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Tomorrow GQ will release it’s full-length interview with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. There are undoubtedly some parts of the interview that some people might take out of context and run with as if Mike was the devil himself. So before they can start with the with all that, here are some snippets from the interview to help provide some clarity.

Vick speaks on the difference between his public treatment and media treatment:

“They are writing as if everyone feels that way and has the same opinions they do. But when I go out in public, it’s all positive, so that’s obviously not true.” The media, Vick implies, still act as though he used to sneak into suburban yards, steal golden retrievers, and set them on fire. As if he were a lone actor, a single rampaging menace, a canine serial killer with no context, motivation, or back story. As if he is the only person in America associated with dog fighting.”

Whether white people understand traditions in black culture:

“Yeah, you got the family dog and the white picket fence, and you just think that’s all there is. Some of us had to grow up in poverty-stricken urban neighborhoods, and we just had to adapt to our environment. I know that it’s wrong. But people act like it’s some crazy thing they never heard of. They don’t know.”

When asked if he feels that white people simply don’t understand that aspect of black culture. “I think that’s accurate,” he says. “I mean, I was just one of the ones who got exposed, and because of the position I was in, where I was in my life, it went mainstream. A lot of people got out of it after my situation, not because I went to prison but because it was sad for them to see me go through something that was so pointless, that could have been avoided.”

On missing the privilege to own a pet:

“But it’s not fair. It’s not fair to the animal. I know what to do now. I am strong as an individual, and I can handle anything.”

“I miss dogs, man,” he says. “I always had a family pet, always had a dog growing up. It was almost equivalent to the prison sentence, having something taken away from me for three years. I want a dog just for the sake of my kids, but also me. I miss my companions.”

On not wanting to play for the Eagles:

“I think I can say this now, because it’s not going to hurt anybody’s feelings, and it’s the truth… I didn’t want to come to Philadelphia. Being the third-team quarterback is nothing to smile about. Cincinnati and Buffalo were better options.”

Those two teams wanted him and would’ve allowed him to start, but after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell and other reps from the NFL, Vick was convinced—and granted league approval—to sign with Philly. “And I commend and thank them, because they put me in the right situation.”

Let this man be!