game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Baltimore, Green Bay and Dallas had five players voted in by players, coaches and fans.
NFL, union need sense of urgency
NEW YORK — Union executive committee member Brian Dawkins says he believes NFL owners and players have a sense of urgency to avoid a lockout because they don’t want to alienate fans.
“I would think common sense would say at the end of the day, after all the fighting and after all the words are said, we understand who butters our bread,” the Broncos safety said. “That’s where the urgency comes in at.”
The current deal expires March 4, raising fears of a lockout. One major sticking point is the NFL’s desire to go from 16 regular-season and four preseason games to 18 and two.
Footnotes.
A person with knowledge of the situation said 49ers team president and CEO Jed York interviewed Tony Softli as the first known candidate to fill the team’s vacant general manager position.
• The Colts released safety David Pender and claimed Mike Richardson off waivers from the Chiefs.
• Donovan McNabb said he sees “nothing wrong” with an inflammatory statement in which his agent attacked Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
The Associated Press
