Holy Vick! What the Favre??

Football! Welcome to the premier NFL edition of the Reilly Sports blog. I was going to start the football preview next week, but the comebacks of two quarterbacks have thrust the NFL into the forefront of sports this week. Michael Vick proved he wasn't lying when he said NFL teams had interest in him; and Brett Favre proved that when it comes to lying...well, you can just finish that sentence yourself.

Nevertheless, both are back...and the Minnesota Vikings looks pretty darn zesty now, don't they? Sure, Brett Favre made the Jets look like the cast of Hostel, Part 3 in the second half last year. But if the injury he cited turns out to be healed, are we going to see the 'good' Favre from the first half of 2008? Or perhaps even the 2007 MVP-caliber Packer that took the eventual-champion Giants to the brink in the playoffs?

If Brett can get his head on straight and put his ego aside (I don't know which will be harder,) the Vikings shoot right to the top of the NFC in my book. The defense is a rock, and Adrian Peterson is a super-duper-looper star in the backfield. The only obstacle the Vikings seemed to have was that Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels could lose games for them. There is no doubt that Favre has more ability than these two. But again, he is just as capable of losing a game by being headstrong and trying to make the home run pass when he shouldn't. If he pushes that ego aside and sticks to the Vikings' style of play, those passes will still be there. Opposing defenses will cheat in close to stop Peterson, and Favre will be able to pick his spot and launch it as far as he wants. And you better believe speedy receiver Bernard Berrian will run them down.

Now onto the newest Eagle. Despite the confused response from Philadelphia fans and shameful response of some Philly media outlets, I think there is one undeniable point here: Either you liked the Eagles as favorites in the NFC and now feel stronger about it, or you didn't consider them in the NFC's elite and now feel stronger about it. In simpler terms, at this moment, this is not a make or break move. Because in this moment, Vick is a welcomed luxury to the Eagles. Wide receiver, trick plays, the wildcat, you name it. He has proven to be a tremendous athlete and a franchise player. In this moment, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb are buddy-buddy, happy to share the field with one another. McNabb lobbied on Vick's behalf to come and help the team win.

That's in this moment. The hypothetical moment when this move becomes make-or-break is if November 23rd, 2008 ever repeats itself. Baltimore, Maryland. Eagles vs. Ravens. Kevin Kolb playing quarterback in a futile effort against Baltimore...with McNabb benched on the sidelines. I know, I know, I'm not the first one to make this point. And I know the Eagles went 6-1 with McNabb afterward, on their way to the NFC Championship game. But I also know (and you know too) that the relationship between McNabb and Philly fans is similar to a boy-girl 'relationship' in the 8th grade. Love, hate, love, really hate, really love, hate, indifferent, love, hate. Except this relationship started with the hate (Eagles fans booing McNabb when he was drafted in 1999.) So, this is a cyclical 8th grade relationship from somewhere in the Eastern Hemisphere, where relationships are arranged.

The fans will deny it, saying the whole thing with McNabb is overblown. And maybe it is. But all I know is that in November of last year, head coach Andy Reid fell into the 'hate' cycle of the relationship, and benched his guy for Kevin Kolb. He was on the road, with no fan pressure or practical reason to do so, and he benched him. Was it just to light a fire under him? That argument certainly looks great seeing what happened the rest of the way. I'm not sure. But I do know that Michael Vick is not Kevin Kolb. So if Donovan struggles and everyone hits the 'hate' cycle of the relationship, you better believe Andy will be tempted. If and when Andy gets tempted, then we look at August 13, 2009 as a day that makes or breaks the Eagles.

But we all know that's hypothetical. Right now, the Eagles and their fans are expecting a huge year from the team led by McNabb. Vick is simply a luxury. At this time, the Eagles are not in a transformation. At this time, that talk is exclusive to Minnesota.

Well I hope you guys enjoyed that NFL opener. It feels good to shake some football rust off. In a not-so-smooth segway, let's go to the "What About Conor" segment on this Wednesday blog. This time, let's go Hollywood! Right now, it's August and the dog days of baseball are the only sports events going on. Needing our sports fill, sometimes we resort to sports movies. I generally like sports movies, and here's a glimpse into some of my favorites. Here are my top 5.

5. Miracle
Perhaps the pinnacle sports moment in American history. Not only did hockey matter in this country, it was numero uno, if only for a few weeks. Disney was able to recreate the story in a realistic way that wasn't overly sappy or over-the-top. They knew they story was good enough on its own. The movie was able to rekindle memories for those who were around in 1980, and for mine and younger generations, give an educational and entertaining account of what happened in those Olympics. As for the drawbacks, well...the ending didn't exactly shock anyone. Everyone knew going in what would happen; it was a necessary evil for such an amazing story. After all, if it hadn't actually occurred, Hollywood would have rejected such an outrageous outcome.

4. Hoosiers
I get extremely, extremely excited when Hoosiers is on cable. There are several powerful storylines that revolve around the small-town basketball team, which give the movie a realistic charm. For the critics that were disappointed by Gene Hackman in The Replacements, this movie would be the reason. Hackman was the perfect coach in Hoosiers. Inspirational speeches, tough love on young players, and a love story that doesn't kill the film. It's the prototypical 'oldie but goodie' that is well worth the watch if it ever pops up on cable. And please give me a call if it does. I get excited.

3. Rocky IV
Though Rocky IV is #3 on the 'favorite sports movies' list, I'm certain it would be #1 on the list from an entertainment standpoint. I have definitely seen this one more than the others on this list, and would still drop whatever I'm doing to watch it again. Rocky ended the Cold War with his iron fists and eloquent speech at the end. The story throughout is great: the insecurity of an aging star (Apollo Creed,) avenging the death of a friend the only way you know how (Rocky,) and a bad-guy that is legitimately terrifying and gives a realistic feeling that Rocky might actually be killed by him. Tack on the incredible montages, and this drops in solidly as #3.

2. Rudy
Yes, that is a fan-made, 'fake' trailer for the movie. But it does a great job highlighting what truly is an amazing story. Though I prefer to watch the NFL, I must admit there is a certain charm that goes along with college football. Guys playing without all the money involved (unless you're Reggie Bush,) the indefinite players and fans that experience change-over every year, balancing school and practice. It all makes for something special, and this movie captures it all. And I know people hate Notre Dame and this movie works like a laxative for some of them (way over-the-top, factual disputes) but I genuinely enjoy it. Deep down inside I'm confident you do as well, Irish haters. Deep, deep....deep down.

1. Major League and Major League 2 (Tie)
I can't seperate them. They are both just too good to have one go ahead of another. With a gun to my head, I'd have to say I'm in the minority and like part 2 just a tad more. (Two words: Jack Parkman. Two more words: Randy Quaid) But these two movies are exactly what I look for from the sports genre. Plenty of comedy, doesn't take the sports aspect too seriously. It knows what it is, and doesn't try to be anything different or bigger. The infectiously-likeable characters are bigger than the story itself: Rick Vaughn, Pedro Cerrano, Willie Mays Hayes, manager Lou Brown and announcer Harry Doyle. I think this franchise is incredibly underappreciated and I implore you, if you haven't seen one or both, do so immediately.

Honorable Mention: Remember the Titans, D2: The Mighty Ducks, The Wrestler (will probably move up with time,) All other Rocky movies, Glory Road, The 6th Man.

Additional H.M.'s Shamefully Forgotten: Happy Gilmore, The Sandlot, Caddyshack, Cool Runnings, Little Giants, Rookie of the Year, Eddie.

As always, go ahead and post your own favorites in the comments section.