This was posted Thursday, June 29, 2017 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Former Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick and his wife Kijafa have joined the cast of a new VH1 series called "Baller Wives" set in Miami. The show debuts August 14.
VH1 pitches this variation of "WAGS" and "Basketball Wives" thusly:
From the sidelines to the social frontlines, VH1's "Baller Wives" will highlight these pro athletes and their wives as they navigate love, family, business and balling in the world where relationships are complicated and the competition between neighbors is thick. While the men may call the shots on the field, it's the ladies who truly run the game.
The Vicks were married in 2012 and have two daughters with a third child on the way. The show has characterized Kijafa as the "queen bee" of the group who "knows everyone's secrets."
Michael Vick just officially retired after 13 seasons and was given a send off by the Falcons earlier this month, which was naturally controversial.
Atlantans are still very much split over Vick and his legacy. He was recently ranked the No. 2 best quarterback in Falcons' history but the discovery of his years of overseeing a dog fighting ring besmirched his reputation and placed him in prison for 18 months during the peak of his career. Alas, his time with the Falcons was over.
But since then, Vick has worked hard to rebuild his reputation and has worked extensively to lobby against dog fighting and rectify his past sins. Some people have forgiven him. Others never will.
So his presence on the show will likely draw curious viewers.
"Baller Wives" has a fairly large cast, which falls in line with shows such as "Love and Hip Hop." Throw a lot of folks out there and see who resonates with the audience and provides the juiciest story lines.
Here are the other cast members on the show, with descriptions written by the VH1 publicists:
Miko Grimes, wife of Tampa Bay cornerback Brent Grimes, is restarting her career after recently being let go from her long running sports radio show. She and Brent have a son together and have been married for seven years. With his training schedule, Miko has to deal with Brent's absence leading up to the new season.
Jeniva finds her husband, two-time champion Asante Samuel, eager to start a new career as a boxer. With professional football behind him, Jeniva thought her years of worrying about Asante's safety were over.
Aja is married to Channing Crowder who played as a linebacker for Miami and is now a sports radio host. This couple find themselves in the middle of the drama with Miko after she is fired from the radio station where Channing works.
Kelly and husband Julius Jones have been married for eight years and have two sons together. A former Dallas running back, Julius is adamantly against his sons playing football, much to the boys' dismay.
Crystal is best friends with Stacey and Miko and she confides in them daily. After a rough break up with her ex, Crystal is a young mother, newly single and eager to jump back into the dating world.
Former video vixen, model and self-proclaimed party girl Emmaly is hopelessly looking for love in one of the hottest dating scenes in the country. She is a single mother of two and co-parents one child with her famous ex.
Megan is married to a professional basketball player who plays overseas in Turkey while she lives in Miami with the couple's two daughters. Will Megan be able to continue living solo in Miami or will she need her husband to forgo returning abroad for the new season?
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