BLACKSBURG, VA – Blemished by his off-field antics, quarterback Michael Vick looks to learn from his painful past and return to the top of the sport he once dominated.

“Two days after I got off home confinement — July 22, 2009, to be exact — was the first time in eight months I got to pick up a football and really throw it,” Vick told David Fleming of ESPN The Magazine months after his release from the Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas.

In August 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture” and was imprisoned for 23 months.

Drafted with the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, the Virginia Tech Hokies’ superstar was considered a one-of-a-kind talent and the face of his franchise. Vick’s ability to create opportunities for his team with skillful footwork, speed and throwing ability made him a defense’s nightmare.

“I was never worried about my arm,” Vick told ESPN regarding his physical ability after being released from prison. “I’ll be able to throw a football when I’m 60, but the thing I worried about most was my legs.”

Even in college, Vick’s ability to make plays with his legs was always his strongest facet. Vick holds numerous NFL records for rushing as a quarterback, which include 173-yards in a single game, seven 100-yard rushing games, and most yards in a single season with 1,039.

Despite the on-field success Michael had, the illegal market for dog fighting became a priority in his life. Registered with friends under the name “Bad Newz Kennels”, Vick supported the unlawful organization financially.

Vick’s dog fighting was not the initial issue that Virginia officials intended to bring to an end. On April 25, 2007, a search warrant as part of a drug investigation for Davon Boddie, Vick’s cousin, led to the discovery of unlawful dog-fighting evidence at a piece of property owned by Vick in Surry County, Va.

Financial issues surfaced when Vick filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on July 7, 2008, being $10 million to $50 million in debt. Vick owed an additional $3.75 million to the Atlanta Falcons for his pro-rated signing bonus that was voided upon his arrest.

Once released from prison, Vick’s off-field trouble continued and he was dropped from all his major endorsements including Nike, EA Sports, Coca-Cola and many others. While free on bail, Vick also failed a random urine test for marijuana.

Although he was bankrupt, money didn’t matter to Vick because he lost his family. Crushed by his past, Vick told FOX Sports, “every week in prison I had to watch my fiancé and my kids leave me behind. That hurt.”

In early 2009, Michael Vick hit rock bottom. The one time superstar, estimated to have made $25.4 million in 2006, was bankrupt, had no endorsements and no team to play for, but still Vick was thankful for his jail time.

“I still wouldn’t change that I went to prison,” Vick said. He knew change was needed to rid his old lifestyle and prison was the only way to accomplish that.

Tony Dungy, a well-respected NFL head coach, heavily mentored Vick during his probation and taught him what it would take to return to the NFL. Dungy’s impact became apparent when Vick told ESPN, “I feel like I’m probably better than I ever was in my career, as far as the mental aspect of my game.”

On August 13, 2009, Vick signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles worth $1.6 million. He was third on the quarterback depth chart behind Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb, but understood his role on the team as more than a back-up player.

On the field for the first time in three years, Vick played for the Eagles in special situations. Vick appeared in 12 games and had three total touchdowns, but none more special than the two he scored in front of the Atlanta Falcons’ fans in the Georgia Dome on December 6^th, 2009.

“They were just letting me know that people still appreciate what I’ve done,” a teary-eyed Vick said of the Atlanta faithful. “It was as loud as it gets in the Dome.”

After the 2009 season concluded, Vick began touring the country to raise money for various causes. In April 2010, Vick went back to Blacksburg, VA, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies, for the first time since his arrest.

“I appreciate what you’ve done, taking the time to get up on an early morning to have something signed,” Vick told Planet Blacksburg in a message to his fans. “That’s special to me and really gratifying.”

Vick’s good fortune continued during the NFL off-season when Donovan McNabb, the Eagles 11-year starting quarterback, was traded to the division rival Washington Redskins. The trade will allow Vick to compete for the starting quarterback position having signed a contract extension through the 2010 season on March 9, 2010.

“This is good in two ways because I’m a Redskins fan,” Elite Group Manager AJ Thomson Jr. said of McNabb being traded to Washington. “The Redskins get an experienced quarterback and my good friend Mike gets a chance to start again.”

Vick has not been a starting quarterback since 2006, but feels that he can still compete at a high level and expects the physical aspect of his game to return easily. Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid feels Vick is a legitimate candidate for the starting job.

“We like Kevin Kolb and we like Michael Vick,” Reid said to ESPN.com about the quarterback competition for the 2010 season. “It’s a pretty good situation to be in as we go into the offseason.”

