in Other Betting Trends

Eli Manning. Dom DiMaggio. Ralf Schumacher. No matter how good an athlete you may be, you always seem to come up short to your older brother.

The same holds true (so far) with Marcus Vick. He’s the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, as well as the second cousin of Oakland Raiders QB Aaron Brooks. Whether the younger Vick’s quarterbacking career stands up to either of his relatives – both of whom have their detractors – remains to be seen. But he certainly got off on the wrong foot when he was dismissed from the Virginia Tech Hokies after a series of controversial events, including stomping on the leg of Louisville Cardinals defensive end Elvis Dumervil during the 2006 Gator Bowl.

Now that Marcus Vick has been signed (undrafted) by the Miami Dolphins as a “wide receiver/quarterback/specialist,” the props market is awash with speculation about what the immediate future holds for this talented – yet – troubled, football player. Here’s a rundown of some of the “What will happen first?” options this prop offers for the 2006 campaign.

Gets fined/suspended/released for stomping opponent (+150)

This is the favorite among the options listed, since it refers immediately to the Sugar Bowl incident. However, stomping an opponent is a deliberate act, on the same level as Todd Bertuzzi’s mugging of Steve Moore or Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt of Marco Materazzi. If Vick is to fly off the handle again, it’s likely to come in the form of some other gaffe – perhaps spitting in someone’s face. That seems to be popular these days.

Gets booted and enters a rehabilitation center (+400)

This is a more likely scenario than a stomping relapse. Vick has been arrested for possession of marijuana, and having access to NFL-level money may reveal an even darker side to his choice of recreational substances. But the same can be said for just about everyone who straps on the helmet. If Vick had a known history of alcohol abuse, this bet would instantly have more value.

Gets booted for serving alcohol to minors (+500)

Before the 2004 season with the Hokies, Vick was arrested for providing alcohol to three underage girls. It’s unlikely that Vick would bother doing this again – it’s not like he needs the bootlegging profits. Also, the girls in question allegedly claimed to be college students at the time. Vick’s groupie demographic should be quite different now that he’s a glorified waterboy in the NFL and not the Big Man on Campus.

Starts a fight in his first appearance (+600)

Vick has been in at least one potentially violent situation (other than your typical football game) in his short career – in January of this year, he was charged with brandishing a firearm. Whether that translates to a pattern of violent behavior remains to be seen, but Vick has yet to unleash his fury on the gridiron itself that we know of. Note that Vick is also priced at +800 to brandish a gun yet again, this time at a Dolphins facility. You’d think he’d know better by now.

Gets booted and joins the Canadian Football League (+800)

This is the best value of the bunch, if you’re into speculative prop bets. The CFL is a haven for scrambling quarterbacks, with its extra-wide field and its three-down football. Vick would fit in quite nicely, as Warren Moon, Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia did before him. But would he go play in Canada for less money instead of holding the clipboard for Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington? It might take one of the above unfortunate events to put Vick in that position, in which case the bet would not pay out.