FanHouse Jeffrey Lurie

Sunday will mark Michael Vick's official return to the NFL. He last played in 2006 before spending most of the next two years in court or in the can for the whole sordid dogfighting thing.

But the man has served his debt to society and he deserves a chance to make a living. At least that's how Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is rationalizing it.

There will be plenty of time to dissect the nuances of Vick's performance, but for now, just know this: he fancies highfalutin' steakhouses (see Philly.com gossip video after the jump for confirmation).

For Andy Reid, it could be a move that cements his reputation in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Brad Childress is trying to change the perception about his career as a head coach in Minnesota.

PHILADELPHIA -- I don't know, I mean, I guess it's a nice story if it works out the way they'd all have you believe it can/will/should. Everybody loves a good redemption story, and Michael Vick is surely set up to be an all-timer. Few have ever started from deeper behind and with a more complete and devoted public support system, that's for sure. If the man is truly reformed, truly dedicated to being an active, positive societal force for good, there are plenty of people around to steer his efforts in the right direction.

But I don't know. As I stood there today, listening to all of these people talk about how Vick had convinced them he was a changed man, I couldn't shake this Emperor-Has-No-Clothes feeling. Why should any of us buy this? What has this guy done to deserve this much support? I'm not in the camp that says he shouldn't be allowed to play -- I actually think he should. But what I don't get is why he gets all this help. Of all the people who have screwed up royally and threatened to fall through sport celebrity's cracks, why does this particular person deserve this much benefit of the doubt?

PHILADELPHIA -- Jeffrey Lurie made it clear very early in his press conference that he didn't want to sign Michael Vick. The Eagles' owner was emotional as he addressed the media at the team's training complex here, and explained how hard it had been to make the ultimate decision to bring in the troubled quarterback, who will suit up and practice with the Eagles on Saturday.

Lurie described himself as an "extreme dog-lover" who has rescued dogs from abuse, and described the actions for which Vick just served two years in prison as having a "complete disregard for any definition of common decency." But in the end, Lurie did approve the signing of Vick, as personally difficult as it may have been for him to do so. And his words and his demeanor here today left everyone in attendance to wonder if this was really, in the end, all about a desire to win football games.

---

---

NFL Twitter universe is abuzz about the Michael Vick press conference, at which the new Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback met the press, got the full support of coach Andy Reid and mentor Tony Dungy, and got an earful of criticism from Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Your questions and comments, and my responses, for our NFL Twitter mailbag are below.

Michael Vick made his debut appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles Friday at a press conference at team headquarters, where he was joined by Eagles coach Andy Reid, mentor/former NFL coach Tony Dungy and, later, team owner Jeffrey Lurie. Read about the day's key moments, which I tweeted live, after the jump.

While Tony Dungy was popularizing the Tampa 2 defense, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was proving that there was another way to succeed.

Dungy's Tampa 2 was all about preventing the big play. Put two safeties deep, run a middle linebacker in between them and have the cornerbacks play zone. Dungy figured that if he made teams move slowly down the field, eventually they would make a mistake. Johnson's style was much more aggressive. He figured that he could force those mistakes on any play by confusing teams with pressure from every angle and every level of the defense.

---

---

Andy Reid has gone through quite a lot over the past year. The drama surrounding his family has been well documented but the Eagles head football coach often kept his personal feelings on the matter to himself. He first opened up in a controversial piece in Philadelphia Magazine back in December and shared a great deal more this past week at the owner's meetings.

Thomas George of NFL.com has a great article that has a dozen or so choice quotes from the Eagles coach. One of the questions I get from Philly outsiders most frequently -- aside from the McNabb question -- is what do I think will happen with Andy Reid, would he continue coaching? I thought, and continue to think, that Reid should continue on as coach. Britt and Garrett Reid feel the same way.

"One thing both Garrett and Britt have been adamant about is telling me to keep coaching," Reid said softly, squinting under the brimming sunshine. "They said, 'Dad, keep doing it. Keep doing it your way. Don't let things slide because of us.' That gave me a nice kick."
...
"When that day comes," said Reid, "when it is time, I will acknowledge it and make that change. I'm fortunate that I get a say in when it is coming. I'm fortunate I get a say in when I decide I'm leaving."

One of the reasons I believe Reid will be with the Eagles for years to come is the close relationship he has with owner Jeffrey Lurie. Lurie was one of Reid's biggest supporters during the tough times.

Reid goes on to talk about the harshness of the judge who called his household a "drug emporium" and gushed about the support he received from fans, family, friends, and the Eagles organization. The whole article is worth a read.

Eagles coach Andy Reid has had two bad things happen to him this year. One is that two of his sons have been thrown in jail. The other is that the Eagles, widely considered to be the NFC East favorites, are a last-place team.

Whether those two things are related or not, there's been a lot of speculation that the combination of those two things could mean Reid won't be the Eagles' coach for much longer. But Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie says that's not the case.

"I think we have a great coach, great coaching staff, excellent leadership," Lurie said. "We were 5-6 last year, we lost our starting quarterback, and almost made it to the championship game. He's one of the truly best coaches, and if you interviewed the 31 other owners and Andy was on the market, many would be lining up, so . . ."

So? So that means Reid should stay in Philadelphia, no matter what?

"Either you support your football people or you don't," Lurie said. "And I do."

So Lurie won't be firing Reid, but will Reid choose to quit? That certainly seems possible, more because of his family problems than because of the Eagles' on-field problems. It's a little hard to picture anyone other than Reid coaching the Eagles in 2008, but then again, at the beginning of the year it was a little hard to picture Reid as the coach of a last-place team and the father of two ne'er-do-well sons.

Anybody who was worried about the financial security of NFL executives, I think they're all probably doing just fine. Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has recently purchased a $14 million mansion on the Main Line in the Philadelphia area. The property had some serious previous owners.

Looks as if Eagles owners Jeffrey and Christina Lurie have bought that new nest in Wynnewood - and the $14 million price could be a record for a single-family home in Montgomery County, if not the entire Main Line.

Records show that a sale was recorded last week for Inwood, the 13-acre spread once home to philanthropist Walter Annenberg and his wife, Leonore. Together, its four parcels of land would make up 10 football fields, including end zones. The house has 18 rooms; grounds along Cherry Lane include a greenhouse and a three-hole golf course.

For those unfamiliar with Walter Annenberg, all you need to know is their are schools named after him at the University of Pennsylvania and USC. The guy did alright.

Just as a refresher, Lurie bought the Eagles from Norman Braman in 1994 for just under $200 million. Today the franchise is worth north of the $1 billion mark.

The property isn't exactly under Jeffrey Lurie's name, but rather "the buyer is identified in public records only as trusts in care of two lawyers from Jeff Lurie's old stomping grounds of Boston." Those tricky owners.