Parting thoughts on Agua-gate

Discussion of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s run-in with Miami International Airport security eventually winds its way to the subject of race.
A few readers who reacted negatively to my recent columns on Vick suggested my views were shaped by racial bias.
Never mind the fact that no quarterback of any shade — Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Vince Young or Byron Leftwich — would have been allowed to carry a 20-ounce water bottle beyond an airport security checkpoint. That's the age we live in. And, it's worth emphasizing that any quarterback -- whether black or white -- would have been subject to a law enforcement investigation if their water bottle had carried a hidden contraband compartment and a stench resembling marijuana.
It's true that Vick was neither detained nor charged with a crime. The Miami-Dade police lab tested his bottle and it tested negative for the presence of drugs. He's in the clear and, frankly, it wouldn't have mattered if he'd been caught using it as a bong. The worst he would have faced as a first-time offender would have been a fine. The Miami-Dade police department doesn't operate like David Caruso's CSI: Miami unit. They don't devote endless scrutiny to possible misdemeanor offenses.
But what so many of Vick's defenders fail to acknowledge is that it still could have been used to hold drugs or used as drug paraphenalia. It's reasonable to ask those questions based on the behavior of Vick and his employer, as well as the Miami-Dade police's erasing of an airport security evidence tape (which violated state law).
Atlanta general manager Rich McKay stated last week that he, team owner Arthur Blank and new coach Bobby Petrino expressed their ''displeasure'' in a meeting with Vick. What could they possibly be displeased with again?
If Vick had told them he was simply the victim of a misunderstanding, they likely would have given him the benefit of the doubt.
The most nagging questions, to me, are created by the silence. Neither Vick or his employer have been heard from since Miami-Dade police completed their investigation. Vick has never said he was unjustly accused and the Falcons haven't come forward to defend their quarterback.
The prevailing sentiment has been one of "Move on, nothing to see here.'' The more it's said, the more it sounds like a carnival barker who doesn't want anyone to peek at what's underneath the big top.
The one truly unfortunate aspect of this surreal situation is that Vick has been branded a ''thug'' in some quarters. That brings us back to the issue of black and white.
This latest incident doesn't make him a thug. In fact, until this season, he'd largely navigated his way off the field without so much as a ripple. The only Vick mentioned in police-related stories was his brother, Marcus.
But the last few months have raised questions about Vick's capacities as a leader. Before the season, he settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who claimed he knowingly gave her herpes. Then came his obscene gesture to Atlanta fans, the second-half collapse of a once-promising season, his awful play against bottom-feeders like Detroit and Cleveland, his silence on the subject of coach Jim Mora's job performance and, finally, Agua-gate.
There's no question Vick is a great talent, but his judgement can apparently use some work.
Vick’s lawyer released a statement saying his client is ready to move on and put the Miami incident behind him.
He now has the chance for a fresh start. He can't afford to fumble it.