On Sunday, Michael Vick will be interviewed on 60 Minutes in hopes of showing contrition, making a case for his NFL comeback and generally doing as much PR as possible to rehabilitate his image. The former Atlanta Falcon quarterback and NFL poster boy is pretty desperate to get back into the league -- and the money that comes with it. Michael Vick, as you probably know, was once the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. He was on the cover of magazines and was considered an unstoppable force on the field. Off the field, however, he was running an illegal dog-fighting business. He spent most of the last two years either in court or in prison for his involvement in a syndicate that promoted gambling and killed dogs.
After 19 months hard time behind bars, Vick is now out and hoping NFL commissioner Roger Guddell Goodell clears him to play again. The commish has given him conditional reinstatement to rejoin the NFL, the key word being conditional. Goodell will probably be watching and making his own judgment.
This interview, therefore, is crucial. Vick must come off as a changed man. Normally, I have a lot of faith in 60 Minutes being a crucible of truth. The interviewers play hard ball. However, instead of Mike Wallace or Morley Safer or Scott Pelley doing the interview, a ringer is being brought in. James Brown, the CBS Sports anchor of NFL Today -- the Sunday pre-game hour -- will be a special 60 Minutes interviewer.
That sounds to me like a gift to Vick. Hopefully, Brown will be tough and fair and ask the pertinent questions without quarter. I'm watching to see if Michael Vick gets the real 60 Minutes treatment, or if James Brown plays nice.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-12-2009 @ 2:08PM
Pierre-Luc Allie said...
Brown did a pretty good interview with Pacman Jones last year. I'M confident he would asked the right questions.
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8-12-2009 @ 2:38PM
Freak Mojo said...
And I'm confident it'll be a puff piece. No way JB is going to come down on him like he should.
My opinion... I really don't think he's all that remorseful on what he did just what he lost.
With that in my cynical mind, I pretty much think this is just a PR piece by the NFL to get people to accept him once he gets signed for some ridiculous amount of money that he doesn't deserve.
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8-12-2009 @ 2:40PM
garlick said...
Wow, probably the most powerful man in sports, and you can't even get his name right.
It's Roger Goodell.
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8-12-2009 @ 4:49PM
C.A. said...
Yep, even the tagging is wrong two times.
8-12-2009 @ 8:35PM
Ashley said...
He shouldn't even be allowed to play in the NFL again after what he did to those dogs (if you have ever seen a show called Dogtown on National Geographic, they did a special on saving those poor dogs, after watching that...)! I say let him rot!
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8-13-2009 @ 8:10AM
rick cokely said...
I'm all for forgiveness and people going to jail having "served their time" to society, but I feel that it is an abomination to let this man back into the NFL. At the very least you're saying to kids that this guy is a role model and that just isn't right. He killed dogs in the most cruel and inhumane way and it's obvious he only cares about what he lost - not that he is truly sorry for doing what he did to those dogs. The NFL is sad and it makes me sick to my stomach that this man would be allowed to continue to play sports and be a role model for kids even after he committed one of the most atrocious crimes.
To see a little bit of what he did, check out this link: http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/popup?id=3394113&contentIndex=1&start=false&page=6
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8-13-2009 @ 9:34AM
csttar63 said...
all you people wont let vick back in the NFL, but in what about the wifebeaters, drug pushers, gun-toters (where it is illegal), drunk drivers (even the ones that hurt or kill people). where are you protestors then. at the end of the day, human life is more important than a dogs. what vick did was wrong, but if you dont want him to earn a living doing something he is loves and he paid a heavy price already, comdemn all of the above equally.
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8-13-2009 @ 9:53PM
sealkisser said...
I don't mind him having a job and doing what he likes to do. What I do mind is those dogs that he had are in perment homes in shelters because the judge ordered them to be, or the ones that are getting rehabilated Vick hasn't payed for the care of those dogs it's someones donation that does. As far as I'm concerned what ever obscene amount of money this man makes he should use to help pay for former "hobby".