The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback comes off as weary of explaining his bad dog behavior in an interview with Deadspin founder Will Leitch that runs in GQ today.

In a profile of of the Eagles' best hope for Superbowl glory, Leitch captures the tightwire that Vick manipulates ever since being busted and sent to jail for killing several fighting dogs.

While staying close to the "message" that's been created for him by, count ' em -- "at least seven" PR professionals, the imp in Vick shows through when he's addressing a group of low-achieving students who want to know if he's "mad" over what happened to him.

A "cartoonishly grinning" Vick looks left and right and then jokes, "Where the media at?"

Reporters "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," Vick laments to GQ.

Vick still blames his dog fighting on growing up poor in black neighborhoods. "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."

But here's my take on Vick: he still doesn't know right from wrong. He's still the same kid, only now he's rich and famous and revered even if did spend 544 days in jail for torturing and killing dogs.

Vick's like a drug addict who can't wait to get successful enough to resume his bad behavior without criticism. Only what happens is that the time away from who they used to be eventually does change them, make them smarter, wiser, maybe eventually even regretful.

Now Vick wants a dog. "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."

Maybe in old age he'll be ready for one.