Now, the 29-year-old Michael Vick has signed with a championship contender, has a world of talent, and sees the opportunity once again to take the NFL by storm, but all of this is on his backburner.

“I don’t dictate when I play,” a smiling Vick said as he explained his future goals. “I just want to be able to give my team the best chance to win.”

I think it’s safe to say that March Madness 2010 has changed the way that fans will evaluate their brackets moving forward. Teams like St. Mary’s and Northern Iowa came from no where to shock the world and a few number one ranked teams in the process.

What doesn’t come as a surprise are the four teams that reached the Final Four. No, I did not select these four teams to be here come April, but I wasn’t surprised to see that it was these teams left. Below is a breakdown of each team; how they got here and what it’ll take to win it all.

Duke Blue Devils

How they got here:

Duke is Duke. Coach K is Coach K. Year after year, the Blue Devils are favorites to make it this far, but this year they actually succeeded. Duke’s big three has put the team on their backs and haven’t looked back. Reaching the Final Four on an eight game win streak, this team is no stranger to the Final Four making it for the 11th time under Coach K. Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are all averaging over 17 points and Brian Zoubek has an impressive 7.6 rebounds per game. Duke beat impressive California, Purdue and Baylor squads on their road to Indy.

Why they’ll win it:

Determination. This team is driven. Other than being Las Vegas’ betting favorite, this team can play. Zoubek and Scheyer are Seniors; Singular and Smith both know that this is their chance to win it all. Squaring up against West Virginia in their Final Four match-up, the Blue Devils outscore the Mountaineers by five ppg and hold opponents to two less points. Aside from the numbers, they have Coach K drawing up their plays. His legendary experience will be enough to fire up his team and get them ready to play the biggest games of their lives.

West Virginia Mountaineers

How they got here:

While Cornell was making Kentucky’s job easier on the upper half of their tier, West Virginia was busy taking down such powers as Missouri, Washington and Kentucky. Kentucky itself was a huge victory for Bob Huggins, who is now 8-1 versus John Calipari all time, but Washington was overlooked being an 11 seed reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Da’Sean Butler has been averaging 17.3 ppg this tournament and this includes his nine points in his 28 minutes played against Morgan State in the opening round. Oh, I guess winning their last 10 including a Big East Championship puts them on a roll too.

Why they’ll win it:

Even though they were a number two seed in their region, no one thought they had a chance. This is especially true because Kentucky was most of America’s favorite to win it all. Winning 73-66, West Virginia led the entire game against what was thought to be the nation’s best team. Their experience also may have something to do with it because in their victory over Kentucky four Mountaineers were in double-digits. Their 43.5% shooting from beyond the arc will be a key to beating Duke who mixes between a zone and tough man.

Michigan State Spartans

How they got here:

After the fall of Kalin Lucas, no one expected this squad to make it past Northern Iowa let alone Tennessee. However, Korie Lucious has stepped in to fill Lucas’ roll and he has done so accordingly. Raymar Morgan has emerged as this teams on-court captain. Even though their game with Tennessee came down to an iffy call in the final two seconds, Michigan State’s coach Tom Izzo is no stranger to the Final Four with six life-time trips putting him 5th all time. Also, this is the teams second trip in the last two years. I’d say this team is hot.

Why they’ll win it:

If it was up to me, I’d say Michigan State is least likely to win it all because of the downing of Kalin Lucas. Then again, millions have been saying this for the past two games. Butler better prepare for the high-flying, shoot-anywhere-on-the-court antics of Lucious because he will kill you with the three ball if you let him. Plus, if Kansas was selected most to win it all in most all brackets filled, that should say something about the team from the region that emerged instead. Don’t count out the Spartans come April 5th at 9:21 p.m.

Butler Bulldogs

How they got here:

I wrote an article about this team almost a month ago saying that they are the country’s hottest team heading down the stretch. Winning their last 18 games of the season and the Horizon League easily, Butler has been putting their game where everyone else’s mouth is. Now winners of their last 25, Butler doesn’t plan on stopping because they are viewed as college basketball’s Boise State. Only difference, they actually get a shot at the National Championship come Sunday.

Why they’ll win it:

Like I recently said, they are winners in their last 25 games and that counts as something. A young team with experience, Butler has blown everyone out on their road to Indianapolis including a seven-point victory over Kansas State to reach the Final Four. Butler has the lowest points-against-average this season with an impressive 59.4 ppg. Also, Butler has the nation’s least amount of losses title with four. This team knows how to win big games and with four members of their team averaging over double-digits, there is no ‘I’ in Butler (or Bulldogs for that matter).

