Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has Virginia’s crowded prison step-down system to thank for his return home in a few months, The Associated Press is reporting. The 28-year-old All-pro, who is serving a 23-month sentence for dogfighting and animal cruelty, is supposed to be headed to a halfway house in Newport News, Va., when he is released from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., but – because there is no room there – he will be released to his home in Hampton, a government official told The Associated Press Thursday. But what’s the catch? Read more.

NBA elite compete in East-West game. LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Allen Iverson will wear the East jerseys tomorrow in Phoenix, while Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Amare Stoudemire will compete for the West. The 58^th annual All-Star game and its usual festivities are sure to bring out the biggest celebrities in entertainment and sports as spectators. Among the other weekend highlights, Howard will defend his slam-dunk contest title tonight. The All-Star game airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC.

Falcons want to trade Vick contract rights. Former NFL superstar Michael Vick may still be worth a sum to his old team, despite his incarceration in federal prison. “With regards to Michael Vick, we’ve decided to seek a trade of his contractual rights to another NFL club,” says Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff. Though he is suspended from the league after pleading guilty to illegal dog-fighting, Vick has a multi-million-dollar contract that runs through 2013. It’s not known when Vick may be allowed to return to the league. But his lawyer recently said Vick would be let out of prison “any day now” to serve his remaining time in a half-way house.