PR spin can't hide the truth about Vick
Michael's Vick's mouthpiece spoke up Monday, saying the NFL star will admit the crime and do the time. Exactly which crimes and how much time will be determined soon, but it's clear that the only reason he will come clean is that the feds have him dead to rights.
Much of the media has already switched to spin cycle. How soon can Vick get back on the field? What's the best way to worm his way back into the public's good graces? How long before Nike comes calling?
Monday Night Football commentators Tony Kornheiser and Ron Jaworski, usually two solid guys, talked about the issue during Monday night's game. They said Vick should hold a press conference and apologize. They said his PR people should craft a conciliatory statement. He could say he actually loves dogs. They even suggested he could do some work for PETA!
But is that really the issue? If Vick reads a well-crafted PR statement, sheds a tear or two and poses for a few photo ops with a schnauzer are we supposed to forgive and forget? Or do a man's actions speak louder than his PR people's words.
I know all I need to know about Michael Vick. This is a guy who funded an operation where dogs were trained to kill each other for the profit and entertainment of Vick and his friends. This is a guy who participated in the torture and killing of animals. This is a guy who ran an illegal and gruesome enterprise over a period of years, and would still be running it today if he didn't get caught.
This is a bad guy, a man lacking in basic humanity, a guy who has forfeited his right to play in the NFL... and no amount of PR spin is going to change that.
---Howard J. Smith, Managing Editor
