Most popular Georgia Dome tailgate BBQ items: Brats, burgers, Vick jerseys

You’ll be happy to know that passions for Michael Vick are still burning brightly in Atlanta. We take you now to the Georgia Dome parking lot on Sunday, where Vick-related merchandise, and lighter fluid, were moving briskly.

A number of vendors were selling Vick Falcons jerseys, knowing full well that many of them were destined to be incinerated.

The most colorful expressions from both sides of the great Vick Divide were reserved for outside the Dome. Both his fans and his detractors showed up early, bearing the ubiquitous prop of a No. 7 Falcons jersey.

A group of fans from Douglasville used one for a welcome mat in front of their tailgate spot, inviting all visitors to wipe their feet on it. Randomly, they’d flip peanut shells and dribble sauerkraut on it. Just in case they hadn’t made their point clearly enough, a couple hours before kickoff they set it ablaze. (Their leader bought four of them last week, so as to have fuel in reserve for any future Vick visits).

“We didn’t approve of Mike Vick even before the dogfighting incident,” said Mark Cothern, a six-year, season-ticket holder. “When he flipped off the fans [after a 2006 loss to New Orleans at home], it was downhill from there.”</blockquote

Inside the Dome, Vick seemed to be back to his old self. Atlanta fans are used to Vick's finger, but previously in his career it had been the middle one making news. Now it’s just the index finger. But when Vick pointed to the scoreboard as he departed the field in the third quarter of the Eagles’ game with the Falcons on Sunday, we got a glimpse of the petty, petulant player we had all come to know before his current “I Love Puppies” Personal Rehabilitation Tour.

My only regret is that Justin Bieber had to witness it.

He went to the locker room to a cascade of boos with a ten point lead — 31-21. Vick heard the boos and motioned for the crowd to the scoreboard.

Vick apologists will say that it’s no big deal, but I tend to disagree. Pointing to the scoreboard is an act of classless immaturity that would get you a rap on the helmet by your high school coach, but for Vick, who is supposed to be an adult — who has been to prison and is rehabilitating his image — that’s just more than a little puzzling. Just goes to prove that the old Michael is still in there, and one has to wonder, if a new $100 million contract wasn’t motivating him, what would he be like then?

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Vick burns in tailgate effigy at Dome [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]