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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s “The Stack” with me, Nathan Stacken. It’s the final “stack” of the week and just like the last couple, it is a shorter version, but a good one with plenty of football. Let’s get right to it and see what made today’s “stack”:

1. Vick says Eagles weren’t his first choice.

Why is everyone talking and spilling their guts out to GQ? I don’t get it. Michael Vick is the latest NFL player to say something that has the NFL buzzing. In the current issue of GQ, Vick says that the NFL helped sway him to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick said that his first choice wasn’t the Eagles. He would have much rather played for the Buffalo Bills or Cincinnati Bengals where he would have had a great chance to start right away rather than be the third string quarterback on the Eagles. Alas though, he chose the Eagles with help from a lot of other people, including Tony Dungy and not just the NFL. It would be a very bad thing for the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell to persuade players where to go. Former Bills RB Thurman Thomas called in to a Buffalo radio station and was outraged that the NFL would do something and treat a city and team like Buffalo the way they did. The NFL came out and said that they didn’t persuade Vick to do anything. They were just trying to help him get back on track. Still, this is not a good thing for the NFL and while they were just trying to help a player like Vick who just got out of prison, Goodell shouldn’t tell him which teams would be permissible to go to and which teams wouldn’t be. Vick had a lot of support and many good people helping him with his decision. It appears he made the right choice. It just shouldn’t have been the NFL’s option to help him decide.

2. Vick looks bad in loss to Steelers, Patriots crush Bucs.

Two preseason games were on the docket in the NFL Thursday night. Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles did not look like the “Dream Team” everyone has been talking about (Vick by the way wants that name to be dropped, saying the team hates it). Vick threw three interceptions and the Steelers outgained the Eagles 262 yards to 71 in the first half. Yikes! It was complete dominance by the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger looked good. The Eagles better focus and get everything together because they can expect that type of effort from every team they play this season.

Meanwhile in Tampa, the New England Patriots showed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they are a little ways away from competing with the elite NFL teams by destroying the Bucs 31-14. Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdowns and the Patriots staters played the entire first half. The Patriots look like a potential juggernaut on offense this year. The rest of the NFL has been put on notice. The Bucs have a little work to do.

3. Terrell Pryor eligible for Monday’s supplemental draft.

Finally we know what Terrell Pryor’s status regarding the NFL’s supplemental draft. Pryor has been ruled eligible, but is suspended for the first five games of the 2011 NFL season should he be drafted by a team in Monday’s supplemental draft. He most likely will be drafted, but the NFL has to worry about Pandora’s box that they may have just opened. Every case is different, but Pryor did not deserve to be in the supplemental draft. The NFL has specific rules regarding a player’s eligibility in the NFL draft and the supplemental draft and Pryor did not qualify. The NFL allowing him in is wrong and a disgrace. With the Vick situation and everything, it was not a good day for the NFL and their decision making at headquarters in New York City.

That does it for me for today and for the week. Check back on Monday for another edition of “The Stack.” Before we go, we should mention Danica Patrick‘s move to NASCAR fulltime in 2012. Whoo! Not a NASCAR fan, but that is pretty big news. And if any news unfolds regarding the “U” and their situation, we’ll talk about it on Monday for sure. Until then, have a great day and a great weekend and we’ll see you back here Monday.

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