Mike Vick – Fakes, Punts, HE SCORES!!

Whoever is NOW handling Michel Vick’s pr deserves a HUGE raise.  Today, with only a 30 minute heads-up, ESPN Mike and Mike in the Morning host Mike Golic said, “In 30 minutes we’ll have Eagles quarterback Michael Vick in studio.”  Uh what!!!  Mike Vick??  In studio??  In thirty minutes??

Yes, thirty minutes.  No time to form pickets.  No time to blast emails.  No time to call friends.  No time for calls to prod or jerk Vick up by his balls.  No time to wish he would die.  No time to discuss/deride/praise the hosts.  No time for agendas.  No time to do anything but wait and listen, or change the channel.  Period.

Thirty minutes later, there was Vick, with Peyton Hillis, running back for the Cleveland Browns.   An hour later they were on ESPN’s First Take.  NFL Live and/or Sportscenter may be later today.  And Vick and Hollis talked about … hold on to your seat, OMG, you’ve got to be kidding, don’t understand, why why why! FOOTBALL.  They discussed FOOTBALL – last season football, the upcoming season (hopefully) of football, and the lockout of football.  Go figger.  Michael Vick being interviewed about football.  Hot dang.  How original.  Genius.  And before I digress, Hillis and Vick are up for the cover of  Madden 12.  Considering the Madden cover jinx, Vick’s haters will probably vote for him in organized droves.

An interview about … football.

Genius.

Oh First Take host Dana Jacobson did bring up Vick’s recent visit to Avon Park Correctional Institution with Tony Dungy, Dan Patrick, and Peter King.  By the way, Patrick said King may be writing a story about their visit for Sports Illustrated.  He also said Vick did NOT know King was part of the trip.  (Click to see picture slide Dan took of the visit.)  But the interviews were about football.

Genius.

When Vick agreed to go on the Oprah Winfrey show, a hailstorm of ugliness broke out, pretty much explainable why the appearance was “postponed.”  While I understood the ugliness – we all have “things” that piss us off – I questioned why book Vick on Oprah?  Vick has already publicly talked about and apologized for his dog exploits.  He’s publicly discussed his time in prison.  Why put his family in the spotlight?  So why Oprah, or any nonsports talk show?  That keeps a foot on his neck and provides opportunities for the boot to be dug in.

Now before his detractors send me all sorts of emails I will not read, let me say again I understand your anger.   While I think the continued backlash against Vick is way beyond his actions and as much a reflection on the lashers, we all have “things” that piss us off.  I still have a HUGE issue that Ravens wide receiver Donte Stallworth got no jail time for killing a man while legally drunk.  But to move in life, we have to let others do the same.  Be aware.  Watch them like a hawk if they have serial aberrant tendencies.  But don’t let their issues become you.

Jacobson ended the interview by saying to Vick, “it’s not our actions that define us, but how we respond to them.”  I disagree.  Our actions and responses both make a statement on who we are.  The question all of us, including Vick and Stallworth, must continually asses is, “As we act do we add to or detract from society?”

Booking Vick on a sports show with another football player to discuss football was a smart action … and Genius.  All around.