Collegiate Times

For those tired of reading articles about being tired of reading articles about Brett Favre, this is for you.

After offering another factitious rant on the trendy, strange flourishes of the media in writing my sixth Wrangler Blog update last semester, I received as much confusion and criticism around town as I did food favors. Well, admittedly the latter not quite as often.

"Thomas, you're in-depth cultural deconstruction of Favre coverage and Wrangler commercials is just a bit much to stomach," they'd say.

Eventually, I promised colleagues, friends and family, My Maker, and Peter King that the Wrangler Blog would ride off into the sunset (OK, perhaps not the last two, but I'm still waiting on that text from King), following my sixth comeback.

But then I got that itch - sorry!

In a ploy for more free sandwiches, Wrangler Man is back and on the Favre hate wagon.

It's tough to stand the complete, utter gall of Favre.

How could he ruin a nation of sports writers' collective fantasy of him John Deering around some cozy farm somewhere? How could he do that to us?

Granted, I could also see how those who bleed green and gold deserve to feel a bit more like jilted lovers than we are - recently finding that the committophobe is dating their neighbor from across the hall.

But I digress, because with all this "I'm tired of Favre, he makes me so angry he's on a pro football team after what he did" media mantra, he's stolen the frowning gaze directed at Michael Vick's return.

The former Hokie and NFL superstar saw his first preseason action Thursday night after serving his time for his infamously poor pet ownership. However, this hasn't halted the continuing crime: Eagles fans can customize a Michael Vick jersey for their dog.

An NFL spokesman confirmed to the New York Daily News that NFLShop.com does provide this option in canine fashion, reasoning this to be fine because Vick's helping with humane societies.

... Wow.

The NFL must realize that this product will a.) probably outsell every other customizable dog jersey on the planet b) find that a relatively small percentage of customers are Eagles fans and c) become quite popular among those who, to put it lightly, enjoy egregiously pushing the boundaries of good humor.

At the very least, it seems the Goodell administration has turned the page on the Vick saga without leaving much of a finger in the previous one. This comes as a bit of a departure from the image micromanagement the commissioner has taken with many arguably less controversial acts, like touchdown celebrations.

Whether Vick's five-game regular season suspension signals a lightening in Roger Goodell's general punishment policies, or more of a hope that Vick is God's gift to the Wildcat offense, will become clearer with the inevitable drug and driving offenses of NFL athletes this fall.

(Either way, it's certainly hard to imagine brother Marcus Vick returning to the field after receiving, according to The Virginian-Pilot, a 20-day jail sentence on Aug. 20 for violating probation from his DUI conviction.)

However, swirling amongst inner moral turmoil, the Hokie in me produces a chemical reaction that spurs wild excitement for Michael Vick's return. A warm spot still remains from that 2000 Sugar Bowl appearance.

It's not that I feel absolved from guilt in my rooting interests because of Vick's blistering, undefeated-season saving run that put Tech in scoring range late against West Virginia in '99. It's not that I think dogs don't have feelings.

It's that he's not done serving his time.

As long as he's in the NFL, Vick's forced into a position to help with the prevention of cruelty to animals. Call me a pessimist, but I'm guessing there's more motivation to right wrongs when the reward of playing football for money and stardom is immediately at hand.

As Vick steps into the league's most exciting offensive package, giving Favre headlines a pal to tango with, let's hope it works this time around.