Vick Creates Headaches for Broadcasters, Too

Along with the defenders he sometimes leaves grasping at air, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has prompted headaches for broadcasters with his re-emergence and success.

Whether on a game broadcast, most recently "Monday Night Football" when when he crafted a dominant performance against the Washington Redskins, or during sports-talk shows on radio or TV, Vick remains a hot-button topic sure to spur reaction.

Because of that potential response, you can often hear the caution in the voice of broadcasters when discussing Vick. While they describe his athletic prowess and success, they also carefully, very carefully, acknowledge his documented off-the-field problems.

While the broadcasters seem unanimous in their opinion that Vick has paid his debt to society for his involvement in the gruesome death of dogs and his role in dog-fighting activities, they know a vocal portion of their audience -- and even if it's a minority it's a loud minority -- might never forgive Vick.

Because of that, the discussion about Vick happens with abundant self-editing and trepidation. It's interesting to hear, if only because it's almost a train wreck waiting to happen because the concern throws the broadcasters off their game a bit, or at least makes them work differently.

Ironically, that's the same thing Vick does to opposing defenses -- forces them to alter how they go about their work.

Most interesting, though, people certainly do seem to care about Vick. Although the Eagles dominated the Redskins this past Monday night, the broadcast drew a higher overall rating (6.3) than the more competitive Steelers-Bengals game the week before (6.1).