Does he or doesn’t he?
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stirred up more questions of whether or not he owns a dog after he tweeted a photo late last week that appeared to include a box of dog treats.
Vick quickly deleted the photo from his Twitter account but not before the Philadelphia sports blog Crossing Board captured it:
The blog also zoomed in on the box in the upper right hand corner:
Vick eventually posted a replacement photo. The one exception? The box of dog treats are cropped out:
We workin #filmstudy #nodaysoff #bleedgreen pic.twitter.com/3fUHHc0c
— Michael Vick (@MichaelVick) October 5, 2012
To make matters worse, Vick was asked about his rumored dog ownership after Eagles practice Wednesday. According to NBC 10’s Dan Stamm, Vick wasn’t answering any questions about dogs:
“I’m here to strictly talk about football,” Vick told reporters after practice Wednesday when asked if his family had a pooch. “What goes on in my personal life is not to be talked about. What’s most important right now is the Philadelphia Eagles and getting a win this Sunday.”
In December, 2010 interview with NBC News’ Mara Schiavocampo, Vick hinted at owning a dog one day:
“I would love to get another dog in the future […] I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process. I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love, and my passion for animals.”
Vick told theGrio’s Todd Johnson in July his new book Finally Free was a “last step” in putting his dogfighting past behind him:
“Just don’t want to continue to talk about it anymore. I think there’s more to talk about other than my wrongdoings and my failures. Let’s talk about [my successes]. And that’s what it’s all about.”
Vick probably prefers not to answer any dog-related questions in the future. This latest episode, however, will not slow those questions down one bit.
GRIO VIDEO: Michael Vick says he’s ‘absolutely’ a top 10 QB
Vick and his Eagles host the Detroit Lions Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
**UPDATE:
The answer is yes – Michael Vick does own a ‘pet’. In a statement released by his publicist Thursday, the NFL’s number one overall draft pick in 2001 admitted what many already suspected. Below is the statement via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Eagles reporter Jeff McLane:
“I understand the strong emotions by some people about our family’s decision to care for a pet. As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals. I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God’s creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family. This is an opportunity to break the cycle. To that end, I will continue to honor my commitment to animal welfare and bean instrument of positive change.”
Follow theGrio’s Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantoddj