For sale: The house that Michael Vick built

DULUTH, Ga. – For sale: the remains of an American success story gone horribly wrong.

On a peaceful cul-de-sac in Atlanta's prosperous northern suburbs, a behemoth of a home sits empty and lifeless at 2927 Darlington Run. Four towering columns greet those who enter through a double set of thick, wooden doors. Out back, an idyllic lake laps at the edge of the yard. Within the walls, all the telltale signs of wealth and luxury — a pool room, a movie theater, an indoor golf range, assorted-sized statues of black panthers throughout.

This was Michael Vick's abode, a stucco-and-gated-community testament to his amazing rise from the rough streets of Virginia to NFL superstar.

But Vick's spectacular career was sacked by a dogfighting scandal. While he sits behind bars, serving out the remainder of a nearly two-year sentence, his three-storied former house — now eerily quiet — is about to go on the auction block.

The proceeds from Tuesday's sale, which requires a minimum bid of $3.2 million, will help pay down the quarterback's gargantuan debts. That's the cold, hard business of bankruptcy.

But before the title to eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a four-car garage passes off to a new owner, it's worth taking one last look at a most tangible monument left by this former star, a once-in-a-generation athlete who had it all before hubris brought him down.

Come on, let's show you around.

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The first impression is stunning. Two curved staircases bend gently along the walls on each side of the enormous foyer. A glistening chandelier — which, real estate agent Lance Hempen points out, can be lowered on a winch for cleaning — hangs from beneath a domed ceiling.

It looks like something out of "Gone With The Wind," with a dash of Versailles thrown in for good measure.

"One thing you'll notice is the detail of the trim work and tray ceilings throughout the whole house," said Hempen, who works for Funari Realty. "They really did some great work in here."

The foyer empties into an even larger living room, which has a flat-screen television mounted above the fireplace and three rows of windows, stacked one on top of the other, providing a view of the lake where Vick and his buddies once fished, or used as the target for striking golf balls.

Step to the left into another living room c'mon, no self-respecting millionaire would have only ONE formal living room, which empties into a large kitchen with all the expected conveniences. Top-of-the-line appliances such as Thermador, Bosch and Sub-Zero. Those little extras, too, including a warming drawer and vegetable steamer. Not that cooking was Vick's thing.

"The kitchen is not the biggest and best gourmet kitchen," said Hempen, almost sounding apologetic. "It's got everything you need, but it's not a cooker's kitchen, per se."

But the "board room" — a two-storied, dark-wooded enclave — looks as though it's ready to host a Fortune 500 meeting. There's a large conference table in the middle, and two full floors of intricate bookcases. This is where Vick kept his sporting prizes.

Now, the shelves are barren.

"I remember coming in here for the first time," Hempen said. "We met with his associates here at this table. It was quite an experience. At that time, all of this room was decorated with his sports memorabilia. ... It was kind of neat seeing all that stuff. He had balls signed by a lot of different sports stars.

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