Barking up the wrong tree

If you've been counting down the days until the new Nike Air Zoom Vick V sneakers, I have some bad news ...

The delayed debut of Michael Vick's new kicks isn't the only bad news for the Falcons' star QB. Seems like he may be forced to sit out a few games (or more), either by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell or a U.S. District judge for his role in an alleged dogfighting ring.

The allegations against Vick are just more fuel for the fire surrounding one of the most polarizing figures in sports, especially when it comes to fantasy. The threat of a possible suspension (or jail time) make him an even bigger question mark than he already was entering 2007. He's always been a guy with huge upside and huge downside at the same time thanks to his uncanny ability to morph from Barry Sanders to Ryan Leaf on a week-to-week basis. The possible fallout from his reported involvement in this utterly disgusting pastime has to automatically knock him down quite a bit on your pre-draft rankings. I pity those who have extra-early drafts and have to make a quick assessment of Vick before he has his first day in court - which, as fate would have it, is the first day of Falcons camp.

The deck looks pretty stacked against Vick: the judge assigned to his case is notorious for handing out tough sentences, and the new commish hasn't been afraid to flex his muscles when it comes to straightening out the NFL's bad apples. I'm probably not touching Vick this year in any league, and I'm sure as heck not making him my QB1.

I also wonder if the Falcons are sorry they gave up former backup Matt Shaub this offseason after holding onto him so tightly for so long. New coach Bobby Petrino has promised to install a more explosive offense, but it will be interesting to see if he has to try to do so with Joey Harrington leading the way. (Trust me, Bob, you don't want to go there.)

There's also a larger issue we fantasy players have to consider here, and it involves Goodell. Suspending Vick seems like the kind of signature move he'd make to establish himself as the new sheriff in town. Vick is, after all, a lot bigger name than Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson, the face of the NFL even, and a suspension would send shockwaves throughout the league. Owners (both in real life and fantasy) might have to put a new emphasis on character when evaluating players - a scary thought for anybody who's ever had Ray Lewis or Ricky Williams or Chris Henry on their team. Just something to think about this season.