Now that you have seen the reasons that these are the four teams left, are you still happy with your bracket down the stretch?

The NCAA Tournament has not been anything short of amazing this year. Getting the attention is deserves, the field of 65 has been narrowed to 16 with showings from 11 different conferences. Therefore, with no games between March 23-26, the NIT was put on a pedestal to come through with solid games as well.

On a cold Monday night, the Huskies of Connecticut came to Blacksburg, Virginia with hopes of redeeming the Big East from their weak play in the Big Dance. However, The Hokies of Virginia Tech were ready for what Jim Calhoun was about to throw at them.

Going into halftime down 35-30, Malcolm Delaney had just two points. When the superstar of your team averages 20.5 points per game and only manages to put two free-throws through the hoop in an entire half, normally a team should be worried. Not in the case of the Hokies. Big role players in Derenzo Hudson, Jeff Allen, Terrell Bell and J.T. Thompson were able to step in and fill Delaney’s void.

Hudson’s 27 points was enough to lift the Hokies past the hungry Huskies 65-63.

UCONN did show up to play however. Leading most of the entire game, the Huskies led by as many as 12 at one point during the first half. Kemba Walker had his team ready from the start with a few big time jump-shots that sent a message to Seth Greenberg that he will have his hands full all game.

Unusual for the Hokies, Derenzo Hudson was one of two Hokies with double-digit points. His 27, complimented by J.T. Thompson’s 10 were fluffed by Malcolm Delaney’s six, Jeff Allen’s eight, and Victor Davila’s eight. The Huskie starters of UCONN came to put the ball through the net. Kemba Walker finished with 18 and Jerome Dyson had 15, but it wasn’t anyone’s point total that stood out.

Malcolm Delaney may have only had six points, but played all 40 minutes of this game. Why you ask?

Nine assists. The next highest was Walker’s four.

When the ball isn’t falling, good players look to help their squad in another way. Delaney certainly figured it out. This was maybe the most complete victory for the Hokies all season with everyone contributing in their own way.

The Hokies of Virginia Tech will look to protect the Cassell Coliseum against the Rams of Rhode Island Wednesday, March 24th at 7:00 p.m. Being a home game will help the Hokies having one of the strongest fan bases in all of sports. Their 17-1 home record will be another way Greenberg pumps up his number-one seeded team to square off with the red-hot two-seeded Rams. Looks like the NIT favorites are playing with a little chip on their shoulder.

I wonder why?

I understand that the selection process for the NCAA is very tedious and intricate, but now I’m getting the feeling it’s a tad malicious. The Hokies of Virginia Tech may have had a weak schedule this past basketball season, but they certainly took care of business when they needed to.

Seth Greenberg’s squad thought coming into Selection Sunday that their name was going to be called as a nine-seed in the West bracket. Still not being invited to the Big Dance, it would be the seven-seed in the East that would leave the Hokies to prepare for a strong Missouri Tigers’ team. When that didn’t happen they were expecting their school’s name to be called as a weaker eight-seed in the East.

Nope.

It was a phone call from the National Invitational Tournament that painted the picture for the Hokies’ March. On Sunday night, a very disappointed Seth Greenberg spoke to Andy Katz of ESPN about his frustration of his team not making the tournament. In addition, he showed compassion for his young men that worked so hard all year.

Let’s take a look at why Virginia Tech didn’t make the tournament:

When it comes time to be compared to others, a team’s strength-of-schedule better be a little stronger than 339. And by a little, I mean a lot stronger. Such loses to the Boston College Golden Eagles, the Miami Hurricanes twice and the University of North Carolina don’t help your chances of making the elite field of 65 either. However, this was the perfect way to land a number-one seed and host a tier of the NIT.

Now after the following factors, try and venture a guess as to how the Hokies won’t be around this March:

If a team finishes the season 23-8 overall and third in the ACC, they should be in the tournament. With a 10-6 in-conference record, the Hokies were ahead of such bubble teams like the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles. It’s then strange to discover that all four of those teams I just mentioned are playing for a national championship this March and Virginia Tech is not. Let’s take a look at something other than records. Virginia Tech beat Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Clemson head-to-head and still were overlooked on Selection Sunday.

