Video: Michael Vick accidentally kicks ball at cheerleader

Sidebar: I’m still not in love with Vick because of the whole dog fighting thing, but at least he apologized. That’s more than some other professional athletes I could name.~ sasha

By Chris Chase
Yahoo Sports
10/15/2011

Whether out of frustration or boredom or a desire to audition to replace rookie kicker Alex Henery(notes), Michael Vick(notes) kicked a ball on the sideline after a long run during Sunday’s Philadelphia Eagles game that flew directly at the head of a Washington Redskins cheerleader.

Vick was pushed to the sideline after a long run and mindlessly swung his leg at a ball that was set up on a tee at the kicker’s net. Keep an eye on the left side of the screen as Vick run out of bounds.

[click here to watch the video]

Vick immediately apologized, an act of contrition that sounds like it should be a no-brainer but frequently isn’t in a league where players knock over sideline personnel and act like nothing happened. Throw in the fact that Vick has never been the best at admitting fault, and his apology was downright refreshing.

His decision to kick the ball in the first place, however, was less so. What was the best possible outcome there? Either it was going to hit someone on the sideline, sail into the stands or he was going to miss it like Charlie Brown playing with Lucy. It made as much sense as one of those patented, inexplicable Andy Reid timeouts. Surely the allure of kicking a ball on a tee couldn’t have been that enticing.

Vick was asked about the kick after the game and reiterated his regret.

“I apologize to the cheerleaders,” Vick said. “That was a very bad gesture and can’t let my emotions get the best of me, so sorry to the Redskins cheerleaders. I didn’t mean to offend anybody.”