Gator Bowl -- Part 2 -- Fans show class

I found this article on the web. It's nice to see fans that don't make excuses where none can be made.

VT QB Vick "stomps" into another controversy
Jay Warren
WSLS NewsChannel 10
Tuesday, January 3, 2006


Marcus Vick steps? literally into another controversy. AT the end of the second quarter of the Gator Bowl, Vick is tackled by Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Vick gets back up and stomps on Dumervil's knee.

After the game Vick said, "It was an accidental play. Football is football."


The officials didn't catch it and neither did Head Coach Frank Beamer. After the game, he said, "Marcus said he didn't mean to do that. But, whatever happened is unfortunate and Marcus apologized for it."


Actually, sources told Newschannel 10's Justin Ditmore that Beamer and Vick went to the Louisville locker room after the game to apologize but were turned away. Beamer asked that their apologies be passed on to the team and Dumervil.


Still, many Tech fans are outraged by Vick's behavior. We showed several of them the video of it at Buffalo Wild Wings, a sports bar in Roanoke County. Included in that group is Sam Lionberger who said, "To me I don't see any excuse for that at all."


You won't find a big tech fan or supporter than Lionberger. When asked if Vick's actions represent the university fairly, he said, "No. This is not the integrity of Virginia Tech. I think the coaches need to come down pretty hard on him for that."


And Lionberger isn't alone.


Tech fan Jason Andrews of Roanoke said, "I think it was really classless." Sheila Bankert, a UVA fan from Botetourt County, said, "Yeah, that was on purpose. It was very unprofessional. Very unsportsmanlike." But, Bankert said she wasn't surprised. "Vick always gets by with everything," she said.


Bill Richardson, a University of West Virginia fan from Roanoke City agrees with Bankert. After seeing the video, he sarcastically said, "He's looking right down at his leg and he stepped right down. He has no control of his feet. Of course it's an accident."


Richardson remembers the Tech - West Virginia game where Vick turned to the crowd and flipped them off. Monday's antics are no surprise to him. "He gets a pass in Blacksburg because he's Marcus Vick related to Michael Vick."