This past NFL regular season, millions of football fans were treated to the second coming of one of the greatest athletes of all time.
For 15 games, Mike Vick electrified sold-out stadiums and national television audiences with his fleet-footedness and wrist-flicking throwing technique with the same flair of another great athlete.
Randall Cunningham? No. Steve Young? No.
Vick has even been called "Barry Sanders with a cannon..." but it's not No. 20 I'm referring to.
While Vick is clearly here to stay, Michael Jordan is on his way out. Jordan has already said, and is sure this time - I think - that this will be his last season in the NBA.
The two have dropped more jaws than Jennifer Lopez did in that dress.
What caused me to draw this comparison was Vick's performance this past Saturday in the first round of the NFL Playoffs on the sacred grounds of Lambeau Field against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.
It was eerily similar to Jordan's performance in the first round of the 1986 NBA Playoffs against Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the storied Boston Garden.
Both took place while each phenom was in the second year of his professional career.
Both took place in a season in which Vick and Jordan sustained injury; Vick missing one game and Jordan missing 64.
Both took place while each was surrounded by players whose own families wouldn't recognize them if they were sitting in the stands.
Trevor Gaylor? Dave Corzine? I guess that's what 7th round draft picks and 10-day contracts are for.
But what made it clear to me Vick's talent spans sports was one particular play.
Vick rolled left like he often does, and was faced with a Green Bay defender attempting to record a sack. For at least a second, it looked as if the defender would get that sack, even though he had to grapple Vick's facemask.
But.
Amazingly, Vick shrugged off the tackle, had the presence of mind, and time, to adjust his helmet and sprinted up the field for a nice gain.
This brought to mind the image of Jordan isolated on Bird, dribbling continuously through his legs until Bird was basically incapacitated, and his jumper "tickled the twine."
These amazing individual feats bring the comparison to a halt.
The one difference being an enormous one. Vick's team won.
Vick's individual performance takes a back seat to Jordan's due to modest numbers, 13-of-25 for 127 yards and one touchdown to Jordan's 63 points.
Who knows, if Jordan would have passed a few more times and scored, say, 45 points, the Bulls could have won.
Jordan eventually got help, Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen joined the Bulls in 1987, Pippen in a draft day trade with Seattle.
Right now, Vick still remains a one-man gang.
Maybe MSU's own T.J. "Diesel" Duckett will be the Pippen to Vick's Jordan. He should get more than six carries a game. HE'S A BEAST.
It remains to be seen if Vick's career will pan out like Jordan's. I personally think one or two Super Bowl wins is equal to six NBA titles.
If it doesn't, then those comparisons to other NFL greats are warranted.
Either way, younger football fans and sports fans in general are being treated to something that comes along once in a generation.
My generation had Michael Jordan.
This generation has "the incomparable Mike Vick."
Jason Carmel Davis, the State News general assignment sports reporter, can be reached at davisj44@msu.edu.