On a more positive note, the Hokies host their tier of the NIT and have a first round match-up against the Quinnipiac Bobcats this Wednesday, March 17th, at 7 p.m. at the Cassell Colosseum. Also In this group of eight teams are the Connecticut Huskies and the Rhode Island Rams. If Virginia Tech can get passed their opening round game, they will certainly have their hands full the rest of the way to become NIT champions.

I hate going back to it, but I have to ask again. How does a team finish third in the ACC, beat the fourth, fifth, and sixth placed teams in their conference, have a better overall record than those teams and still not make the tournament when these others teams did?

Like the amounts of licks to the center of a Tootsie-Pop, I guess the world may never know.

The Orange of Syracuse had the only remaining undefeated road record, an impressive 11-0, heading into their final regular season game of the 2009-2010 basketball season. More importantly, this was the final game in Freedom Hall which is the home court of the struggling Louisville Cardinals.

The Syracuse Orange and thousands of Louisville fans left Freedom Hall for the last time in the arena’s standing. The only difference, Louisville gave the arena its final win and Syracuse left with its first road loss of the year.

Rick Pitino and his squad were on the verge of missing the NCAA tournament in which they were among the last four remaining only a season ago. With a win over Syracuse on Saturday, the Cardinals won’t have to worry about their tournament hopes any longer. Improving to 20-11 on the season and improving to a much needed 11-7 in the Big East Conference, the Cardinals can finally breathe again heading into their conference finale. Syracuse on the other hand, being ranked number one for the first time since 1990, went home upset.

In the final game in Freedom Hall, an unlikely superstar rose to the occasion to make sure this game will be remembered for an eternity. Kyle Kuric, a sophomore shooting guard who averages 3.6 points per game, was living proof of why Freedom Hall is a memorable place. Scoring zero points in the first half, Kuric played in replace of an injured Jerry Smith.

Let’s just say he picked it up a tad in the second half.

All 22 points came during the final 20 minutes of the Freedom Hall finale which included an outstanding 67% from beyond the arc. He even showed some versatility by energizing the crowd with several ally-oops to preserve a 10-point lead coming down the stretch.  Mix in three rebounds and two assists and I’d say this kid had himself a game.

So what does someone with a larger-than-life game say during a post game interview? Well, I’m sure he would love to say a lot of things, but this humbled player kept his personal accolades to himself as he discussed the importance of such a big game for his team this late in the season.

I think the words we are all looking for are ‘true’, ‘team’ and ‘player’.

Edgar Sosa, Samardo Samuels and Rick Pitino all would agree with that last statement now that their team has momentum heading into the nation’s best conference’s tournament next week. The Cardinals already locked up a sixth seed giving them a direct flight to the second round awaiting the winner of Rutgers and Cincinnati.

Although Monday won’t bring the best news for the former number one Orangemen, the Big East still feels they are the best granting Jim Boeheim’s team a number one seed in the conference. Good for them because this is a sure-fire way for this team to get back on the bus and ride it all the way to Indianopolis.

When everything is said and done, Freedom Hall was closed out with a bang. Kyle Kuric could argue that it was the greatest basketball game ever played in the arena, but he’ll have some competition on that one. If nothing else was learned from this match-up Saturday afternoon, I’ll let you know what I learned:

Come March, no team is safe.

From reading this title, you as the reader are probably expecting the comparison of Sam Bradford to Jimmy Clausen or John Wall to Jon Scheyer.

Not the case.

Watching relentless NFL Draft coverage on every TV channel the past few days has made the appeal of the actually draft, which is 53 days away on April 22nd, decline rapidly. As always, Tim Tebow was in his usual media-monster form being talked about for a majority of the program. This reminded me of another player who was also highly criticized for being a college star thought to not make it in the NBA.

NBA?

Tyler Hansbrough of the University of North Carolina ate up the media almost the exact same way that Tim Tebow does. Tyler didn’t do a pro-life commercial for the Superbowl or become dehydrated from crying after losing an in-conference game, but both men thrived at their respected schools and received national attention as a result of it. Almost too much of it. Both with their own national championship rings, and respective player-of-the-year honors, these two men were all business in a college sports environment.

I’ll leave the debate up to you, the sports fan. As sports journalists, we are left to discuss, argue, debate, fight, scream (insert verb here) over this topic until it too loses its appeal. I leave you with this one loaded question:

Will Tim Tebow fizzle out and become a dime-a-dozen player in the NFL the way that Tyler Hansbrough has hid on an NBA bench or will he become the player the media wants him to become?

Either way, it’ll make for an excellent story.